Dear...
'For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted but the sorrow of the world produces death.'
2 Corinthians 7:10
What is tribulation? My son just asked me as I was pondering my starting sentence for this sharing. And may it be in all brevity for my long suffering readers, just like how we, often in the midst of trials and challenges in our lives, pray that God will bring us out of the fiery crucible soonest, if not now.
Deprivation might bring discomfort, but it is nourishment for our very being, it often brings the best out of us. Would that include the innate goodness that is in all man, for we were made in the likeness of God, till Adam lowered standards by exchanging a personal relationship with God, for a bite of the rotten apple?
For me, it was always in my time of need that brings me running to God. And life moves on, when things are dandy, and we place God back in the neglected recesses of one's life, till the next crisis.
God moved me out of this vicious cycle of self interest and into a desirous relationship with Him, independent of circumstances, when by His sanctifying Spirit, He transformed me from believer(which I was since age 15) to a more than willing follower at age 40. This "upgrade" in my journey with God had its origins again in the midst of tribulations, except difference is on this occasion, I chose to acknowledge His Sovereignty and thank Him for my circumstances, even before sunny days appear again. Quite a sharp contrast to my past modus operandi of thanking God after the fact, and even then, often a quick cursory thanks.
It has been a wonderful decade of following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Powdery white but well sprinkled hair I might now have, which is more wisdom than stress I like to believe and truly believed, in all humility to the grace of God in my life. Joy and peace anchors my very being, much as my imperfect carnality still cause me to sway(but not be swept away into the sea of doubt) like a buoy in the wind swept stormy oceans of life, and about blessings, God truly more than provides bountifully, much as we learn to seek Him and His righteousness.
'And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Whom He has given us.'
Romans 5:15
Contrast life which revolves around the temporal and finite things of this world to life as a believer and follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, that in taking time out from the world and taking time in His presence, His very spirit will speak to us, and we will truly fathom not just the very purpose of our existence, but that we will be imbued with this warmth, this peace and joy, that come what may, the grace of God is indeed suffice for the day.
'And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray, and when the evening was come, he was there alone.'
Matthew 14:23
And while this joy and peace is indeed true for me in my blessed life this past decade as a diligent follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, yet inexplicably, last month in May, I felt like a machine that has been running to its limits for too long, I decided to take time out from running after every opportunity that is offered to me to do the work of God, for it seems that I was feeling the onset of a spiritual burnout. Yet God is good. His Spirit ministered to my very being, allowed me to realize and fine tune the many imperfections that are manifested in my ministry life as a servant of our Lord and in taking time with the Lord our God, He not only refreshed the dis-spirited me, but has brought me to the beginnings of the next monumental (sound better than big) phase in my journey with Him.
'But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit, and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.'
John 4:23-24
And interestingly, with this rejuvenation from Christ, our spring of life, my heart also felt a sense of being able to hear His will with even greater clarity than before, for the Spirit of God speaks to my spirit, much as I know that the faithful following is still a work in progress,. And as always, God knows our every needs, and He again affirms His will for me by His prescience in bringing me to the next topic of my Online Bible course( a word based self study bible course that I have been blessed to do since year 2003) with what else but the very apt topic titled "A God Who Guides"
Does it mean that the time for contemplative reflection is over? Does this mark the end of this 3rd Series titled "Reflections for the moment?' which God has blessed me and enlightened me with many wonderful lessons as I take time in His presence to reflect upon the impressions He placed in my heart. And I pray that it was both edifying and insightful as the Spirit of God speaks to you my fellow journey men and women these past one year plus (since Mar 2009) just as the prior two series, ie Series 1 titled "My walk with Lord" (started July 2004) was a gradual journey with our Lord, followed by His leading me to pick up the tempo in Series 2 "Running the race"?(initiated July 2008)
'Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice.'
John 4:28
Is this the time for a more responsive conviction in our journey with God? I will be going off the airways or more like internet for now, not because I needed a hiatus, but rather it is good to take time out from this wonderful ministry of word as led by the Spirit of God, and take time in to ponder and more importantly to hear the will of God. And much as I believe that God is now moving me to the next phase of my journey with Him, my next upgrade, it is not what I think but what He wills. And God will let us know, at His timing, but one must be willing to spend time in His presence.
Till then, when our good Lord leads me to resume this word based ministry, with Series 4, do visit my blogs(for past sharing but still current if the Spirit of God so wills in your heart) at
http://hieang.blogspot.com
(For series 1 - My walk with the Lord. Series 2- Running the race and Series 3- Reflections for the moment
and
http://sundaysnippets.blogspot.com
'The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters.'
Psalms 23:1-2
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(4th July 10)
note
------
Interestingly, with the recent announcement of the non believer lady journalist (whose comments on Christianity led to my responding to the Spirit's leading to provide a Christian response to clarify often the narrowly focused and secular views of journalists in the Sunday papers) that she was finally getting married, after many years of single-hood, Sundaysnippets will also be taken off the air, not because I have fallen out of love with my favorite journalist, but rather, it has served its purpose and till our Lord show me otherwise.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Reflections for the moment #71 Black gold (30th june 10)
Dear…
‘Samuel said to Saul, “you have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord.’
1 Samuel 13:13
The beginning of King Saul’s fall from grace started very early in his reign, when he lost patience waiting for the Prophet Samuel to turn up at the appointed time, and decided to take matters into his own hand. Saul’s justification then was that the situation demanded an immediate response and that circumstances justified his not following God’s command to the letter.
‘But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.’
1 Samuel 12:15
In the light of continued fiscal ill-discipline by major Western debtor countries, physical gold has increasingly taken center stage in the hearts, mind and pockets of many. It was reported that just in May alone, the thrifty Germans and their closest counterparts, the Austrians bought more gold in that month than for any other period. And just a couple of days back, a 100 kg Maple Leaf gold coin was sold for quite a few zeros in US$ terms(not too sure if this is a harbinger of a short term peak in the gold prices?)
Physical gold is something very close to my heart. In the late 1970s, I actually went to the OUB Bank(no longer in existence), to buy some paper gold, as part of my investment plan for my hope for first $1mio strategy. But was rejected by virtue of being underage and truth is I was probably too small a customer, with less than a couple of thousand dollars to my name. I had a more successful second attempt back in the late 1980s, buying both physical and paper gold. But it took me two decades of wandering in the wilderness to be finally right about gold. Doesn’t add much luster to my reputation as a savvy investor, which thankfully I am not, for man plans, God directs.
And if some might recall, gold(at US$750/oz) was the thought God placed in my heart back in year 2008, at the rudimentary stages of the subprime crisis(see Running the race #35 Refiner’s fire at following link http://hieang. blogspot. com/2009/ 03/running- race-35-refiners -fire-20mar09. html ). I did buy some physical gold, no doubt a very, very minute fraction of the tons sitting in Fort Knox(where the US government keeps their gold), but it finally gave me peace of heart, much as I was reluctant to want to obey the Holy Spirit’s three nights worth of prompting, that deep impression upon my heart to buy administratively cumbersome and less efficient physical gold(not paper nor Exchange traded gold funds, nor listed gold stocks). At today’s prices(US$1250/ oz) and present bullishness for the yellow metal, with the wisdom of hindsight, I wished I had bought a lot more gold.
‘And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly, thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which He commanded thee, for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue, the Lord hath sought him a man after His own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over His people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.’
1 Samuel 13:13-14
Fools’ gold I am not after. King Midas I am not aspiring to. But our good Lord has since this little episode of buying physical gold, impressed upon me the need to obey, much as it might seem illogical. But more importantly, the gold that God wants us to invest our all, is gold as refined by Him. That is, our very being, like gold put through the refiner’s fire, that we will come out purified and sanctified, made ready for His work on Earth and for His return. This is the gold that God truly wants all of us to focus on, and this is the gold that will hold steady, much as the sinful world will waver as the world will shake even more.
What about oil, the devil’s brew? Maybe a better name for oil would be “black gold.” It is interesting that most of the world’s known oil reserves are either in less than friendly terrain(as in offshore wells), or in politically challenging countries in the Middle East/Africa and Central Asia.
Israel survived and succeeded very well as a nation in the midst of plentiful oil in its surrounding neighborhood, yet has neither a drop worth shouting about on its own soil. And despite all the oil in their largess, its’ much bigger hostile neighbors have till now not been able to run the much despised Israelites(at least in the eyes’ of its half brothers, the Arabs) off the land.
Crude oil is the addiction of the world. We cannot live without crude oil, for it lubricates our world. Bio-fuel seems like a viable alternative, but till now, it has fallen short of its hype. And not forgetting the damage to our environment as seen in the haze in South East Asia, with the advent of commercial palm oil production, a recent phenomenon of the 1990s in Indonesia. And the haze will no doubt get worse, with Indonesia’s professed desire to be the food basket of the world, or more like bio-fuel supplier of the world. As it is, it seems that the more remote parts of Eastern Indonesia, that is, Irian Jaya(the Indonesian half of Papua New Guinea), virgin jungles are starting to be stripped to be made ready for palm oil plantations.
“Crude oil, or black gold” is the word the Spirit of God deeply impressed upon my heart these couple of days. What does the Lord want to share with us all? Till now, I am not sure, but the words “covenant” and “control” are two terms that He has left with me.
Truth or fiction, some political analysts believed that the World War 2 hero and post war American President, General Dwight Eisenhower made a secret pact(in the 1950s) with the House of Saud, the present ruling family of Saudi Arabia. In exchange for American support of their Sovereignty in Saudi Arabia, the flow of oil to the increasingly thirsty USA was guaranteed. Fact or fiction, only God knows, but fact remains that the energy guzzling superhighways first envisaged in the World Expo in Chicago in 1933 became a reality in 1950s USA. Without Saudi oil, such great growth in energy dependent consumerism in USA would be that much more difficult to sustain, as evidenced by the long queues at the gas station in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, and the subsequent Arab oil embargo led by the key lynchpin of OPEC, Saudi Arabia.
Was oil or more like the control of oil supplies the real reason for both father and son team of Bush for sending America, twice over to war in Iraq rather than all the beating around the bush excuses that they have parlayed? I am not Michael Moore(of the film Fahrenheit 9/11 fame), so let me not attempt to create a conspiracy theory, for it is beyond my faculties.
But truth of the matter is that oil is the opium of the world, and like all good addicts, nothing else matters as long as we get that fix, even if it means losing control of our sense of values.
Oil helps the world to move along. What about us, the individual? What makes us tick?
‘And the Lord answered me and said, ”Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry.....the just shall live by his faith.’
Habakkuk 2:2-4
Interestingly, having just wolfed down a peanut cake for afternoon tea, compliments of my kind hearted colleague who knew of my yearning for comfort food, during our lunch today, and she made the extra effort to procure one for me, this verse in Habakkuk 2:2-4 was the spiritual food I read right after. Interestingly, Habakkuk seems to mirror the same message shared about the 99% man, that is, King Saul who obeyed but not fully(in 1 Samuel). I did not look for this verse, but God brought me here and I believe for good reason.
'What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?"
Job 2:10
I have no idea where the price of oil is heading, though my guess will be that it will be very much higher eventually, as the Iranian and Turks muck around with regional politics in the powder keg that is Middle East.
But that is another story. Let me just end by saying that almost to a tee, most of us are less than 100% in our willingness to obey God’s clear commands. For those who actively seek a relationship with God, your hearts like mine, might be certain, as the Spirit of God impresses upon us His will, but often, our minds start to question and the self deceiving us move to center stage.
'Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God,…..'
Jeremiah 42:6
Patience is the word that underlines my journey with God this year. Patience is what God has deeply impressed upon my heart throughout this year. Patience is what I often do not exhibit in my journey with God, but thankfully, by His grace, I have not degenerated to being a patient or more like victim of my own follies.
'Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.'
Revelation 3:10
Did the Saudis truly have a covenant with the Americans? I am not sure, but fact remains that Saudi oil was a key stabilizer for oil prices, an important ingredient to ensure global economic stability, much as American hegemony has ensured a relatively more stable world. But are we seeing the negative ramifications of this longstanding relationship from the depths of resentment as expressed by extremists like the Saudi Osama Bin Laden, as well as the general populace in the Middle East in the belief that only the privileged benefited from this alliance?
‘With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles..’
2 Chronicles 32:8
As Christians, we have entered into the New Covenant with God, when we believed. God will and has provided. But what about us? Are we truly willing to follow with our all, His leading? Are we all in breach of this Covenant and are seeing the ramifications of our disobedience, no difference from the sinful King Saul?
As I close, let me share some thoughts from an article literally “fresh from the oven” that I read last night, in the just received quarterly magazine of my church. The author, a retired local preacher challenges the reader to move beyond the popular notion of “a purpose driven life” to one of “a cross driven life.” For those who seek to follow Christ, to be like Him, we want to know God’s will for us and how can we live to honor Him in every way. That desire is good, but what about the execution? On this, like many, I have often fallen short, for am I truly able to trust the Holy Spirit’s leading 100% in total obedience or am I like King Saul, who lost patience, when circumstances seem to point otherwise?
“To live to Christ, and to die is gain(Philippians 1:21),” this is what Apostle Paul exhorts all believers. Like Christ in Gethsemane, before His sacrifice, are we, despite our natural instincts of self survival, be willing to truly let go and obey God’s will?
‘..O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.’
Matthew 26:29
I am, but my heart often resists. Only with the grace of God’s Spirit can I be able to translate willingness into reality. Faith comes from God, to ensure we will adhere to God’s command and honor our part of the covenant with Him. But faith can only be received if we, the recipient are willing to come unto God’s presence always.
Will you be willing to enter the crucible of fire for continued refinement by the Hands of our beloved Father?
Boldness is not about asking God for His blessings that we want, much as some have preached. It is not about mouthing out loud our faith, when our hearts are in reality closed to Him.
Boldness is knowing that God has forgiven us through the resurrected Christ, that God has not just make clean our once sinful self, but that He wants to transform us in His likeness. Boldness is about us willingly responding as His Spirit leads, often crossing the chasm of the unknown, with our eyes closed, our hearts certain, trusting that the God we know is Sovereign, He is faithful and honors His covenant with us, that He is in control, much as we are not.
‘Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside You. My flesh and my heart fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.’
Psalm 73:25-26
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
30th June 2010
‘Samuel said to Saul, “you have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord.’
1 Samuel 13:13
The beginning of King Saul’s fall from grace started very early in his reign, when he lost patience waiting for the Prophet Samuel to turn up at the appointed time, and decided to take matters into his own hand. Saul’s justification then was that the situation demanded an immediate response and that circumstances justified his not following God’s command to the letter.
‘But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.’
1 Samuel 12:15
In the light of continued fiscal ill-discipline by major Western debtor countries, physical gold has increasingly taken center stage in the hearts, mind and pockets of many. It was reported that just in May alone, the thrifty Germans and their closest counterparts, the Austrians bought more gold in that month than for any other period. And just a couple of days back, a 100 kg Maple Leaf gold coin was sold for quite a few zeros in US$ terms(not too sure if this is a harbinger of a short term peak in the gold prices?)
Physical gold is something very close to my heart. In the late 1970s, I actually went to the OUB Bank(no longer in existence), to buy some paper gold, as part of my investment plan for my hope for first $1mio strategy. But was rejected by virtue of being underage and truth is I was probably too small a customer, with less than a couple of thousand dollars to my name. I had a more successful second attempt back in the late 1980s, buying both physical and paper gold. But it took me two decades of wandering in the wilderness to be finally right about gold. Doesn’t add much luster to my reputation as a savvy investor, which thankfully I am not, for man plans, God directs.
And if some might recall, gold(at US$750/oz) was the thought God placed in my heart back in year 2008, at the rudimentary stages of the subprime crisis(see Running the race #35 Refiner’s fire at following link http://hieang. blogspot. com/2009/ 03/running- race-35-refiners -fire-20mar09. html ). I did buy some physical gold, no doubt a very, very minute fraction of the tons sitting in Fort Knox(where the US government keeps their gold), but it finally gave me peace of heart, much as I was reluctant to want to obey the Holy Spirit’s three nights worth of prompting, that deep impression upon my heart to buy administratively cumbersome and less efficient physical gold(not paper nor Exchange traded gold funds, nor listed gold stocks). At today’s prices(US$1250/ oz) and present bullishness for the yellow metal, with the wisdom of hindsight, I wished I had bought a lot more gold.
‘And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly, thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which He commanded thee, for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue, the Lord hath sought him a man after His own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over His people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.’
1 Samuel 13:13-14
Fools’ gold I am not after. King Midas I am not aspiring to. But our good Lord has since this little episode of buying physical gold, impressed upon me the need to obey, much as it might seem illogical. But more importantly, the gold that God wants us to invest our all, is gold as refined by Him. That is, our very being, like gold put through the refiner’s fire, that we will come out purified and sanctified, made ready for His work on Earth and for His return. This is the gold that God truly wants all of us to focus on, and this is the gold that will hold steady, much as the sinful world will waver as the world will shake even more.
What about oil, the devil’s brew? Maybe a better name for oil would be “black gold.” It is interesting that most of the world’s known oil reserves are either in less than friendly terrain(as in offshore wells), or in politically challenging countries in the Middle East/Africa and Central Asia.
Israel survived and succeeded very well as a nation in the midst of plentiful oil in its surrounding neighborhood, yet has neither a drop worth shouting about on its own soil. And despite all the oil in their largess, its’ much bigger hostile neighbors have till now not been able to run the much despised Israelites(at least in the eyes’ of its half brothers, the Arabs) off the land.
Crude oil is the addiction of the world. We cannot live without crude oil, for it lubricates our world. Bio-fuel seems like a viable alternative, but till now, it has fallen short of its hype. And not forgetting the damage to our environment as seen in the haze in South East Asia, with the advent of commercial palm oil production, a recent phenomenon of the 1990s in Indonesia. And the haze will no doubt get worse, with Indonesia’s professed desire to be the food basket of the world, or more like bio-fuel supplier of the world. As it is, it seems that the more remote parts of Eastern Indonesia, that is, Irian Jaya(the Indonesian half of Papua New Guinea), virgin jungles are starting to be stripped to be made ready for palm oil plantations.
“Crude oil, or black gold” is the word the Spirit of God deeply impressed upon my heart these couple of days. What does the Lord want to share with us all? Till now, I am not sure, but the words “covenant” and “control” are two terms that He has left with me.
Truth or fiction, some political analysts believed that the World War 2 hero and post war American President, General Dwight Eisenhower made a secret pact(in the 1950s) with the House of Saud, the present ruling family of Saudi Arabia. In exchange for American support of their Sovereignty in Saudi Arabia, the flow of oil to the increasingly thirsty USA was guaranteed. Fact or fiction, only God knows, but fact remains that the energy guzzling superhighways first envisaged in the World Expo in Chicago in 1933 became a reality in 1950s USA. Without Saudi oil, such great growth in energy dependent consumerism in USA would be that much more difficult to sustain, as evidenced by the long queues at the gas station in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, and the subsequent Arab oil embargo led by the key lynchpin of OPEC, Saudi Arabia.
Was oil or more like the control of oil supplies the real reason for both father and son team of Bush for sending America, twice over to war in Iraq rather than all the beating around the bush excuses that they have parlayed? I am not Michael Moore(of the film Fahrenheit 9/11 fame), so let me not attempt to create a conspiracy theory, for it is beyond my faculties.
But truth of the matter is that oil is the opium of the world, and like all good addicts, nothing else matters as long as we get that fix, even if it means losing control of our sense of values.
Oil helps the world to move along. What about us, the individual? What makes us tick?
‘And the Lord answered me and said, ”Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry.....the just shall live by his faith.’
Habakkuk 2:2-4
Interestingly, having just wolfed down a peanut cake for afternoon tea, compliments of my kind hearted colleague who knew of my yearning for comfort food, during our lunch today, and she made the extra effort to procure one for me, this verse in Habakkuk 2:2-4 was the spiritual food I read right after. Interestingly, Habakkuk seems to mirror the same message shared about the 99% man, that is, King Saul who obeyed but not fully(in 1 Samuel). I did not look for this verse, but God brought me here and I believe for good reason.
'What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?"
Job 2:10
I have no idea where the price of oil is heading, though my guess will be that it will be very much higher eventually, as the Iranian and Turks muck around with regional politics in the powder keg that is Middle East.
But that is another story. Let me just end by saying that almost to a tee, most of us are less than 100% in our willingness to obey God’s clear commands. For those who actively seek a relationship with God, your hearts like mine, might be certain, as the Spirit of God impresses upon us His will, but often, our minds start to question and the self deceiving us move to center stage.
'Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God,…..'
Jeremiah 42:6
Patience is the word that underlines my journey with God this year. Patience is what God has deeply impressed upon my heart throughout this year. Patience is what I often do not exhibit in my journey with God, but thankfully, by His grace, I have not degenerated to being a patient or more like victim of my own follies.
'Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.'
Revelation 3:10
Did the Saudis truly have a covenant with the Americans? I am not sure, but fact remains that Saudi oil was a key stabilizer for oil prices, an important ingredient to ensure global economic stability, much as American hegemony has ensured a relatively more stable world. But are we seeing the negative ramifications of this longstanding relationship from the depths of resentment as expressed by extremists like the Saudi Osama Bin Laden, as well as the general populace in the Middle East in the belief that only the privileged benefited from this alliance?
‘With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles..’
2 Chronicles 32:8
As Christians, we have entered into the New Covenant with God, when we believed. God will and has provided. But what about us? Are we truly willing to follow with our all, His leading? Are we all in breach of this Covenant and are seeing the ramifications of our disobedience, no difference from the sinful King Saul?
As I close, let me share some thoughts from an article literally “fresh from the oven” that I read last night, in the just received quarterly magazine of my church. The author, a retired local preacher challenges the reader to move beyond the popular notion of “a purpose driven life” to one of “a cross driven life.” For those who seek to follow Christ, to be like Him, we want to know God’s will for us and how can we live to honor Him in every way. That desire is good, but what about the execution? On this, like many, I have often fallen short, for am I truly able to trust the Holy Spirit’s leading 100% in total obedience or am I like King Saul, who lost patience, when circumstances seem to point otherwise?
“To live to Christ, and to die is gain(Philippians 1:21),” this is what Apostle Paul exhorts all believers. Like Christ in Gethsemane, before His sacrifice, are we, despite our natural instincts of self survival, be willing to truly let go and obey God’s will?
‘..O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.’
Matthew 26:29
I am, but my heart often resists. Only with the grace of God’s Spirit can I be able to translate willingness into reality. Faith comes from God, to ensure we will adhere to God’s command and honor our part of the covenant with Him. But faith can only be received if we, the recipient are willing to come unto God’s presence always.
Will you be willing to enter the crucible of fire for continued refinement by the Hands of our beloved Father?
Boldness is not about asking God for His blessings that we want, much as some have preached. It is not about mouthing out loud our faith, when our hearts are in reality closed to Him.
Boldness is knowing that God has forgiven us through the resurrected Christ, that God has not just make clean our once sinful self, but that He wants to transform us in His likeness. Boldness is about us willingly responding as His Spirit leads, often crossing the chasm of the unknown, with our eyes closed, our hearts certain, trusting that the God we know is Sovereign, He is faithful and honors His covenant with us, that He is in control, much as we are not.
‘Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside You. My flesh and my heart fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.’
Psalm 73:25-26
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
30th June 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Reflections for the moment #70 Strangely warmth(22nd June 10)
Dear…
‘For the man also knoweth not his time; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.’
Ecclesiastes 9:12
Age does sober one up, and it was not too long ago that I spent my 30th birthday away from home and of all things, in a two man 6km road race with Bill, my colleague then, an American Chinese in the lovely summer heat of Connecticut. Fast forward almost two decades later, and the only running I am doing lately is together with my son, making a dash for the next available sofa, while the more energetic ladies in my small household soak in the items on offer in the shops in Hong Kong.
A year to go before I cross the magical half century, at least magical if you are a cricketer looking to score a century in a Test match, but for the mortal man, it means that we are much nearer our three score years plus ten or maybe fourscore(Psalm 90:10)
But the passage of time need not necessarily be the sole determinant of one’s length of stay in this world. If God so determine, one could be off in a whiff before that last breath could make its way down one’s bodily passages. So, like some I am taking to heart the exhortations of Ecclesiastes 9:7,9
‘Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works…….Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which He hath given thee under the sun….’
Ecclesiastes 9:7,9
This year, the wife and I had a greater preponderance for short overseas sojourns, honeymoon I am not sure, but good things do come in small dosages. Wife is happy, I am too, but did I really do a good job these past decade of my living as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deserve His manifold blessings?
‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.’
Psalm 90:12
This was the thought that crossed my heart, or more like been troubling me these past few days. At age 49 just, have I stayed true to the command of God to seek Him with my all and to love others as much as myself? And with the balance of life remaining, having likely crossed the 60-70% mark, how would God want me to live the balance of my days?
'Behold these are the ungodly, who are always at ease. They increase in riches. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain. And washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning.'
Psalm 73:12-14
And do I not feel drained from the great exertion of seeking to live out my faith these past decade, that maybe it will be truly good and wise to withdraw from the few ministries I have been actively involved in and take a break and smell the roses of God’s blessings instead, that is, the receiving without the giving.
‘He by His wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.’
Ecclesiastes 9:15
God knows our every heartbeat. And He does not leave us to ponder for too long. For a fertile mind is a dangerous mind. This morning’s Daily Bread reading(June 22nd Tuesday) shares about how often our “good works” are rarely appreciated nor remembered. Guess lying just beneath my inner consciousness, is still my carnal desire to be appreciated and recognized for my “self-sacrifice” these past decade since the Spirit of God lifted the blindness in my heart. And with the bodily shell starting to reflect its age, one tend to engage in some self-pity like a dog wet in its tail.
'When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me. Until I went into the sanctuary of God. Then I understood their end.'
Psalm 73:16-17
The Spirit of God quite quickly convicted me of my sinful self, and I have since perked up, and truly remember that it is God Whom I am accountable to, not man and all provisions come from God, and not from my own efforts. And without our participation, God’s plans will still be fulfilled, but with our participation, He allows us to see the wisdom of His ways and appreciate His glory and grace.
‘Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute…’
1 Timothy 6:17-19
Like most, I sometimes wish that God will give me more provisions, and even then, give me a little more time to do my own things before I do His. We often read of the trend amongst some preachers who focused very much on the message of prosperity. A God Who so loves us that we should not be afraid nor apologetic about asking for our wants to be fulfilled. And indeed it is a great message that is more easily digestible, for who will not mind all grace without works, that is, more receiving, less giving.
'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
This was the issue that bothered me these past few days, quite connected to my sense of inequity, that here was poor me, joyfully giving, with less expectation of an immediate material payback from God our Provider(for it is the Provider not the provisions that matter) and here are some of my fellow Christians, lapping in every word from their enigmatic preachers promising that God so love us, that we just need to ask for the riches of this world.
Is not our faith one of seeking and doing the will of God, rather than our own will? And is not prayers always answered when asked in God’s will, rather than ours?
‘And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’
Luke 4:3-4
It is good to ponder upon this verse in Luke 4:3-4 and think in the context of the messages that some of us might be hearing. Is the devil today tempting us to test God again by our asking Him to give us bread – the things of the world because we are told that God so loved us that He will give us anything we asked for.
‘Judge not, that ye be not judged.’
Matthew 7:1
'Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things....Let him who eats despise him who does not eat....Who are you to judge another's servant?'
Romans 14:1-5
What is the truth? Rather than hear from imperfect man like me or anyone else, would it not be better to heed Jesus Christ’s command in Luke 4:4 that as Christians, we must immersed ourselves in the Word of God, not for head knowledge, but rather, the Word is God, and God is the Word and time in His Words will bring us unto His presence, as His Word will transform our hearts and renew our mind, to enable us to move from the carnal to the spiritual man.
‘For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.’
Matthew 24:24
Interestingly, the numerals in Matthew 24:24 in Cantonese means “easy to die, twice over” Not sure about dying, but much as we think we have great intellect and discerning minds, the truth of the matter is that indeed our minds are self deceiving, and none of us by our own strength are a match for the powers and principalities of the devil’s world. And many will literary die for their carnal wants, but not be willing to die to Christ, in letting go and letting Him.
‘Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness, I will cast thee to the ground….’
Ezekiel 28:17
The prophet James reminded us of the need to submit to God first and foremost, then can we resist the devil and the latter will then flee from us. Submission to God’s Sovereignty must underline our every thought and action, quite contrary to the normal human reaction of resistance, pride, self interests and self survival.
'..that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.'
Ephesians 1:17-18
How can we move away from our natural human instinct to the Spirit man that is always ready to let the Spirit of God residing in us who believe lead us?
'Now to Him Who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith..'
Romans 16:25-26
Let me close by bringing us back to the record of our Lord Jesus Christ walking with two of his disciples soon after his resurrection. How these two men disbelieved what the women folk told them about Christ’s missing body and the appearance of two angels and in sharing this story with a stranger who journeyed with them, not realizing that it was our Lord Jesus Christ though out the journey.
‘And their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight.’
Luke 24:31
‘And they said to one another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?’
Luke 24:32
The blindness in one’s heart can never be lifted by our own efforts nor that of others. Only the Spirit of God can and it will be at God’s timing and form. But does it mean that as man we do nothing? God indeed wants us to enjoy His blessings both on Earth and in Heaven. He will more than provide. But God commands us to seek Him with our all and to love others as much as ourselves not because it is a legal consideration in exchange for His grace. But rather, in seeking God in prayers, in His words, in praise and in His works, we learn to come unto His presence, we allow His Spirit to minister to us, to teach us to let go and let Him.
'..to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God..'
Ephesians 3:19
Many times, it is not about logic or clarification, but rather, it is about that unexplainable but joyful peace that comes from a heart that is strangely warmth, that feeling that is indescribable, yet, we know that it is God’s sanctifying presence in our very being. It is God’s compassion for us, His fallen children, that reassures and strengthen that passion or desire in us to live a life that honors Him. It is not about how many things of the world that God should give us, but how blessed we are to have the blindness in our hearts lifted by His grace, to allow us to know Him
‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’
Acts 14:22
It is not about material riches or things that the world values. It is not about a comfortable life, but God our comforter. It is about Who God is, and how blessed we are in our short finite life to be able to journey in His presence, and yet knowing that eternity with Him is given, if we are willing. Every day is indeed a joyful day, be it that tribulations may come our way for the pain will be fleeting, but the gain from God’s love is permanent.
‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.’
Ecclesiastes 12:13
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(22nd June 2010)
‘For the man also knoweth not his time; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.’
Ecclesiastes 9:12
Age does sober one up, and it was not too long ago that I spent my 30th birthday away from home and of all things, in a two man 6km road race with Bill, my colleague then, an American Chinese in the lovely summer heat of Connecticut. Fast forward almost two decades later, and the only running I am doing lately is together with my son, making a dash for the next available sofa, while the more energetic ladies in my small household soak in the items on offer in the shops in Hong Kong.
A year to go before I cross the magical half century, at least magical if you are a cricketer looking to score a century in a Test match, but for the mortal man, it means that we are much nearer our three score years plus ten or maybe fourscore(Psalm 90:10)
But the passage of time need not necessarily be the sole determinant of one’s length of stay in this world. If God so determine, one could be off in a whiff before that last breath could make its way down one’s bodily passages. So, like some I am taking to heart the exhortations of Ecclesiastes 9:7,9
‘Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works…….Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which He hath given thee under the sun….’
Ecclesiastes 9:7,9
This year, the wife and I had a greater preponderance for short overseas sojourns, honeymoon I am not sure, but good things do come in small dosages. Wife is happy, I am too, but did I really do a good job these past decade of my living as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deserve His manifold blessings?
‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.’
Psalm 90:12
This was the thought that crossed my heart, or more like been troubling me these past few days. At age 49 just, have I stayed true to the command of God to seek Him with my all and to love others as much as myself? And with the balance of life remaining, having likely crossed the 60-70% mark, how would God want me to live the balance of my days?
'Behold these are the ungodly, who are always at ease. They increase in riches. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain. And washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning.'
Psalm 73:12-14
And do I not feel drained from the great exertion of seeking to live out my faith these past decade, that maybe it will be truly good and wise to withdraw from the few ministries I have been actively involved in and take a break and smell the roses of God’s blessings instead, that is, the receiving without the giving.
‘He by His wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.’
Ecclesiastes 9:15
God knows our every heartbeat. And He does not leave us to ponder for too long. For a fertile mind is a dangerous mind. This morning’s Daily Bread reading(June 22nd Tuesday) shares about how often our “good works” are rarely appreciated nor remembered. Guess lying just beneath my inner consciousness, is still my carnal desire to be appreciated and recognized for my “self-sacrifice” these past decade since the Spirit of God lifted the blindness in my heart. And with the bodily shell starting to reflect its age, one tend to engage in some self-pity like a dog wet in its tail.
'When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me. Until I went into the sanctuary of God. Then I understood their end.'
Psalm 73:16-17
The Spirit of God quite quickly convicted me of my sinful self, and I have since perked up, and truly remember that it is God Whom I am accountable to, not man and all provisions come from God, and not from my own efforts. And without our participation, God’s plans will still be fulfilled, but with our participation, He allows us to see the wisdom of His ways and appreciate His glory and grace.
‘Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute…’
1 Timothy 6:17-19
Like most, I sometimes wish that God will give me more provisions, and even then, give me a little more time to do my own things before I do His. We often read of the trend amongst some preachers who focused very much on the message of prosperity. A God Who so loves us that we should not be afraid nor apologetic about asking for our wants to be fulfilled. And indeed it is a great message that is more easily digestible, for who will not mind all grace without works, that is, more receiving, less giving.
'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
This was the issue that bothered me these past few days, quite connected to my sense of inequity, that here was poor me, joyfully giving, with less expectation of an immediate material payback from God our Provider(for it is the Provider not the provisions that matter) and here are some of my fellow Christians, lapping in every word from their enigmatic preachers promising that God so love us, that we just need to ask for the riches of this world.
Is not our faith one of seeking and doing the will of God, rather than our own will? And is not prayers always answered when asked in God’s will, rather than ours?
‘And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’
Luke 4:3-4
It is good to ponder upon this verse in Luke 4:3-4 and think in the context of the messages that some of us might be hearing. Is the devil today tempting us to test God again by our asking Him to give us bread – the things of the world because we are told that God so loved us that He will give us anything we asked for.
‘Judge not, that ye be not judged.’
Matthew 7:1
'Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things....Let him who eats despise him who does not eat....Who are you to judge another's servant?'
Romans 14:1-5
What is the truth? Rather than hear from imperfect man like me or anyone else, would it not be better to heed Jesus Christ’s command in Luke 4:4 that as Christians, we must immersed ourselves in the Word of God, not for head knowledge, but rather, the Word is God, and God is the Word and time in His Words will bring us unto His presence, as His Word will transform our hearts and renew our mind, to enable us to move from the carnal to the spiritual man.
‘For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.’
Matthew 24:24
Interestingly, the numerals in Matthew 24:24 in Cantonese means “easy to die, twice over” Not sure about dying, but much as we think we have great intellect and discerning minds, the truth of the matter is that indeed our minds are self deceiving, and none of us by our own strength are a match for the powers and principalities of the devil’s world. And many will literary die for their carnal wants, but not be willing to die to Christ, in letting go and letting Him.
‘Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness, I will cast thee to the ground….’
Ezekiel 28:17
The prophet James reminded us of the need to submit to God first and foremost, then can we resist the devil and the latter will then flee from us. Submission to God’s Sovereignty must underline our every thought and action, quite contrary to the normal human reaction of resistance, pride, self interests and self survival.
'..that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.'
Ephesians 1:17-18
How can we move away from our natural human instinct to the Spirit man that is always ready to let the Spirit of God residing in us who believe lead us?
'Now to Him Who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith..'
Romans 16:25-26
Let me close by bringing us back to the record of our Lord Jesus Christ walking with two of his disciples soon after his resurrection. How these two men disbelieved what the women folk told them about Christ’s missing body and the appearance of two angels and in sharing this story with a stranger who journeyed with them, not realizing that it was our Lord Jesus Christ though out the journey.
‘And their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight.’
Luke 24:31
‘And they said to one another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?’
Luke 24:32
The blindness in one’s heart can never be lifted by our own efforts nor that of others. Only the Spirit of God can and it will be at God’s timing and form. But does it mean that as man we do nothing? God indeed wants us to enjoy His blessings both on Earth and in Heaven. He will more than provide. But God commands us to seek Him with our all and to love others as much as ourselves not because it is a legal consideration in exchange for His grace. But rather, in seeking God in prayers, in His words, in praise and in His works, we learn to come unto His presence, we allow His Spirit to minister to us, to teach us to let go and let Him.
'..to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God..'
Ephesians 3:19
Many times, it is not about logic or clarification, but rather, it is about that unexplainable but joyful peace that comes from a heart that is strangely warmth, that feeling that is indescribable, yet, we know that it is God’s sanctifying presence in our very being. It is God’s compassion for us, His fallen children, that reassures and strengthen that passion or desire in us to live a life that honors Him. It is not about how many things of the world that God should give us, but how blessed we are to have the blindness in our hearts lifted by His grace, to allow us to know Him
‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’
Acts 14:22
It is not about material riches or things that the world values. It is not about a comfortable life, but God our comforter. It is about Who God is, and how blessed we are in our short finite life to be able to journey in His presence, and yet knowing that eternity with Him is given, if we are willing. Every day is indeed a joyful day, be it that tribulations may come our way for the pain will be fleeting, but the gain from God’s love is permanent.
‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.’
Ecclesiastes 12:13
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(22nd June 2010)
Friday, June 11, 2010
Reflections for the moment #69 A letter to my son (11th June 10)
Dear….
‘Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.’
1 Timothy 2:4
These few days, I have been bunking with my son in his room, not because the wife has sent me into exile, but rather a time of male bonding or more like an excuse for the wife and daughter to have their pajamas party. Sleep well, I always do, in fact, even more fitfully without the accompaniment of my wife’s favorite Korean serial. But last night, in the midst of my sleep, the Lord impressed upon me to write a letter to my son.
‘Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.For it is, do and do, do and do, rule and rule, rule and rule, a little here, a little there.'
Isaiah 28:9-10
Words at this juncture might not seem so comprehensible to young minds, but the Word of our Lord will, if He so wills. And may the depository of thoughts that the Lord has placed in my heart these past few years be truly more than a legacy, but the lamp upon which His light will shine upon hearts of my children, your children and their children, when God makes their heart ready.
‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.’
Amos 8:11
So without further ado, by the grace of God, may this letter I am about to pen as His Spirit leads, be used to bring forth the blossoming of faith and that desire in our sons and daughters to enter into a loving relationship with our Abba Father. My son might not read it now, but like the proverbial letter in the bottle, thrown into the sea, traversing miles of ocean it might, but at God’s timing, this letter will bob up to its intended recipient, for God is prescient.
Dear Andre
‘..Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. …..this do, and thou shalt live.’
Luke 10:26-28
Distractions there are aplenty. You just told me that mum and you have a deal, you will get your Apple Itouch in exchange for a mere few millimeter reduction in your heft.. Not a bad deal and I can see that glint in your eye to seek that less than holy grail from Apple Land. Is it not possible to have the same enthusiasm for our God in Heaven, whom a zillion Santa Claus in all probabilities are but a very, very pale shadow of His Sovereignty?
You made a rather profound statement(in good humor) just two nights back. You said you are not holy(though I still have that photo of you, at age 8, deep in prayers, that grace our church's monthly magazine), compared to your buddy who attends one of those mega prosperity type church. Is your seeming lack of fervency for God due to your seeing your dad’s less than active clamoring from God, for the material blessings of this present world, compared to what other fathers in and out of church are seeking? Would an Apple Ipad loaded with your favorite Archie comics do the trick compared to the daily ritual of making you spend that few minutes reading the Daily Bread and the Bible?
Come to think about it, maybe I should get an Ipad loaded with the Bible and all things Christian, might help improve the dowdy image of your dad, always with a Bible in hand, and we do have many Bibles interspersed all over the house, and mum will be pleased to have less clutter, not that she mind in the first place?
‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth…’
Ephesians 6:1-3
Not sure if dad and mum are always right, much as we always meant well for you, but Ephesians 1 can be pretty handy (though prayerfully not much abused by dad) in sorting out disputes with you, for God states quite categorically that you must obey your parent. But God never imposes, much as your imperfect dad is sometimes guilty of. God promises a blessed life of joy and peace for those who obey His command, dad more often than not promises a painful experience if you choose to continue to be stubborn and if there is acquiesce from you, satisfaction of your carnal desires. Do forgive your dad, try as I might, ,my carnal self often leads me to being a less than faithful steward of you for our Father in Heaven.
‘Give ye ear, and hear My voice, hearken, and hear My speech.’
Isaiah 28:23
'The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.'
Ephesians 1:18
Our faith is a relationship with a loving Father in Heaven. It is not about head knowledge. It is experiential which means it one must spend time with God directly and not from hearsay, no matter how eloquent the words or speech might be. We plant, but it is God Who will bring about the increase. And much as we cannot change the hearts of another, but we can allow God to transform us, and this is what dad has been desirous of faithfully doing, since the light of God’s Spirit fell upon my very being. In seeking to be like Christ, may your spirit see God in me, much as your natural might still be blinded till the veil is lifted by the grace of God.
‘O that my ways were steadfast in obeying Your decrees.’
Psalm 119:5
My son, you might have heard some brief snippets of your dad’s defining moment with God back in May 2001, that makes your dad tick the way he does today. A certain madness many might think, for dad is still very much in this world(and prayerfully still is when you finally read this letter), but no longer of or rather increasingly less of this world, despite all my imperfections. Psalm 119:5 was the verse that dad read in the stillness of my room in Bangkok at the Hyatt Erawan Hotel, a few moments after a truly exhilarating or more like edifying infilling of the Spirit of God upon my very being.
‘..no eye has seen, no ear had heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who loved Him but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.’
1 Corinthians 2:9
Life has never been the same after that wonderful night in Bangkok.
‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness…’
Ephesians 4:22-24
In fact, with this move down the path that God has set for all who loved Him, a very different route from the sin strewn path that your believer but not follower ( of our Lord Jesus Christ )dad has been trudging along till then, it did get your dear mum quite worried when she realized that this was serious stuff, and not one of those moments of temporal passion.
‘As the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:
‘I didn’t come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. My message and my testimony were not with wise and persuasive, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. So that you faith might not rest on man’s wisdom. But on God’s power.’
Well, it has been nine wonderful years since our Heavenly Father in all His grace, took your earthy father in all in his imperfections into His presence. Dad is still learning, as God molds the wiling me. Dad will more than want to mold you the way that God wills, not the way that dad wants. But dad has come to realize that it is not just what I say, what I do or how I live that matters, but what matters more is that my life must not lead you away from wanting to come unto the presence of God.. And on that, my prayers are that by the time you read this Holy Spirit inspired letter with God given understanding, that truly, God is very much in your heart, for how wonderful it is, for God wants all of us, as a family in His kingdom.
'...our hands have handled,of the Word of life. For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us..'
1 John 1:1-2
And come to think about it, dad only wrote you this one letter, but God our Father in Heaven has written all of humanity a whole book of letters, the Bible His living word. But like the lonely bottle bobbing in the sea of distractions, most only take time to commune with God, to read "His letters" when they find their lives shipwrecked and their stranded soul thirsting in the lonely desert of their wretched lives.
‘Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.’
Philippians 1:6
God Blesses you my beloved son
Dad
(11th June 2010)
‘Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.’
1 Timothy 2:4
These few days, I have been bunking with my son in his room, not because the wife has sent me into exile, but rather a time of male bonding or more like an excuse for the wife and daughter to have their pajamas party. Sleep well, I always do, in fact, even more fitfully without the accompaniment of my wife’s favorite Korean serial. But last night, in the midst of my sleep, the Lord impressed upon me to write a letter to my son.
‘Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.For it is, do and do, do and do, rule and rule, rule and rule, a little here, a little there.'
Isaiah 28:9-10
Words at this juncture might not seem so comprehensible to young minds, but the Word of our Lord will, if He so wills. And may the depository of thoughts that the Lord has placed in my heart these past few years be truly more than a legacy, but the lamp upon which His light will shine upon hearts of my children, your children and their children, when God makes their heart ready.
‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.’
Amos 8:11
So without further ado, by the grace of God, may this letter I am about to pen as His Spirit leads, be used to bring forth the blossoming of faith and that desire in our sons and daughters to enter into a loving relationship with our Abba Father. My son might not read it now, but like the proverbial letter in the bottle, thrown into the sea, traversing miles of ocean it might, but at God’s timing, this letter will bob up to its intended recipient, for God is prescient.
Dear Andre
‘..Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. …..this do, and thou shalt live.’
Luke 10:26-28
Distractions there are aplenty. You just told me that mum and you have a deal, you will get your Apple Itouch in exchange for a mere few millimeter reduction in your heft.. Not a bad deal and I can see that glint in your eye to seek that less than holy grail from Apple Land. Is it not possible to have the same enthusiasm for our God in Heaven, whom a zillion Santa Claus in all probabilities are but a very, very pale shadow of His Sovereignty?
You made a rather profound statement(in good humor) just two nights back. You said you are not holy(though I still have that photo of you, at age 8, deep in prayers, that grace our church's monthly magazine), compared to your buddy who attends one of those mega prosperity type church. Is your seeming lack of fervency for God due to your seeing your dad’s less than active clamoring from God, for the material blessings of this present world, compared to what other fathers in and out of church are seeking? Would an Apple Ipad loaded with your favorite Archie comics do the trick compared to the daily ritual of making you spend that few minutes reading the Daily Bread and the Bible?
Come to think about it, maybe I should get an Ipad loaded with the Bible and all things Christian, might help improve the dowdy image of your dad, always with a Bible in hand, and we do have many Bibles interspersed all over the house, and mum will be pleased to have less clutter, not that she mind in the first place?
‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth…’
Ephesians 6:1-3
Not sure if dad and mum are always right, much as we always meant well for you, but Ephesians 1 can be pretty handy (though prayerfully not much abused by dad) in sorting out disputes with you, for God states quite categorically that you must obey your parent. But God never imposes, much as your imperfect dad is sometimes guilty of. God promises a blessed life of joy and peace for those who obey His command, dad more often than not promises a painful experience if you choose to continue to be stubborn and if there is acquiesce from you, satisfaction of your carnal desires. Do forgive your dad, try as I might, ,my carnal self often leads me to being a less than faithful steward of you for our Father in Heaven.
‘Give ye ear, and hear My voice, hearken, and hear My speech.’
Isaiah 28:23
'The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.'
Ephesians 1:18
Our faith is a relationship with a loving Father in Heaven. It is not about head knowledge. It is experiential which means it one must spend time with God directly and not from hearsay, no matter how eloquent the words or speech might be. We plant, but it is God Who will bring about the increase. And much as we cannot change the hearts of another, but we can allow God to transform us, and this is what dad has been desirous of faithfully doing, since the light of God’s Spirit fell upon my very being. In seeking to be like Christ, may your spirit see God in me, much as your natural might still be blinded till the veil is lifted by the grace of God.
‘O that my ways were steadfast in obeying Your decrees.’
Psalm 119:5
My son, you might have heard some brief snippets of your dad’s defining moment with God back in May 2001, that makes your dad tick the way he does today. A certain madness many might think, for dad is still very much in this world(and prayerfully still is when you finally read this letter), but no longer of or rather increasingly less of this world, despite all my imperfections. Psalm 119:5 was the verse that dad read in the stillness of my room in Bangkok at the Hyatt Erawan Hotel, a few moments after a truly exhilarating or more like edifying infilling of the Spirit of God upon my very being.
‘..no eye has seen, no ear had heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who loved Him but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.’
1 Corinthians 2:9
Life has never been the same after that wonderful night in Bangkok.
‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness…’
Ephesians 4:22-24
In fact, with this move down the path that God has set for all who loved Him, a very different route from the sin strewn path that your believer but not follower ( of our Lord Jesus Christ )dad has been trudging along till then, it did get your dear mum quite worried when she realized that this was serious stuff, and not one of those moments of temporal passion.
‘As the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:
‘I didn’t come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. My message and my testimony were not with wise and persuasive, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. So that you faith might not rest on man’s wisdom. But on God’s power.’
Well, it has been nine wonderful years since our Heavenly Father in all His grace, took your earthy father in all in his imperfections into His presence. Dad is still learning, as God molds the wiling me. Dad will more than want to mold you the way that God wills, not the way that dad wants. But dad has come to realize that it is not just what I say, what I do or how I live that matters, but what matters more is that my life must not lead you away from wanting to come unto the presence of God.. And on that, my prayers are that by the time you read this Holy Spirit inspired letter with God given understanding, that truly, God is very much in your heart, for how wonderful it is, for God wants all of us, as a family in His kingdom.
'...our hands have handled,of the Word of life. For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us..'
1 John 1:1-2
And come to think about it, dad only wrote you this one letter, but God our Father in Heaven has written all of humanity a whole book of letters, the Bible His living word. But like the lonely bottle bobbing in the sea of distractions, most only take time to commune with God, to read "His letters" when they find their lives shipwrecked and their stranded soul thirsting in the lonely desert of their wretched lives.
‘Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.’
Philippians 1:6
God Blesses you my beloved son
Dad
(11th June 2010)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Reflections for the moment #68 Home (7th June 2010)
Dear…
‘Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world, they increase in riches…’
Psalm 73:12
‘But they that are minded to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’
1 Timothy 6:9
Ungodly or not, it is not for me to judge, but clearly, China today is a prosperous place, very much different from the China I know from reading literature written back in the 1970s. Back then, communism was very much more egalitarian in its distribution of deprivation(save for the ruling elite) and one piece of information that stay etched in my memory is this fact that meat, primarily pork was eaten once a month and the basic staple was more into rice, potato and vegetable.
Having not been in Beijing since my last trip right smack into SARs back in year 2003, this recent trip last week is an update for me. The shopping malls are even more plentiful, with a coterie of very high end luxury goods. Though a few short days might not be fully representative, clearly the disparity between the haves and have-nots have greatly widened. And interestingly, a significant number of the wealthy Chinese seem to take their confidence from the flashy branded accoutrements on their body, and less on their own sense of self worth.
‘Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency….’
Psalm 73:13
It is difficult not to feel overawed by the ostentatious display of mega wealth, and even harder not to be envious or at least think about how to jump onto this bandwagon of super normal growth in wealth in our once much maligned and despised motherland. China, as its name implies, is once again the center of the world, at least economically and possibly militarily in the distant future. In my last trip to Shanghai in April, standing in the midst of the mega buildings in Pudong, I was reminded of this giant machine that is China today, incessantly sucking in the world’s resources and its implications for the world at large.
‘ …Who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth…’
1 Timothy 2:4
Can China which seems to be very fixated on worshipping mammon, instead of the once revered demi-gods in its human leadership, truly be the land upon which many Chinese Christians will go forth into the vast and last reaches of Central Asia, to share the gospel to the last of the unreached?
‘One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple.’
Psalm 27:4
In this vast land of China, there are many still very materially impoverished, but rich in the spirit, in their desire to know and serve God. Where our treasures are, there lies our heart. And the Lord our God impressed upon me this verse Psalm 27:4 deeply during my brief stay in Beijing. Man seeks the temporal, and comes to permanent grief. We as believers and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ must seek God, and look to the eternity He promise all who seek Him.
‘…I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. Oh when wilt Thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart…’
Psalm 101:2
Beijing, a place I have been to four times these past decade never fails to impress me with its expression of power, be it the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, the Summer Palace or the Tian An Men Square, not forgetting the Temple of Heaven. Such ostentatious use of finite resources is only possible in lands where an autocratic sovereign power exists. And it needed a passionate belief to translate that power to exercise the resources at one’s disposal to bring to fruition one’s aggrandized dreams or fantasies.
The Forbidden City, though much aged, still retains a sense of its splendor during the heydays of the Ming Dynasty and its successor Dynasty , the Qing. Today, modern and confident China is out to recapture those glory days, and besides making its presence felt with the no expense spared, coming out parties in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and this year’s Shanghai Expo, China is actively setting up cultural/educational facilities to promote Confucius and his teachings. Increasingly, the rest of the world will feel the presence of a resurgent China, and it need not necessarily be all things nice, for the world has only so much space for its burgeoning population with infinite wants, and something has to give.
‘When thou saidst, Seek ye My face, my heart said unto Thee, They face, Lord, will I seek…’
Psalm 27:8
The home is where once feels a sense of comfort, where one feels a sense of achievement. On an individual level, that means both the material quality as well as the emotional equanimity of our abode. On a national level, that means what a country can count as what it owns and her sphere of influence. In all Empires, this would include projecting one’s power outside of one’s country. The British had their colonies and a powerful naval fleet. The Romans had the centurions and the aqueducts across its empire. The Chinese is increasingly reverting to the early days of Admiral Cheng Ho, when a confident Ming China seek to explore the world and appoint vassal states, which was done with great success before it inexplicably looked inward and closed its doors to the outside world.
‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness…’
1 Timothy 6:11
Contrasts that to the life of a believer and follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. We seek not the riches of the material and carnal world, but rather, the richness of a personal relationship with a loving Father in Heaven. His grace is suffice for all, and there will never be a need to compete amongst His children, for the spring of life flows forth endlessly. Home is our very body, a temple upon which the Spirit of God resides, and God looks not for sacrifice but an obedient heart that is faithful.
‘But the Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him.’
Habakkuk 2:20
‘Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart, wait, I say, on the Lord.’
Psalm 27:14
Contrast again to the philosophies of the carnal world. Sinful men must always be antlike and warlike in their behavior, always striving and in strife. Witness the usual representation of a nation’s sense of strength, by the massive man made edifices, the military might, and its intent to impose its values on others.
‘Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute…’
1 Timothy 6:17-19
With God, we lean upon Him, and follow as He leads. We think more of His will than ours. We think of the needs of others than ourselves.
Quite a different way of building our ideal home from that of the carnal world.
‘I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me, and said, “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it…’
Habakkuk 2:1-2
Last week, I was at the movie “Prince of Persia” with my son and his buddy. A rather run of the mill movie, with the main actor’s agility being the highpoint of the movie or maybe it was the ostrich race that drew some grunts of interest from a sedate audience. Modern day Iran might be working hard on recapturing its past glories as a major Empire, but it is its next door neighbor Turkey(the once mighty Ottoman Empire) that has lately come out of its bridesmaid role.
Long cozy with Israel, the once staunchly secular, military ruled Turkey has now moved to an even cozier relationship with staunchly anti-Israel Iran, with its change to a civilian government, whose religious orientation is more aligned with that of the majority in the Middle East.
Is the recent incident in the seas off the Gaza, just the beginning of more testing of the waters by the enemies of Israel, before they finally decide to take the big plunge of a full scale war with Israel? Is everyone jostling to be the next Empire, under the pretext of defending the cause of the plight of the homeless Palestinians? Is home the personification of the heights of glory and power? If so, then the race to recapture those glory days of the past will not just be restricted to the Iranians(old Persia), the Turkish(old Ottoman Empire), but will include the Russians(Tsarist), the Chinese(Ming Dynasty), the Germans(not Nazi but Bismarck’s Prussia), the Japanese(Meiji Restoration) and now even the Hungarians(from the old Austro-Hungarian axis of pre World War 1).
‘…it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.’
Matthew 13:11
Armageddon I am not sure. Political analyst I am not, enthusiasts maybe. But clearly, politics have become the dominant consideration in our world this year, and on that, the fumbling and bickering Europeans have done a bad job about it. And through the rest of the year, politics could take on an even harder edge, with xenophobia stoking the flames of social unrest in a heavily indebted Western society and throw into the simmering pot, a possible military conflagration in the Middle East, things are indeed going to get hotter and we are not just talking about climate change.
‘When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out, and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. The goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and well there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.’
Matthew 12:43-45
Is this a prediction or a vision that God gave me. It is not but rather a thought that crossed my mind as I pen this sharing. Home is where our heart is, and if God is where our heart has the only place for, the world would be not just a happier but a truly blessed place. Yet reality is, conflicts, strife and subterfuge will continue to dominate our present world, the devil’s world, as long as God has no place in our hearts, and home or homeland continues to be a place that is swept clean for even more demons to take abode in.
'Unless the Lord builds the house. They labor in vain who build it....'
Psalm 127:1
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(7th June 2010)
‘Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world, they increase in riches…’
Psalm 73:12
‘But they that are minded to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’
1 Timothy 6:9
Ungodly or not, it is not for me to judge, but clearly, China today is a prosperous place, very much different from the China I know from reading literature written back in the 1970s. Back then, communism was very much more egalitarian in its distribution of deprivation(save for the ruling elite) and one piece of information that stay etched in my memory is this fact that meat, primarily pork was eaten once a month and the basic staple was more into rice, potato and vegetable.
Having not been in Beijing since my last trip right smack into SARs back in year 2003, this recent trip last week is an update for me. The shopping malls are even more plentiful, with a coterie of very high end luxury goods. Though a few short days might not be fully representative, clearly the disparity between the haves and have-nots have greatly widened. And interestingly, a significant number of the wealthy Chinese seem to take their confidence from the flashy branded accoutrements on their body, and less on their own sense of self worth.
‘Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency….’
Psalm 73:13
It is difficult not to feel overawed by the ostentatious display of mega wealth, and even harder not to be envious or at least think about how to jump onto this bandwagon of super normal growth in wealth in our once much maligned and despised motherland. China, as its name implies, is once again the center of the world, at least economically and possibly militarily in the distant future. In my last trip to Shanghai in April, standing in the midst of the mega buildings in Pudong, I was reminded of this giant machine that is China today, incessantly sucking in the world’s resources and its implications for the world at large.
‘ …Who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth…’
1 Timothy 2:4
Can China which seems to be very fixated on worshipping mammon, instead of the once revered demi-gods in its human leadership, truly be the land upon which many Chinese Christians will go forth into the vast and last reaches of Central Asia, to share the gospel to the last of the unreached?
‘One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple.’
Psalm 27:4
In this vast land of China, there are many still very materially impoverished, but rich in the spirit, in their desire to know and serve God. Where our treasures are, there lies our heart. And the Lord our God impressed upon me this verse Psalm 27:4 deeply during my brief stay in Beijing. Man seeks the temporal, and comes to permanent grief. We as believers and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ must seek God, and look to the eternity He promise all who seek Him.
‘…I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. Oh when wilt Thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart…’
Psalm 101:2
Beijing, a place I have been to four times these past decade never fails to impress me with its expression of power, be it the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, the Summer Palace or the Tian An Men Square, not forgetting the Temple of Heaven. Such ostentatious use of finite resources is only possible in lands where an autocratic sovereign power exists. And it needed a passionate belief to translate that power to exercise the resources at one’s disposal to bring to fruition one’s aggrandized dreams or fantasies.
The Forbidden City, though much aged, still retains a sense of its splendor during the heydays of the Ming Dynasty and its successor Dynasty , the Qing. Today, modern and confident China is out to recapture those glory days, and besides making its presence felt with the no expense spared, coming out parties in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and this year’s Shanghai Expo, China is actively setting up cultural/educational facilities to promote Confucius and his teachings. Increasingly, the rest of the world will feel the presence of a resurgent China, and it need not necessarily be all things nice, for the world has only so much space for its burgeoning population with infinite wants, and something has to give.
‘When thou saidst, Seek ye My face, my heart said unto Thee, They face, Lord, will I seek…’
Psalm 27:8
The home is where once feels a sense of comfort, where one feels a sense of achievement. On an individual level, that means both the material quality as well as the emotional equanimity of our abode. On a national level, that means what a country can count as what it owns and her sphere of influence. In all Empires, this would include projecting one’s power outside of one’s country. The British had their colonies and a powerful naval fleet. The Romans had the centurions and the aqueducts across its empire. The Chinese is increasingly reverting to the early days of Admiral Cheng Ho, when a confident Ming China seek to explore the world and appoint vassal states, which was done with great success before it inexplicably looked inward and closed its doors to the outside world.
‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness…’
1 Timothy 6:11
Contrasts that to the life of a believer and follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. We seek not the riches of the material and carnal world, but rather, the richness of a personal relationship with a loving Father in Heaven. His grace is suffice for all, and there will never be a need to compete amongst His children, for the spring of life flows forth endlessly. Home is our very body, a temple upon which the Spirit of God resides, and God looks not for sacrifice but an obedient heart that is faithful.
‘But the Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him.’
Habakkuk 2:20
‘Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart, wait, I say, on the Lord.’
Psalm 27:14
Contrast again to the philosophies of the carnal world. Sinful men must always be antlike and warlike in their behavior, always striving and in strife. Witness the usual representation of a nation’s sense of strength, by the massive man made edifices, the military might, and its intent to impose its values on others.
‘Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute…’
1 Timothy 6:17-19
With God, we lean upon Him, and follow as He leads. We think more of His will than ours. We think of the needs of others than ourselves.
Quite a different way of building our ideal home from that of the carnal world.
‘I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me, and said, “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it…’
Habakkuk 2:1-2
Last week, I was at the movie “Prince of Persia” with my son and his buddy. A rather run of the mill movie, with the main actor’s agility being the highpoint of the movie or maybe it was the ostrich race that drew some grunts of interest from a sedate audience. Modern day Iran might be working hard on recapturing its past glories as a major Empire, but it is its next door neighbor Turkey(the once mighty Ottoman Empire) that has lately come out of its bridesmaid role.
Long cozy with Israel, the once staunchly secular, military ruled Turkey has now moved to an even cozier relationship with staunchly anti-Israel Iran, with its change to a civilian government, whose religious orientation is more aligned with that of the majority in the Middle East.
Is the recent incident in the seas off the Gaza, just the beginning of more testing of the waters by the enemies of Israel, before they finally decide to take the big plunge of a full scale war with Israel? Is everyone jostling to be the next Empire, under the pretext of defending the cause of the plight of the homeless Palestinians? Is home the personification of the heights of glory and power? If so, then the race to recapture those glory days of the past will not just be restricted to the Iranians(old Persia), the Turkish(old Ottoman Empire), but will include the Russians(Tsarist), the Chinese(Ming Dynasty), the Germans(not Nazi but Bismarck’s Prussia), the Japanese(Meiji Restoration) and now even the Hungarians(from the old Austro-Hungarian axis of pre World War 1).
‘…it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.’
Matthew 13:11
Armageddon I am not sure. Political analyst I am not, enthusiasts maybe. But clearly, politics have become the dominant consideration in our world this year, and on that, the fumbling and bickering Europeans have done a bad job about it. And through the rest of the year, politics could take on an even harder edge, with xenophobia stoking the flames of social unrest in a heavily indebted Western society and throw into the simmering pot, a possible military conflagration in the Middle East, things are indeed going to get hotter and we are not just talking about climate change.
‘When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out, and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. The goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and well there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.’
Matthew 12:43-45
Is this a prediction or a vision that God gave me. It is not but rather a thought that crossed my mind as I pen this sharing. Home is where our heart is, and if God is where our heart has the only place for, the world would be not just a happier but a truly blessed place. Yet reality is, conflicts, strife and subterfuge will continue to dominate our present world, the devil’s world, as long as God has no place in our hearts, and home or homeland continues to be a place that is swept clean for even more demons to take abode in.
'Unless the Lord builds the house. They labor in vain who build it....'
Psalm 127:1
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(7th June 2010)
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Reflections for the moment #67 Failed State (25th May 10)
Dear…
‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.’
1 Peter 4:12-13
Fiery indeed it has been for the residents of Bangkok, a place I have spent an inordinate of time the past twelve years, thankfully not for carnal pleasure, but for the simple fact that it is where work beckons. And for those who have been to the Land of Smiles, nigh would anyone have imagined the ferocity of anger and resultant violence, that have turned this once vibrant capital city of Thailand into a land of smite.
‘To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt. Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us….’
Acts 7:39-40
Thailand is a land of not just watts, as in mega smiles, but of wats. There is a surfeit of shrines that do the whole landscape, and the closest comparable must be in Japan, a courteous society dotted with Shinto shrines and portable shrines. Interestingly, beneath the congenial façade in civic society, and the civilized man, lies an uncontrollable anger that will surface, if the right buttons are pressed, for not many of the present generation in peacetime Asia can fathom the extent of cruelty that the Japanese conquerors of most of Asia of World War II had inflicted on the local population. Just as none can imagine the degree of violence wreaked upon Bangkok just last week.
And on pressing buttons, there are views circulating, albeit not substantiated, that certain vested interests do desire the whole socio political structure of Thailand to collapse, a failed state. For only in chaos, only in bringing down the functioning pillars of the country can the same vested interests have an opportunity to take power. Is this conspiracy true? Is man capable of such extreme selfish interests and great evil? History seems to attest to the capacity of man for such singular evil and even as this is being written, the political landscape of the world is increasingly being filled with more potential failed states like Somalia, possibly Yemen, Afghanistan and Iraq. And not forgetting Mexico and Jamaica, where the drug lords are increasingly more powerful than the State.
Would USA or Western Europe ever degenerate to this same sorry state? The political and social structure might still be in place, but increasingly, the financial system are increasingly pilloried and should this life stream of free market economies ever stall, the ramifications will be far reaching.
And with the welfare system of Europe increasingly untenable, social unrests will be the norm in once rich Europe and will this be similar fertile ground for the anti Christ in the form of a Hitler reincarnate to surface?
‘Another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.’
Judges 2:10
For those of us in Singapore, it was indeed gratifying that our present leaders honored the contributions of the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, with a State funeral. For those of us who spent the early part of our lives in an undeveloped Singapore, and progressed materially, as our country developed, thanks to the wisdom and dedication of such men, the recent deluge of history on the work of such men is a good reminder to all of how Singapore is blessed. But does the work and sacrifice of first generation leaders like Dr Goh strike any chord in the hearts of the present generation(age 35 and below)? Save for a miniscule minority, I doubt there will be any empathy, for our children might be the full beneficiaries of the fruits of these past efforts and sacrifices, but without going through the baptism of fire of personal deprivation and challenges of life, nothing can be ingrained nor understood, for second hand learning is at best academic. And even a determined effort on our part to educate them on our past history can only scratch the surface of their psyche.
‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God.’
Mark 10:4
Does it mean that younger Sovereign countries like us will go the same way as the once great civilizations of past? History is replete with the rise and fall of both great Empires and independent states, and much as it is due to conquests by stronger enemies, often, the seeds of collapse have already been sown by the weakening of generational mettle, no difference from the proverbial generational curse of the family.
I was just reminded by our Abba Father that it need not be this way. Our Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 10:4 specifically welcomed children into His presence. An article I read just yesterday gave an interesting insight. Britain during its heyday as the Empire of the world, was also a land filled with faithful and eloquent men, full of the Spirit of God. By the privilege position of its superpower status then, the Christian faith was preached successfully in the entire realms of the British Empire, including its far flung reaches. However, very little was done at home base to teach/share the faith to the children and the youths. Today, amongst these spiritually neglected recent generations, very few have a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, and a disproportionate many are more in tune with the ways of the world, the devil’s ways, and today, once fervently Christian Britain is increasingly not just secular, but penalizing anyone who dares to live the faith on the public platform.
‘Now we have received ….the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.’
1 Corinthians 2:12
The war is already won with the risen Christ. Satan no longer can use death to grip our very being. But he is still trying, for God gives us all a choice. To follow Him to the road of eternity in Heaven or down the slippery slope of eternal damnation? The battle for our very soul is now waged in the family platform. The traditional family is the cornerstone of every civilized society, regardless of its choice of economic system, be it free market, mixed economy or central government as per the communist.
The weakening of the family foundations through divorces, infidelity, co-habitation, same sex lifestyle, non God ordained procreation methods coupled with determined coordinated efforts to push God away from common areas like schools, offices and government have led to sinful and prideful man and their mortal creations taking over the role of our Heavenly Father. Men being finite, imperfect and selfish can never replace nor replicate the goodness of our Sovereign God.
And the family is an important mirror of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. It is the mirror upon which our children will learn about selflessness and unmitigated love of parents. To learn about the follies of pride and selfishness as contrasted to concern for others and to feel the indescribable joy of sharing love. It is no wonder that the devil and his lackeys are so determined to destroy the family foundation. For family relationships is our glue to knowing God, while self centered individualism is a reflection of Satan’s sinful pride.
‘For such are false prophets, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light…’
2 Corinthians 11:13-14
A country is a confluence of individuals of different diversity, but with sufficient commonality to be functioning as a corporate body. Satan knows that, and in appealing to the need to respect diversity, or more like to each his or her own selfish interests, the devil knows the end result. A failed state.
For a corporate body can only function if each are prepared to be more selfless than selfish, and that laws and majority interests are respected.
The world that the devil advocates is one that impeach anyone that dares to have a different view from his, one that hides behind the façade of secularism, yet stamps out anyone who dares to have a different view, one that advocates lustful carnality and disdain basic human goodness that differentiates us from the beasts.
‘So then everyone of us shall give account of himself to God.’
Romans 14:12
Evolution is what Darwin used to describe how man originates from lesser creatures to our present superior human form over time. To each their own beliefs, for each has to answer to our Sovereign God. However, today, evolution is what the devil and its proponents are insidiously propagating, by sledge hammering the family foundation, the cornerstone of any society and in tearing down good godly values, the devil hoped that modern man will evolve back to the behavioral characteristics of an animal, where the fittest survive and the laws of the jungle rule.
This is not what God wants for all of us, His children. For Ephesians 4:12-15 is what God planned for us
‘For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we call come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive…..’
Ephesians 4:12-15
It is time that as men blessed to know our Lord Jesus Christ, that we let the Holy Spirit transform us, for only in letting God make right our present fallen state, can we be used by Him to bring about change in our family, in the corporate body that He has placed in our lives. To continue to be blissfully unaware or disinterested will not just lead us to the degenerative state that we are witnessing in the Western world, but to eternal damnation.
‘Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery , which was kept secret since the world began. But now is made manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.’
Romans 16:25-27
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(24th May 10)
Sowing more than rice
The latest news report indicated that Vietnam is fast taking market share from Thailand in the lower grade rice market. Nothing to be sniff about given Thailand’s long predominance in what is still a very huge market base, for Asia is very much still a developing continent.
Indeed rubbing salt into a festering wound, but through it all, I am reminded of what is happening in Thailand. For a long time, the more receptive grounds to the gospel of salvation are located in the minority tribal areas of Northern Thailand. Mainstream Thais, especially in the capital city of Bangkok, it is very hard ground given that their religion is very much intertwined with their culture and lifestyle. Yet, God is faithful, much as we might be faithless. Just last month, a friend shared on an interesting phenomenon happening in Thailand. The long sown seeds on hard ground seems to be sprouting forth, judging by the significant increase in the attendees at a pastor conference. Bangkok is the place where I moved from being an acquaintance of God to truly desirous of following Him. Bangkok is also the place where God has allowed me to witness His grace many times, the most recent when He opened the hearts of many of my Thai friends to accept warmly His book “Reflections – a traveler’s muse”
Much as we must pray for the many in Thailand to come to know God, for their eternity is at stake, it is not for us, even with good intentions, to wish the worst on anyone so that they will be shaken out of their stupor. And the recent events in Bangkok has indeed been cataclysmic in its ramifications. But truly only God knows what is the way, and as for us, it is to continue to pray for and to journey with love, our fellow stragglers not just from Thailand, but from anywhere in the world, when they finally join us on this wonderful journey with our Lord.
‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.’
1 Peter 4:12-13
Fiery indeed it has been for the residents of Bangkok, a place I have spent an inordinate of time the past twelve years, thankfully not for carnal pleasure, but for the simple fact that it is where work beckons. And for those who have been to the Land of Smiles, nigh would anyone have imagined the ferocity of anger and resultant violence, that have turned this once vibrant capital city of Thailand into a land of smite.
‘To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt. Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us….’
Acts 7:39-40
Thailand is a land of not just watts, as in mega smiles, but of wats. There is a surfeit of shrines that do the whole landscape, and the closest comparable must be in Japan, a courteous society dotted with Shinto shrines and portable shrines. Interestingly, beneath the congenial façade in civic society, and the civilized man, lies an uncontrollable anger that will surface, if the right buttons are pressed, for not many of the present generation in peacetime Asia can fathom the extent of cruelty that the Japanese conquerors of most of Asia of World War II had inflicted on the local population. Just as none can imagine the degree of violence wreaked upon Bangkok just last week.
And on pressing buttons, there are views circulating, albeit not substantiated, that certain vested interests do desire the whole socio political structure of Thailand to collapse, a failed state. For only in chaos, only in bringing down the functioning pillars of the country can the same vested interests have an opportunity to take power. Is this conspiracy true? Is man capable of such extreme selfish interests and great evil? History seems to attest to the capacity of man for such singular evil and even as this is being written, the political landscape of the world is increasingly being filled with more potential failed states like Somalia, possibly Yemen, Afghanistan and Iraq. And not forgetting Mexico and Jamaica, where the drug lords are increasingly more powerful than the State.
Would USA or Western Europe ever degenerate to this same sorry state? The political and social structure might still be in place, but increasingly, the financial system are increasingly pilloried and should this life stream of free market economies ever stall, the ramifications will be far reaching.
And with the welfare system of Europe increasingly untenable, social unrests will be the norm in once rich Europe and will this be similar fertile ground for the anti Christ in the form of a Hitler reincarnate to surface?
‘Another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.’
Judges 2:10
For those of us in Singapore, it was indeed gratifying that our present leaders honored the contributions of the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, with a State funeral. For those of us who spent the early part of our lives in an undeveloped Singapore, and progressed materially, as our country developed, thanks to the wisdom and dedication of such men, the recent deluge of history on the work of such men is a good reminder to all of how Singapore is blessed. But does the work and sacrifice of first generation leaders like Dr Goh strike any chord in the hearts of the present generation(age 35 and below)? Save for a miniscule minority, I doubt there will be any empathy, for our children might be the full beneficiaries of the fruits of these past efforts and sacrifices, but without going through the baptism of fire of personal deprivation and challenges of life, nothing can be ingrained nor understood, for second hand learning is at best academic. And even a determined effort on our part to educate them on our past history can only scratch the surface of their psyche.
‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God.’
Mark 10:4
Does it mean that younger Sovereign countries like us will go the same way as the once great civilizations of past? History is replete with the rise and fall of both great Empires and independent states, and much as it is due to conquests by stronger enemies, often, the seeds of collapse have already been sown by the weakening of generational mettle, no difference from the proverbial generational curse of the family.
I was just reminded by our Abba Father that it need not be this way. Our Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 10:4 specifically welcomed children into His presence. An article I read just yesterday gave an interesting insight. Britain during its heyday as the Empire of the world, was also a land filled with faithful and eloquent men, full of the Spirit of God. By the privilege position of its superpower status then, the Christian faith was preached successfully in the entire realms of the British Empire, including its far flung reaches. However, very little was done at home base to teach/share the faith to the children and the youths. Today, amongst these spiritually neglected recent generations, very few have a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, and a disproportionate many are more in tune with the ways of the world, the devil’s ways, and today, once fervently Christian Britain is increasingly not just secular, but penalizing anyone who dares to live the faith on the public platform.
‘Now we have received ….the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.’
1 Corinthians 2:12
The war is already won with the risen Christ. Satan no longer can use death to grip our very being. But he is still trying, for God gives us all a choice. To follow Him to the road of eternity in Heaven or down the slippery slope of eternal damnation? The battle for our very soul is now waged in the family platform. The traditional family is the cornerstone of every civilized society, regardless of its choice of economic system, be it free market, mixed economy or central government as per the communist.
The weakening of the family foundations through divorces, infidelity, co-habitation, same sex lifestyle, non God ordained procreation methods coupled with determined coordinated efforts to push God away from common areas like schools, offices and government have led to sinful and prideful man and their mortal creations taking over the role of our Heavenly Father. Men being finite, imperfect and selfish can never replace nor replicate the goodness of our Sovereign God.
And the family is an important mirror of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. It is the mirror upon which our children will learn about selflessness and unmitigated love of parents. To learn about the follies of pride and selfishness as contrasted to concern for others and to feel the indescribable joy of sharing love. It is no wonder that the devil and his lackeys are so determined to destroy the family foundation. For family relationships is our glue to knowing God, while self centered individualism is a reflection of Satan’s sinful pride.
‘For such are false prophets, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light…’
2 Corinthians 11:13-14
A country is a confluence of individuals of different diversity, but with sufficient commonality to be functioning as a corporate body. Satan knows that, and in appealing to the need to respect diversity, or more like to each his or her own selfish interests, the devil knows the end result. A failed state.
For a corporate body can only function if each are prepared to be more selfless than selfish, and that laws and majority interests are respected.
The world that the devil advocates is one that impeach anyone that dares to have a different view from his, one that hides behind the façade of secularism, yet stamps out anyone who dares to have a different view, one that advocates lustful carnality and disdain basic human goodness that differentiates us from the beasts.
‘So then everyone of us shall give account of himself to God.’
Romans 14:12
Evolution is what Darwin used to describe how man originates from lesser creatures to our present superior human form over time. To each their own beliefs, for each has to answer to our Sovereign God. However, today, evolution is what the devil and its proponents are insidiously propagating, by sledge hammering the family foundation, the cornerstone of any society and in tearing down good godly values, the devil hoped that modern man will evolve back to the behavioral characteristics of an animal, where the fittest survive and the laws of the jungle rule.
This is not what God wants for all of us, His children. For Ephesians 4:12-15 is what God planned for us
‘For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we call come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive…..’
Ephesians 4:12-15
It is time that as men blessed to know our Lord Jesus Christ, that we let the Holy Spirit transform us, for only in letting God make right our present fallen state, can we be used by Him to bring about change in our family, in the corporate body that He has placed in our lives. To continue to be blissfully unaware or disinterested will not just lead us to the degenerative state that we are witnessing in the Western world, but to eternal damnation.
‘Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery , which was kept secret since the world began. But now is made manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.’
Romans 16:25-27
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(24th May 10)
Sowing more than rice
The latest news report indicated that Vietnam is fast taking market share from Thailand in the lower grade rice market. Nothing to be sniff about given Thailand’s long predominance in what is still a very huge market base, for Asia is very much still a developing continent.
Indeed rubbing salt into a festering wound, but through it all, I am reminded of what is happening in Thailand. For a long time, the more receptive grounds to the gospel of salvation are located in the minority tribal areas of Northern Thailand. Mainstream Thais, especially in the capital city of Bangkok, it is very hard ground given that their religion is very much intertwined with their culture and lifestyle. Yet, God is faithful, much as we might be faithless. Just last month, a friend shared on an interesting phenomenon happening in Thailand. The long sown seeds on hard ground seems to be sprouting forth, judging by the significant increase in the attendees at a pastor conference. Bangkok is the place where I moved from being an acquaintance of God to truly desirous of following Him. Bangkok is also the place where God has allowed me to witness His grace many times, the most recent when He opened the hearts of many of my Thai friends to accept warmly His book “Reflections – a traveler’s muse”
Much as we must pray for the many in Thailand to come to know God, for their eternity is at stake, it is not for us, even with good intentions, to wish the worst on anyone so that they will be shaken out of their stupor. And the recent events in Bangkok has indeed been cataclysmic in its ramifications. But truly only God knows what is the way, and as for us, it is to continue to pray for and to journey with love, our fellow stragglers not just from Thailand, but from anywhere in the world, when they finally join us on this wonderful journey with our Lord.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Reflections for the moment #66 God of prosperity (21st May 10)
Dear…
'Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.'
Romans 13:8
Can a hungry stomach run exclusively on the fuel of brotherly love grounded on prayers to the Lord our God? Obviously not for many. An interview in the newspaper with an South African ex-pastor who decided to quit being a materially poor shepherd and transform into an evangelical wealth entrepreneur speaks volume of the reality of the challenges facing any of us who want to stay the course in not just sharing the gospel of God's love but living out our faith as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. Africa, where this ex pastor is based is a land of deprivation, much as it is blessed with resources, and the dear man figured that if he can generate material wealth, he will be empowered to translate his love into action and not stay stuck at mere prayers!!If the papers are reliable, it seems he had decided that either God is not answering his prayers, or that God needed some help from him to get things done.
‘Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God Which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’
Philippians 4:6-7
God does know we need resources to meet our needs and also to do His work. But increasingly, many Christians seem to subscribe to this similar idea that we should not be afraid to ask for much more, and being polite or patient with God will not bring us the oodles of cash to pay for the gravy train, that will help bring more on board the train of salvation. And that we need to do our part while God does His, a co-partnership. Are these assumptions in line with the will of God??
I cannot say I have much experience with churches that consistently preach the prosperity message, but based on the crowds, the pastors have found a real niche. The Jews during the time of our Lord Jesus Christ were well aware of the promise of a Savior, to liberate them from their Roman oppressors. But nay did they expect or believe that he will be in the form of a lowly carpenter, rather than a man of great stature and power.
'But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'
Acts 1:8
As Christians, are we making the same erroneous assumption that an effective and “successful” Christian must be equated with the things the carnal world values, that is, wealth, power, prestige and everything else the carnal man values? In the same vein, being materially poor, or self sacrificial is mere symbolism, if our hearts are not right with God. For God looks for obedience not sacrifice. And how can we know the will of God if we do not take time in prayers, and instead start doing things based on our flawed understanding?
'The rich rules over the poor. And the borrower is servant to the lender.'
Proverbs 22:7
One prominent but less highlighted casualty of the American sub-prime crisis was the many churches in USA, who decided to move from bring a place of worship to a lifestyle hub, with a generative income. On logic, it seemed correct then, for many of these churches were sitting on precious land, and the buildings could be enhanced to incorporate many more services plus provide a stream of rental income. I know that our Lord Jesus Christ did angrily throw out the many commercial vendors who set up shop in the temple of God, but is this not different, given that the income will help to self finance the church's activities?
But is the kingdom of God about what we think, or what God wills?
'Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.'
Romans 14:15
Man plans, God directs. Many of these churches are now facing foreclosure, what with the double whammy of falling church attendance and tithes as recession bites, and the imploding property prices making many once tenable mortgages no longer viable.
'Therefore do not let your good be spoken as evil., for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.'
Romans:14:16- 17
Can man truly thrive on air and lots of prayers? Save for recent story about the holy man from India, who purportedly ate nothing for quite some time, most mortal us do need the basic necessities of life. God knows our needs, and all who faithfully follows the leading of the Holy Spirit will attest to the fact that God indeed provides, for our daily needs, much as the imperfect man looks for permanency to what is a temporal life.
Man clings on to their provisions, but God wants us to cling on to Him our provider and prayers ensures that we look to God as our only Provider, that we know His will, and prayers asked in His will, will be answered.
‘For what is a man advantage, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?’
Luke 9:25
The world we live in today is rapidly transforming or more like deteriorating. Clearly, the European Commission has now joined the once prudent USA in impoverishing the thrifty savers by their continued running of the printing press, to print even more fiat monies. The more astute man is not sitting still, waiting to be stripped bare. Many are now scrambling to look for refuge from the grubby hands of the government, and much as real assets might provide some comfort in an orderly world, it has its limits, even more so as the gap widens between the few rich and the burgeoning poor.
Will there truly be any real safe havens in a sea of despair and social unrest? Will material wealth truly preserve our very being?
‘But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.’
Luke 12:31
Two years back during the height of the subprime crisis, all the wealth in the world became a burden for no bank was safe and many of the truly wealthy had sleepless nights worrying about the need to move from bank to bank, never knowing which bank would collapse on them.
Today, as we enter the next phase, the banks might look more stable for now, as governments have now taken over the risk on behalf of their once profligate ways. But the pieces of paper we have deposited in the banks are increasingly being devalued by the wanton printing of more paper monies by these same governments.
Three years back, when the Lord impress upon my heart the need to buy gold, it was not about physical gold but our character as gold refined by the Lord. Clearly the sense of déjà vu from three years back(the subprime) or even twelve years back(Asian crisis) or maybe even thirty five years back(stagflation in the 1970s) is a upon us. It is already late but not quite late for all of us to live out Luke 12:31, to put God first and foremost before everything else. For to do so otherwise will bring us to the same grief of our predecessors.
‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’
Luke 12:34
Many in the present generation of investors have no inkling what the last Great Depression was like, nor what the carnage of the 1970s cycle of stagflation can do to those who stretched their finances. And some might remember the past Asian crisis, but most would likely remember more the Dot com crash of 2001 as well as the recent subprime crisis when things rebound fairly quickly. Real lessons are never learned when the pain is short, and real transformation of character normally occurs over a prolonged period of pain and deprivation.
Similarly, almost all come to a significant relationship with the our ever present Father in Heaven, when our backs are not just to the wall, but flat out, for God looks for a humble and contrite heart.
‘And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the house, and the man stood by me..’
Ezekiel 43:6
Many of us, even those who are first generation Christians have long moved away from God, as our heart longs for things of the world, for idols that will prosper us. Most might seek the god of prosperity during the Chinese New Year. But reality is most are seeking the god or gods of prosperity every moment of their life. Is God speaking to you through me to remind you of our erring from the covenant that He has with us, to seek Him with our all. I believe so, but it matters not. What matters is how extreme a shaking does one need to learn to be still and know the will of God?
‘Another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.’
Judges 2:10
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(18th May 2010)
Storehouses of value
‘Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.’
Philippians 2:4-5
Much as I am well placed to buy into the present carnage in the financial markets. Much as my carnal urge is there to dive right into the “bargains” in this present climate of fear, our good Lord reminded me of the need to be patient, a thought He has placed in my hearts many times this year.
It is this obedience to His leading that has allowed me to be in this present sweet spot of being fairly well sheltered from the negativity in the present markets. I believe that the rest of this year will be an opportunity for us to prepare for the coming high inflation that will beset the once besotted world of easy leverage. Indeed the borrower will become a slave to the lender, as the whip of higher and higher interest rates inflict great pain on many. God will lead those who seek Him into preparing these storehouses of value, that will be needed to be released into the many who will be if not already deprived, for words without works brings no increase in faith.
The Lord is ready to bless us with the provisions for His work. Question is, is your heart ready? To seek material wealth for the sake of personal accumulation will bring with it even greater grief, for no one truly knows what is a safe level to invest. But if we are prepared to invest our all in His Kingdom, with whatever God has already blessed us with, not just materially, but in all areas, God will more than amply provide, for indeed the world will see the glory of God worked through the lives of the faithful.
[Ang, Eng Hieang (Singapore)]
‘But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’
Philippians 4:19
'Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.'
Romans 13:8
Can a hungry stomach run exclusively on the fuel of brotherly love grounded on prayers to the Lord our God? Obviously not for many. An interview in the newspaper with an South African ex-pastor who decided to quit being a materially poor shepherd and transform into an evangelical wealth entrepreneur speaks volume of the reality of the challenges facing any of us who want to stay the course in not just sharing the gospel of God's love but living out our faith as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. Africa, where this ex pastor is based is a land of deprivation, much as it is blessed with resources, and the dear man figured that if he can generate material wealth, he will be empowered to translate his love into action and not stay stuck at mere prayers!!If the papers are reliable, it seems he had decided that either God is not answering his prayers, or that God needed some help from him to get things done.
‘Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God Which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’
Philippians 4:6-7
God does know we need resources to meet our needs and also to do His work. But increasingly, many Christians seem to subscribe to this similar idea that we should not be afraid to ask for much more, and being polite or patient with God will not bring us the oodles of cash to pay for the gravy train, that will help bring more on board the train of salvation. And that we need to do our part while God does His, a co-partnership. Are these assumptions in line with the will of God??
I cannot say I have much experience with churches that consistently preach the prosperity message, but based on the crowds, the pastors have found a real niche. The Jews during the time of our Lord Jesus Christ were well aware of the promise of a Savior, to liberate them from their Roman oppressors. But nay did they expect or believe that he will be in the form of a lowly carpenter, rather than a man of great stature and power.
'But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'
Acts 1:8
As Christians, are we making the same erroneous assumption that an effective and “successful” Christian must be equated with the things the carnal world values, that is, wealth, power, prestige and everything else the carnal man values? In the same vein, being materially poor, or self sacrificial is mere symbolism, if our hearts are not right with God. For God looks for obedience not sacrifice. And how can we know the will of God if we do not take time in prayers, and instead start doing things based on our flawed understanding?
'The rich rules over the poor. And the borrower is servant to the lender.'
Proverbs 22:7
One prominent but less highlighted casualty of the American sub-prime crisis was the many churches in USA, who decided to move from bring a place of worship to a lifestyle hub, with a generative income. On logic, it seemed correct then, for many of these churches were sitting on precious land, and the buildings could be enhanced to incorporate many more services plus provide a stream of rental income. I know that our Lord Jesus Christ did angrily throw out the many commercial vendors who set up shop in the temple of God, but is this not different, given that the income will help to self finance the church's activities?
But is the kingdom of God about what we think, or what God wills?
'Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.'
Romans 14:15
Man plans, God directs. Many of these churches are now facing foreclosure, what with the double whammy of falling church attendance and tithes as recession bites, and the imploding property prices making many once tenable mortgages no longer viable.
'Therefore do not let your good be spoken as evil., for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.'
Romans:14:16- 17
Can man truly thrive on air and lots of prayers? Save for recent story about the holy man from India, who purportedly ate nothing for quite some time, most mortal us do need the basic necessities of life. God knows our needs, and all who faithfully follows the leading of the Holy Spirit will attest to the fact that God indeed provides, for our daily needs, much as the imperfect man looks for permanency to what is a temporal life.
Man clings on to their provisions, but God wants us to cling on to Him our provider and prayers ensures that we look to God as our only Provider, that we know His will, and prayers asked in His will, will be answered.
‘For what is a man advantage, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?’
Luke 9:25
The world we live in today is rapidly transforming or more like deteriorating. Clearly, the European Commission has now joined the once prudent USA in impoverishing the thrifty savers by their continued running of the printing press, to print even more fiat monies. The more astute man is not sitting still, waiting to be stripped bare. Many are now scrambling to look for refuge from the grubby hands of the government, and much as real assets might provide some comfort in an orderly world, it has its limits, even more so as the gap widens between the few rich and the burgeoning poor.
Will there truly be any real safe havens in a sea of despair and social unrest? Will material wealth truly preserve our very being?
‘But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.’
Luke 12:31
Two years back during the height of the subprime crisis, all the wealth in the world became a burden for no bank was safe and many of the truly wealthy had sleepless nights worrying about the need to move from bank to bank, never knowing which bank would collapse on them.
Today, as we enter the next phase, the banks might look more stable for now, as governments have now taken over the risk on behalf of their once profligate ways. But the pieces of paper we have deposited in the banks are increasingly being devalued by the wanton printing of more paper monies by these same governments.
Three years back, when the Lord impress upon my heart the need to buy gold, it was not about physical gold but our character as gold refined by the Lord. Clearly the sense of déjà vu from three years back(the subprime) or even twelve years back(Asian crisis) or maybe even thirty five years back(stagflation in the 1970s) is a upon us. It is already late but not quite late for all of us to live out Luke 12:31, to put God first and foremost before everything else. For to do so otherwise will bring us to the same grief of our predecessors.
‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’
Luke 12:34
Many in the present generation of investors have no inkling what the last Great Depression was like, nor what the carnage of the 1970s cycle of stagflation can do to those who stretched their finances. And some might remember the past Asian crisis, but most would likely remember more the Dot com crash of 2001 as well as the recent subprime crisis when things rebound fairly quickly. Real lessons are never learned when the pain is short, and real transformation of character normally occurs over a prolonged period of pain and deprivation.
Similarly, almost all come to a significant relationship with the our ever present Father in Heaven, when our backs are not just to the wall, but flat out, for God looks for a humble and contrite heart.
‘And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the house, and the man stood by me..’
Ezekiel 43:6
Many of us, even those who are first generation Christians have long moved away from God, as our heart longs for things of the world, for idols that will prosper us. Most might seek the god of prosperity during the Chinese New Year. But reality is most are seeking the god or gods of prosperity every moment of their life. Is God speaking to you through me to remind you of our erring from the covenant that He has with us, to seek Him with our all. I believe so, but it matters not. What matters is how extreme a shaking does one need to learn to be still and know the will of God?
‘Another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.’
Judges 2:10
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(18th May 2010)
Storehouses of value
‘Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.’
Philippians 2:4-5
Much as I am well placed to buy into the present carnage in the financial markets. Much as my carnal urge is there to dive right into the “bargains” in this present climate of fear, our good Lord reminded me of the need to be patient, a thought He has placed in my hearts many times this year.
It is this obedience to His leading that has allowed me to be in this present sweet spot of being fairly well sheltered from the negativity in the present markets. I believe that the rest of this year will be an opportunity for us to prepare for the coming high inflation that will beset the once besotted world of easy leverage. Indeed the borrower will become a slave to the lender, as the whip of higher and higher interest rates inflict great pain on many. God will lead those who seek Him into preparing these storehouses of value, that will be needed to be released into the many who will be if not already deprived, for words without works brings no increase in faith.
The Lord is ready to bless us with the provisions for His work. Question is, is your heart ready? To seek material wealth for the sake of personal accumulation will bring with it even greater grief, for no one truly knows what is a safe level to invest. But if we are prepared to invest our all in His Kingdom, with whatever God has already blessed us with, not just materially, but in all areas, God will more than amply provide, for indeed the world will see the glory of God worked through the lives of the faithful.
[Ang, Eng Hieang (Singapore)]
‘But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’
Philippians 4:19
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Reflections for the moment #65 The great game (14th may 10)
Dear…
‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’
Proverbs 27:1
The great game denotes the strategic conflict in the 19th century, between the expanding empires of Great Britain and Tsarist Russia with Afghanistan juxtaposed between the British Lion and the Russian bear. The Amir of Afghanistan then, must be wondering with friends like these, who needs enemies, for it was not easy to be a pawn being moved around by the sharp claws of Her Majesty’s Britannia as well as that of the smoldering paws of Mother Russia, as they battle for supremacy in Central Asia.
The sun has since set on the British Empire, and though the Tsar had an earlier demise, being unceremoniously consigned to a lowly burial pit, the Russian Empire is still very much alive, no doubt a little hobbled thanks to Gorbachev’s glasnost, but now going through a resurgence under strongman Putin. Interestingly, the man Putin with his cold steely eyes, is into animals, at least symbolism, what with news releases showing him in all his manhood fishing in the cold of Siberia, tagging a Siberian tiger and now the latest, hunching over a sedated polar bear.
‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord bestows favor and honor, no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in You.’
Psalm 84:11-12
The eminent scribe, Shakespeare did mention that the world is a stage and we are all mere players with our exits and entrances. And indeed much as the geopolitics of the world has evolved with time, the very sinful nature of men have not changed, and the conflicts, the scheming and the jostling for self interest is very much alive, and the great game continues to be played all over the world, with Afghanistan and its environs, Central Asia once again a major stage for man’s machinations. And as in all conflicts, history will be written by the victor. And these battles are driven no doubt by men whose drivers are their own finite understanding, fueled by their carnal needs.
‘But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence, therefore I command thee to do this thing.’
Deuteronomy 24:18
But there is a greater and much more important conflict. The continued struggle in the spiritual realm, between good and evil. Yet, unlike earthly conflicts, with the Risen Christ and his victory over death, the spiritual war is already won, and the devil’s grip upon us the seeds of Adam broken. So is there any reason for this game, this struggle for our soul to continue? Are we even cognizance of the reality that the spiritual underlies our earthly struggles?
'...that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men...'
Daniel 4:17
God made us in His likeness. From the first bite of the apple by Adam, the fallen man’s heart no longer has a place for God. God will not impose His will upon us. We have to decide. God has already forgiven us our sins, by the risen Christ, but it is up to us to decide if we want to accept the salvation, and upon acceptance, if we are willing to be transformed unto His likeness.
This is the game being played out now in all our lives. Will we be willing to navigate through the treacherous paths that the devil has put in place on our own strength or are we willing to trust the leading of the Holy Spirit, send by God. Will we walk out of prison on our own strength and in all likelihood, end back up in the cold slammer of bondage or will we walk into the light of freedom, with the light of the Spirit of God?
The conclusion is certain, follow God and end up in joyful eternity, or not to follow God and end up in eternal damnation.
Just today, I felt a prompting(the equivalent word for the carnal man is “urge”) to call a friend whom I have not spoken to for the past three months.
Took a few attempts before I could get through to him, which is not usual and my right eyes just about this time have this irritant and I rather just not talk to anyone. Anyway, to cut to the chase, my friend after the preliminaries told me that he was about to join the “zipper” club. Thankfully, my faculties are still pretty sharp, and I knew what he meant. He was going for a major heart bypass, a follow-up from the angioplasy he did eight years back from a heart attack. I offered him my prayers, and he was thankful, much as he is not a believer.
To the cynical, even for the non follower Christian, what I term part-time Christian, this is probably another example of an over fervent follower of our Lord Jesus Christ making a big hula baloo out of a mere coincidence. But I know it is not, for God is precise and His timing is prescient, His ways perfect. Did I hear Him right, to call my friend? Thankfully I did and even more thankfully, I did respond to His leading.
‘When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.’
Deuteronomy 18:22
We are all the pawns on this great chessboard of life, be it that one is of nobility or mere common man, and our masters if we choose to be carnal are fellow imperfect man, though the true puppet master is the devil, feeding upon our self deceit. But in this great game for our soul, we can choose to be “slaves” to God, to move away from carnality to spirituality, and come out of bondage from the devil’s grip, a hold on us since Adam disobeyed, but has since been broken by the risen Christ.
Slavery in the carnal human context is one of abuse, deprivation, misery and bereft of all rights. On the contrary, to be a “slave” to the Lord our God is not about servitude as in the carnal definition, but of gratitude. A gratitude to a loving Father, Whose forgiveness we can never earn by our own efforts. What then can our response be to His grace, but to have an attitude of a slave, who will follow in total obedience, without doubt, knowing that God is Sovereign, and He is more than our master, but our Father in Heaven, Who wants the best for us. As a ‘slave’ to God, our all must be to seek Him, to love Him and to be sensitive to His leading, and to respond without doubt, doing what He has shown us is right in His eyes.
‘For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.’
1 Corinthians 9:19
To let God mold us, lead us, transform us entails us giving up our finite understanding, a flaw that has caused men great grief since time immemorial.
If you are willing, the Holy Spirit will lead, guide, teach, correct and uplift us. But what are the rules to ensure that we play the game God’s way?
- Repent of our sins, and accept the salvation given to all, by acknowledging our Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior
‘Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God……’
1 John 5:1
- Seek God with your all, in prayers, in His Words.
Look to God and no longer to the world for our sustenance. Only in placing God as the sole focus of our lives can we know His will.
‘Cease, My son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.’
Proverbs 19:27
'Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving....'
Colossians 4:2
- Honor God in all your works, and thoughts.
Stop looking at issues from your perspective or that of others, but always ask, “what will our Lord Jesus Christ have done?” To be like Christ, we have to live our lives like Him, then can we grow in His likeness.
‘Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his way?’
Proverbs 20:24
'...but as He Who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.'
1 Peter 1:15
- Doing the above will bring your heart to a closer sensitivity to the Spirit’s prompting, a peace and joy that only God can give.
The Spirit of God Who resides in our hearts will convict us if we do wrong and affirms us with this indescribable peace when our will is aligned to God’s will
‘Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. There are many devices in a man’s heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.’
Proverbs 19:20-21
- An attitude of unqualified faith as exemplified by the following verse.
We should focus on hearing God right, and in doing the above, we will hear God right. The question often permeating in our imperfect self is, will the conclusion be right? We must learn to take the next step of total obedience as God leads, and learn to leave the conclusion to our Father. God will answer all prayers ask in His will, but the timing and form, only He knows.
‘If it be so, our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O King.
Daniel 3:17
But if not , be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.’
Daniel 3:18
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(12th May 10)
Listening to God
God has always been ever present in my life and one great joy of doing this word based ministry is that I see His very hands at work even as His Spirit guides me in my sharing. This sharing is about listening to God and our good Lord has given me ample practice these few days, with great joy.
Just yesterday, I met up with an ex colleague, who in all I probably really spoke to a couple of times in her ten years with us. But interestingly, I bumped into her right after she left her job with us to look after her young daughter, and again, after a space of a few months, I bumped into her right after she rejoined the workforce and it was no coincidence that we crossed paths at the same shopping mall. God left a deep impression upon me in our second cross meeting to arrange to pass her a copy of His book “Reflections – A traveler’s muse” And in my obedience, I reap this wonderful reward of discovering that this friend’s father is my primary school teacher, a man whom I truly respect and who has been in my heart these past few years, but have since lost contact with these past 37 years.
And talking about heart, I finally make the effort to meet a friend whom God had wanted me to meet. This gentleman has five months to live, if his treatment does not work. It was a pleasant meeting despite his illness, for friendships does enliven an ailing man. But what about his salvation? He did read the Lord’s book “Reflections – A traveler’s muse” that I left with him previously, and he was generous in his praise when he introduced a friend who had just dropped in at the tail end of our meeting today. But there is unfinished business, as I pondered while waiting at the traffic light in my car, on the way back after this morning’s meeting. How can I be used by the Lord to bring His light into the darkness enveloping my non believer friend’s resistant heart? God is indeed prescient. He hears our heartfelt desires to do His will. A lovely patch of sunlight enveloped the section of the road I was at, just as this thought crossed my heart. Prescient because till then, the weather was wet and the sky was gloomy. And other than the small patch of road I was in, its surrounds were a gloomy haze. I am thankful for indeed God knows our thoughts and He will answer our prayers if we ask in His will. I believe His light will shine unto the heart of my friend, much as time is finite.
‘Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shewed me.’
Ezekiel 11:25
Truly there are times where I am not sure if I heard God right, or it I have done right as He wills? But our good Lord has again reminded me that it is not the conclusion we should be looking for, but the obedience that He desires. And as Christ has taught Martha in the resurrection of the till then quite dead Lazarus
‘Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?’
John 11:40
'Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirt.'
Romans 15:13
‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’
Proverbs 27:1
The great game denotes the strategic conflict in the 19th century, between the expanding empires of Great Britain and Tsarist Russia with Afghanistan juxtaposed between the British Lion and the Russian bear. The Amir of Afghanistan then, must be wondering with friends like these, who needs enemies, for it was not easy to be a pawn being moved around by the sharp claws of Her Majesty’s Britannia as well as that of the smoldering paws of Mother Russia, as they battle for supremacy in Central Asia.
The sun has since set on the British Empire, and though the Tsar had an earlier demise, being unceremoniously consigned to a lowly burial pit, the Russian Empire is still very much alive, no doubt a little hobbled thanks to Gorbachev’s glasnost, but now going through a resurgence under strongman Putin. Interestingly, the man Putin with his cold steely eyes, is into animals, at least symbolism, what with news releases showing him in all his manhood fishing in the cold of Siberia, tagging a Siberian tiger and now the latest, hunching over a sedated polar bear.
‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord bestows favor and honor, no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in You.’
Psalm 84:11-12
The eminent scribe, Shakespeare did mention that the world is a stage and we are all mere players with our exits and entrances. And indeed much as the geopolitics of the world has evolved with time, the very sinful nature of men have not changed, and the conflicts, the scheming and the jostling for self interest is very much alive, and the great game continues to be played all over the world, with Afghanistan and its environs, Central Asia once again a major stage for man’s machinations. And as in all conflicts, history will be written by the victor. And these battles are driven no doubt by men whose drivers are their own finite understanding, fueled by their carnal needs.
‘But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence, therefore I command thee to do this thing.’
Deuteronomy 24:18
But there is a greater and much more important conflict. The continued struggle in the spiritual realm, between good and evil. Yet, unlike earthly conflicts, with the Risen Christ and his victory over death, the spiritual war is already won, and the devil’s grip upon us the seeds of Adam broken. So is there any reason for this game, this struggle for our soul to continue? Are we even cognizance of the reality that the spiritual underlies our earthly struggles?
'...that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men...'
Daniel 4:17
God made us in His likeness. From the first bite of the apple by Adam, the fallen man’s heart no longer has a place for God. God will not impose His will upon us. We have to decide. God has already forgiven us our sins, by the risen Christ, but it is up to us to decide if we want to accept the salvation, and upon acceptance, if we are willing to be transformed unto His likeness.
This is the game being played out now in all our lives. Will we be willing to navigate through the treacherous paths that the devil has put in place on our own strength or are we willing to trust the leading of the Holy Spirit, send by God. Will we walk out of prison on our own strength and in all likelihood, end back up in the cold slammer of bondage or will we walk into the light of freedom, with the light of the Spirit of God?
The conclusion is certain, follow God and end up in joyful eternity, or not to follow God and end up in eternal damnation.
Just today, I felt a prompting(the equivalent word for the carnal man is “urge”) to call a friend whom I have not spoken to for the past three months.
Took a few attempts before I could get through to him, which is not usual and my right eyes just about this time have this irritant and I rather just not talk to anyone. Anyway, to cut to the chase, my friend after the preliminaries told me that he was about to join the “zipper” club. Thankfully, my faculties are still pretty sharp, and I knew what he meant. He was going for a major heart bypass, a follow-up from the angioplasy he did eight years back from a heart attack. I offered him my prayers, and he was thankful, much as he is not a believer.
To the cynical, even for the non follower Christian, what I term part-time Christian, this is probably another example of an over fervent follower of our Lord Jesus Christ making a big hula baloo out of a mere coincidence. But I know it is not, for God is precise and His timing is prescient, His ways perfect. Did I hear Him right, to call my friend? Thankfully I did and even more thankfully, I did respond to His leading.
‘When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.’
Deuteronomy 18:22
We are all the pawns on this great chessboard of life, be it that one is of nobility or mere common man, and our masters if we choose to be carnal are fellow imperfect man, though the true puppet master is the devil, feeding upon our self deceit. But in this great game for our soul, we can choose to be “slaves” to God, to move away from carnality to spirituality, and come out of bondage from the devil’s grip, a hold on us since Adam disobeyed, but has since been broken by the risen Christ.
Slavery in the carnal human context is one of abuse, deprivation, misery and bereft of all rights. On the contrary, to be a “slave” to the Lord our God is not about servitude as in the carnal definition, but of gratitude. A gratitude to a loving Father, Whose forgiveness we can never earn by our own efforts. What then can our response be to His grace, but to have an attitude of a slave, who will follow in total obedience, without doubt, knowing that God is Sovereign, and He is more than our master, but our Father in Heaven, Who wants the best for us. As a ‘slave’ to God, our all must be to seek Him, to love Him and to be sensitive to His leading, and to respond without doubt, doing what He has shown us is right in His eyes.
‘For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.’
1 Corinthians 9:19
To let God mold us, lead us, transform us entails us giving up our finite understanding, a flaw that has caused men great grief since time immemorial.
If you are willing, the Holy Spirit will lead, guide, teach, correct and uplift us. But what are the rules to ensure that we play the game God’s way?
- Repent of our sins, and accept the salvation given to all, by acknowledging our Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior
‘Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God……’
1 John 5:1
- Seek God with your all, in prayers, in His Words.
Look to God and no longer to the world for our sustenance. Only in placing God as the sole focus of our lives can we know His will.
‘Cease, My son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.’
Proverbs 19:27
'Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving....'
Colossians 4:2
- Honor God in all your works, and thoughts.
Stop looking at issues from your perspective or that of others, but always ask, “what will our Lord Jesus Christ have done?” To be like Christ, we have to live our lives like Him, then can we grow in His likeness.
‘Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his way?’
Proverbs 20:24
'...but as He Who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.'
1 Peter 1:15
- Doing the above will bring your heart to a closer sensitivity to the Spirit’s prompting, a peace and joy that only God can give.
The Spirit of God Who resides in our hearts will convict us if we do wrong and affirms us with this indescribable peace when our will is aligned to God’s will
‘Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. There are many devices in a man’s heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.’
Proverbs 19:20-21
- An attitude of unqualified faith as exemplified by the following verse.
We should focus on hearing God right, and in doing the above, we will hear God right. The question often permeating in our imperfect self is, will the conclusion be right? We must learn to take the next step of total obedience as God leads, and learn to leave the conclusion to our Father. God will answer all prayers ask in His will, but the timing and form, only He knows.
‘If it be so, our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O King.
Daniel 3:17
But if not , be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.’
Daniel 3:18
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(12th May 10)
Listening to God
God has always been ever present in my life and one great joy of doing this word based ministry is that I see His very hands at work even as His Spirit guides me in my sharing. This sharing is about listening to God and our good Lord has given me ample practice these few days, with great joy.
Just yesterday, I met up with an ex colleague, who in all I probably really spoke to a couple of times in her ten years with us. But interestingly, I bumped into her right after she left her job with us to look after her young daughter, and again, after a space of a few months, I bumped into her right after she rejoined the workforce and it was no coincidence that we crossed paths at the same shopping mall. God left a deep impression upon me in our second cross meeting to arrange to pass her a copy of His book “Reflections – A traveler’s muse” And in my obedience, I reap this wonderful reward of discovering that this friend’s father is my primary school teacher, a man whom I truly respect and who has been in my heart these past few years, but have since lost contact with these past 37 years.
And talking about heart, I finally make the effort to meet a friend whom God had wanted me to meet. This gentleman has five months to live, if his treatment does not work. It was a pleasant meeting despite his illness, for friendships does enliven an ailing man. But what about his salvation? He did read the Lord’s book “Reflections – A traveler’s muse” that I left with him previously, and he was generous in his praise when he introduced a friend who had just dropped in at the tail end of our meeting today. But there is unfinished business, as I pondered while waiting at the traffic light in my car, on the way back after this morning’s meeting. How can I be used by the Lord to bring His light into the darkness enveloping my non believer friend’s resistant heart? God is indeed prescient. He hears our heartfelt desires to do His will. A lovely patch of sunlight enveloped the section of the road I was at, just as this thought crossed my heart. Prescient because till then, the weather was wet and the sky was gloomy. And other than the small patch of road I was in, its surrounds were a gloomy haze. I am thankful for indeed God knows our thoughts and He will answer our prayers if we ask in His will. I believe His light will shine unto the heart of my friend, much as time is finite.
‘Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shewed me.’
Ezekiel 11:25
Truly there are times where I am not sure if I heard God right, or it I have done right as He wills? But our good Lord has again reminded me that it is not the conclusion we should be looking for, but the obedience that He desires. And as Christ has taught Martha in the resurrection of the till then quite dead Lazarus
‘Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?’
John 11:40
'Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirt.'
Romans 15:13
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Reflections for the moment #64 Reminiscence (12th May 10)
Dear….
‘Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?’
Ecclesiastes 8:6-7
For many of us, life is about upward mobility and how do we stay connected to the vibrant world we lived in, and how do we position ourselves to be carried forth by the varied cross currents, that hopefully will allow us to scale the heights of what men deem achievements and success.
How many of us truly take time to be still and know the will of God?
‘For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him…’
2 Chronicles 16:9
Just yesterday, on a lovely Sunday afternoon, lovely because we finally had some rain, after the stifling heat of the past couple of weeks, I found myself, with my siblings, heading back towards the suburbs, to exactly where some of you had the privilege to spend a blessed time with the children of the Chen Su Lan Methodist Home last November, when we did an event in conjunction with the Lord’s book “Reflections – A traveler’s muse”. Maybe less precise here, for it was not the Children’s Home that I was visiting, but its next door neighbor, a nursing home for the aged and incapacitated. As I stood at the balcony of the room where my uncle is residing, looking into the Children’s Home, it did strike me as paradoxical. Here in this nursing home, generously sprinkled in its grounds are many wheel chaired bound older folks, where a sense of despondency permeates and many while away their time staring into space, a blank look that reflects beneath its surface, a life that once was, be it of fullness or of angst. Contrast that to the young lives next door, full of possibilities, much as for many in their still budding lives, it has been no bed of roses.
‘The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under Whose wings thou art come to trust.’
Ruth 2:12
It has been years since I met my uncle. It took a while for me to match the haggard and shriveled stranger staring at me, to the jovial man I used to know, whose visual image from at least 15 years back was the last frame ingrained in my psyche. How time does take its toll on a once vibrant body, but more importantly, does the toil of life also inflict such damage on the soul and spirit of man?
Our bodily shells are temporal. And it will deteriorate with time, much as some still seek fruitlessly, the elixir of life. But will a follower of Christ be able to age with grace, and do they need to suffer the ravages on their bodily shell as well, with its concomitant pain? Or can the Lord just take us home when it is time, without the ailments of the aging process? And can a life of faithful obedience with its joy and peace provide the faithful with a different passage in their journey in this temporal fallen world?
‘The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.’
Isaiah 40:8
God did take a rare few just like that, without the need to go through the throes of death.(2 Kings 2:11 on prophet Elijah) Or would I rather be like Methuselah, the oldest man in the world, who lived nine hundred sixty and nine years before he died, and whose death marked the beginnings of the flood aka Noah’s Ark? Being carnal and less than perfect, I do wish that God will allow me to leave my bodily shell without too much pain when He deem that it is time for me, yet I also wish that it will not be time as yet. Confused or fickle minded I might be, but the good Lord has blessed me in so many ways, and save for an ache here or there, as I enter the end of my second quarter of my finite life, it has never been more joyful. And God is good, for the past couple of months, He has brought even more people from my past back into my life. And lest I forget, if Christ should return like now, both the dead and the living faithful will be carried up to the throne of God.
'For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.'
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
I was at a 25th anniversary reunion gathering with my old University mates last Saturday. The venue might be spanking new, but clearly save for the accouterments that some of us hang around our bodily shell, all of us were displaying the ravages of age. The long sightedness did not really help, for most had a difficult time recognizing each other, and thankfully, the year book from 25 years back did come in useful. It was fun and it was great time for reminiscence on our once youthful adult days, much as most of us have doubled in age and for some girth as well, yet for others, a depletion of their crowning glory, but I am sure the last twenty five years also brings with it the burdens and joy of life.
‘Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?’
1 Corinthians 3:16
It always bemuse me as to how precise our Dear Father is with us who seek Him. This was the verse I read this morning from the Daily Bread and it is a loving gentle admonishment from the Lord, to dispel any doubts I might have as regards this issue of wear and tear. Much as the devil might want us all to believe that youth is vigor and age is rigor, the latter best ended like a piece of discarded widget, where like my uncle commented to my sister, the nursing home is a place where all who enters wait to die, where their very wretched soul is imprisoned within a now derelict and non functional body.
‘To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the Lord…’
Isaiah 42:7-8
Life or rather death need not be that way. A book I am currently reading, titled “None of these diseases - The Bible's health secrets for the 21st century by S.I McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M.D”, written by a medical doctor, shows the wisdom of God’s words, that if followed, would have saved many of us, the ravages of our self inflicted illnesses(See Exodus15:26). We live in a sinful and temporal world. It does not mean that Christians will not fall sick nor die a mortal death. However, it is also an observation that if we live our lives the way God wills, life will indeed be one of joy and peace, rather than the cloak of stress that most wear permanently, and we will, in all likelihood have less of the life threatening toxins permeating from man’s understanding aka anger, worry, pride, bitterness, impatience and all that is bad for our body.
Just yesterday, I read an article on a recent study by doctors in Canada who linked a stronger heart to a cheerful disposition. Much as research has its limits, clearly, the countenance of a heart that is right with God clearly shows forth in a person and nothing in this world can take away that joy and peace and hope, or more correctly reassurance that come from knowing that the Spirit of God resides in our hearts.
Time and our follies will ensure that our bodily shell will succumb to the aging process. But our soul and spirit, if it truly and fully rested upon the spring of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, will continue to be refreshed, sustained and climb even greater heights of joy, in anticipation of the day the Lord will take us home. That is the hope, that is available to all, but sadly, is sorely lacking, once the distractions of a world once enamored with us, the non believers/non followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, leave us aside to ponder upon what once was, but now never again.
My sisters do a wonderful job in bringing joy to the down and out. I am still quite stiff and not very good at expressing simple love. And being a male is probably stretching that excuse a little too taut. Anyway, the last is reserved for the best, and my younger sister, the last to join us during this visitation, through her God given ease of personality, was used by our Lord to bring the smile back to a downtrodden soul, and the jovial uncle whom I used to know, by the grace of God, resurfaced and saved for a few symbolic representations of the ravages of age, the man of cheer I used to know emerged like a shining light from a cloud of despondency. What is impossible with man, is possible with our omnipresent and Sovereign God. And much as we must be willing to be used by the Lord our God to water amongst the many parched souls, and age is not the only determinant of that, it is God Who will bring about the increase.
And so, life need not be about us reminiscing about what once was, either for ourselves once the music in the carnival of life stops or for our loved ones now relieved of the physical vigor of life. There is still the effervescence and truly vibrant soul and spirit that mortality can never impact. Christ by his death and resurrection has broken the bondage of sin and death upon us. Joy and peace grounded upon the Lord our Rock is no longer a function of time nor our physical well being. Rather, it is grounded upon a heart whose place is solely for the Lord our God, and no matter the state of our bodily temple, the sanctifying love and presence of God will always ensure that it is perfect, till the Lord takes us home.
‘If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.’
1 Corinthians 3:17
Let us not wait till our outward shell falls apart, before we realize that our inward man is truly malnourished and starved of the sanctifying love of God our Father.
'Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you, he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light...'
John 12:35-36
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(11 May 10)
Remembering George Bush Junior
The man is very much alive, at least as of now, much as Obama has taken over the limelight. But the headline caption of “Shock and awe” to describe the $trillion emergency package cobbled together by the European Union to bring calm to the burgeoning panic in the financial markets jolted my memory of a not too distant “shock and awe’ strategy by the then Presidency of George Bush junior. Junior did a much faster job than Bush senior in completing the takeover of Iraq through the awesome display of American firepower. But victory is fleeting and problems are plentiful and few looking at the mess in Iraq today, could have recognized the euphoria of the American victory just a few short years back.
Would Fortress Europe go the same way as Iraq, where papering over the real issues buy temporal relief, but longer term pain and very little gain, for there is only so much one can drown one’s problem by flooding the world with paper.
Watch this space or rather, watch the listing Britannia(ie good old mother England) where the wolf packs might feast on while taking a temporary respite from Continental Europe.
‘Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?’
Ecclesiastes 8:6-7
For many of us, life is about upward mobility and how do we stay connected to the vibrant world we lived in, and how do we position ourselves to be carried forth by the varied cross currents, that hopefully will allow us to scale the heights of what men deem achievements and success.
How many of us truly take time to be still and know the will of God?
‘For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him…’
2 Chronicles 16:9
Just yesterday, on a lovely Sunday afternoon, lovely because we finally had some rain, after the stifling heat of the past couple of weeks, I found myself, with my siblings, heading back towards the suburbs, to exactly where some of you had the privilege to spend a blessed time with the children of the Chen Su Lan Methodist Home last November, when we did an event in conjunction with the Lord’s book “Reflections – A traveler’s muse”. Maybe less precise here, for it was not the Children’s Home that I was visiting, but its next door neighbor, a nursing home for the aged and incapacitated. As I stood at the balcony of the room where my uncle is residing, looking into the Children’s Home, it did strike me as paradoxical. Here in this nursing home, generously sprinkled in its grounds are many wheel chaired bound older folks, where a sense of despondency permeates and many while away their time staring into space, a blank look that reflects beneath its surface, a life that once was, be it of fullness or of angst. Contrast that to the young lives next door, full of possibilities, much as for many in their still budding lives, it has been no bed of roses.
‘The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under Whose wings thou art come to trust.’
Ruth 2:12
It has been years since I met my uncle. It took a while for me to match the haggard and shriveled stranger staring at me, to the jovial man I used to know, whose visual image from at least 15 years back was the last frame ingrained in my psyche. How time does take its toll on a once vibrant body, but more importantly, does the toil of life also inflict such damage on the soul and spirit of man?
Our bodily shells are temporal. And it will deteriorate with time, much as some still seek fruitlessly, the elixir of life. But will a follower of Christ be able to age with grace, and do they need to suffer the ravages on their bodily shell as well, with its concomitant pain? Or can the Lord just take us home when it is time, without the ailments of the aging process? And can a life of faithful obedience with its joy and peace provide the faithful with a different passage in their journey in this temporal fallen world?
‘The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.’
Isaiah 40:8
God did take a rare few just like that, without the need to go through the throes of death.(2 Kings 2:11 on prophet Elijah) Or would I rather be like Methuselah, the oldest man in the world, who lived nine hundred sixty and nine years before he died, and whose death marked the beginnings of the flood aka Noah’s Ark? Being carnal and less than perfect, I do wish that God will allow me to leave my bodily shell without too much pain when He deem that it is time for me, yet I also wish that it will not be time as yet. Confused or fickle minded I might be, but the good Lord has blessed me in so many ways, and save for an ache here or there, as I enter the end of my second quarter of my finite life, it has never been more joyful. And God is good, for the past couple of months, He has brought even more people from my past back into my life. And lest I forget, if Christ should return like now, both the dead and the living faithful will be carried up to the throne of God.
'For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.'
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
I was at a 25th anniversary reunion gathering with my old University mates last Saturday. The venue might be spanking new, but clearly save for the accouterments that some of us hang around our bodily shell, all of us were displaying the ravages of age. The long sightedness did not really help, for most had a difficult time recognizing each other, and thankfully, the year book from 25 years back did come in useful. It was fun and it was great time for reminiscence on our once youthful adult days, much as most of us have doubled in age and for some girth as well, yet for others, a depletion of their crowning glory, but I am sure the last twenty five years also brings with it the burdens and joy of life.
‘Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?’
1 Corinthians 3:16
It always bemuse me as to how precise our Dear Father is with us who seek Him. This was the verse I read this morning from the Daily Bread and it is a loving gentle admonishment from the Lord, to dispel any doubts I might have as regards this issue of wear and tear. Much as the devil might want us all to believe that youth is vigor and age is rigor, the latter best ended like a piece of discarded widget, where like my uncle commented to my sister, the nursing home is a place where all who enters wait to die, where their very wretched soul is imprisoned within a now derelict and non functional body.
‘To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the Lord…’
Isaiah 42:7-8
Life or rather death need not be that way. A book I am currently reading, titled “None of these diseases - The Bible's health secrets for the 21st century by S.I McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M.D”, written by a medical doctor, shows the wisdom of God’s words, that if followed, would have saved many of us, the ravages of our self inflicted illnesses(See Exodus15:26). We live in a sinful and temporal world. It does not mean that Christians will not fall sick nor die a mortal death. However, it is also an observation that if we live our lives the way God wills, life will indeed be one of joy and peace, rather than the cloak of stress that most wear permanently, and we will, in all likelihood have less of the life threatening toxins permeating from man’s understanding aka anger, worry, pride, bitterness, impatience and all that is bad for our body.
Just yesterday, I read an article on a recent study by doctors in Canada who linked a stronger heart to a cheerful disposition. Much as research has its limits, clearly, the countenance of a heart that is right with God clearly shows forth in a person and nothing in this world can take away that joy and peace and hope, or more correctly reassurance that come from knowing that the Spirit of God resides in our hearts.
Time and our follies will ensure that our bodily shell will succumb to the aging process. But our soul and spirit, if it truly and fully rested upon the spring of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, will continue to be refreshed, sustained and climb even greater heights of joy, in anticipation of the day the Lord will take us home. That is the hope, that is available to all, but sadly, is sorely lacking, once the distractions of a world once enamored with us, the non believers/non followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, leave us aside to ponder upon what once was, but now never again.
My sisters do a wonderful job in bringing joy to the down and out. I am still quite stiff and not very good at expressing simple love. And being a male is probably stretching that excuse a little too taut. Anyway, the last is reserved for the best, and my younger sister, the last to join us during this visitation, through her God given ease of personality, was used by our Lord to bring the smile back to a downtrodden soul, and the jovial uncle whom I used to know, by the grace of God, resurfaced and saved for a few symbolic representations of the ravages of age, the man of cheer I used to know emerged like a shining light from a cloud of despondency. What is impossible with man, is possible with our omnipresent and Sovereign God. And much as we must be willing to be used by the Lord our God to water amongst the many parched souls, and age is not the only determinant of that, it is God Who will bring about the increase.
And so, life need not be about us reminiscing about what once was, either for ourselves once the music in the carnival of life stops or for our loved ones now relieved of the physical vigor of life. There is still the effervescence and truly vibrant soul and spirit that mortality can never impact. Christ by his death and resurrection has broken the bondage of sin and death upon us. Joy and peace grounded upon the Lord our Rock is no longer a function of time nor our physical well being. Rather, it is grounded upon a heart whose place is solely for the Lord our God, and no matter the state of our bodily temple, the sanctifying love and presence of God will always ensure that it is perfect, till the Lord takes us home.
‘If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.’
1 Corinthians 3:17
Let us not wait till our outward shell falls apart, before we realize that our inward man is truly malnourished and starved of the sanctifying love of God our Father.
'Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you, he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light...'
John 12:35-36
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(11 May 10)
Remembering George Bush Junior
The man is very much alive, at least as of now, much as Obama has taken over the limelight. But the headline caption of “Shock and awe” to describe the $trillion emergency package cobbled together by the European Union to bring calm to the burgeoning panic in the financial markets jolted my memory of a not too distant “shock and awe’ strategy by the then Presidency of George Bush junior. Junior did a much faster job than Bush senior in completing the takeover of Iraq through the awesome display of American firepower. But victory is fleeting and problems are plentiful and few looking at the mess in Iraq today, could have recognized the euphoria of the American victory just a few short years back.
Would Fortress Europe go the same way as Iraq, where papering over the real issues buy temporal relief, but longer term pain and very little gain, for there is only so much one can drown one’s problem by flooding the world with paper.
Watch this space or rather, watch the listing Britannia(ie good old mother England) where the wolf packs might feast on while taking a temporary respite from Continental Europe.
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