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
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