Lightness of being#49 Children of the Light ( 13 Sep 2014 )
Dear....
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John 1:8-9
God brings us to different seasons in our journey in His presence, even as He continues to refine and transform us unto Christlikeness.
The silence of the past month from me, has been due to a bit of traveling in China, but also a time of personal reflection. China, a vast land of extremities, unfettered materialism yet dire poverty. For the latter, not just in the physical, but very much in the spiritual. There is an emptiness that is the inevitable consequence of a long repressed and impoverished society that sought to make up for lost opportunities by seeking feverishly the wealth of this finite world, to the neglect of family and values.
And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
Mark 4:21
"Light," this is the word that our good Lord has subjected me to these past few days. Be it in last Sunday's sermon in Church, a reading from Our Daily Bread, and an impression upon the heart that precedes the former two affirmations.
Interestingly, darkness or rather the creeping temptations of the forces of darkness was what I was more subjected to in the past one week. The evil spirits of lusts, pride and self righteousness were jostling to take centre stage in my heart, now that by the grace of God, the spirit of fear that has hovered over me for the better part of the past two years in this new ministry that God has called me to has been finally dispelled.
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Romans 13:11-14
"Like Saul (who became the apostle Paul), all Christians have been exposed to God’s mighty light—Jesus opened our spiritual eyes when we were saved (John 1:9-13). And God’s light is at work in our hearts today. When we struggle with sin, fear, or confusion, we can remember what Paul said: “[The Lord’s] light within you produces only what is good and right and true” (Ephesians 5:8-9). These inner blessings assure us that God, who began His good work in us, will continue it until His Son returns (Philippians 1:6)."
( from "Our Daily Journey Sun Sep 7, Jennifer Benson Schult)
Followers of Christ are more than mere pretty fireflies that glow in the pitch dark swathe of evil that blankets our fallen world. God will use us as His beacon of hope for the hopeless. A mobile fireplace where the downtrodden can seek solace, where the weak and humbled receives sustenance and shelter from the harshness of Satan's world.
"Lightness of being," this present blog#7 might connote Christian living as one of living without cares or concerns. That is not the life God envisaged for those He called. We are called into the battlefield against the forces of evil. Wounds and bruises we will receive. Downright oppression from the realm of darkness we will be subjected to. But through it all, our burden will be light, because the Spirit of God is within us. And indeed buffeted I have been, but thanks be to God, the grip of evil has no permanent hold upon my countenance.
And down sometimes I might be, but out never, but in fact, always back up even more stridently in His service, for evil cannot take away the victory of the cross.
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:9-10
"Life of the overflow," it is apt my men's small group completed today the 30th and final lesson of this wonderful course "School of the Shepherds." A 30 months journey, time that was well spent amongst men who seek after our Lord, as a community of brothers.
We struggled through not just the need to not doze off from the soothing balms of the half hour video lessons as each of us prepared for the Saturday's discussion from the comforts of our individual abode. But for the past 30 months, each of us wrestled with God, like Jacob, in the nights of our life, when the issues of daily living is brought to bear upon us.
We have committed to repeat the same 30 lessons. Not because we were abject failures in our coursework, nor were we totally way off in our walk with the Lord.
But rather, we want to be even more fully equipped by our Lord, as He uses us to be
the lamp upon which His light will shine forth, we want to be "children of His Light."
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Romans 15:13
That the world will witness the overflow of God's abundance upon our lives, that the wilting world will want to be led to come to Christ our Chief Shepherd, the door upon which all who enter will experience the abundance of God's grace, not in material prosperity alone, but in the inexplicable joy, inner peace and reassured hope granted to all who believe and follow Him.
And with this sharing, it is time to move to a new focus in my journey with our Lord.
"Children of The Light," this will be my new blog series#8( eng-hieang88.blogspot.com).
The days of wavering is over. It is time the watching world must see Christ lived out in us, for the End of Times are indeed nearer than we think.
The Islamic Caliphate chose the color black rather than the standard green that one often associate with the Muslim faith. They have deliberately chose to bring back the cruel practices of the dark days when society were more barbaric. Darkness has indeed taken on an even more ominous tone.
Scotland in UK, Catalonia in Spain, and many more nations within nations are seeking to breakaway from past enforced marriages. Yet while vying for independence, they want to seek the solace of the European Union. And with the Russian bear starting to be overbearing again, her nervous neighbors in the Baltic States and Scandinavia must be feeling the need to be coddled by Mother EU. The reality of One Europe and the anti-Christ is inching towards fulfillment. And what better ground than Continental Europe , a land mass where the worship of self has long displaced its once Christian roots.(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9589732/Mass-rally-in-Venice-to-call-for-independence-from-Italy.html)
Recently, the former President of Israel, Mr Shimon Peres proposed to the Catholic Pope to initiate a new United Nations of religion. For it is his belief that diversity in religions is the cause of the present world's conflicts. If there is only one voice for the world to listen to, on issues of religion, religious based conflicts will have no room to move( http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Israels-Shimon-Peres-Proposes-Creation-of-a-UN-of-Religions-20140904-0082.html).
A man of peace, this Nobel Peace laureate, is also purported in some reported sources to be the father of Israel's nuclear program.
Are we moving towards the notion of one world religion?
God blesses
Eng Hieang
13 Sep 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Friday, August 8, 2014
Lightness of being #48 The Word is God (9 Aug 2014)
Dear....
Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
Deuteronomy 8:11
Just this evening, I had a wonderful fellowship with a dear brother, and one closing thought I shared with him was on a verse that our good Lord gave me twice when He called me to step out of my comfort zone two years back. The first verse was His reassurance on my success His way if I let go and let Him.
The other verse was as above, Deuteronomy 8:11. A warning on not being distracted by my success.
And tonight, as I pondered upon the title of this sharing, to reflect the intense presence of God in my life these past twenty four hours, the same Deuteronomy was the verse that stared at me as I opened my online Bible. God affirms.
'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.'
John 1:1
This was the verse I read in my quiet time in my office. Its familiar to me, and I paid scant attention to it because my very being was too engrossed by my experiencing God's guiding hands last evening and this morning.
I had two back to back meetings which I anticipated will be difficult. But thanks be to God, I have come to learn to always look to Him, and He spoke to my heart in my time of prayerful communion with Him this Tues evening, the very same words that I read again the next morning in Thursday's Daily Bread "Loving difficult people."
I had meant to read Wed's reading but inadvertently flipped the Thursday's instead.
And God is always prescient. The first flip of the Bible brought me straight into the reference verse Ephesians 4:1 for Thursday's reading, as if God has readied the page for me, and indeed He has.
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3
The Word of God comes alive. It is a common experience for us who seek to know His Word, to often be joyfully amazed, bemused, assured and empowered by His engaging us in conversations of the heart through His Words.
And this morning, as Singapore prepares to celebrate her 49th birthday, this was the word I read in my quiet time.
Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God,
and trusted not in his salvation:
Psalms 78:21-22
Coincidentally, Psalm 77 was the Psalm I was asked to read out in full for our Friday's men' prayer meeting yesterday. Psalm 77 speaks about our struggles, and God's goodness.
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Genesis 50:20
As a nation, we have come a long way. Many might have consigned to distant memory the paucity of hope we have in our early birth as an independent nation.
A still birth, our enemies had hoped. A frail child best abandoned, that was what our ex colonial Brit parents thought was most expedient. And much as we thought there was still hope with our big brother up north, the umbilical cord was unceremoniously severed.
But God not just never forsake us, but He was in control.
'...we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done...'
Psalm 78:4
We had the guiding expertise of the Israelite army in the formation of our national defense. It is a fact, and lest one forget, our neighborhood might be beguiling calm today, but history has shown that friends today can be enemies again tomorrow.
What about Mr Albert Winsemius, the late Dutch economist who played a key growth in nurturing Singapore's economic development from an entrepôt backwaters to the forefront of industrialization?
Was he a Jew? His surname and nose indicates the possibility.
Jew or not, Singapore is a miracle of God's grace.
As we look beyond today to our Jubilee year as a nation exactly a year from now, it is good to ponder upon Who is truly our God?
Mammon or our Sovereign Father in Heaven? And if it is mammon, then do continue to seek your material pursuits. But if it is God our Father Who provided our blessings, what then is His call to us? Antioch of the East?
With our strong Singdollar, enhanced property valuations, well travelled and well educated populace laced with a good organizational streak, and still credible national reputation, God has equipped us in His service.
Our response is not dependent on when we think we are ready, but rather it is about our willingness to depend totally upon Him now.
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Esther 4:14
God blesses
Eng Hieang
9 Aug 2014
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Lightness of being#47 Formosa (27 July 2014)
Lightness of being#47 Formosa (27 July 2014)
Dear....
'The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self controlled so that we can pray. And above all love each other deeply....'
1 Peter 4:7-8
Curiosity kills the cat. In my case, it did not happen as my attempt to experience the recent typhoon Matmo from the rooftop of my Taipei hotel died a still death, as the hotel closed off that level to all and sunder.
Formosa, the beautiful land, a name the Portuguese of old ascribed to the slice of verdant land off the Chinese mainland. The less populated mountainous east of Taiwan, a lovely stretch facing the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, took the brunt of typhoon Matmo.
It was a mighty storm, with collateral damage, but not on the scale to evoke the sense of impending doom. But if it were, would we as committed children of our Sovereign God be willing and able to live out the above verse 1 Peter 4:7-8?
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Romans 10:14
Save for the detour to Vietnam in May, our good Lord has, in the past one year, brought me to the troika that He has called me to back in April 2009. China, Japan and Thailand. What underlines these three countries is the spiritual stirring in what was once and still is very hard ground. And what about Taiwan? A largely Buddhist/Taoist oriented population, yet a hybrid of China/Japan as a result of the confluence of history. For Japan was gifted Taiwan by the defeated Qing Dynasty, and the fifty odd years of Japanese rule ended only in 1945, only for the fleeing Chinese Nationalist(KMT) to make Taiwan their last stand, in the face of Mao Tse Tung's communist onslaught.
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Romans 10:15
On my first near one week trip to this lovely and friendly land, God provided me the opportunity to make acquaintances of very nice devout Buddhist business counterparts , but also the privilege of gathering with a small congregation of a newly planted church. A handful of very committed Christians, who have managed to bring in an equal number of non Christians to their Sunday worship.
This speaks volumes of the enormous tasks at hand, yet showcases the broad possibilities of a largely unreached population.
The near 6 hours two way trek was tiring, but meaningful. And it pales in comparison to this non Christian local lady who regularly made the arduous journey( from another town) of lugging her two young boys to attend Church service. The oasis of love exuded in this small Church draws the spiritually hungry to our Lord.
"Lord, help me remember that there are no small places or small people. All are precious in Your sight. May I see the value of my work and cherish it as You do."
( Our Daily Bread Sunday July 20)
But much more needs to be done to share the good news of the gospel.
The deaths of many in the air disaster in the storm buffeted island of Penghu just 3 days after brings home this stark truth exclaimed in Romans 10:14.
'For the vision is yet for an appointed time; ..... it will surely come.'
Habakkuk 2:3
The deeds of men cannot thwart the purposes of God( Our Daily Bread Sunday July 27).
Like most, there are times I do feel quite overwhelmed by circumstances and people around me. Do we still have the capacity to minister to our neighbors, to love them more than ourselves?
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
2 Corinthians 1:8-9
你恩典够我用
With men, it is nigh impossible. But with a God all things are more than possible.
These past two years journey of actively placing God above all else has not been without its struggles. The dichotomy though is in the lessons learned. When I focused less on Him and instead upon my self preservation, I literally drown in my woeful understanding. But when I totally let go and let God, it has always been a delightful experience of joy and peace, as I witness His grace and power work through me.
Therefore turn thou to thy God:keep mercy and judgment,and wait on thy God continually.
Hosea 12:
As people who are blessed to have the veil lifted from our hearts. Knowing about God is not the end all. Knowing Him is what we must work on, for it will be dreadful come the day we meet our Maker, and He does not know us. And beyond our comfort zone, out there are many who knows not the love of God. It is not just our call, but privilege that God chose us to be His lamp.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
John 15:2
God blesses
Eng Hieang
27 July 2014
Incline my heart unto thy testimonies,and not to covetousness.
Psalms 119:36
Dear....
'The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self controlled so that we can pray. And above all love each other deeply....'
1 Peter 4:7-8
Curiosity kills the cat. In my case, it did not happen as my attempt to experience the recent typhoon Matmo from the rooftop of my Taipei hotel died a still death, as the hotel closed off that level to all and sunder.
Formosa, the beautiful land, a name the Portuguese of old ascribed to the slice of verdant land off the Chinese mainland. The less populated mountainous east of Taiwan, a lovely stretch facing the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, took the brunt of typhoon Matmo.
It was a mighty storm, with collateral damage, but not on the scale to evoke the sense of impending doom. But if it were, would we as committed children of our Sovereign God be willing and able to live out the above verse 1 Peter 4:7-8?
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Romans 10:14
Save for the detour to Vietnam in May, our good Lord has, in the past one year, brought me to the troika that He has called me to back in April 2009. China, Japan and Thailand. What underlines these three countries is the spiritual stirring in what was once and still is very hard ground. And what about Taiwan? A largely Buddhist/Taoist oriented population, yet a hybrid of China/Japan as a result of the confluence of history. For Japan was gifted Taiwan by the defeated Qing Dynasty, and the fifty odd years of Japanese rule ended only in 1945, only for the fleeing Chinese Nationalist(KMT) to make Taiwan their last stand, in the face of Mao Tse Tung's communist onslaught.
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Romans 10:15
On my first near one week trip to this lovely and friendly land, God provided me the opportunity to make acquaintances of very nice devout Buddhist business counterparts , but also the privilege of gathering with a small congregation of a newly planted church. A handful of very committed Christians, who have managed to bring in an equal number of non Christians to their Sunday worship.
This speaks volumes of the enormous tasks at hand, yet showcases the broad possibilities of a largely unreached population.
The near 6 hours two way trek was tiring, but meaningful. And it pales in comparison to this non Christian local lady who regularly made the arduous journey( from another town) of lugging her two young boys to attend Church service. The oasis of love exuded in this small Church draws the spiritually hungry to our Lord.
"Lord, help me remember that there are no small places or small people. All are precious in Your sight. May I see the value of my work and cherish it as You do."
( Our Daily Bread Sunday July 20)
But much more needs to be done to share the good news of the gospel.
The deaths of many in the air disaster in the storm buffeted island of Penghu just 3 days after brings home this stark truth exclaimed in Romans 10:14.
'For the vision is yet for an appointed time; ..... it will surely come.'
Habakkuk 2:3
The deeds of men cannot thwart the purposes of God( Our Daily Bread Sunday July 27).
Like most, there are times I do feel quite overwhelmed by circumstances and people around me. Do we still have the capacity to minister to our neighbors, to love them more than ourselves?
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
2 Corinthians 1:8-9
你恩典够我用
With men, it is nigh impossible. But with a God all things are more than possible.
These past two years journey of actively placing God above all else has not been without its struggles. The dichotomy though is in the lessons learned. When I focused less on Him and instead upon my self preservation, I literally drown in my woeful understanding. But when I totally let go and let God, it has always been a delightful experience of joy and peace, as I witness His grace and power work through me.
Therefore turn thou to thy God:keep mercy and judgment,and wait on thy God continually.
Hosea 12:
As people who are blessed to have the veil lifted from our hearts. Knowing about God is not the end all. Knowing Him is what we must work on, for it will be dreadful come the day we meet our Maker, and He does not know us. And beyond our comfort zone, out there are many who knows not the love of God. It is not just our call, but privilege that God chose us to be His lamp.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
John 15:2
God blesses
Eng Hieang
27 July 2014
Incline my heart unto thy testimonies,and not to covetousness.
Psalms 119:36
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Lightness of being #46 Color matters (28 June 2014)
Lightness of being#46 Color matters ( 28 June 2014)
Dear...
This Saturday morning, it's about pink or white. Pink you take a walk to Hong Lim Park to show your support for the proponents of alternative lifestyle, white you wear on your person to make a stand for the traditional family nuclei.
Color is a powerful symbolic differentiator.
The Thais have their red vs yellow grouping depending upon political affiliation. Apartheid South Africa had its clear black and white race demarcation, though they did grant the then economically vibrant yellow Japanese honorary white status. The self righteous Americans had its clear color code( even in public transport) up to the civil rights movement of Martin Luther King, who amongst others fought for the discriminated blacks. And Australia was a Whites only country as far as immigration was concerned not too many years ago. And just to round off, the Christian Crusaders in their desire to stand up for their misguided stand for Christendom, were no less if not more cruel in their campaigns to wipe out the green hordes in the Middle East.
In truth, man being imperfect, we are all shades of grey!!
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27
I know the omnipresent God. Who am I to question His right to only create two categories of the human race. But in the "liberal" West, it is increasingly at great personal risk to adhere to this God ordained view. Quite a paradox that Western society ostensibly prided themselves on individuality, yet increasingly institutionalize recrimination against anyone who even dares to hold a view different from that of the same sex proponents(see article on ex Mozilla boss), which are in truth, just one segment albeit an overtly aggressive and organized segment of a pluralistic society.
( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26868536)
The term "discrimination," has now been equated to "not agreeing," and is being steadily morphed by its vocal and determined proponents to "not in support of."
Corporate America is on the forefront of discriminating( on the pretext of equal rights ) against anyone who holds a different perspective on what is a lifestyle that is different from their personal belief system.
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32
As a Christian, I cannot displease God, just to please man. But not agreeing does not mean I cannot show agape love to a fellow child(regardless of sexual orientation) of God.
We can pray for a realignment of their hearts, but more importantly, we must let God transform us, to let the truth of God's love be lived out upon our lives.
It's not how they live, but how we live out our faith.
Is not giving in to the tantrums of a child an act of child abuse? Every child needs loving discipline as part of his or her molding process.
But again, the very same liberals have removed the cane that is needed to correct a wayward child, yet happily letting gun toting youths run rampage terrorizing the community.
Is putting a serial molester in prison an impingement of his or her claimed inborn natural propensity to sodomise innocent victims? It was clearly not in the old value system of traditional society, but it is if one was to draw from the line of arguments of the LGBT proponents.
Or on seemingly mundane issues of unisex toilets in King's College London, simply because the sexually undecided feels that they are entitled to use both.
Truth is, what about those of us who are not inclined to share facilities with the opposite sex, not just for decorum but practical hygiene issues which places the fairer sex at a disadvantage?
and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
A lie becomes a truth when its proponent relentlessly propagate it. Today, the silent or rather self focussed majority is allowing themselves to be increasingly entrapped by the very determined and organized proponents of not just an alternative lifestyle, but an alternative world. A world that is more in line with that envisaged by the androgynous fallen angel, the devil.
Is this a fair statement? It is a personal view. Do I have to seek asylum in Russia to be able to express these personal thoughts to ensure that I do not get lynched by the marauding packs of same sex vigilantes?
Life is a paradox. In the supposedly liberal West, where free speech and individual rights are sacrosanct, it is increasingly obvious that this applies only to the once discriminated closet inhabitants. Like this famous quote from George Orwell's Animal Farm,
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
Indeed, the world is increasingly turning into a real jungle as the end of times intensifies. Should we be like the contentious denizens as many are apt to or should we not be as God commands all who love Him to speak the truth in all boldness but always with love.
Colors will no longer cloud our hearts nor that of our detractors when the light of Christ illuminates in all clarity through us the willing and purified lamp.
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Ephesians 4:25
The Apostle Stephen was stoned to death, and so were many of his fellow Apostles subjected to the wrath of the godless mobs. The days are upon us again when the same anti Christs are rising. The difference was that it used to be in the godless Communist regimes post World War 2. Today, it is in the supposedly free world of the West.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Romans 1:24
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections:for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
Romans 1:26-27
God blesses
Eng Hieang
28 June 2014
An afterthought - The world according to Google
Does the share price of Google justifies its stratospheric levels?
Yes if one were to measure it by the increasing dominance Google has upon cyberspace, and the wider world. The latter being an increasing reality as real life and virtual life are intertwined in a manner that makes the co enjoined Siamese twin Eng and Chang look like two distinct entity.
Google wants to make all our life easy. There is a deliberate shift of the eco system to the cloud, where in lieu of our surrendering personal control over our personal database, Big Brother Google will take care of the bolts and nuts. Big Brother will know and be able to control all your personal data.
Is it right and sensible to entrust everything to Google or for that matter, other competing Mother Ships like Amazon and Microsoft?
The American tech giants are not just killing off smaller potential competitors by buying them up, but are at the forefront of pushing their belief system, which is very much a worldly approach in the guise of equal rights.
Welcome to the new 'Church of Mammon.'
Dear...
This Saturday morning, it's about pink or white. Pink you take a walk to Hong Lim Park to show your support for the proponents of alternative lifestyle, white you wear on your person to make a stand for the traditional family nuclei.
Color is a powerful symbolic differentiator.
The Thais have their red vs yellow grouping depending upon political affiliation. Apartheid South Africa had its clear black and white race demarcation, though they did grant the then economically vibrant yellow Japanese honorary white status. The self righteous Americans had its clear color code( even in public transport) up to the civil rights movement of Martin Luther King, who amongst others fought for the discriminated blacks. And Australia was a Whites only country as far as immigration was concerned not too many years ago. And just to round off, the Christian Crusaders in their desire to stand up for their misguided stand for Christendom, were no less if not more cruel in their campaigns to wipe out the green hordes in the Middle East.
In truth, man being imperfect, we are all shades of grey!!
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27
I know the omnipresent God. Who am I to question His right to only create two categories of the human race. But in the "liberal" West, it is increasingly at great personal risk to adhere to this God ordained view. Quite a paradox that Western society ostensibly prided themselves on individuality, yet increasingly institutionalize recrimination against anyone who even dares to hold a view different from that of the same sex proponents(see article on ex Mozilla boss), which are in truth, just one segment albeit an overtly aggressive and organized segment of a pluralistic society.
( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26868536)
The term "discrimination," has now been equated to "not agreeing," and is being steadily morphed by its vocal and determined proponents to "not in support of."
Corporate America is on the forefront of discriminating( on the pretext of equal rights ) against anyone who holds a different perspective on what is a lifestyle that is different from their personal belief system.
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32
As a Christian, I cannot displease God, just to please man. But not agreeing does not mean I cannot show agape love to a fellow child(regardless of sexual orientation) of God.
We can pray for a realignment of their hearts, but more importantly, we must let God transform us, to let the truth of God's love be lived out upon our lives.
It's not how they live, but how we live out our faith.
Is not giving in to the tantrums of a child an act of child abuse? Every child needs loving discipline as part of his or her molding process.
But again, the very same liberals have removed the cane that is needed to correct a wayward child, yet happily letting gun toting youths run rampage terrorizing the community.
Is putting a serial molester in prison an impingement of his or her claimed inborn natural propensity to sodomise innocent victims? It was clearly not in the old value system of traditional society, but it is if one was to draw from the line of arguments of the LGBT proponents.
Or on seemingly mundane issues of unisex toilets in King's College London, simply because the sexually undecided feels that they are entitled to use both.
Truth is, what about those of us who are not inclined to share facilities with the opposite sex, not just for decorum but practical hygiene issues which places the fairer sex at a disadvantage?
and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
A lie becomes a truth when its proponent relentlessly propagate it. Today, the silent or rather self focussed majority is allowing themselves to be increasingly entrapped by the very determined and organized proponents of not just an alternative lifestyle, but an alternative world. A world that is more in line with that envisaged by the androgynous fallen angel, the devil.
Is this a fair statement? It is a personal view. Do I have to seek asylum in Russia to be able to express these personal thoughts to ensure that I do not get lynched by the marauding packs of same sex vigilantes?
Life is a paradox. In the supposedly liberal West, where free speech and individual rights are sacrosanct, it is increasingly obvious that this applies only to the once discriminated closet inhabitants. Like this famous quote from George Orwell's Animal Farm,
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
Indeed, the world is increasingly turning into a real jungle as the end of times intensifies. Should we be like the contentious denizens as many are apt to or should we not be as God commands all who love Him to speak the truth in all boldness but always with love.
Colors will no longer cloud our hearts nor that of our detractors when the light of Christ illuminates in all clarity through us the willing and purified lamp.
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Ephesians 4:25
The Apostle Stephen was stoned to death, and so were many of his fellow Apostles subjected to the wrath of the godless mobs. The days are upon us again when the same anti Christs are rising. The difference was that it used to be in the godless Communist regimes post World War 2. Today, it is in the supposedly free world of the West.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Romans 1:24
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections:for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
Romans 1:26-27
God blesses
Eng Hieang
28 June 2014
An afterthought - The world according to Google
Does the share price of Google justifies its stratospheric levels?
Yes if one were to measure it by the increasing dominance Google has upon cyberspace, and the wider world. The latter being an increasing reality as real life and virtual life are intertwined in a manner that makes the co enjoined Siamese twin Eng and Chang look like two distinct entity.
Google wants to make all our life easy. There is a deliberate shift of the eco system to the cloud, where in lieu of our surrendering personal control over our personal database, Big Brother Google will take care of the bolts and nuts. Big Brother will know and be able to control all your personal data.
Is it right and sensible to entrust everything to Google or for that matter, other competing Mother Ships like Amazon and Microsoft?
The American tech giants are not just killing off smaller potential competitors by buying them up, but are at the forefront of pushing their belief system, which is very much a worldly approach in the guise of equal rights.
Welcome to the new 'Church of Mammon.'
Monday, June 16, 2014
Lightness of being#45 Beneath the facade (1 June 2014)
Lightness of being #46 Beneath the facade (1 June 2014)
Dear....
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Timothy 3:16
And indeed every Word of God is prescient and precise for the Word is God.
If so, is the nonchalance that is prevalent in a world that in all reality should be drowning from her excessive borrowing, is it not an act of defiance of the warning from our Lord.
The rich rules over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
Proverbs 22:7
This morning, our good Lord impressed upon my heart, the need to remind all in Singapore, that in the midst of our material prosperity, that beneath the facade are structural faults that can easily keel over the upright ship of our own making.
This evening, I came across a CNBC article ( http://www.cnbc.com/id/101603154 ) which had an interesting observation.
In all economic crisis, the match that truly turn it into a true crisis is the preponderance of excessive debt.
And like the dried leaves in the Australian bush, the world is awashed in easy credit, and we are just waiting for the spark to light the match or in debt speak, rising interest rates
An incremental pop up in interest rates, that is likely. But a significant increase in interest rates, that is not plausible, for the biggest bubble blower of the world, the US Federal Reserve and her sidekicks in the developed world will not dare to stop pumping monetary oxygen into an endemic patient that is the Western economy. But is the world right in this thinking?
Man plans, but it is God Who directs. And through history, one will observe that all major crisis happens when the world choose to be oblivious to the obvious, leaving us caught with one's pants down.
God is a faithful God. He wants to save us from ourselves. He speaks to us all, but only the faithful will sense and obey His prompting.
God impressed upon my heart to deliver this warning on debt.
I have no idea as to when this debt bomb will blow up in one's face.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:and he will shew you things to come.
John 16:13
But like the return of Christ, most don't heed the call to be made ready for His return, because they figured they have tomorrow to do it.
It is possible that Christ might not return tomorrow.
But question is, your last breath might depart from you this next second , much as Christ has not returned.
Interest rate might not rise much tomorrow. But just imagine, if a geopolitical crisis develops in our backyard, and the perception of fortress Singapore as a safe haven crumbles overnight, your 60th storey apartment will still retain its height, and so will your mountain of debt, but the value of your prized asset will likely come down quite a few peg.
SARS was a reminder that the impossible is possible with God.
God will transfer His blessings from the disobedient to the faithful as end times intensifies. To give is to receive.
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones:to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
Daniel 4:17
God blesses
Eng Hieang
1 June 2014
An afterthought - Strange bedfellows (16 June 2014)
It's been a good two weeks since I first felt led to pen this deep impression our Lord left upon my heart. Events since then in Iraq has brought some strange realignments of relationships. The Great Satan America is chatting up the Iranians, head honcho for the Shiites, while the "terrorists" overrunning Iraq is in all probabilities getting support if not sympathies from their Sunni brethren.
Will the cauldron boil over and lead to a $200/barrel oil? That will put to rest the endemic recovery in the Western World, and put the spotlight on the hugh debt, leading to a loss of confidence and a significant rise in interest rates.
Till Christ returns, cycles will repeat itself, but as End Times intensifies, the next shaking will getting more intense, just as the evil in men deepens.
Will you turn to God now?
Dear....
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Timothy 3:16
And indeed every Word of God is prescient and precise for the Word is God.
If so, is the nonchalance that is prevalent in a world that in all reality should be drowning from her excessive borrowing, is it not an act of defiance of the warning from our Lord.
The rich rules over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
Proverbs 22:7
This morning, our good Lord impressed upon my heart, the need to remind all in Singapore, that in the midst of our material prosperity, that beneath the facade are structural faults that can easily keel over the upright ship of our own making.
This evening, I came across a CNBC article ( http://www.cnbc.com/id/101603154 ) which had an interesting observation.
In all economic crisis, the match that truly turn it into a true crisis is the preponderance of excessive debt.
And like the dried leaves in the Australian bush, the world is awashed in easy credit, and we are just waiting for the spark to light the match or in debt speak, rising interest rates
An incremental pop up in interest rates, that is likely. But a significant increase in interest rates, that is not plausible, for the biggest bubble blower of the world, the US Federal Reserve and her sidekicks in the developed world will not dare to stop pumping monetary oxygen into an endemic patient that is the Western economy. But is the world right in this thinking?
Man plans, but it is God Who directs. And through history, one will observe that all major crisis happens when the world choose to be oblivious to the obvious, leaving us caught with one's pants down.
God is a faithful God. He wants to save us from ourselves. He speaks to us all, but only the faithful will sense and obey His prompting.
God impressed upon my heart to deliver this warning on debt.
I have no idea as to when this debt bomb will blow up in one's face.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:and he will shew you things to come.
John 16:13
But like the return of Christ, most don't heed the call to be made ready for His return, because they figured they have tomorrow to do it.
It is possible that Christ might not return tomorrow.
But question is, your last breath might depart from you this next second , much as Christ has not returned.
Interest rate might not rise much tomorrow. But just imagine, if a geopolitical crisis develops in our backyard, and the perception of fortress Singapore as a safe haven crumbles overnight, your 60th storey apartment will still retain its height, and so will your mountain of debt, but the value of your prized asset will likely come down quite a few peg.
SARS was a reminder that the impossible is possible with God.
God will transfer His blessings from the disobedient to the faithful as end times intensifies. To give is to receive.
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones:to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
Daniel 4:17
God blesses
Eng Hieang
1 June 2014
An afterthought - Strange bedfellows (16 June 2014)
It's been a good two weeks since I first felt led to pen this deep impression our Lord left upon my heart. Events since then in Iraq has brought some strange realignments of relationships. The Great Satan America is chatting up the Iranians, head honcho for the Shiites, while the "terrorists" overrunning Iraq is in all probabilities getting support if not sympathies from their Sunni brethren.
Will the cauldron boil over and lead to a $200/barrel oil? That will put to rest the endemic recovery in the Western World, and put the spotlight on the hugh debt, leading to a loss of confidence and a significant rise in interest rates.
Till Christ returns, cycles will repeat itself, but as End Times intensifies, the next shaking will getting more intense, just as the evil in men deepens.
Will you turn to God now?
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Lightness of being #44 Walking on water (7 June 2014)
Lightness of being #44 Walking on water ( 7June 2014 )
Dear....
And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
1 Chronicle 21:1
God is faithful. He provides. But why do I often do a stocktake of His provisions just to reassure myself? Like King David, do I need to be rebuked by our Lord to realize and repent of my folly? It is God our Provider Who matters, and not His provisions.
It is good to be sick. Not mentally but rather physically. For it is in the midst of our bodily discomfort and weakened constitution, one's spirit tend to be by default stilled, and if we are willing, a rare opportunity to take time with our Lord during this period of convalescence.
And much as I am temporarily half deaf, from the air pressure lingering in my blocked nose, the enforced two days medical leave, from a weakened constitution from partaking albeit from a mere street away in the recent pre coup Bangkok protests, and followup two weeks later with a visit to the riot torn industrial site in Ho Chi Minh City, was a God given respite.
I am the vine, ye are the branches:He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:5
And I want to use this God granted down time to seek Him, to wait upon Him, to realign my will to His, and I know God will imbue in me the peace and joy, and empowerment to continue this present phase of my journey of faith, that He first called me to in Nov 2011.
And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
Matthew 14:29-30
I walked on water every day. Unlike many, I am well aware of the omnipresent God. But like many, I find it difficult to ignore the challenging elements in my midst, and sadly I often take my eyes off Christ. But He has never removed His hands from the sinking me.
Tomorrow? What should I be doing and what do I hope to be?
But it is today that God wants us to focus our all on.
What is the will of God for me now and how can I honor Him in my response?
The imperfect man looks for vestiges of certainty. The man of faith look to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. The man of faith is certain of what God has spoken to him on, much as the circumstances does not seem to concur.
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 8:3
Indeed, it is in the harsh climes of the desert, or the overwhelming storms of life that we begin to be cognizance of our limitations. It is also in the midst of our inadequacies that our hunger for the Word of God , for God Himself, takes on a decided more determined tone. And God much as He might not take us out of our circumstances, will walk with us and sustain us throughout.
And His Word not just sates us spiritually, but enables us to translate that into life giving sustenance, even as He transforms our very being
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it:cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Genesis 3:17
Adam, from the moment he ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge seek to be independent from God. And the yoke of sin continues to weigh on us all. But it need not be for God has forgiven us through the sacrifice of our lord Jesus Christ.
It is better to trust in the Lord
than to put confidence in man.
Psalms 118:8
God dependence. God must increase, and we decrease. This must now define our every living moment. It is indeed contrary to the ways of the world where most strived and strife to be masters of their own destiny, bringing much grief and angst upon themselves and others. Only to realize that it is fleeting and unfulfilling.
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning;
for in thee do I trust:
cause me to know the way wherein I should walk;
for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Psalms 143:8
God blesses
Eng Hieang
7 June 2014
An afterthought - Efficacy of the Word of God
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
John 15:7
Can we truly afford to take time with God when our circumstances is screaming at us for a response? Are followers of Christ evading the issues of life by hiding behind the literal "skirt" of God? The Bible says faith pleases God, but will it satisfy our needs?
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.
Scripture tells us that faith comes from hearing God. And hearing comes from the Word of God.
God indeed often speaks to us who seek Him through His Word. And He will affirm His call to us in ways that leave no doubt as to His will.
So in obedience we respond. But oft then not, matters don't seem to work out the way we thought it would. Should one hold on stubbornly to God's call in this trial of faith, or would it not be easier to just jump ship and forget about the "absent" God Who seems to have left us in the lurch?
And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water:and they ceased, and there was a calm.
Luke 8:24
'And he said unto them, Where is your faith? ....'
Luke 8:25
God's command to all is simple. Always to His presence and His Spirit will
- align our perception of issues to His perspective, for is not He Sovereign?
- cleanse our cluttered hearts to be ready to receive the fullness of His Spirit
- empower us to move boldly, yet humbly in victory
In all circumstances, God will always show us the wonders of His ways, that none can deny His glory and grace. This happens only when we let go and let Him every moment of our life. Letting go is not a mere mouthing of the words, but a willingness to be like Christ, to think of the interest of our neighbors and to love them in action.
We can put aside our needs, and serve others because we know God will provide, and He will.
The Bible tells us that Jesus came to give us life abundantly and to give us a purpose, a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 and John 10:10). It also says that Satan came to steal, kill and destroy our lives (John 10:10)
这一生最美的祝福就是能认识主耶稣
Do watch this video titled "The faith factor"
http://youtu.be/nmbaE8A84BM
Dear....
And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
1 Chronicle 21:1
God is faithful. He provides. But why do I often do a stocktake of His provisions just to reassure myself? Like King David, do I need to be rebuked by our Lord to realize and repent of my folly? It is God our Provider Who matters, and not His provisions.
It is good to be sick. Not mentally but rather physically. For it is in the midst of our bodily discomfort and weakened constitution, one's spirit tend to be by default stilled, and if we are willing, a rare opportunity to take time with our Lord during this period of convalescence.
And much as I am temporarily half deaf, from the air pressure lingering in my blocked nose, the enforced two days medical leave, from a weakened constitution from partaking albeit from a mere street away in the recent pre coup Bangkok protests, and followup two weeks later with a visit to the riot torn industrial site in Ho Chi Minh City, was a God given respite.
I am the vine, ye are the branches:He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:5
And I want to use this God granted down time to seek Him, to wait upon Him, to realign my will to His, and I know God will imbue in me the peace and joy, and empowerment to continue this present phase of my journey of faith, that He first called me to in Nov 2011.
And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
Matthew 14:29-30
I walked on water every day. Unlike many, I am well aware of the omnipresent God. But like many, I find it difficult to ignore the challenging elements in my midst, and sadly I often take my eyes off Christ. But He has never removed His hands from the sinking me.
Tomorrow? What should I be doing and what do I hope to be?
But it is today that God wants us to focus our all on.
What is the will of God for me now and how can I honor Him in my response?
The imperfect man looks for vestiges of certainty. The man of faith look to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. The man of faith is certain of what God has spoken to him on, much as the circumstances does not seem to concur.
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 8:3
Indeed, it is in the harsh climes of the desert, or the overwhelming storms of life that we begin to be cognizance of our limitations. It is also in the midst of our inadequacies that our hunger for the Word of God , for God Himself, takes on a decided more determined tone. And God much as He might not take us out of our circumstances, will walk with us and sustain us throughout.
And His Word not just sates us spiritually, but enables us to translate that into life giving sustenance, even as He transforms our very being
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it:cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Genesis 3:17
Adam, from the moment he ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge seek to be independent from God. And the yoke of sin continues to weigh on us all. But it need not be for God has forgiven us through the sacrifice of our lord Jesus Christ.
It is better to trust in the Lord
than to put confidence in man.
Psalms 118:8
God dependence. God must increase, and we decrease. This must now define our every living moment. It is indeed contrary to the ways of the world where most strived and strife to be masters of their own destiny, bringing much grief and angst upon themselves and others. Only to realize that it is fleeting and unfulfilling.
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning;
for in thee do I trust:
cause me to know the way wherein I should walk;
for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Psalms 143:8
God blesses
Eng Hieang
7 June 2014
An afterthought - Efficacy of the Word of God
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
John 15:7
Can we truly afford to take time with God when our circumstances is screaming at us for a response? Are followers of Christ evading the issues of life by hiding behind the literal "skirt" of God? The Bible says faith pleases God, but will it satisfy our needs?
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.
Scripture tells us that faith comes from hearing God. And hearing comes from the Word of God.
God indeed often speaks to us who seek Him through His Word. And He will affirm His call to us in ways that leave no doubt as to His will.
So in obedience we respond. But oft then not, matters don't seem to work out the way we thought it would. Should one hold on stubbornly to God's call in this trial of faith, or would it not be easier to just jump ship and forget about the "absent" God Who seems to have left us in the lurch?
And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water:and they ceased, and there was a calm.
Luke 8:24
'And he said unto them, Where is your faith? ....'
Luke 8:25
God's command to all is simple. Always to His presence and His Spirit will
- align our perception of issues to His perspective, for is not He Sovereign?
- cleanse our cluttered hearts to be ready to receive the fullness of His Spirit
- empower us to move boldly, yet humbly in victory
In all circumstances, God will always show us the wonders of His ways, that none can deny His glory and grace. This happens only when we let go and let Him every moment of our life. Letting go is not a mere mouthing of the words, but a willingness to be like Christ, to think of the interest of our neighbors and to love them in action.
We can put aside our needs, and serve others because we know God will provide, and He will.
The Bible tells us that Jesus came to give us life abundantly and to give us a purpose, a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 and John 10:10). It also says that Satan came to steal, kill and destroy our lives (John 10:10)
这一生最美的祝福就是能认识主耶稣
Do watch this video titled "The faith factor"
http://youtu.be/nmbaE8A84BM
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Lightness of Boeing #43 Meeting our Maker (31 May 2014)
Lightness of being#43 Meeting our Maker (31 May 2014)
Dear....
Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Matthew 16:28
Death is the sting of sin. If we believe and follow Christ, should death no longer be a scourge upon us? Indeed the Bible says some will not see death until Christ returns. But till then, for most of us, our bodily shell will eventually crumble and our God given spirit brought home. Question is, to be with God or to be in eternal damnation?
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
Matthew 16:26-27
Through the brevity of life, all of us will experience the loss of people around us, some from a distance, a few a hair's breath away. And for some, a personal near snuffing out of the flickering wick of life.
Jesus wept.
John 11:35
It has been a decade since I was intimately involved with a fellow human being going through the throes of death. Tears, that wellspring of an expression of emotional grief has become a stranger in the past decade. Christ wept for the deceased Lazarus, but Christ brought him back to life after that.
What about the people we loved? They remained dead cold. Why does Christ not bring them back to life now? Christ will, when He returns, but not into a fallen world, but rather into a new world where God and Christ will dwell in our midst.
靠主恩典，安全不怕 ，更引道我回家
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
A wonderful truth. A hope that all who believe can cling to, much as pain and grief will permeate our very being in this moment of loss.
And God understands our limits. And much as He allows the spirit of our loved ones to depart from their bodily shell, and much as we who believe know that this separation is temporary, God knows we need His assurances.
A decade ago, when half a dozen of my colleagues left this present world, the untimely deaths from heart attacks or cancer over eighteen months was an emotional drain for those who remained. Yet the grace of God was never far from us who seek Him, and He truly walked with us, grieved with us, and yet He brought us forth, both the deceased and the living to His realm.
Memories do fade with time. Searing the experiences might have been, but like a scar peppered over many times by the distractions of the delusions of Satan's world, it is easy to misplace life's priorities.
Will you be ready when your next breath could be your last?
"Signs of death." I took a quick look on the internet to refresh my observations from a decade back.
The bodily system begins to shut down, but one's spirit is still very much alive, waiting to leave the crumbled physical shell.
But will you
- or rather your spirit be ready to let go? Is there a multitude of unresolved issues that needed to be resolved?
We are all imperfect, living in a fallen world.
Yet, if we truly seek to let God be Sovereign in our lives, experience tells us that one will have a much lighter burden restraining our ability or willingness to leave the present realm. For God is love, and if love had permeated our life and relationships with others, our countenance will be carefree.
- be looking forward to meeting the parties waiting to greet your liberated spirit.
Christ says He has prepared rooms in His Father's mansion, and while I have not had the privilege of verifying this truth as yet. But as shared previously from those who had gone down that road albeit for a brief interlude, Christ is there for you if you know Him. But if you don't, then the denizens of Hades will be your dreadful soul mates.
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom:the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luke 16:22-23
God blesses
Eng Hieang
31 May 2014
An afterthought - Walking dead
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks:for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Life for most of us is like one long wake. Buffeted by the constant storms of life, we often carry the countenance of the grieved. Perking up only on the temporary respites which we want to believe is utopia.
"Onward the victorious Christian," a clarion call of a promised life of victory fashioned from the risen Christ. Yet why does it seem to ring hollow for most of us?
So he said to me, ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty.”
Zechariah 4:6
The power of God emanates most powerfully from a surrendered life. God dependence rather than self dependence. We will walk more purposefully the path that a God has already laid when we are willing to lean upon Him.
God is truly omnipresent and He knows our needs. Below are a couple of thoughts from (http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/tgif/) which He used to bless me with, even as He continues to renews my mind and transform my heart.
"Learning not to act until God shows you to act is a sign of maturity in God."
"What does God have to do in our lives to remove the controlling and manipulative nature that so often is part of a workplace believer’s life? Perhaps it will require a time of immobilizing, loss of a job, loss of income, loss of health, loss of a close relationship. These are His methods of preparation. Your new nature will not be complete until you’ve stopped striving with God through your own self-efforts. If God is taking you through this process, be encouraged; it is because of the inheritance He has prepared for you. However, the inheritance can only be received when God brings us to total dependence on Him."
"First, when God decides it is time to move you into a larger place of His calling, He has the ability to provide the resources you need to support the call. God gave Jacob a dream that resulted in a strategy never used before to build wealth. It was totally from God’s hand. It was creative and new. God called Jacob to move out after he had demonstrated his faithfulness in 20 years of serving Laban. He learned to live under authority and served Laban faithfully, even though he knew he was being taken advantage of."
Think about it. All of us struggle in varied degrees in our willingness to trust the "invisible" God. But when it is time for our spirit to leave our shell, is the choice to decide still yours? The deceased who preceded us will know, but will not be able to tell us.
And he said, Nay, father Abraham:but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Luke 16:30-31
Dear....
Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Matthew 16:28
Death is the sting of sin. If we believe and follow Christ, should death no longer be a scourge upon us? Indeed the Bible says some will not see death until Christ returns. But till then, for most of us, our bodily shell will eventually crumble and our God given spirit brought home. Question is, to be with God or to be in eternal damnation?
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
Matthew 16:26-27
Through the brevity of life, all of us will experience the loss of people around us, some from a distance, a few a hair's breath away. And for some, a personal near snuffing out of the flickering wick of life.
Jesus wept.
John 11:35
It has been a decade since I was intimately involved with a fellow human being going through the throes of death. Tears, that wellspring of an expression of emotional grief has become a stranger in the past decade. Christ wept for the deceased Lazarus, but Christ brought him back to life after that.
What about the people we loved? They remained dead cold. Why does Christ not bring them back to life now? Christ will, when He returns, but not into a fallen world, but rather into a new world where God and Christ will dwell in our midst.
靠主恩典，安全不怕 ，更引道我回家
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
A wonderful truth. A hope that all who believe can cling to, much as pain and grief will permeate our very being in this moment of loss.
And God understands our limits. And much as He allows the spirit of our loved ones to depart from their bodily shell, and much as we who believe know that this separation is temporary, God knows we need His assurances.
A decade ago, when half a dozen of my colleagues left this present world, the untimely deaths from heart attacks or cancer over eighteen months was an emotional drain for those who remained. Yet the grace of God was never far from us who seek Him, and He truly walked with us, grieved with us, and yet He brought us forth, both the deceased and the living to His realm.
Memories do fade with time. Searing the experiences might have been, but like a scar peppered over many times by the distractions of the delusions of Satan's world, it is easy to misplace life's priorities.
Will you be ready when your next breath could be your last?
"Signs of death." I took a quick look on the internet to refresh my observations from a decade back.
The bodily system begins to shut down, but one's spirit is still very much alive, waiting to leave the crumbled physical shell.
But will you
- or rather your spirit be ready to let go? Is there a multitude of unresolved issues that needed to be resolved?
We are all imperfect, living in a fallen world.
Yet, if we truly seek to let God be Sovereign in our lives, experience tells us that one will have a much lighter burden restraining our ability or willingness to leave the present realm. For God is love, and if love had permeated our life and relationships with others, our countenance will be carefree.
- be looking forward to meeting the parties waiting to greet your liberated spirit.
Christ says He has prepared rooms in His Father's mansion, and while I have not had the privilege of verifying this truth as yet. But as shared previously from those who had gone down that road albeit for a brief interlude, Christ is there for you if you know Him. But if you don't, then the denizens of Hades will be your dreadful soul mates.
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom:the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luke 16:22-23
God blesses
Eng Hieang
31 May 2014
An afterthought - Walking dead
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks:for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Life for most of us is like one long wake. Buffeted by the constant storms of life, we often carry the countenance of the grieved. Perking up only on the temporary respites which we want to believe is utopia.
"Onward the victorious Christian," a clarion call of a promised life of victory fashioned from the risen Christ. Yet why does it seem to ring hollow for most of us?
So he said to me, ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty.”
Zechariah 4:6
The power of God emanates most powerfully from a surrendered life. God dependence rather than self dependence. We will walk more purposefully the path that a God has already laid when we are willing to lean upon Him.
God is truly omnipresent and He knows our needs. Below are a couple of thoughts from (http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/tgif/) which He used to bless me with, even as He continues to renews my mind and transform my heart.
"Learning not to act until God shows you to act is a sign of maturity in God."
"What does God have to do in our lives to remove the controlling and manipulative nature that so often is part of a workplace believer’s life? Perhaps it will require a time of immobilizing, loss of a job, loss of income, loss of health, loss of a close relationship. These are His methods of preparation. Your new nature will not be complete until you’ve stopped striving with God through your own self-efforts. If God is taking you through this process, be encouraged; it is because of the inheritance He has prepared for you. However, the inheritance can only be received when God brings us to total dependence on Him."
"First, when God decides it is time to move you into a larger place of His calling, He has the ability to provide the resources you need to support the call. God gave Jacob a dream that resulted in a strategy never used before to build wealth. It was totally from God’s hand. It was creative and new. God called Jacob to move out after he had demonstrated his faithfulness in 20 years of serving Laban. He learned to live under authority and served Laban faithfully, even though he knew he was being taken advantage of."
Think about it. All of us struggle in varied degrees in our willingness to trust the "invisible" God. But when it is time for our spirit to leave our shell, is the choice to decide still yours? The deceased who preceded us will know, but will not be able to tell us.
And he said, Nay, father Abraham:but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Luke 16:30-31
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