Lightness of being#16 What is success? (31st Aug 2013)

Lightness of being #16 What is success? ( 31st Aug 2013)

Dear....

 Let not your heart be troubled:ye believe in God, believe also in me.

                     John 14:1

At age 18, I had believed that having a million bucks will be great. I even had a plan scrawled out to invest the utopic sum well, when I achieved it. . And that included buying gold at the now defunct OUB Bank branch in Queenstown.  My gold bug got nipped in the bud when the bank teller realized I was below the age of consent. Sadly with stagflation, gold went stratospheric a couple of years later in 1981.

At age 35, I will retire materially comfortable, that was the plan which I had after the end of my first day at work at age 24. I wasn't too enamored with my first taste of the stifling world of corporate life.

When the age 35 milestone was reached, I did not retire, but instead became a non salaried financial consultant. Still chasing after the elusive first million, but by the grace of God, His Spirit moved the focus of my heart at age 40, from loving mammon to seeking Him.

Are you still chasing after the elusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Did the leprechaun , those green attired, elf like men rumored to be hovering in the vicinity of the rainbow deprive you of your success? There are no leprechaun nor the proverbial pot of gold, but the rainbow is real, and it is a vivid remembrance of God's covenant(Genesis 9:13) with men, that after the great flood of Noah's time, He will never ever destroy the world by flood.

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant"

            Robert Louis Stevenson

Much as my heart is very much focused on serving our Lord. I often measure the success of the ministries that He has placed me in by the scales of the world. If it is a Christian gathering, how many will turn up? If it is leading worship, did my voice resonate better than Kermit the frog? And what about prayer requests? Does the genie in Aladdin's lamp provide a better hit rate than our Lord?

This past one year, my desire to draw solace, strength and direction from our Sovereign Lord has never been greater. How true the Bible alludes to the fact that we seek and see God better in the darkness  of our life, than in the illuminating delusions of our prideful moments. We thirst more greatly for His presence in the desert of our lives.

I am always thankful that the Holy Spirit awakes me an hour before it is time to start the new day. I need and value the one hour of commiseration with our Lord, for His grace is indeed suffice for the challenges of the day ahead.

This morning, I drew comfort that much as success at work, as the world defines it is still not within my full grasps, it is indeed by the grace of God that we have indeed come far, given the unique challenges, and the vision to be in the world but not of the world.

And even more importantly, as a ministry, much sowing and seeding has been done in obedience this past one year, even if one has not seen the harvests.

What matters to us finite man is conclusions, what God desires from us is obedience.

Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

               John 13:38

Like Peter, I have often professed my faith in Christ, but in reality often struggle when my circumstances become too burdensome. Peter denied Christ to "save his own skin."

I often deny the Sovereignty of God when circumstances causes me to think about "saving" myself, much as I know the biblical truth that it is in submitting to God, then can I overcome.

But the record of the cowed Peter is more than just about our limitations. It is about the Sovereignty of God, and the paths He has already laid. God corrects, yet He assures.

This morning, after my privilege 60 minutes with Him, I turned on my Iphone, and the first message that jumped at me was this quote from Robert Louis Stevenson

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant"

What greater assurance and sustenance can one have than our great God speaking to us, the very thoughts in our hearts. And I am sure for those of us who know our Lord, He is indeed omnipresent.

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

                    Psalms 31:24

What constitutes success? 

"Obviously everyone wants to be successful, but I want to be looked back on as being very innovative, very trusted and ethical and ultimately making a big difference in the world."

           Sergei Brin, co founder of Google

The world uses the delusory benchmark of the devil, who tried to tempt Jesus with worldly desires, that brings temporary joy, but permanent pain.

I realize only today who Sergei was when I happened to read the headline news on his love rectangle, resulting in a split from his wife. Can the imperfect man take on the role of God? Google and her founders are trying, but the follies of man is independent of one's abilities or station in life. 

God looks for our obedience. Like the hymn goes, "lead me Lord, lead me in Thy righteousness."  Indeed "SUCCESS" in the eyes of God is measured by how willing is our heart to follow the leading of the Spirit of God residing in us? It is about obedience, not conclusion. To the naysayers, this attitude of submission is taken to be an excuse for one's deficiency. It is true. But true because as finite man, we recognize our limitations, and more importantly, as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, we acknowledge that God is Sovereign, and is it not wise then, in the language of our secular mates, to "hang out" with the right crowd or in this case, with the "right God?"

For God will provide.

Let me conclude with this quote my Linkelin contact Megumi Oyanagi posted

''What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.'' ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

I am not sure if Ralph was a Christian, but is it not true that what matters is as believers, the Spirit of God resides in our hearts. And if we are willing to let go and let God, than nothing in this world can stop us from the sanctifying love and empowering grace of our Sovereign God. For God is what truly matters, for victory has already been won on the cross.

Every new day that God bless us with, will we be willing to let His Spirit empower us to be holy, for He is holy?

God blesses

Eng Hieang

31st Aug 2013

An afterthought - Being an overcomer

God works in interesting ways. He brought me to view for the third time this 30 mins lesson by the late David Collins on "walking as an overcomer."

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtmBk4gEtmY&list=FLuHfo7CXj0gXE0852VtxOIg)

David shared about Apostle Paul, how God called him to Asia Minor to share the gospel, yet seemingly all doors were closed. And when God opened a door to Troas for Paul, he had to endure troubles and persecution.  

And Paul never shrunk back nor did he lament God for the less than perfect circumstances.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

                     Revelation 12:11

For Paul

- acknowledge the victory of the cross and the power of the blood of Christ

- allowed himself to be a living testimony by living a life that is transformed by the Spirit of God through the crucible of fire 

- continued to move boldly forth, for nothing can hold him back from the love of God

And in obedience, God blessed Paul with great success in his ministry, His way.

And the same will apply to all of us who have answered His call. Thanks be to our great God for His enlightenment and assurance.

Lightness of being #15 Yield (28th Aug 2013)

Lightness of being #15 Yield ( 28th Aug 2013)

Dear..

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

                 James 4:7-8

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

                 James 4:10

James 4:7-8 is a favorite working verse for me. It is a verse that encourages us to be counter culture or more correctly, counter carnal. The fallen us processes decisions and reactions by its impact on our self interest. To be able to be like Christ, to move from self to selfless, we must consciously in all circumstances, turn to God and learn to look from His perspective. Our Spirit man must come to the fore, the carnal natural man recede into oblivion. The willingness to submit to God can only come from a daily walk that seeks after Him always. The attitude of letting go and letting God has to be nurtured, it is unnatural to us, the seed of the fallen first man, Adam.

"Hold tightly what is eternal; hold lightly what is temporal."

( from "Recipe for success," RBC Ministries)

Often, we come to our Lord in prayers and supplication, expecting Him to answer our prayers. But have we subconsciously taken on the role of master to our Divine God, giving Him our specifications, rather than taking time to be still, to know His will?

God will lift us up His way, not ours.

Lately, the hint of a rerun of the Asian crisis of the 1990s is starting to dawn on many. Christine Lagarde, the Chief of IMF just yesterday spoke about the need for the world to be ready for this possibility. Is she relishing a reprise of the highhanded role IMF played in the last Asian crisis, but maybe with her arms crossed hovering next to a subdued China President Xi Jin Ping, instead of her predecessor Michel Camdessus with the late Indonesian President Suharto?( http://ipezone.blogspot.sg/2007/09/flashback-camdessus-suharto-pic.html)

The still very feisty ex Malaysian PM, Dr Mahathir will have another field day hoisting his theory of a Western conspiracy to undermine the resurgent Asians, who looked set to replace the morally corrupt, debt addicted West.

Liquidity, as in wads of cheap monies from Uncle Sam's printing machine gone amok, has started to reverse course. Will the hollowing out of easy monies that fueled the Asian property mania, leave a strewn of debt ridden individuals in its wake. The Asian crisis of the 1990s was a corporate led debt binge, when many borrowed cheap US dollars to fund their megalomaniac aspirations. This nascent mini Asian crisis is inclined more towards the individual level, where many after the subprime crisis, fled to the perceived safety of brick and mortar, after the tumultuous and torrid affair with purveyors of financial alchemy and their toxic wares.

Yield, a financial term that will soon be the catch word for many who were once enamored with its lows, but now have every reason to dread its rise. The yield on the US ten years long bond has moved up from 1.8% to 2.8%. It is starting to hurt mortgages in the States, and it will begin to hurt the rest of us in Asia and the the world, when local interest rates move up in tandem. How long can governments push back the stampeding fleeing droves of foreign funds and even domestic savers from bolting? How much more will the Central Banks deplete their foreign reserves in the futile attempt to defend their currencies from speculative attacks? 

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

                    Matthew 4:8-9

Moving from finance to spiritual matters, the word "yield" is an act of submission.

In financial parlance, the term yield to maturity (YTM) means the annual return on a compounded basis that one receives per annum, if one holds a bond to its maturity.

Yield to mammon (ytm), is this not what many of us are subject to till the day we breathe our last?

Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

                       Psalms 31:5

Yield to call (YTC), the annualized return till the day the issuer of the bond decides to call back the IOU, and redeem his debt.

Yield to Christ (ytc), will you submit when Christ calls?

'.....saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me:nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

                       Luke 22:42

To be a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must be willing to be disciplined.

I used to think that disciplining is a response from God to our ill behavior. But it is much broader. God will discipline us even when we think we are doing right in His eyes. For fact is, we are continuously being perfected. Understand this truth, then can we not just persevere but move forth boldly riding on the power of the Spirit of God residing in our hearts.

God blesses

Eng Hieang

28 Aug 2013

Apocalypse again??

' The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city,

and it shall be a ruinous heap.'

                 Isaiah 17:1

End of the world only God knows. But for the many asset rich, cash poor heavily indebted individuals, the days of being weaned off a diet of low interest rates is near.

Western intervention in Syria looks inevitable. And history has shown that it will lead to an inflammation of Arab resentment which eventually will be directed to their half brother, the Israelites. Natural shale gas there might be aplenty, but an energy crisis from a Middle East conflagration might be what is needed to kickstart the necessary infrastructure development to put natural gas in the forefront of US energy security.

The Americans have every reason for starting a Mid East war. But in playing with fire, they could literally light the match that will ignite the piles of paper monies awashed in the world. There has been a precedence, in the last stagflation of the late 1970s/ early 1980s, where the world also witnessed the last major Arab Israel conflict back in 1978.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.

                           Ezekiel 23:35

Would a major downturn in our property market when interest rates moved up significantly be what is needed to turn many back to God??

Lightness of being #14 Saved ?? (22nd Aug 2013)

Dear...

'Let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience:and having our body washed with pure water,
                Hebrews 10:22

Salvation is a gift from God. God through the sacrifice of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, has forgiven us, the seeds of the sinful first man, Adam.
But a gift must be accepted to take effect, and in Christian parlance, that means
- a belief in  the saving grace of Christ our Lord by His sacrifice on the cross

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
                    Acts 2:37

- a repentance of our sins. For we are all sinners, for our lives were aligned to the sinful world rather than the till now hitherto unknown God.

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
                    Acts 2:38

But being a white slate upon acceptance is not the end all. Following through from salvation, is the need for sanctification, to be transformed unto Christ likeness. To be restored to the way God has made us, in His likeness, before the sin of Adam led to our being deformed.

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
                  Colossians 3:9-10

Hebrews 10:26-27 below begets this oft quoted question "once saved, always saved?"
That is, can one lose the salvation accepted when one first believed?

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
                    Hebrews 10:26-27

Rather than compound the angst and add to the confusion that have  plagued many theologians on both side of this great divide, by the grace of God, may the following thoughts that I have harnessed from walking with our Lord, be truly His.

A "step back" question I will like to ask before making an attempt at the main contention on losing the previously accepted salvation is this
"What counts as legitimate belief and repentance, that will ensure that you did truly received the gift of salvation?"

But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
                  Romans 2:29

At age 15, my sister brought my siblings and I to a house church, held in one of the corner terrace houses in Thomson Rd. I vaguely remember the gifts they gave attendees during Christmas. This was the mid 1970s, where most were struggling with basic needs, and Western buffets at $10/head  at the Hilton was a  treat, and Christmas gifts did bring a sense of awe and thrill, unlike our children today where surfeit has numbed their senses.
If knowing about God and Jesus Christ makes one a Christian, then I guess I was a Christian since then.
But did I say the sinner's prayer? I am not sure but I must have at the rudimentary stages at or near age 15, for the well meaning believers who have taken on the task of converting us heathens would have ensured that, for mouthing the sinner's prayer is often promoted as the passport to Heaven.
But truth is in my life as a quasi Christian from age 15 to 36 - God, Christ and the Church were a small  part of my landscape and in fleeting moments.
But at age 37,  I did get myself baptized. Albeit for the wrong reason, and notwithstanding that it was a mere sprinkling of the water, rather than full bodily immersion in the pool.
At least I think my head is Christian but not sure about the rest of the body, as some purists are adamant that full bodied immersion is the only correct way to being cleansed to qualify as a baptized Christian. But matters not, for I was still living a worldly life as as part time Christian.

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

My spiritual life truly started at age 40. That was when I experienced the infilling of the Spirit of God upon my very being at 4am in Bangkok. My spirit was in communion with our Lord, and the indescribable joy and peace, is etched in my very being in perpetuity. By His grace, I was moved from tentative believer to a determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. How apt God lifted me up in a place where is located one of the most "revered shrines - the Erawan Wat where many from outside Thailand, make pilgrimages to in their quests for fulfillment of their worldly desires.
I was sure of my faith. And the word God gave me was "stop questioning and start following." My days as a quasi Christian was truly over.

The question then is, was it at age 15 when I first mouthed my belief, much as my heart was miles away,  that I had safely crossed the border into salvation land?
Or was it at age 37 when my undergoing the ritual of baptism symbolized powerfully my old carnal self being put to rest, and my spirit man moving forth?
Or was it at age 40 when by His grace, my heart was convicted by the Holy Spirit, and I moved from believer to follower?

Only God knows, and we will find the answer to our meandering come Judgement Day.

And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,
                    Ezra 9:10

And this nonchalance seems to permeate amongst a sizable portion of people who brand themselves Christians. Many carry "Christianity" like a badge that complements the persona that they hope to project to the outside world. Not realizing nor bothering with the fact that we are commanded to live out our faith, not wear it like an accessory. And God knows our hearts and He is the One we must account to, and not the world.

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
                    Hebrews 10:26-27

And for some, the misconception that the unmerited favor of God gives them the license to sin wantonly is a more extreme example of sheep gone not just astray, but amok.
The marketing spill that God's grace is blind to our misdemeanors is a rework and audacious broadening of the old misconceived adage that we can sin from Mon to Sat, and God will wipe our tarnished slate come Sunday, if we go for confession.

God knows our heart. Salvation we cannot work for but we must work on.

Eternity in Heaven, that can be yours  even at your last breath, till Christ returns.
But truth is, if your hearts were never with God, when Hades come a calling to take you to eternal damnation, will you not be clinging on to things that were closest to your hearts rather than the unknown Christ? And on this, much as we cannot convert anyone to the faith, giving them knowledge of the saving grace of Christ will breed a familiarity that a desperate soul on the verge of entering Hades, might just call on to escape the clutches of the evil one

And much as eternity in Heaven with God our Father is something to savor.
In being willing and determined to follow Christ, we will experience Heaven on Earth.
Joy and peace, that is what God promises to all who trust and obey.
An El Dorado that can be attainable if we follow Christ with our all.

God blesses

Eng Hieang
21st  Aug 2013

Lightness of being #13 Revival - Just one touch from the King (15th Aug 2013)

Dear...

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
                 Psalms 51:10

The past one year since I stepped out of my comfort zone, to embark on my new ministry at work, it has been a struggle for me. I find it difficult to give the same rapt attention in my daily quiet time with our Lord. In taking a year's break from my Online Bible course of the past 8 years, I tried to refresh my spiritual palate with reading different Books of the Bible.  If success is measured by the preponderance to doze off, I would have gotten top marks.
Thankfully, this phase of incongruence is over. Two nights back, I picked up on my Online Bible course from where I left off, and did feel a tinge of reinvigoration yesterday.
And a strange thing happened to me the same evening. The Spirit of God impressed upon my heart to search out the topic of revival in the Western  world. And to my surprise, I came across this article on the ongoing revival in Wales, in the Victory Church in Cwmbran, Wales, which started in April 2013.

http://daibach-welldigger.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/outpouring-in-cwmbran-2013.html

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
                     Psalms 51:2

The Spirit of God is moving in Wales. I also came across a documentary on what is happening in Wales. And much as I could not wait to watch this video, I felt prompted to take a shower first, and this was almost midnight. A symbolic cleansing, much as the Holy Spirit is cleansing many souls in Wales.
As one Pastor in the documentary below commented, the presence of God is so palpable and many have flocked to the Church to experience His healing.

http://www.victorychurch.co.uk/watch-the-welsh-outpouring-documentary

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
                      Matthew 19:23-24

What about Singapore. Will we see a revival as well? It has been some time since the Clock Tower revival in ACS Barker in 1972( ,http://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/656) where some of those who were touched went on to become Pastors. What about the rest? What about the present state of the Christian faith in Singapore?
Have we become like the Christians in Laodicea, materially wealthy but poor in the spirit?
But yet in this desert, God is laying the ground for revival, with prayer meetings growing both in and out of church. With more men coming to the faith, and the youth spiritually more attuned.

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot:I would thou wert cold or hot.
                             Revelation 3:15

Would we not need the Divine touch of God to lift the hovering oppression upon the lives of many in Singapore, and to reinvigorate the Christian community, for Asia is waiting for us to fulfill God's call to us to be the Antioch of the East?

Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful:for he had great possessions.
                     Matthew 19:21-22

Revival comes when we not only desire it but is willing to let the Spirit of God transform us. God draws near when we draw near to Him. Are we determined to be holy for God is holy?

They then that received his word were baptized:and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls.
                      Acts 2:41

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
                      Acts 2:38

God will remove the blockages that hinder our "sight" of Him. There should only be one C in our hearts - Christ. Would it be better for us to willingly remove the idols in our lives be it Car, Club, Condo, Career, Cash and Children, or it be removed from us?
The year 2014 would be a time where many could find themselves entering a new low, where material riches dissipates, and the delusion of well being it provided is blown away to reveal a spiritual bankruptcy.  Revival is most impactful when hope that rest upon the finite world is proven to be on soft sands, and only Christ can be our Rock.

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
                        Matthew 27:52-54

God blesses

Eng Hieang
15th  Aug 2013

An afterthought.

And fear came upon every soul:and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
                      Acts 2:43

Imagine being used by our Lord to be the vessel upon which the power of the Gospel moves forth. For you to be anointed to shepherd the sheep from the coming harvest.
But will it be for the glory of God or for self? A question that is not just applicable to the "famous and charismatic" pastors of the mega church, but to all who profess to live the faith.
"It takes spiritual strength to renounce intoxicating fame and power."(from Aug issue of Trumpet, Trinity Theological College).
Pride is the undesirable fiend that is unfortunately never far from me.
Today, our good Lord stripped away my thin veneer of professed humility to reveal the insidious layer of pride that is still very alive in my imperfect self.
God will use us powerfully when He knows we are no longer susceptible to the intoxicating influence of power and fame.

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
                      Revelation 3:18

I thank our Lord for putting me through the refiner's fire oft enough. For when He brings about the increase with His one touch, a multitude will come to the faith, but salvation is just the beginning. Transformation unto Christlikeness is the road of sanctification the believer will have to take. And will you be willing to be make ready so our Lord can use you to shepherd His flock?

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
                    Psalms 51:12-13




Sent from my iPad

Lightness of being #12 Longing (9th Aug 2013)

Lightness of being #12 Longing (9th Aug 2013)

Dear....

And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while:for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

                      Mark 6:30-31

At possibly the final session of our Merrill alumni office lunchtime worship to be held at The Arcade,  a dear brother shared a word from our Lord for me. "I was like the busy ant since I started my new job cum ministry these past ten months." Indeed God provides and like the apostles in Mark 6:30-31 above, I have been blessed to cover great grounds in living and sharing the gospel. The word for me was the need to rest, consolidate and abide in our Lord.

And how true it is for I do feel exhausted these past couple of days. Thank God for the super long weekend.

On the way home this evening, I received my regular dosage of God breathed wisdom from the writings of a dear brother, Soo Inn.  Like the good things in life, we only appreciate them when they are no longer readily available. I now realized the lapse in communication from Soo Inn was due to his taking a vacation, a Sabbath as he describes it.

God is always prescient, and this latest thought provoking piece from Soo Inn addresses this issue of 'what Sabbath meant." Do read the attached for it is not just meaningful but helps, at least for me, to recalibrate my focus back to our Lord.

http://graceworks.com.sg/category/articles/

 Here are some snippets -

"Rest, remember and reconnect," these are the three key "Rs" when we go on Sabbath.

To rest to allow a recharge of our physical body, and refresh our spirit in the Lord.

To remember Who God is, His love for us and His omnipresence. Then can our hearts be thankful and and grounded in all circumstances.

To reconnect with the ever faithful God. For Christ is the source of all comfort and strength.

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

                     John 14:9

It is easy to lose sight of Christ, in the busyness of our daily living. And much as it may surprise some, it is also easy to lose sight of Christ even when we are in the midst of doing His work. It is not about working for God, but it is about abiding in Him.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

                   Matthew 22:37-38

Blaise Pascal, the 17th century French mathematician and philosopher , said that there is a God shaped vacuum in every human heart. Deep within us is a restless desire to know the One Who made us. We want to discover the purpose He has for our existence in His vast universe.( ( Seeking Life's purpose, RBC ministries)

To quench our innate restless spirit, we must rest in our Lord. To be still and know He is God. Restedness, not restlessness.

"Longing," this was the topic our good Lord has placed in my heart this past week.

I stalled on this sharing the past one week, till this evening. How can I expound on the leading of the Holy Spirit on opening our hearts to seek after God when my heart in itself was miles away from our Lord?

"Live today as if you will stand before God tomorrow."

(from "Seeking life's purpose," Rbc ministries)

A clarion call? Or a simple truth that we are as good as our last breath. A perspective that we who believe and know that beyond  mortal death lies eternal damnation or bliss, must be very mindful of.

To be transformed unto Christlikeness, to be made ready for His return, that must be the all encompassing focus of the life of a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How does one do that? Like the rich young man(Matthew 19:21-22) who asked Christ the same question.

It is about total submission to our Lord. A longing to obey and follow Christ to be prepared for eternity, that must transcend our innate self to strife for the temporal. For life does not end with mortal death, but rather it begins.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

               1 Peter 5:6-7

I scan the obituary pages daily. It is not that I have macabre taste but it is always interesting to try to fathom from the few words penned, the life the now departed might have led. Was it a life lived that seek God or  one that skipped Him?

Over the weekend, I spotted a familiar name much as the relationship has been in the back burner for close to two decades. There were traces of familiarity in the picture used in the obituary, but time does make vague once vivid memories. Still, there was a tinge of regret. Should I have make a greater effort to keep alive the flames of relationship, much as it was always more about business than personal? There could have been one more soul Whom God might have wanted me to point to Christ.

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

                    Psalms 14:1

God is omnipresent. You will know if you only just be willing to pay attention.

But you will know the existence of God as well as the devil when you breathe your last.

But by then it is no longer a question of who you long for, but rather who do you now belong to, for eternity??

In my Father's house are many mansions:if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

                    John 14:2

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

                   Revelation 20:10

God blesses

Eng Hieang

9 Aug 2013