Lightness of being #20 Our amazing journey (28th Sep 2013)
Dear....
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Ephesians 4:17-18
I have this palpable desire to testify to the amazing journey that God has set for me, that by His grace, I have from tentative steps, progressed to bold strides as His Spirit leads.
It is a journey where coincidences is the norm, where the prescience of His unseen yet very visible hands are always at play, where joy and peace, regardless of our circumstances, is our daily manna from Our Lord, and thankfulness is our responsive offering to our Sovereign God. And it is my prayer that many more of you will embark on this amazing journey that our good Lord has already laid for us. For you will be awed by His ways, that we never imagine could be possible or for that matter, with our finite understanding, could never have fathomed.
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24
Most of us love to savor the thrill of a new purchase. But such happiness are temporal at best. God also made a purchase. He bought our freedom from the tentacles of Satan through the risen Christ. Now that we are freed, will you be willing to embark on the journey of transformation unto Christlikeness that God desires for all?
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Isaiah 40:3-5
In the context of the natural world, a physical transformation could involve a stricter dietary regime, quite a few trips to the gym( or the aesthetic doctor for many), a good hairstylist and change to a sharper wardrobe. But that is just the outward appearance. Eliza Doolittle of "My fair lady," went a little further, with deportment classes and language training to turn from what was a working class cockney to a dainty lady of nobility.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
God looks at our heart. A heart that seeks after Him. A heart that wants to please Him. A thankful heart that wants to respond to His grace and love. A heart that will learn to be still and discern His will, and be willing to do His will. Trust and obey and like Alice in Wonderland, you will find yourself transported to a new dimension of experience. But for Alice, it turned out to be a dream. For the followers of Christ, it is no fantasy, but rather, the foretaste of what Heaven will be, for the Spirit of God resides in us, the temple of God, till Christ returns .
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Ephesians 5:2
God is love, and we will experience His edifying presence when we love Him and translate that love into loving our neighbors. This afternoon, I walked pass an old lady with a sad looking bag full of packets of tissue paper. She was sitting on the sidewalk, chewing a piece of bread. Not just a simple but very small lunch, way past lunch hour. Cynicism is a trait that stops many from showing love to the destitute. Compassion has no room for a judgmental heart, for unqualified love for others is our response to God's love for us.
And God will always make a 'wrong' right if our hearts wants to be right with Him.
And this old lady did not take my giving as a gift of love. Without hesitation, she wanted to give me change for what she thought was a purchase of a packet of tissue.
At that moment, I could truly understand God's love for me and the joy it must have brought Him when we respond with a thankful heart, for I could see the gratitude in her eyes.
'...as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, And every mountain and hill shall be brought low; And the crooked shall become straight, And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Luke 3:4-6
John the Baptist spent time in the desert, seemingly in solitude, but in truth with God.
God used him to speak boldly the truth, and though he lost his head, his heart never wavered.
Are you at this stage of your life, in the midst of what seems to be a searing desert?
You long for Christ the spring of life to sate your thirst. But frustratingly, the conclusions you hoped for turn out to be mere mirages.
But is this drab life of misery you are now going through as dreary as it seems?
But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Deuteronomy 4:29
God is omnipresent. In fact, His Spirit is in our very residence. Your life is encapsulated by the dark forces of Satan, because you are seeking the treasures the devil proffers.
The light of our Lord will shine forth from our hearts, if we are willing to turn to Him, now and every moment of the days He gives us.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord:and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations...'
Jeremiah 29:13-14
God blesses
Eng Hieang
28 Sep 2013
An afterthought - gems on the road
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luke 6:46
Loving others must be from an attitude of obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
It must never be with an expectation of a reward from God, for God has already provided, and He will continue to provide but at His timing, His way. And in the act of giving, we must be on guard against condescending pride which can and will creep unto our hearts.
The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
Proverbs 15:29
Trust and obedience, that is what God desires from us. Faith comes from Him in response to our being willing to follow as His Spirit leads. Time in His Words enable us to stay on course. Prayers empowers us to sustain and stay the course. A thankful heart encourages and emboldens us to look past the next hurdle. And heartfelt praise for our Sovereign God will lift us beyond the grasp of the devil who seeks to keep us mired in fear.
And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
Exodus 3:11
Lets not be like the Moses who was afraid to answer God's call.
But we can be like the Moses who was emboldened to obey and as a result, was used by God for the world to witness His glory and Sovereignty.
For there will be many more Red Seas God will bring us through.
'And God said, "I will be with you...'
Exodus 3:12
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Lightness of being #19 Land of the Risen Son (23 Sep 2013)
Dear.....
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
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? 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 10:13-15
As the End of times intensifies, one is reminded of God's promise that Christ will not return till the gospel of salvation is preached to all. I used to think those most unreached would be
in the impoverished remote far corners of the world, where physical accessibility denied many the opportunity to know the gospel. The fall of the Iron Curtain, and China's embracement of capitalism while still keeping its communist core have also removed major barriers to evangelism.
But the biggest hurdle to the spread of the gospel have been the hearts of the potential recipients. This is the experience globally, but none is as collectively shuttered as the peoples of Continental Europe, Thailand and Japan.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17
Back in the lows of the subprime crisis in April 2009, our good Lord put in my heart the call to minister to 3 nations - Thailand, China and Japan.
Thailand is where I spent the best part of the past 15 years building relationships based on trust. It is also where our Lord fully lifted the veil in my heart. But tried as I might this past one year, Thailand is a door that is temporarily closed off for me.
What about China? I am always encouraged and attracted by the work done by the Antioch Mission in China. But the season has not come and I continue to seek a breakthrough in my Mandarin proficiency in the meanwhile.
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.
Proverbs 16:9
Japan, "the Land of the Rising Sun," is where our good Lord is bringing me to. The past years of dabbling in collecting Japanese art has given me an appreciation of an aspect of their culture that the average Watanabe are not familiar with. Prayerfully, the two art books I published will eventually be translated into Japanese to feed the growing hunger for the Word of God amongst the growing indigenous Christian community.
Nagasaki, on the western coast of Kyushu, was unfortunate to be bombed because the other chosen site was visibly blocked by the clouds. Before the atomic bomb, Nagasaki was also known as the gateway for the spread of Christianity in Japan, which flourished to include at one point 10% of the population. This was subsequently stifled but never snuffed out over 200 years, with persecution and cruxification of Christians by the governments of that day. "Hidden Christians," this was used to describe Japanese Christians who ostensibly renounced their faith to avoid persecution, but in actual fact worship Christ whose image were hidden behind the facade of Buddhist figurines.
Japan is a society that was an economic miracle, rising from the ashes of defeat in the aftermath of World War 2. The Americans needed to repress the "samurai" spirit that underlined the officer class of the Japanese Imperial Army, to ensure that such forces will never again be unleashed upon the world.
Today, with the Abe government, we are witnessing the reawakening of this very potent evil spirit, no doubt unwittingly aided by an unforgiving China who continues to harangue the till now docile Japanese. And the Obama Administration in their attempt to encircle China, is feeding this rising nationalism in Japan, for the United States holds the key to the pandora box.
God wants all to know about the good news of the gospel. Japan and Thailand are both very hard grounds for sowing the Word. Christianity in Thailand has traditionally been confined to the minority tribes straddling the notorious Golden Triangle. But I know that there has been a unprecedented tremendous growth down in Bangkok these past few years.
What about Japan? In this past one year since our Lord put in my heart( in Nov 2012) to start the process, of the call He gave me back in April 2009. I have come to know of and met by His Divine arrangement, like minded Singaporeans who have been led to Japan, to pray, to minister and to build the infrastructure for the coming harvest.
Japan, "the Land of the Rising Sun, " is reviving economically after more than 20 years in limbo. On the spiritual level, much as evil tries to reprise its role as in the past, I believe God is finally lifting the long oppressed nation out her spiritual bondage.
The people of Japan will witness the the love of Christ, the risen Son of God emanate forth.
As Christians in the Antioch of the East, is this not what God has prepared us for?
But not just Japan, but possibly the other major closed off market, North Korea, where the strong Christian faith were made stronger despite the determined attempts of their then Japanese rulers( in the 1930s) to repress. And when the yoke of the Japanese upon them were finally removed after WW2, instead of freedom, it was replaced by the present communist regime of North Korea today. Yet the seeds of the Christian faith were never eradicated, for many fled down South to turn South Korea into a great evangelical nation today. And even in North Korea, I believe the seeds of Christianity were repressed but never eradicated, but lying low, just waiting for God's timing to sprout forth.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
Psalms 37:23
Masayoshi Son, the billionaire Japanese of Korean descent made his wealth through his company, SoftBank during the internet boom. The next boom in Japan could be more grounded upon brick and mortar. Like many of the world who aspires to be rich, are we chasing the next delusory dream. But as people anointed by our Lord, we should be chasing after the salvation of souls that God is bringing about an increase in.
Japan is just an example. Where is God leading you to? Be still and know His will.
And be blessed to partake in the joy of being the lamp upon which His light shines forth.
For He has raised us up for a time like this.
God blesses
Eng Hieang
An afterthought - You raised me up
For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
John 20:9
"You raised me up." ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en-GB&gl=SG&v=Z5rMi2jKqkY) is a worship song that is stirring. It is a praise of affirmation, of God's grace and empowerment, to bring us to more than what we can be.
It is why the Christian life if lived in obedience is a walk of victory, for within us, resides the Spirit of our Sovereign God.
God brought me to this song twice over this past week. Why?
Increasingly, many in the world will hear about the risen Christ. But buy in will come only when they witness the power of the gospel lived through us, in all circumstances.
But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
Philippians 1:12
So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Philippians 1:13-14
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:20-21
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Lightness of being #18 Send me, Lord (14th Sep 2013)
Dear....
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
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? 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 10:13-15
Peeling onions with my son two evenings back was not a call from our Lord, but a chore from the wife. It has been a while since I have made my acquaintance with this simple yet teary task.
What about that well of compassion that the Spirit of God brings forth from us, when our hearts were convicted and we wanted to respond to God's love for us, by loving others?
Has it long dissipated? The purpose God has for all of us, when He lifted the veil upon our hearts, to be the lamp upon which His light will shine forth, has it been snuffed out by either the distractions of this world or the woes of our troubled life?
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalms 30:5
This morning I had a good medical with my cardiologist. Thanks be to our Sovereign God, the results were good, as always. But even better, my cardiologist told me that the belief that eating prawns will lead to high cholesterol is a myth. So maybe the wife will let me have a couple of prawns to adorn my dour looking brown rice porridge!
At the clinic, not too sure if it was right to be glad, but I did notice another patient to be of my vintage. Compared to the majority of septuagenarians in my midst, I do sometimes get a sense of being a couple of decades too early. But at the onset of this new ministry that God has placed me in, He asked if I was willing to go into this "prison?" Of being subjected to a stricter lifestyle, lifelong medication and regular medicals and the stigma that society implicitly placed on those deemed to have a major illness.
Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.
Psalms 31:5
This evening, as I was conducting my oral hygiene ritual, an impression dawned upon me. I do know the chap I saw this morning. Foolish as it might seem, for I might be mistaken, but I felt led by the Holy Spirit to drop him an email, describing my own condition. Was it meant to minister to him, only our Lord knows, but I must respond as His Spirit prompts.
( and indeed after two days of silence, my acquaintance responded positively and wrote to me that he will be going for possibly a bypass or stent come this Monday. I know our chance meeting is a reassurance for him, for God is prescient in the entire process)
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
Psalms 30:11
This lack of reticence might seem strange to many of you, for in the past two years since my diagnosis, I have come to realize that very few are comfortable to let people know about their health issues, be it for fear of stigmatization, or practical reasons of employment or being non insurable or otherwise.
I share because I want to testify to God's divine intervention in my life, without His grace, being none the wiser, I would have a very good chance of "being out of the body" within 5 years from a fatal heart attack. A "widow maker," that is how medical science will describe the state of my blockage.
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly:therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
2 Chronicles 16:9
I have wrestled with our Lord this past one year. Unlike Abraham who stepped out when called upon by God, it took me four months of dithering, before I plucked up the courage to move out of my comfort zone to answer His call. But like Abraham, I was not as bold in the execution this past one year. But God is good. He has crystallized and clarified for me my commiserations of this past one year, in my previous two sharings "What is success?" And "What constitutes failure?"
But this evening, He has in bringing my cognitive powers to a sharper edge, when He jolted my recollection of a stranger who in reality is an acquaintance, also brought into focus, the purpose He has for all of us who profess to know Him.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUfytIUQ4s4&list=FLuHfo7CXj0gXE0852VtxOIg&index=49)
"Send me Lord," (see link above) is a favorite song of mine. It is part of my long drawn effort to upgrade my Mandarin proficiency. It always draw a tear from me, looking at the kids in the video, who clearly have little materially, but much spiritually.
When God lifted the veil upon my heart back in early 2000, He cleansed me with His sanctifying grace, emboldened me with His Spirit and commanded me to stop questioning and start following.
Beloved, let us love one another:for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God.
1 John 4:7
Every new day that God gives us is not about our many desires and extrapolated fears. Our needs on Earth God will provide. But He needs us to go out into the world, to let others experience His love, for God is love. This must be our focus every breathing moment that God gives us. To live and do as His Spirit leads, for His glory.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18
Fear and worry beset us when we focus on our needs, on RECEIVING.
Joy and peace surround us when we learn to GIVE from what we have, with love.
For giving brings us into communion with God, for God is love.
Giving from our heart with love is an act of surrender of our self interest, to the will of God, and this letting go will allow us to let God be Sovereign in our lives again, and release us from the oppressive lie that Satan sold Adam and Eve on, when they moved away from dependency upon God to themselves.
God blesses
Eng Hieang
14th Sep 2013
An afterthought - Who do we serve?
And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.
2 Chronicles 19:2
Wherever we are, it is a ministry. For sharing the gospel is about people who God brings into our lives, experiencing through us, the love of Christ being lived out in us. Love is more than unmitigated giving. It also involves speaking the truth with love, about correcting deviations from the will of God. In a world that values self centeredness and deceit, it is not just never easy, but a very real risk to those who seek to speak the gospel truth.
King Jehoshaphat of Judah was a man who seeks after God and was greatly blessed. But he erred when he helped the evil King Ahab of Israel.
Have we been guilty of the same in our career?
'And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good. And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak....'
2 Chronicles 18:12-14
God placed us in the marketplace. It is of the world, where worldly values abound.
It does not mean that we leave the marketplace but rather, we must not be like King Jehoshaphat who was in a position to correct with love the wayward King Asa, but instead erred in helping him in his errant ways.
Truth is a rare commodity in the marketplace. As children of God who have been blessed to have the veils lifted from our hearts, we must be like the Prophet Micaiah, who boldly spoke as the Spirit of God led. For we are the pen, and God is the author.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Lightness of being # 17 What is failure? ( 8 Sep 2013)
Lightness of bring #17 What is failure? ( 8th Sep 2013)
Dear...
'And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desirable to do a year ago; but now you must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it,so there also may be a completion out of what you have.
For if there is first a willing mind,it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.'
2 Corinthians 8:10-12
I must be schizophrenic? Or at least I am in line with what the Bible describes as the continuos struggle between our carnal and spirit self. I do what I should not do, and do not do what I should do!!
Success," in the eyes of our Lord is about obedience, not conclusion.
I understand that. But often struggle in my adherence to this truth.
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle:set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem:fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them:for the Lord will be with you.
2 Chronicles 20:17
2 Chronicles 20:17 was the verse that God brought me to twice. Is it a plea from our Lord for the wobbly me to move out of my mire of fear and worry, and to trust Him?
Trust is an increasingly rare commodity in our world that seeks the religion of secularity, that seeks solace in what the world values than what God commands.
But we can trust in our Sovereign God Who is always faithful. But do we?
I know God. I am in close communion with Him. Yet I still struggle like a fish out of water, whenever I am out of my comfort zone. How can I attain the "deep restedness in Him" as described below?
It takes faith to cease striving and let God take charge. In doing so, our inner compulsion is being replaced by a deep restedness in Him."
( Charles Vun, ICM director)
"Cease worrying about what you need to be comfortable, but instead focus on enjoying what God has blessed you with in His presence "
This was the thought that our good Lord just some moments back allowed to cut incisively through the dark clouds hovering over my perplexed mind. Thanks be to God that He will divinely intervene and make possible what we finite humans often find impossible - clarity of the mind and conviction of the heart, that will enable us to let go and let Him.
How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
2 Corinthians 8:2-3
"Excel in giving," this was the title that helmed 2 Corinthians 8. And in this Second Epistle of Apostle Paul, he described the joy of the Macedonian church in the midst of their afflictions and deep poverty. In their giving, they receive the joy of knowing God.
We often look at giving from a position of strength. And this includes serving our Lord in wherever He calls us to. But it is in our weakness that the world will witness the glory of God.
And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desirable to do a year ago; but now you must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it,so there also may be a completion out of what you have.
For if there is first a willing mind,it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.'
2 Corinthians 8:10-12
2 Corinthians 8:10-12 was the verse that our good Lord showed me after this latest act of grace on His part. God not just enables us to break free from the oppressive grip of the demonic forces on our still imperfect self, but He empowers us to move forth.
God literary spoke to me the very thoughts troubling my heart.
It has been a year since I answered His call to step out and be willing to give of my all to help lay a path of bringing the banking world back to a state of integrity and transparency.
Much as it has been a challenge, it has also been a time of reliance on our Lord, and much as He provides, I now empathize better with Apostle Paul's plea to God to "remove the thorn in his flesh."
Failure is not just about our relying on our finite self rather than upon the grace of God. Failure is also more than our pondering upon the possibility that we no longer want to do His will, for it is just too burdensome to rely on Him and Him only.
This was what I felt this morning. And God knew He had to have a word with me.
He did, as in 2 Corinthians 8:10-12. How great is our God indeed.
But failure encompasses a flawed belief that we should specify to God what we need from Him, to do His will successfully.
It is a failure because we forget that it is not His provisions that matter, but Him our Provider. For God has already provided, and we must give from what we already have, and be willing to go beyond, for God is with us, and He knows our limits.
And only in stepping forth in faith will we witness the power of God at work.
God blesses
Eng hieang
8 Sep 2013
An afterthought : How God always affirms
But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.
My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
Psalms 31:14-15
Our good Lord must have figured I really needed that extra reassurance to be able to move forth. As shared above, He brought me to the same verse(2 Chronicles 20:17) twice over, and spoke in answer to my inner thoughts through 2 Corinthians 8:10-12.
And for extra measure, Psalms 31:14-15 twice over as well.
In church this morning, the sermon "God can meet your need for .... Power " was specially prepared for me by our Lord. It runs closely parallel to my thoughts above.
My pastor spoke about the 3 As
1) acknowledging the Sovereignty of God
And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
2 Chronicles 20:3
2) accessing the source of all grace and power, by coming unto His presence
If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.
2 Chronicles 20:9
- acting in faith, by moving forth as His Spirit leads
And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
2 Chronicles 20:22
It is the 3rd A that I have wrestled with this past one year. Like the Israelites at the cusp of the Red Sea, I was waiting for it to part, before stepping forth. But to witness God's power, like the Israelites, I must be willing to step forth into the roaring waters even before it miraculously parts.
I wanted God to meet certain preconditions before I was willing to move further in the ministry that He has placed me. But God was looking at the condition of my heart. Will I be willing to rest in His grace as in Psalms 31:14-15.
Will I praise Him and testify of His goodness, even before I see His deliverance?
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