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
No comments:
Post a Comment