Saturday, October 26, 2013
Lightness of being #24 What is right? (26 Oct 2013)
Dear....
There is a small "hole in the wall" fruit stall in Ghim Moh market which I have been patronizing this past few months. The potpourri might be more limited compared to the multitude of competitors in his midst, but the singlet shirted uncle has been true to his words wherever I asked him for the fruits that were ripe and sweet.
"What is ripe?" might be a tough call to make for the uninitiated like me, but for the experienced fruiterer, it seems a cinch.
"What is right?" Is this not the dilemma that faces all of us at the many crossroads of our lives.
But as a determined follower of Christ, such questions beget the need for greater reflection, for what seems right in our carnal blinkered eyes, might not be aligned with the will of our Sovereign God. And that misalignment brings us into unnecessary grief.
The Lord Rebukes the Priests
“And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.
Malachi 2:1-2
Life is a paradox. In the midst of our struggles, do we have the time or luxury of doing what honors God? And when success comes, will we be willing to move from wallowing in our self glorification and acknowledge the grace of God?
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13
The Christian life if lived in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit is anathema to the ways of the world. When life becomes tougher, men of harder substance grit their teeth. For us the children of God, we girth ourselves even more upon the living word of our Lord.
The world clings on to the hope that there will be a light at the end of the dark tunnel of life's circumstances that they are going through. For us the children of God, the Light of all grace and comfort already resides in our hearts. Darkness is the absence of light. It begets the question then, why is life for many Christians still seemingly shrouded in oppressive darkness? In our professed life as a Christian, is there something that we are not doing right? Is that why a statistic I was shown today indicated that 45% of Singaporeans who brand themselves Christians have been to the casino.
'.... And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
Daniel 5:23
In the meritocratic society, rewards commensurate with one's ability. Is the Christian life considered dysfunctional? Surrender of self and submission to God. An attitude of dependency upon Christ our Lord as His Spirit leads. Is this right?
Or is it better to continue to be enslaved to the idolatry of what the world values, be it wealth, power, health, looks, talent ...?
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
This morning, another bout of anxiety crept upon me. What I termed a toxic brew whose two main ingredients are the oppression of the lurking devil, working in tandem with my self deceiving mind. But thanks be to God, much as I often struggle to do the only right thing, that is to look to Christ in submission, rather than try to overcome the devil on my own strength, His Spirit residing in me empowers and enables me to move forth boldly in victory.
The Light of the Gospel
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.
2 Corinthians 4:1
How can one walk in the victory of the risen Christ, in our fallen world?
- Believe in and acknowledge the Sovereignty of God in all circumstances in our lives.
- Seek Him always in prayers, in His Words, in praise and in works.
This act of submission will free us from our own understanding, a grip that Satan implanted in us all through the first man Adam when he sinned. When we let go of our own understanding and let God lead us, the devil no longer has a hold on us.
- Waiting upon our Lord is an exercise of our free will to let His Spirit sanctify us, realign our focus back to Christ and away from the world.
- Moving boldly forth as our spirit discerns the call of His Spirit.
- Honoring God by living fully the fruits of the spirit. This will ensure that our hearts are focused on the light of God shining within our inner man. Every step we take will be right.
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6
God will affirm the righteousness of our ways. He will allow us to see and experience the tapestry of His awesome ways. And the joy and peace that emanates from knowing the love of our Abba Father, that is the prosperity of life that far outweighs the temporal riches of the fallen world that Satan continues to proffer to the world.
God blesses
Eng HIEANG
26 Oct 2013
Surreptitious !!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
God is a God of grace. That is true, but the easy message that grace means the bestowment of what carnal man hungers after, the temporal wants of this Satan defined world is a misrepresentation. It is no different from pouring the old wines of carnality in the guise of the new wine skin of "man defined rather than God determined Christianity."
What some call prosperity gospel, I am inclined to rename "surreptitious' preaching.
sur·rep·ti·tious (sûr p-t sh s). adj. 1. Obtained, done, or made by clandestine or stealthy means. 2. Acting with or marked by stealth.
'..and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
2 Corinthians 5:15
Apostle Paul reminds all that by God's grace, our sins are redeemed by the risen Christ.
There is no longer the need to pursue the temporal, for eternity in Heaven is waiting for those who believed.
The right thing then is to work on our salvation, to be made ready for Christ's return.
The message of prosperity is not about worldly desires as proffered by some, for that is what Satan offered Christ.
But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.
2 Corinthians 4:2
Do pray and ponder upon what Apostle Paul describe as a rich Christian life in 2 Corinthians 6, below is a snippet, though do read 2 Corinthians 6 in its entirety.
'..as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.'
2 Corinthians 6:9-10
Sent from my iPad
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Lightness of Being #23 Humbler (20 Oct 2013)
Dear...,
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
Tumbler was the word that easily rolled off the word "humbler" as I penned the title of the thoughts our good Lord has placed in me.
"Humility." I am about to enter the land of great politeness, and I am reminded of an earlier trip I made with my beloved family a few years back, which was a joy, for we started with the Land of a Thousand Smiles, "Thailand," enroute to the Land of Many Bows, Japan."
As shared previously, I have had a few dramatic falls in my life, but by the grace of God, I have always never been seriously injured. But what about life's tumbles? Pride comes before a downfall, and thanks be to God, He has always allowed me to be knocked off the perch before I could climb very much higher up the ladder of insolence.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OoUnHnMlYYM
This Mandarin worship song, is worth a listen. It draws her inspiration from the above verse from Psalms 143:8. And it reminds me of the humbling God allows us to go through, to ensure our hearts will not wander off, to prepare us for His service.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Psalms 25:4
Wait upon the Lord and He will lift us up. Indeed our Lord is bringing me to the paths He has set for me when He called me to leave my comfort zone.
"Insouciance," a state of calm, untroubled. This word has its origins from the French language. It's been a year since I embarked on this journey, I worked in the midst of Francophiles, but have I attained this emotional utopia? But it is more than an utopian dream, for peace and joy in all circumstances, Christ promises to give to all who seek and trust Him.
Can I truly let go and let God? My carnal self wrestles with my spirit man. But in those moments when I just stopped and turn to Christ, He affirms.
Our good Lord sent a hitherto stranger to me last Thursday. An English speaking Japanese, who can be an additional bridge for my ministry in Japan.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
Psalms 25:9
Brazil is the land of the samba. Japan, there was a feature in the newspaper on walking tours that allows one to ramble through the Tokohu region of Japan, to retrace the journeys of past, long before the pristine northern part of Japan became associated with the Fukushima nuclear fallout.
Land of rumbles, Japan is, and for a very hard ground that this nation is, God is bringing about a great stirring. The harvest fields in Japan is ripening.
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
and grieved him in the desert! They tested God again and again
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan.
Psalms 78:40-43
As I ponder upon what is the will of our Sovereign Lord for this trip, the thought did struck me as to what will constitute "success?" But conclusion is from our Lord, obedience must come from us. I am reminded that many times in my walk in the desert this past one year, my thirst for success has shifted me away from the fear of God to the fear of failure.
Have I behaved as badly as the wandering Israelites in the Sinai desert?
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19
Like me, if you are willing, God will use you to prepare the way before Christ returns. It will be off the old beaten track, for His ways are not the ways of the world. Will you trust Him by putting aside our preconceived notions, and instead learn to wait upon Him every new day?
And be in awe of the wisdom of His wonderful ways. When I left my comfort zone, I have never imagined going to Japan for business. And God affirms twice over. For come Dec, I will be in Kyushu for a holiday. That was planned before for this trip was even seeded.
God blesses
Eng Hieang
My trip
I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
Hosea 14:4
As my plane approached Fukuoka City, I was reminded of an earlier era when the feared Japanese warplanes flew into Singapore, to supposedly liberate us from the British colonial masters. "Syonan-to," which means "Light of the South" was the new name given to Japanese ruled Singapore.
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Philippians 2:15
Like the growing number of Christians from Singapore, we are the post war baby boomers who are in a role reversal. Being used by our Lord to shine His light into this long oppressed land. And at the crack of dawn, what a privilege that God gives me, to be able to pray over this land at 10,000 meters, starting at its southernmost tip, the bedrock of this water filled land.
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
“If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,
how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting,
what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?
Jeremiah 12:5
God is bringing us the willing to new heights. On reflection, the struggles He allows us to go through in the past is a preparation for ministry that He wants to bring you to. It is daunting if on our own strength, but awe inspiring when we look to and lean upon Christ the author and finisher of our faith.
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes ....'
Jeremiah 29:12-14
God is a faithful God. Other than the very strong winds, being down South, I was spared the inconvenience of the mighty typhoon that buffeted Central Japan. I am gratified and humbled by the care that our Abba Father has always given me through all circumstances.
And it always bemuses me as to not just the prescience but the wit our Father in Heaven in the way He shows us His guiding presence.
"What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it holds a well."
Quote used in an article by Professor Hiroshi Arakawa, Aichi Tokyo University
This was from a coffee table book "Japan Now," in my hotel room. And the dear Prof penned an article on the symbolism of water in Japan, a well watered land. And he quoted from the Bible on the "Spring of Life," much as it was from a non believer, academic perspective.
Indeed, much as it has been a humbling experience this past one year working in the desert, it has been a spirit filled experience and as God continues to broaden my experience to an even harder ground, what is impossible for man, God will make possible.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way,
the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
Mark 1:2-3
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19
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
Tumbler was the word that easily rolled off the word "humbler" as I penned the title of the thoughts our good Lord has placed in me.
"Humility." I am about to enter the land of great politeness, and I am reminded of an earlier trip I made with my beloved family a few years back, which was a joy, for we started with the Land of a Thousand Smiles, "Thailand," enroute to the Land of Many Bows, Japan."
As shared previously, I have had a few dramatic falls in my life, but by the grace of God, I have always never been seriously injured. But what about life's tumbles? Pride comes before a downfall, and thanks be to God, He has always allowed me to be knocked off the perch before I could climb very much higher up the ladder of insolence.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OoUnHnMlYYM
This Mandarin worship song, is worth a listen. It draws her inspiration from the above verse from Psalms 143:8. And it reminds me of the humbling God allows us to go through, to ensure our hearts will not wander off, to prepare us for His service.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Psalms 25:4
Wait upon the Lord and He will lift us up. Indeed our Lord is bringing me to the paths He has set for me when He called me to leave my comfort zone.
"Insouciance," a state of calm, untroubled. This word has its origins from the French language. It's been a year since I embarked on this journey, I worked in the midst of Francophiles, but have I attained this emotional utopia? But it is more than an utopian dream, for peace and joy in all circumstances, Christ promises to give to all who seek and trust Him.
Can I truly let go and let God? My carnal self wrestles with my spirit man. But in those moments when I just stopped and turn to Christ, He affirms.
Our good Lord sent a hitherto stranger to me last Thursday. An English speaking Japanese, who can be an additional bridge for my ministry in Japan.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
Psalms 25:9
Brazil is the land of the samba. Japan, there was a feature in the newspaper on walking tours that allows one to ramble through the Tokohu region of Japan, to retrace the journeys of past, long before the pristine northern part of Japan became associated with the Fukushima nuclear fallout.
Land of rumbles, Japan is, and for a very hard ground that this nation is, God is bringing about a great stirring. The harvest fields in Japan is ripening.
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
and grieved him in the desert! They tested God again and again
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan.
Psalms 78:40-43
As I ponder upon what is the will of our Sovereign Lord for this trip, the thought did struck me as to what will constitute "success?" But conclusion is from our Lord, obedience must come from us. I am reminded that many times in my walk in the desert this past one year, my thirst for success has shifted me away from the fear of God to the fear of failure.
Have I behaved as badly as the wandering Israelites in the Sinai desert?
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19
Like me, if you are willing, God will use you to prepare the way before Christ returns. It will be off the old beaten track, for His ways are not the ways of the world. Will you trust Him by putting aside our preconceived notions, and instead learn to wait upon Him every new day?
And be in awe of the wisdom of His wonderful ways. When I left my comfort zone, I have never imagined going to Japan for business. And God affirms twice over. For come Dec, I will be in Kyushu for a holiday. That was planned before for this trip was even seeded.
God blesses
Eng Hieang
My trip
I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
Hosea 14:4
As my plane approached Fukuoka City, I was reminded of an earlier era when the feared Japanese warplanes flew into Singapore, to supposedly liberate us from the British colonial masters. "Syonan-to," which means "Light of the South" was the new name given to Japanese ruled Singapore.
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Philippians 2:15
Like the growing number of Christians from Singapore, we are the post war baby boomers who are in a role reversal. Being used by our Lord to shine His light into this long oppressed land. And at the crack of dawn, what a privilege that God gives me, to be able to pray over this land at 10,000 meters, starting at its southernmost tip, the bedrock of this water filled land.
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
“If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,
how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting,
what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?
Jeremiah 12:5
God is bringing us the willing to new heights. On reflection, the struggles He allows us to go through in the past is a preparation for ministry that He wants to bring you to. It is daunting if on our own strength, but awe inspiring when we look to and lean upon Christ the author and finisher of our faith.
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes ....'
Jeremiah 29:12-14
God is a faithful God. Other than the very strong winds, being down South, I was spared the inconvenience of the mighty typhoon that buffeted Central Japan. I am gratified and humbled by the care that our Abba Father has always given me through all circumstances.
And it always bemuses me as to not just the prescience but the wit our Father in Heaven in the way He shows us His guiding presence.
"What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it holds a well."
Quote used in an article by Professor Hiroshi Arakawa, Aichi Tokyo University
This was from a coffee table book "Japan Now," in my hotel room. And the dear Prof penned an article on the symbolism of water in Japan, a well watered land. And he quoted from the Bible on the "Spring of Life," much as it was from a non believer, academic perspective.
Indeed, much as it has been a humbling experience this past one year working in the desert, it has been a spirit filled experience and as God continues to broaden my experience to an even harder ground, what is impossible for man, God will make possible.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way,
the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
Mark 1:2-3
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Lightness of being #22 There is a GOD (12 Oct 2013)
Lightness of being#22 There is a God ( 11th Oct 2013)
Dear....
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
Childlike faith, is that what is needed for us to believe that God exists, that He is not a figment of our imagination? And that we can and should totally submit to His Sovereignty, to revert to the relationship that Adam the first man originally had with God, before sin crept in. To be good stewards of all that God provides, yet always dependent upon a loving and faithful Father.
and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.
2 Chronicles 20:6
It seems cliche to state the obvious, "we do lived in an increasingly difficult world."
Many struggle to cope, to make sense of the forces that impact them, yet are beyond their control. Be it the victims of the Kenya terrorist carnage or the US government workers who are placed on furlough. In the corporate world, and probably in academia and all aspects of society, basic respect for our fellow humans are thrown out of the window as the law of the jungle increasing takes precedence. It is no small wonder that the spirits of depression, pride, selfishness and angst are do a roaring trade.
Where is God in this whole equation? Is God truly omnipresent and omnipotent? Or is He a lame duck, absentee father?
Or in truth, is there truly a Divine Being we call "God?"
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8
Man like to start from the pedestal of personal judgment. For the fruit from the tree of knowledge was proffered by the devil and willingly partaken by Adam and Eve.
"Till we see God, we will not believe," snorted the non believer.
"And even if God is real, we cannot accept a cruel, overbearing, disinterested God," glared the self righteous man, at anyone who dared to share the good news of the gospel.
Is it then no surprise God is an easy sell when packaged as a God of prosperity. A God after man's sinful liking. A God Who demands no accountability from our continued sins. Who panders to our sinful wants. Purveyors of such misrepresentation are enriched materially by the false gods they worship.
There is a Divine God, but He is not the God preached on the altar of prosperity.
God promises us a richness of life when we seek after Him, not riches of the world. The latter is what the devil offered Christ in exchange for His subservience.
I am not equipped to go into a discourse on Christian apologetics. But the God I know is a Father Who loves His children. But are you willing to be His child in all circumstances? To know if there is truly a God, we have to want to seek Him. To know God, we must be willing to love our neighbors, for God is love.
Do that and you will know there is indeed a Sovereign God, Who is omnipresent, omnipotent and Who loves us.
To paraphrase from the faithful servant of God, the late John Stott
"Perhaps the transformation of the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest evidence of the work of the Spirit of God living in residence in the hearts of believers."
O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
2 Chronicles 20:12
Transformation is a process. It is life long unlike the "2 minutes" needed to cook a delicious bowl of instant noodles. Some people of the older vintage like me might recall the "Maggie noodles" advertisement and its jingle "fast to cook, good to eat."
Transformation starts with a moment of epiphany with our Lord. An encounter where His love cleanses our tortured inner being and His peace washes over our parched soul.
The wheels of refinement begins to move into gear when we respond to God's love by loving Him and people He placed in our lives.
But much as our hearts have opened to the Spirit of God, will our carnal mind be willing to be renewed?
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Luke 18:1
Prayers bring us into communion with our Lord. It is time out from the world, and time in with God. God will "converse" with you. But it is our spirit man, as instructed by the indwelling Holy Spirit, who God will commune with.
Prayer is not an incessant drone like that of the cicada. It is being willing to be still and to sense the soft quiet voice of God. Prayers is about our hearts being totally focused on God.
A heart that is uncluttered will have better resonance with our Lord.
And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat:Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.
2 Chronicles 20:15
Can we truly take God at His word? Love does imbue in us the sense of what God is like. But only in immersing in His Word, will we know Him well, for God is the Word.
You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. ’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
2 Chronicles 20:17
Letting go and letting God, most of us struggle with living out this command. Faith is about being able to hold back our tendency to resolve matters our way, and instead waiting upon our Lord. Going forth boldly but only when His Spirit lead us.
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Yielding to the will of God is an act of worship. It must come from a thankful heart, for gratitude signifies our willingness to give the Holy Spirit latitude to mold us in Christlikeness.
In the ways of man, we are thankful when things go our desired way. With God, we are thankful because of the risen Christ, there is always life after death, no matter how daunting a situation might seem to be.
And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his steadfast love endures forever.”
2 Chronicles 20:21
An aftershock??
To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?
Isaiah 40:18
Bowing down is something that I used to do at Mass in the Catholic schools I attended.
I never became a Catholic not because I abhor kneeling, but rather, the non Catholic students were dismissed from school earlier on the Fridays that Catholic boys had to attend Church.
For us Methodist, besides coming to the altar rail to pray, we get to bow, a symbolic yet very meaningful act of supplication to God only during Holy communion. But last Sunday, I got to bow twice. Once at Holy Communion when we partake in the bread. The other preceding it when I lost my balance at the Church steps.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness
Psalms 95:6-8
Why did I trip? I do it not too infrequently but thanks be to God, I have always managed to land gracefully with no serious damage. And why did God allow me to trip last Sunday?
I guess I was too distracted by a new toy that I had just bought. And it was slowly creeping in to jostle for space in my heart. Our God is a jealous God. There must be no idols in our lives. He watches us, He will intervene for He will save us from ourselves.
And indeed the fear of God is what keeps us the professed faithful, steadfast.
Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
John 4:35
And as I prepare to go to Japan next week. I am reminded of how God continues to bring to the surface, the planks for me to step on, even as I walk in faith, across the chasm He has pointed me to this past one year. Thanks be to Him our ever present Abba Father.
Dear....
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
Childlike faith, is that what is needed for us to believe that God exists, that He is not a figment of our imagination? And that we can and should totally submit to His Sovereignty, to revert to the relationship that Adam the first man originally had with God, before sin crept in. To be good stewards of all that God provides, yet always dependent upon a loving and faithful Father.
and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.
2 Chronicles 20:6
It seems cliche to state the obvious, "we do lived in an increasingly difficult world."
Many struggle to cope, to make sense of the forces that impact them, yet are beyond their control. Be it the victims of the Kenya terrorist carnage or the US government workers who are placed on furlough. In the corporate world, and probably in academia and all aspects of society, basic respect for our fellow humans are thrown out of the window as the law of the jungle increasing takes precedence. It is no small wonder that the spirits of depression, pride, selfishness and angst are do a roaring trade.
Where is God in this whole equation? Is God truly omnipresent and omnipotent? Or is He a lame duck, absentee father?
Or in truth, is there truly a Divine Being we call "God?"
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8
Man like to start from the pedestal of personal judgment. For the fruit from the tree of knowledge was proffered by the devil and willingly partaken by Adam and Eve.
"Till we see God, we will not believe," snorted the non believer.
"And even if God is real, we cannot accept a cruel, overbearing, disinterested God," glared the self righteous man, at anyone who dared to share the good news of the gospel.
Is it then no surprise God is an easy sell when packaged as a God of prosperity. A God after man's sinful liking. A God Who demands no accountability from our continued sins. Who panders to our sinful wants. Purveyors of such misrepresentation are enriched materially by the false gods they worship.
There is a Divine God, but He is not the God preached on the altar of prosperity.
God promises us a richness of life when we seek after Him, not riches of the world. The latter is what the devil offered Christ in exchange for His subservience.
I am not equipped to go into a discourse on Christian apologetics. But the God I know is a Father Who loves His children. But are you willing to be His child in all circumstances? To know if there is truly a God, we have to want to seek Him. To know God, we must be willing to love our neighbors, for God is love.
Do that and you will know there is indeed a Sovereign God, Who is omnipresent, omnipotent and Who loves us.
To paraphrase from the faithful servant of God, the late John Stott
"Perhaps the transformation of the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest evidence of the work of the Spirit of God living in residence in the hearts of believers."
O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
2 Chronicles 20:12
Transformation is a process. It is life long unlike the "2 minutes" needed to cook a delicious bowl of instant noodles. Some people of the older vintage like me might recall the "Maggie noodles" advertisement and its jingle "fast to cook, good to eat."
Transformation starts with a moment of epiphany with our Lord. An encounter where His love cleanses our tortured inner being and His peace washes over our parched soul.
The wheels of refinement begins to move into gear when we respond to God's love by loving Him and people He placed in our lives.
But much as our hearts have opened to the Spirit of God, will our carnal mind be willing to be renewed?
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Luke 18:1
Prayers bring us into communion with our Lord. It is time out from the world, and time in with God. God will "converse" with you. But it is our spirit man, as instructed by the indwelling Holy Spirit, who God will commune with.
Prayer is not an incessant drone like that of the cicada. It is being willing to be still and to sense the soft quiet voice of God. Prayers is about our hearts being totally focused on God.
A heart that is uncluttered will have better resonance with our Lord.
And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat:Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.
2 Chronicles 20:15
Can we truly take God at His word? Love does imbue in us the sense of what God is like. But only in immersing in His Word, will we know Him well, for God is the Word.
You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. ’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
2 Chronicles 20:17
Letting go and letting God, most of us struggle with living out this command. Faith is about being able to hold back our tendency to resolve matters our way, and instead waiting upon our Lord. Going forth boldly but only when His Spirit lead us.
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Yielding to the will of God is an act of worship. It must come from a thankful heart, for gratitude signifies our willingness to give the Holy Spirit latitude to mold us in Christlikeness.
In the ways of man, we are thankful when things go our desired way. With God, we are thankful because of the risen Christ, there is always life after death, no matter how daunting a situation might seem to be.
And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his steadfast love endures forever.”
2 Chronicles 20:21
An aftershock??
To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?
Isaiah 40:18
Bowing down is something that I used to do at Mass in the Catholic schools I attended.
I never became a Catholic not because I abhor kneeling, but rather, the non Catholic students were dismissed from school earlier on the Fridays that Catholic boys had to attend Church.
For us Methodist, besides coming to the altar rail to pray, we get to bow, a symbolic yet very meaningful act of supplication to God only during Holy communion. But last Sunday, I got to bow twice. Once at Holy Communion when we partake in the bread. The other preceding it when I lost my balance at the Church steps.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness
Psalms 95:6-8
Why did I trip? I do it not too infrequently but thanks be to God, I have always managed to land gracefully with no serious damage. And why did God allow me to trip last Sunday?
I guess I was too distracted by a new toy that I had just bought. And it was slowly creeping in to jostle for space in my heart. Our God is a jealous God. There must be no idols in our lives. He watches us, He will intervene for He will save us from ourselves.
And indeed the fear of God is what keeps us the professed faithful, steadfast.
Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
John 4:35
And as I prepare to go to Japan next week. I am reminded of how God continues to bring to the surface, the planks for me to step on, even as I walk in faith, across the chasm He has pointed me to this past one year. Thanks be to Him our ever present Abba Father.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Lightness of being#21. Precious (5th Oct 2013)
Lightness of being #21 Precious (5th Oct 2013)
Dear...
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5
How great it must be to be appointed as one of God's prophets. But think again. Jeremiah was described as a heartbroken prophet with a heartbreaking message. He labored for forty years proclaiming a message of doom to the stiff necked people of Judah, who despised and persecuted him. And when Judah finally fell to the Babylonians, Jeremiah wrote The Book of Lamentations, a tear stained portrait of the once proud Jerusalem now reduced to rubble.
Today, as children of God who have been blessed to have the veils upon our hearts lifted, we are to take on the mantle that was once taken by Prophet Jeremiah and other men of God.
Is it any easier to minister to modern society today than to the man of eons back?
We are in this world, yet not of this world. Rebels with a cause we followers of Christ might be, but it will be an exercise in futility if we were to be dependent on our own strength.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12
Is it no small wonder that many are easily sold on the message of God as Santa, Who loves us and we just need to boldly ask, He will indulge our carnal wants. We are indeed precious to God, but like a rough diamond, we need to be polished and cut to the point of perfection, where His light will emanate forth in all brilliance. And that requires trials for deprivation brings us into dependency upon God.
The grace of God is not about giving us what we want. But rather, it is about His imbuing in our inner man, this peace and joy, much as He not only enables us to perservere through life's challenges, but empowers us to move forth boldly in His will.
The Bible states "that man is born to trouble." And while being a child of God does not exonerate us from this truth, woes will not grip us too long, if we submit to the Sovereign God. And what we cannot do, God will make possible, and that includes saving us from ourselves.
'...... For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome;
who can endure it?
Joel 2:11
The new day God gives me is too precious to be wasted away in wiles, strife or in the pursuit of the temporal things of this fallen world. Much as I think I am still age 32, reality is I am age 52, and a close neighbor to sexy 60. The sands in the hour glass of life is fast receding, and our good Lord impressed upon my heart, in my slumber, how important it is to use the remaining days well. For there is eternity to work on today, for judgment day awaits all.
Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon:nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
Isaiah 39:6
For many, the day of reckoning with God seems too distant away to warrant any meaningful fear. Trepidation is more immediate when it comes to the lack of things of the world.
King Hezekiah foolishly showed the Babylonians his earthly treasures, which God allowed to be taken away subsequently.
The Babylonian system of old uses silver as a medium of exchange. Are the days fast approaching when all the treasures we hoard will be of much lesser value, as a new Babylonian system comes into fruition?
Much as the world is back to her self serving ways, after the near scarce of the subprime crisis. Unless men repent, a bigger shake awaits us, for God wants to bring us back, for we are all too precious for Him to be lost to eternal damnation.
God blesses
Eng Hieang
An afterthought - Debt extension
Much as the once mighty USA is increasingly a shadow of her self, most doubt that it will default on its looming debt. Extension, in this case, debt extension is a term that strikes a different chord in me.
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Isaiah 38:2-4
I am reminded of how God divinely intervene to surface my hitherto unknown blockage in my heart. I am grateful that His Spirit residing in me has led me to strive to live a faithful life that seeks after God.
Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father:I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.
Isaiah 38:4-5
God spoke to my heart as I pondered upon the brevity of life, much as I was never fearful, for I saw His hands at work in this episode of my journey with Him. "75" that was what He impressed upon me. Does it mean I have to age 75 before He takes me home, or I will be around at the minimal, till age 75?
But it should matter not. For what truly matters is how do I repay the debt of love that God gave me and all humanity in sacrificing His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, to redeem us from our sins?
In my moments of weakness, be it fear, envy, pride, misery, lust or any of the wide swathe of carnal emotions that marked humanity, I have to consciously be mindful of why God extended my life. It is not about living to satisfy worldly benchmarks but rather, to be the lamp upon which His light will shine forth into the oppressive darkness that encapsulate our present world.
Dear...
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5
How great it must be to be appointed as one of God's prophets. But think again. Jeremiah was described as a heartbroken prophet with a heartbreaking message. He labored for forty years proclaiming a message of doom to the stiff necked people of Judah, who despised and persecuted him. And when Judah finally fell to the Babylonians, Jeremiah wrote The Book of Lamentations, a tear stained portrait of the once proud Jerusalem now reduced to rubble.
Today, as children of God who have been blessed to have the veils upon our hearts lifted, we are to take on the mantle that was once taken by Prophet Jeremiah and other men of God.
Is it any easier to minister to modern society today than to the man of eons back?
We are in this world, yet not of this world. Rebels with a cause we followers of Christ might be, but it will be an exercise in futility if we were to be dependent on our own strength.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12
Is it no small wonder that many are easily sold on the message of God as Santa, Who loves us and we just need to boldly ask, He will indulge our carnal wants. We are indeed precious to God, but like a rough diamond, we need to be polished and cut to the point of perfection, where His light will emanate forth in all brilliance. And that requires trials for deprivation brings us into dependency upon God.
The grace of God is not about giving us what we want. But rather, it is about His imbuing in our inner man, this peace and joy, much as He not only enables us to perservere through life's challenges, but empowers us to move forth boldly in His will.
The Bible states "that man is born to trouble." And while being a child of God does not exonerate us from this truth, woes will not grip us too long, if we submit to the Sovereign God. And what we cannot do, God will make possible, and that includes saving us from ourselves.
'...... For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome;
who can endure it?
Joel 2:11
The new day God gives me is too precious to be wasted away in wiles, strife or in the pursuit of the temporal things of this fallen world. Much as I think I am still age 32, reality is I am age 52, and a close neighbor to sexy 60. The sands in the hour glass of life is fast receding, and our good Lord impressed upon my heart, in my slumber, how important it is to use the remaining days well. For there is eternity to work on today, for judgment day awaits all.
Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon:nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
Isaiah 39:6
For many, the day of reckoning with God seems too distant away to warrant any meaningful fear. Trepidation is more immediate when it comes to the lack of things of the world.
King Hezekiah foolishly showed the Babylonians his earthly treasures, which God allowed to be taken away subsequently.
The Babylonian system of old uses silver as a medium of exchange. Are the days fast approaching when all the treasures we hoard will be of much lesser value, as a new Babylonian system comes into fruition?
Much as the world is back to her self serving ways, after the near scarce of the subprime crisis. Unless men repent, a bigger shake awaits us, for God wants to bring us back, for we are all too precious for Him to be lost to eternal damnation.
God blesses
Eng Hieang
An afterthought - Debt extension
Much as the once mighty USA is increasingly a shadow of her self, most doubt that it will default on its looming debt. Extension, in this case, debt extension is a term that strikes a different chord in me.
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Isaiah 38:2-4
I am reminded of how God divinely intervene to surface my hitherto unknown blockage in my heart. I am grateful that His Spirit residing in me has led me to strive to live a faithful life that seeks after God.
Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father:I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.
Isaiah 38:4-5
God spoke to my heart as I pondered upon the brevity of life, much as I was never fearful, for I saw His hands at work in this episode of my journey with Him. "75" that was what He impressed upon me. Does it mean I have to age 75 before He takes me home, or I will be around at the minimal, till age 75?
But it should matter not. For what truly matters is how do I repay the debt of love that God gave me and all humanity in sacrificing His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, to redeem us from our sins?
In my moments of weakness, be it fear, envy, pride, misery, lust or any of the wide swathe of carnal emotions that marked humanity, I have to consciously be mindful of why God extended my life. It is not about living to satisfy worldly benchmarks but rather, to be the lamp upon which His light will shine forth into the oppressive darkness that encapsulate our present world.
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