Dear...
'Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says ; "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not
harden your hearts....'
Hebrews 3:7
Today during church service, as we sang the closing hymn "Here I am Lord," I
felt an emotion welled up inside me, to a slight tearing. On tearing, an
experience I shared previously, a dear friend wrote to me thanking me for
affirming what she herself felt enough times when in the presence of our Lord,
but had thought could be her own emotions.
As I pen this now, I am reminded that the Spirit of God residing in our hearts
will speak to us, and affirms that inner peace and joy and love that only God by His
grace can give us all, for God is love. And is this not the same sense of gratitude and
compassion and love that many of us experienced when we first believed, when His Spirit lifted the
blindness in our hearts to allow us to "see" and be willing to cross over into
His Kingdom. Did we not shed tears of thanksgiving then when we first believed?
'Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any
of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us
as well as to them, but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being
mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that
rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest."
Hebrews 4:1-3
Would it not be a rude shock for many who call themselves Christians, to be told that they could possibly be lumped in the same category as that of professed outright non believers, who will all be disbarred from entering the Kingdom of God?
God looks at our hearts, not on the outward. How can we be sure that our hearts are truly circumcised by the Spirit of God,
that we are on track in our walk with God? Can we continue to assume the obvious and remain oblivious to the very real possibility that calling oneself a Christian does not mean that one will enter the Kingdom of God?
In reality, many Christians know about God’s command, for to call oneself a Christian is to profess to be not just a believer but a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is it because the fear of God’s wrath from our continued disobedience is not taken seriously by many Christians?
'O Lord, truly I am Your servant. I am Your servant the son of Your
maidservant. You have loosed my bonds. I will offer you the sacrifice of
thanksgiving. And will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the
Lord. Now in the presence of all His people....'
Psalm 116:16-18
Psalm 116 is the verse that was deeply impressed upon my heart this past one
week. Psalm 116:16 reminds us that God has indeed loosened the bondage of Adam's
sins that has encapsulated our very being till now. But like the prisoners whose
once locked prison doors were flung wide open by an earthquake(Acts 16:26), to free the Apostle
Paul, these same prisoners could not grasp the possibility that they were free to walk out of
their confines. Are there not many of us like them, who claim to be Christians, who had
that initial taste of the joy and peace, in the midst of the darkness in our
lives, but choose to continue to find safety not from God, but in the familiar fallen world, within the very cage that has
imprisoned our very being all our lives?
'What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? I will take up
the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to
the Lord. Now in the presence of all His people.'
Psalm 116:12-14
How can we move out from this inept position to claim the blessings and live out the glory of God that is
given and commanded to all who believed? Gratitude with a responsive attitude of Godly servitude is a good start to us allowing the Holy Spirit of God residing in us to mold us into the qualities of the inhabitants of the Kingdom of God, as described and taught by our Lord Jesus Christ in the sermon on the Mount, “the Beatitudes” in Matthew 5:2-12, and further expanded upon in the Gospel of Luke.
‘I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him……Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?’
Hosea 14:4,9
A thankful heart is more than a balm that will soothe our fears. It will assure and ensure that we will look beyond our present circumstances and carnal needs, and will ourselves to look to God, and in doing so, He will give us the faith to live out the full measure of a blessed and joyful life that testifies to the grace of God, to be the salt of the Earth, the
platform upon which the light of God will shine forth.
Isaiah 6:8 ‘Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I, send me.’
God is indeed prescient. Isaiah 6:8 was the verse I happened to read as I pondered upon the thoughts that God has placed in my heart these past one week. This sharing has taken me longer than normal and as I waited upon the Lord, to be sure the message cobbled together is truly from Him. It is apt that this message to all of us who ‘dare’ brand ourselves Christians, to be very mindful of the calling to all Christians to follow Christ, for Christian are followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. should close with this verse Isaiah 6:8, upon which the song “Here I am” draws from. A covenant made with God must be honored or the consequences will be unbearable.
And for double affirmation, as I prepared to send this out now, I just received the latest newsletter from "The Helping Hand" a wonderful ministry to help recovering drug addicts and/ex prisoners. And in there, was a testimony by a reformed drug addict who testified of the saving grace of God in the till recently seemingly impenetrable darkness encapsulating his life.
He summed up in a few succinct sentences, what I took two pages worth over two weeks to put together, and this is what he shared :
He said "Faith in the Lord filled my heart with the greatest peace and joy. I began to understand that the most meaningful and joyful aspects of life can only be attained with absolute obedience to the Lord's will, desire to emulate Him and zeal to propagate His love for the world"
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(27th Sep 10)
The Spirit of the Samurai??
The present spat between the two East Asian giants, China and Japan looks like an unequal battle that will result in further humiliation of the very inept Japanese. It is not just the moribund economy of the last twenty years, but the repression of self will since the once aggressive and bold Japanese lost in World War 2.
Much as one would look upon the present bullying by the Chinese as payback time for the abuse of the much stronger Japanese back in the first half of the 20th century, just like the present addiction of the West to Chinese produced goods is a replay of the opium addiction of the Chinese back in the waning days of the Qing Dynasty, clearly we are in the midst of major geopolitical shifts, and much like the more active physical geography of the world, as manifested in earthquakes, we are in for more upheavals on the political and social levels, which will have as much if not greater impact on our sense of well being.
Today, the Iranians just called President Obama the great deceiver. But then name calling is a favorite predisposition of the Iranians who have termed the Americans the “Great white Satan” just like the ex President George Bush junior called Iran part of the Arc of evil.
Why digress into this? The reality is handovers or rather shifts in powers like the Teutonic plates will always have upheavals, and like the earthquakes, it will not be pretty. America not just prints monies, but it will benefit from a push up in agriculture prices as well as rammed up tensions in the Middle East since American weaponry is the top seller in these oil rich lands. Read the papers, we are already witnessing the beginnings of these trends.
The spirit of the sinful world are indeed stirring, leading to more angst and strife as nations and individuals compete for space and dominance. Would these spirits enter into your once cleansed temple and bring you into deeper bondage, because you allow it to by your indifference to the saving grace of God, Whom you once believe but never accepted nor followed?
‘I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in 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. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore, and repent…..’
Revelation 3:18-22
And in closing, thought I will put in a picture of Harry the crab, to remind us of the fact that most of us are determined for the wrong things in life and only realized that if we had the chance to live life all over again, our focus could be different. And on that, if you care to read more, here is a fresh from the oven article a dear friend sent me on the wishes or rather regrets of the dying
Written by a palliative care worker
Five Regrets of the Dying
By Bronnie Ware Platinum Quality Author
For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.
People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learned never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.
When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to themselves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.
Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
In Spirit and Truth #13 Harry the crab (14th sep 10)
Dear…..
‘Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.’
Proverbs 16:24
Sunday is a day of rest, and it was also yesterday morning that my son and I laid to rest, Harry, my son’s pet crab of four riveting days. A gift from my neighbor, it started with two crabs, but one just decided to huddle and depart in a hurry, leaving only the feisty Harry. And feisty Harry was, for it spent most of its time standing upright, trying to claw its way out of its less than glamorous plastic box. And this was no dumb crustacean, for it pushed and cut the slice of carrot, its food, to use as a leg up, into the centre of the box, for up there was the gate or rather promise of freedom, for that was where the gap in the cover of the box was. And standing on its “hind legs” its ability to pull itself up would have put many a soldier to shame and if not for the narrowness of the gap, it might have found its way to perceived freedom instead of being discovered stuck halfway up the box.
‘If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you…’
1 Corinthians 16:22-23
Moving away from Harry the crab, coincidentally( though never intentionally disrespectful for we named the crab on Friday), the Sunday papers carried a very prominent interview with the other Harry, our present Minister Mentor(MM), Mister Lee Kuan Yew(see attached link to article http://www.todayonline.com/Commentary/EDC100913-0000046/Days-of-reflection-for-the-man-who-defined-Singapore). I doubt many of the present generation(post 1980s) truly understood nor appreciate the great and miraculous work that MM and his like minded first generation of Singapore’s post independence leaders did in transforming us from the backwaters of a neglected and abandoned colony of the British, into a modern first world country
'Search for peace, and work to maintain it.'
Psalm 34:14
.
Antioch of the East some might like to believe we are. And a modern Moses we could be blessed with. But moving beyond these postulations, it has always been insightful to read the thoughts of this giant of global leadership.
MM shared about the angst of watching his wife, his lifelong partner and muse, suffering in her illness, which was more challenging than politics. And how only through meditating upon the word “Maranatha” that his Christian friend shared with him, brought him the peace to allow him to sleep. And the reason he asked this Christian friend was because he saw the peace and tranquility in this person’s life despite the loss of his beloved wife through cancer. Truly, the world must see Christ in our lives.
‘I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.’
Psalm 63:6
Peace and joy is what God promises to all who seek Him, and when does that lead one from being a seeker to believer and eventually follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, only God knows?
As my interest was pique, upon reading these comments from an avowed agnostic and secular man like our MM, I decided to look up the verse that MM mentioned as in 1 Corinthians 16:22 and before the word “Maranatha” which is an Aramaic word was the Greek word “Anathema”
“Anathema” was previously used to refer to being set apart for the gods. But eventually took on a negative connotation to mean being banished or excommunicated.
What about “Maranatha?” It means “our Lord has come or it could be as a request as “Our Lord, come”
And as MM himself mentioned, he has been told that there are various interpretations. From what I read on the web, if reliable, the two words taken together could be taken to mean positively as
“a gift set aside to God at the coming of our Lord.”
Or it could be interpreted negatively as
“one being banished and that the Lord cometh to execute judgment upon the sinner”
I am no Bible Scholar and in fact, I am not much into the intricacies of life’s many pursuits, so before we tripped over on interpretative nuances, lets come back to more simplistic matters of life and death and everything in between and what has it do with Harry the crab??
“Crab and clap” were two words ingrained in my psyche thanks to a stern but kind teacher when I was in Primary Six. I often tripped over my “r’ and “l” and so had to, in front of the entire class, endure a few minutes of practicing to pronouncing the two words right. Embarrassing it was, but on hindsight, Mister Lee my teacher(and I recently found out, was the dad of my ex colleague) did the right thing, to nip the wayward vocal bud at its onset, and I guess my issues of life is now no longer with the “r” as in “crab” or “l” as in “clap” but rather, to be sure that all these years of doing this word based ministry is no “crap” and that truly, your heart will “clap” in joy, as the Word of God ministers to you, as it surely would if it is from God and we will like MM, asked “God to come”
Harry the crab was also a very determined spunky chap. It relentlessly pursued the opening in its “prison” much as it has been quite futile. But is not life the same for many of us who seek with our all to attain that “financial freedom” or whatever seems “right” based on our finite understanding? And while many die disappointed, having never fully attained “utopia”, yet others who literally managed to claw out successfully, find that in reality, it is just another delusion and an elevation to a different set of struggles in this broken world.
It is no wonder peace and joy is near but never within reach.
'Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father Who is in Heaven...'
Matthew 10:32
Harry the crab died with its pincers fully outstretched, as if welcoming the Lord with open arms. As Christians, much as we also often fear diseases, troubles, loss of control and definitely death, the Spirit of God will teach, and minister to our very being and assure us that truly, God will give us peace on Earth and eternal joy in Heaven, and we must welcome His very presence with our arms and hearts wide open, always. This is what God will give us, when we begin to truly live out our lives as ordained by our Maker, to seek Him with our all and to live a holy and sacrificial life acceptable to God our Father
'in peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.'
Psalm 4:8.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(14th Sep 10)
‘Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.’
Proverbs 16:24
Sunday is a day of rest, and it was also yesterday morning that my son and I laid to rest, Harry, my son’s pet crab of four riveting days. A gift from my neighbor, it started with two crabs, but one just decided to huddle and depart in a hurry, leaving only the feisty Harry. And feisty Harry was, for it spent most of its time standing upright, trying to claw its way out of its less than glamorous plastic box. And this was no dumb crustacean, for it pushed and cut the slice of carrot, its food, to use as a leg up, into the centre of the box, for up there was the gate or rather promise of freedom, for that was where the gap in the cover of the box was. And standing on its “hind legs” its ability to pull itself up would have put many a soldier to shame and if not for the narrowness of the gap, it might have found its way to perceived freedom instead of being discovered stuck halfway up the box.
‘If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you…’
1 Corinthians 16:22-23
Moving away from Harry the crab, coincidentally( though never intentionally disrespectful for we named the crab on Friday), the Sunday papers carried a very prominent interview with the other Harry, our present Minister Mentor(MM), Mister Lee Kuan Yew(see attached link to article http://www.todayonline.com/Commentary/EDC100913-0000046/Days-of-reflection-for-the-man-who-defined-Singapore). I doubt many of the present generation(post 1980s) truly understood nor appreciate the great and miraculous work that MM and his like minded first generation of Singapore’s post independence leaders did in transforming us from the backwaters of a neglected and abandoned colony of the British, into a modern first world country
'Search for peace, and work to maintain it.'
Psalm 34:14
.
Antioch of the East some might like to believe we are. And a modern Moses we could be blessed with. But moving beyond these postulations, it has always been insightful to read the thoughts of this giant of global leadership.
MM shared about the angst of watching his wife, his lifelong partner and muse, suffering in her illness, which was more challenging than politics. And how only through meditating upon the word “Maranatha” that his Christian friend shared with him, brought him the peace to allow him to sleep. And the reason he asked this Christian friend was because he saw the peace and tranquility in this person’s life despite the loss of his beloved wife through cancer. Truly, the world must see Christ in our lives.
‘I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.’
Psalm 63:6
Peace and joy is what God promises to all who seek Him, and when does that lead one from being a seeker to believer and eventually follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, only God knows?
As my interest was pique, upon reading these comments from an avowed agnostic and secular man like our MM, I decided to look up the verse that MM mentioned as in 1 Corinthians 16:22 and before the word “Maranatha” which is an Aramaic word was the Greek word “Anathema”
“Anathema” was previously used to refer to being set apart for the gods. But eventually took on a negative connotation to mean being banished or excommunicated.
What about “Maranatha?” It means “our Lord has come or it could be as a request as “Our Lord, come”
And as MM himself mentioned, he has been told that there are various interpretations. From what I read on the web, if reliable, the two words taken together could be taken to mean positively as
“a gift set aside to God at the coming of our Lord.”
Or it could be interpreted negatively as
“one being banished and that the Lord cometh to execute judgment upon the sinner”
I am no Bible Scholar and in fact, I am not much into the intricacies of life’s many pursuits, so before we tripped over on interpretative nuances, lets come back to more simplistic matters of life and death and everything in between and what has it do with Harry the crab??
“Crab and clap” were two words ingrained in my psyche thanks to a stern but kind teacher when I was in Primary Six. I often tripped over my “r’ and “l” and so had to, in front of the entire class, endure a few minutes of practicing to pronouncing the two words right. Embarrassing it was, but on hindsight, Mister Lee my teacher(and I recently found out, was the dad of my ex colleague) did the right thing, to nip the wayward vocal bud at its onset, and I guess my issues of life is now no longer with the “r” as in “crab” or “l” as in “clap” but rather, to be sure that all these years of doing this word based ministry is no “crap” and that truly, your heart will “clap” in joy, as the Word of God ministers to you, as it surely would if it is from God and we will like MM, asked “God to come”
Harry the crab was also a very determined spunky chap. It relentlessly pursued the opening in its “prison” much as it has been quite futile. But is not life the same for many of us who seek with our all to attain that “financial freedom” or whatever seems “right” based on our finite understanding? And while many die disappointed, having never fully attained “utopia”, yet others who literally managed to claw out successfully, find that in reality, it is just another delusion and an elevation to a different set of struggles in this broken world.
It is no wonder peace and joy is near but never within reach.
'Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father Who is in Heaven...'
Matthew 10:32
Harry the crab died with its pincers fully outstretched, as if welcoming the Lord with open arms. As Christians, much as we also often fear diseases, troubles, loss of control and definitely death, the Spirit of God will teach, and minister to our very being and assure us that truly, God will give us peace on Earth and eternal joy in Heaven, and we must welcome His very presence with our arms and hearts wide open, always. This is what God will give us, when we begin to truly live out our lives as ordained by our Maker, to seek Him with our all and to live a holy and sacrificial life acceptable to God our Father
'in peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.'
Psalm 4:8.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(14th Sep 10)
Friday, September 10, 2010
In Spirit and Truth #12 Healing (9th Sep 10)
‘That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus….For he is our peace……’
Ephesians 3:12-14
The world around us seems to be increasingly disorientated. I took a quick scan of the earthquakes occurrences in this zappy Iphone application and it pretty sums up the reality that the ring of fire centered around the Pacific ocean is pretty vibrant. Not too sure if life is like one big jelly(as how the Kiwis who experienced the intense shaking in Christchurch describe it), but it does feel like we are standing on a wobbly water bed, and the cornucopia of natural disasters, job uncertainty juxtaposed with unreal asset price rises, and very real increase in cost of living coupled with a preponderance of illnesses and viruses does make one feel a little off center.
“I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.’
Acts 26:19
But peace and joy is what God promises and gives to those who seek Him with their all. But can one take the next step confidently, with our hearts and eyes focus on Christ the author and finisher of our faith, as the shaking intensifies? Christchurch is interesting, the infrastructure is in rubble, yet the people are steadfast in their countenance. Is that not what the church, that is, you and I the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ should be, for Christ is our Lord the Rock, much as the world shakes in greater intensity in the days ahead?
‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.’
Ephesians 2:10
Being a faithful child of God does not mean that no storms will come our way. In fact, it is likely that we will be exposed to the elements of this sinful world in even greater intensity, as the devil rages against us, yet God is our shelter, God will journey with us. We are never alone, and God will deliver, He will transform us, He is Sovereign.
Deliver is what we the imperfect human hope that God will do for us, according to our need and wants. Transformation is what God has planned for us, much as we might not understand nor fathom His ways as yet.
‘……and He said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His eyes, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians, for I am Jehovah that healeth thee…’
Exodus 15:26
Lately, it pains my heart to commiserate with friends who are undergoing health issues or have loved ones who are going through the same. Would not the Christian faith gain more traction and believers quickly, if the faithful us, could just pray and God will bring about healing. Indeed the prayers of the faithful avails much, but is this truly the will of God?
‘…with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord….’
…..And all they that were about them strengthened their hands….’
Ezra 1:5-6
Man looks on the outward, but God looks into our hearts. Man looks for the temporal(our present life, our present needs and wants) but God looks at eternity for us(salvation or damnation?).
Without being judgmental like the friends of Job, who figured that Job must have done wrong to be in his present woes, it is not for me to be the judge nor should I be the proverbial Sinbad rubbing the magic lamp, for God to appear to answer any requests we so desire, but rather, if asked to pray for anyone, to ask God what is His will for that person.
Healing must start with our inner being, for our problems are often the manifestation of what we have not done right with God or it could also be that God is refining the “white” us to even “whiter,” for no man is perfect.
‘The sisters therefore sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. But when Jesus heard it, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified thereby..’
John 11:4
There are times when one is miraculously healed, much as doctors deem it nigh impossible. And lives that witnessed such miracles do get transformed. But yet there are also many occasions, where the soul leaves the bodily shell, but beyond the emotional sadness, lives a deep conviction and assurance that God will place in both the departed and the surviving loved ones that God was there throughout this difficult journey, that God truly knows better and has indeed taken one’s dearest to a better place, a place where all who believed and seek the Lord will gather again in joyous reunion.
‘…Martha therefore said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. And even now I know that, whatsoever thou shalt ask of God, God will give thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again……though he die, yet shall he live…’
John 11:21-26
Be careful with what you ask for. If one were to reflect upon the many things that we have hoped for in our finite life to date, you will realize that many things that we pine for turned out to be quite a disappointment.
But when we learn to trust God and respond to His leading, much as we might not fathom nor agree with what seems to be against our interest or understanding, we will always be grateful that God never answered prayers our way, but His way, for His ways will always turn out to be much more wonderful than we can ever dream possible.
‘And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.’
1 Kings 3:14
This was the verse(an apt one) our good Lord brought me to as I asked Him as to what He would want me to pen this morning. Length of life is what most seek for, and yet there need not be a shelf life for all of us, for eternity in Heavenly bliss is what God promises to all who trust and obey. But the sad reality is most give their all to the temporal, and only truly pay attention to the fickleness of life, when troubles hit. And even then, God is still very much a genie in a lamp.
'There is a way that seems right to a man. But its end is the way of death.'
Proverbs 14:12
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(9th Sep 10)
Ephesians 3:12-14
The world around us seems to be increasingly disorientated. I took a quick scan of the earthquakes occurrences in this zappy Iphone application and it pretty sums up the reality that the ring of fire centered around the Pacific ocean is pretty vibrant. Not too sure if life is like one big jelly(as how the Kiwis who experienced the intense shaking in Christchurch describe it), but it does feel like we are standing on a wobbly water bed, and the cornucopia of natural disasters, job uncertainty juxtaposed with unreal asset price rises, and very real increase in cost of living coupled with a preponderance of illnesses and viruses does make one feel a little off center.
“I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.’
Acts 26:19
But peace and joy is what God promises and gives to those who seek Him with their all. But can one take the next step confidently, with our hearts and eyes focus on Christ the author and finisher of our faith, as the shaking intensifies? Christchurch is interesting, the infrastructure is in rubble, yet the people are steadfast in their countenance. Is that not what the church, that is, you and I the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ should be, for Christ is our Lord the Rock, much as the world shakes in greater intensity in the days ahead?
‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.’
Ephesians 2:10
Being a faithful child of God does not mean that no storms will come our way. In fact, it is likely that we will be exposed to the elements of this sinful world in even greater intensity, as the devil rages against us, yet God is our shelter, God will journey with us. We are never alone, and God will deliver, He will transform us, He is Sovereign.
Deliver is what we the imperfect human hope that God will do for us, according to our need and wants. Transformation is what God has planned for us, much as we might not understand nor fathom His ways as yet.
‘……and He said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His eyes, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians, for I am Jehovah that healeth thee…’
Exodus 15:26
Lately, it pains my heart to commiserate with friends who are undergoing health issues or have loved ones who are going through the same. Would not the Christian faith gain more traction and believers quickly, if the faithful us, could just pray and God will bring about healing. Indeed the prayers of the faithful avails much, but is this truly the will of God?
‘…with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord….’
…..And all they that were about them strengthened their hands….’
Ezra 1:5-6
Man looks on the outward, but God looks into our hearts. Man looks for the temporal(our present life, our present needs and wants) but God looks at eternity for us(salvation or damnation?).
Without being judgmental like the friends of Job, who figured that Job must have done wrong to be in his present woes, it is not for me to be the judge nor should I be the proverbial Sinbad rubbing the magic lamp, for God to appear to answer any requests we so desire, but rather, if asked to pray for anyone, to ask God what is His will for that person.
Healing must start with our inner being, for our problems are often the manifestation of what we have not done right with God or it could also be that God is refining the “white” us to even “whiter,” for no man is perfect.
‘The sisters therefore sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. But when Jesus heard it, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified thereby..’
John 11:4
There are times when one is miraculously healed, much as doctors deem it nigh impossible. And lives that witnessed such miracles do get transformed. But yet there are also many occasions, where the soul leaves the bodily shell, but beyond the emotional sadness, lives a deep conviction and assurance that God will place in both the departed and the surviving loved ones that God was there throughout this difficult journey, that God truly knows better and has indeed taken one’s dearest to a better place, a place where all who believed and seek the Lord will gather again in joyous reunion.
‘…Martha therefore said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. And even now I know that, whatsoever thou shalt ask of God, God will give thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again……though he die, yet shall he live…’
John 11:21-26
Be careful with what you ask for. If one were to reflect upon the many things that we have hoped for in our finite life to date, you will realize that many things that we pine for turned out to be quite a disappointment.
But when we learn to trust God and respond to His leading, much as we might not fathom nor agree with what seems to be against our interest or understanding, we will always be grateful that God never answered prayers our way, but His way, for His ways will always turn out to be much more wonderful than we can ever dream possible.
‘And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.’
1 Kings 3:14
This was the verse(an apt one) our good Lord brought me to as I asked Him as to what He would want me to pen this morning. Length of life is what most seek for, and yet there need not be a shelf life for all of us, for eternity in Heavenly bliss is what God promises to all who trust and obey. But the sad reality is most give their all to the temporal, and only truly pay attention to the fickleness of life, when troubles hit. And even then, God is still very much a genie in a lamp.
'There is a way that seems right to a man. But its end is the way of death.'
Proverbs 14:12
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(9th Sep 10)
Saturday, September 4, 2010
In Spirit and Truth #11 Hunger (4th Sep 2010)
Dear...
'Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be
My people and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole
heart.'
Jeremiah 24:7
This morning's newspaper had a rare special report on the phenomenal growth of
the Christian faith in present day China,from 2.5mio in the aftermath of the Cultural
Revolution back in 1966, to the present estimated 70 million. And this article
on the hunger for the sanctifying Spirit of God's love and peace in wanting
hearts in the now awakened land of the mythical Dragon King reminded me of my
unfinished business.
Back in the office, I had cobbled a yet unfinished sharing of this same thought
"hunger" that the Lord placed in my heart. It was meant to be an expansion of a
sharing I did with some of you last Saturday in our men's prayer meeting.
In that sharing, which I culled from the anointed preacher, Charles Spurgeon, in
his sermons back in the mid 19th Century, he called on all to have this great
hunger for the Word of God, to soak ourselves in the sanctifying presence of
God, for the Word is God, and God is the Word, then will we truly see the grace
of the omnipresent God.
'Magnificent obsession," this was the theme of the latest update from the
Antioch Mission, a ministry that seeks to share the Word of God to the
spiritually hungry in China, through the distribution of the Bible and materials
on the gospel.
Magnificent, I am not too sure, but obsession was the thought that crossed my
mind yesterday, as I surveyed the cold hard steel rooms, in my privileged guided
tour of Singapore's equivalent of Fort Knox( http://www.singaporefreeport.com/)
The Freeport Singapore, a new safe haven for the wealthy of the world to store their collection of art, wine,jewellery or even mundane gold bars. Being a quasi collector, I can understand the grip on one's heart, when one is enamored with the collecting bug and this hunger to acquire can often be an uncontrollable trait much as one might seek
to master what is truly mastering oneself.
Have we in the pursuit of the delusions of the devil, become enslaved to our own
lusts?
'Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him.'
Job 36:26
In North Korea, they do worship an idol, the present President Kim. And like all
good dynasties, the ailing Kim is now laying the groundwork for a handover to
the third generation of this dictatorial regime.
The Hermit Kingdom North Korea might seem to be, no different from the its once
erstwhile ally, the ex cold fortress of Albania. But North Korea was once a very
fertile hotbed of Christian faith, as the repressed and conquered Koreans
hungered for God, in the midst of repression by their Japanese conquerors. And
who would imagine that this fervency and steadfastness for God in the face of
intense compulsion by the Japanese to force their idols upon their vassal state
would be rewarded by the onset of an even more repressive communist regime with
the defeat of the Japanese after World War 2.
Do the long suffering present generation of North Koreans not know God any
longer, given the great lengths the communist regime goes towards suppressing the Christian faith and yet promoting the cult of the Kim family?
I believe in the foreseeable future, the world will witness the surfacing of
that vibrant seeds of faith that was suppressed but never destroyed and it will
spring forth bountifully.
Interestingly, on a side thought, the great evangelical spirit of the South
Korean Christian church, I do suspect emanates from the faith of the many North
Koreans who fled down South, to the American side of the 38th Parallel,
during the Korean War. God works in interesting ways.
'Behold the days come saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land,
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the
Lord....'
Amos 8:11
In the blessed lands of us in Singapore and HK, we often do take life for
granted. And it is indeed a miracle that just two person were injured in this
morning's severe Richter scale 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch New
Zealand. Has the choice of name for this second largest city in New Zealand
been its saving grace, for God did promise that when the shaking comes, those
who are steadfast in their faith will not be shaken. New Zealand, like much of
the Anglo Saxon world, started as a Christian nation, but is increasingly
secular. Yet, there are growing pockets of renewed faith and hunger to know the
Lord our God and would this experience today in Christchurch lead to a renewed
hunger to seek the only source of comfort and grace in the lives of many in this
blessed city?
'O Lord revive Thy work.'
Habakkuk 3:2
Unprecedented is the increasingly common word used to describe the predominance
of natural disasters that was once long consigned to memory. To many, the idea of death becomes a convenient lapse of memory, for what matters at hand is the attainment of the riches of the world, that the devil promised Christ, if only He will pay
obeisance to it.
But God is faithful and He wants us to veer away from the slippery slope to
eternal damnation, that the slithery snake, the devil incarnate is leading many
to, in their unfettered lusts.
'We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work Thou
didst in their days, in the times of old.'
Psalm 44:1
Our children must see the hunger in us for God, the blessed men and women of
faith , whom God in His grace has brought unto His light. In our midst of
plenty, lets not lose sight of God our Provider. For woeful it will be for us
and our children to thirst for God only when our world falls apart, as it surely
will, if we continue to malinger in our ways and malign God in our lives.
'....This day is holy to our Lord your God, do not mourn nor weep. For all the
people wept when they heard the words of the Law.'
Nehemiah 8:9
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
'Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be
My people and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole
heart.'
Jeremiah 24:7
This morning's newspaper had a rare special report on the phenomenal growth of
the Christian faith in present day China,from 2.5mio in the aftermath of the Cultural
Revolution back in 1966, to the present estimated 70 million. And this article
on the hunger for the sanctifying Spirit of God's love and peace in wanting
hearts in the now awakened land of the mythical Dragon King reminded me of my
unfinished business.
Back in the office, I had cobbled a yet unfinished sharing of this same thought
"hunger" that the Lord placed in my heart. It was meant to be an expansion of a
sharing I did with some of you last Saturday in our men's prayer meeting.
In that sharing, which I culled from the anointed preacher, Charles Spurgeon, in
his sermons back in the mid 19th Century, he called on all to have this great
hunger for the Word of God, to soak ourselves in the sanctifying presence of
God, for the Word is God, and God is the Word, then will we truly see the grace
of the omnipresent God.
'Magnificent obsession," this was the theme of the latest update from the
Antioch Mission, a ministry that seeks to share the Word of God to the
spiritually hungry in China, through the distribution of the Bible and materials
on the gospel.
Magnificent, I am not too sure, but obsession was the thought that crossed my
mind yesterday, as I surveyed the cold hard steel rooms, in my privileged guided
tour of Singapore's equivalent of Fort Knox( http://www.singaporefreeport.com/)
The Freeport Singapore, a new safe haven for the wealthy of the world to store their collection of art, wine,jewellery or even mundane gold bars. Being a quasi collector, I can understand the grip on one's heart, when one is enamored with the collecting bug and this hunger to acquire can often be an uncontrollable trait much as one might seek
to master what is truly mastering oneself.
Have we in the pursuit of the delusions of the devil, become enslaved to our own
lusts?
'Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him.'
Job 36:26
In North Korea, they do worship an idol, the present President Kim. And like all
good dynasties, the ailing Kim is now laying the groundwork for a handover to
the third generation of this dictatorial regime.
The Hermit Kingdom North Korea might seem to be, no different from the its once
erstwhile ally, the ex cold fortress of Albania. But North Korea was once a very
fertile hotbed of Christian faith, as the repressed and conquered Koreans
hungered for God, in the midst of repression by their Japanese conquerors. And
who would imagine that this fervency and steadfastness for God in the face of
intense compulsion by the Japanese to force their idols upon their vassal state
would be rewarded by the onset of an even more repressive communist regime with
the defeat of the Japanese after World War 2.
Do the long suffering present generation of North Koreans not know God any
longer, given the great lengths the communist regime goes towards suppressing the Christian faith and yet promoting the cult of the Kim family?
I believe in the foreseeable future, the world will witness the surfacing of
that vibrant seeds of faith that was suppressed but never destroyed and it will
spring forth bountifully.
Interestingly, on a side thought, the great evangelical spirit of the South
Korean Christian church, I do suspect emanates from the faith of the many North
Koreans who fled down South, to the American side of the 38th Parallel,
during the Korean War. God works in interesting ways.
'Behold the days come saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land,
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the
Lord....'
Amos 8:11
In the blessed lands of us in Singapore and HK, we often do take life for
granted. And it is indeed a miracle that just two person were injured in this
morning's severe Richter scale 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch New
Zealand. Has the choice of name for this second largest city in New Zealand
been its saving grace, for God did promise that when the shaking comes, those
who are steadfast in their faith will not be shaken. New Zealand, like much of
the Anglo Saxon world, started as a Christian nation, but is increasingly
secular. Yet, there are growing pockets of renewed faith and hunger to know the
Lord our God and would this experience today in Christchurch lead to a renewed
hunger to seek the only source of comfort and grace in the lives of many in this
blessed city?
'O Lord revive Thy work.'
Habakkuk 3:2
Unprecedented is the increasingly common word used to describe the predominance
of natural disasters that was once long consigned to memory. To many, the idea of death becomes a convenient lapse of memory, for what matters at hand is the attainment of the riches of the world, that the devil promised Christ, if only He will pay
obeisance to it.
But God is faithful and He wants us to veer away from the slippery slope to
eternal damnation, that the slithery snake, the devil incarnate is leading many
to, in their unfettered lusts.
'We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work Thou
didst in their days, in the times of old.'
Psalm 44:1
Our children must see the hunger in us for God, the blessed men and women of
faith , whom God in His grace has brought unto His light. In our midst of
plenty, lets not lose sight of God our Provider. For woeful it will be for us
and our children to thirst for God only when our world falls apart, as it surely
will, if we continue to malinger in our ways and malign God in our lives.
'....This day is holy to our Lord your God, do not mourn nor weep. For all the
people wept when they heard the words of the Law.'
Nehemiah 8:9
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
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