Dear…
‘Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.’
Romans 13:1
Does being a Christian mean that we throw out the baby with the bath water? Does it mean that we live and act like the Israelites who wandered in the desert, going where the cloud of God leads by day, and His fire by night, and waiting for His daily manna from Heaven?(Exodus 40:38)
Is being a Christian equivalent to a total shutdown of one’s intellect and sense of self survival?
But are we truly better off not following God, depending more upon our intellect and wisdom, and going to God only when troubles rear its ugly head, or when we our wants come a calling and is that not often enough?
‘He changes the times and the seasons….He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.’
Daniel 2:21
God is Sovereign. I know that. But do I truly believe and subscribe to it 101%? I am afraid not, for if I do, peace and joy should be my second nature, instead of the still very alive, but thankfully more insipid carnal reactions of fear, frustration, pride, anger, impatience, and all things bad.
Lately, like most, I feel quite hemmed in by this inability to better manage the financial resources that God has blessed me with. Not a very happy position to be stuck with next to nothing interest paying cash deposits, and quite afraid of buying propane driven QE(not Queen Elizabeth but rather Quantitative Easing) led sky high equities and properties and bonds for that matter. Much as many in the business seems to think that the road is strewn with very, very cheap monies and it will be foolish not to borrow to spend/invest it.
‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the Word of God dwell in your richly in all wisdom….’
Colossians 3:15-16
Taking time with our Lord is more than just a stress reliever, for His Spirit will speak to our very being and help us to realign our spirit back to His will, and our good Lord reminded me of two messages that He has impressed upon my heart these past few months
1. To buy gold as in our character that is refined by Him(Revelations 3:18)
2. To invest in His kingdom, in the lives of people He placed in our paths, to point them to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.
And indeed much as the logical behavior of many a prudent and wise dictate the necessity to flee from paper money to solid assets like gold, property, art and other real assets, to break free from the continued erosion of wealth, a direct result of the irresponsible or more like desperate attempts of the heavily indebted Western nations to defer the inevitable corrective consequences of past spending binges. The reality is no amount of gold or anything of the world will truly save us should the global economic system collapse, should this ongoing “beggar thy neighbor” policy translates into a full scale currency war and protectionism and other selfish actions with no regard for the greater good. And this is quite unlike the aftermath of the Vietnam war, where a few gold bars can buy one a passage out of a once repressive Communist regime, onto a rickety boat that prayerfully will survive both the elements of nature and the hazards of pirates, to reach the safe shores of holding countries, before being given asylum in the Western countries.
'..that the genuiness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it be tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.'
1 Peter 1:7
The global economic system will not collapse yet, but is more likely to morph into a less benign autocratic system of distinct continental blocs, than the present US centric and dominated model of the post World War Two years. In the midst of this reconfiguration, when big ships turn, the resulting cross currents and upheavals can be quite unbearable, and only a faith refined and built upon God our Rock will hold us steadfast and not the quantum nor form of assets that will preserve our very being.
‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying. Prove all things, hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it.’
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
The natural carnal instinct of men is to cling on even harder whatever things of the world that gives us perceived comfort, even if our circumstances take on a decided turn for the worse. As our beloved MM Lee was quoted in the newspapers on the recent bereavement of his beloved wife, home will now be one big empty house, but he believes that thankfully, at least he still has his work to keep him going.
With God, on the contrary, we are asked to let go of whatever straws that we are clutching and to let Him, for He is Sovereign.
Instead of hatching down like the non believing man, Christians must be different, we must start by opening our hearts to let the Spirit of God bring forth our spirit, the way God wills, much as our carnal mind thinks otherwise.
‘Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind by in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…’
Philippians 2:4-5
Strange as it might seem. In learning to look at the needs of others rather than ourselves, much as the latter might seem compelling, we are by our action, taking the first step of submission to the Sovereignty of God, and in doing so, allowing Him to help us break free from the vice-like grip of the devil upon our very being.
‘For it is God Which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputing. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Holding forth the word of life..’
Philippians 2:13-16
A lightness of heart, an uplifted spirit, the sense of peace and assurance will sanctify our very being. Our ‘problems’ might not have gone away, but as we look upon our present circumstances from the perspective of God’s will, His light will cut through the darkness once encapsulating our very being, and we will be imbued with that God given faith to deal with the day as it comes, for indeed the grace of God is suffice for the day, much as the day is evil enough.
'He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'
John 7:38
And now in answering my own question raised at the beginning of this sharing, as a believer and follower of Christ, wisdom is from God and we must not just keep it but let His Spirit refine for us as we seek Him in His Words and in His works. And in the same vein, being a Christian means we must work even harder with the gifts that God has blessed us with, contrary to the popular misguided belief that God is Santa Claus and we can just doodle while waiting for the oodles of prosperity that is due to us.
The difference is, as the spirit man, we work to please God, and not carnal men including ourselves.
Yet wisdom must work with and be led by the Spirit of God, only then can we break free of the unbearable yet in reality delusory burdens of this sinful world that the devil will surely place on the finite us, who seek to carry the cross of Christ in our daily living. And indeed much as God asks us to be like Christ, but He also promised that the cross will be light if we truly obey His command to us to
‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’
Matthew 11:28
We must spend our all waiting upon the Lord, not waiting for God.
We wait for God if we are unsure that we have been saved. We wait upon God as our responsive act of gratitude to attest to His saving grace upon our lives. And nothing that the defeated devil can throw at us should hold us back or hemmed us in from the freedom that Christ has bought for all by his death and resurrection.
‘I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,(which is) your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world, but ye be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God…’
Romans 12:1-2
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(6 Oct 10)
No comments:
Post a Comment