Dear…
‘He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him. He also will hear their cry and save them. The Lord preserves all who love Him..'
Psalm 145:19-20
Our good Lord indeed knows and cares literally about every strand of our hair. Shedding a few tears is always good for the soul(see below “Note to my mentors” for my reason for this latest few droplets). For indeed since I came to the faith as a determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, tears come easier, and tears have always been the release of self to let the Spirit of God minister and edify me.
And so, right after shedding a few tears as His Spirit ministered to me, I picked up the Daily Bread to read my devotion this morning, and the words of Matthew 5:4 (‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’), stared right out at me in a reassuring manner. It was for me as God always does in my moments of needs or joy, His reminder and assurance that much as He is Sovereign, He knows our limits and He comes down to meet our needs.
‘He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, …shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.’
Revelations 21:7-8
God not just assures. He corrects. For while it is natural in the imperfect us to still have lingering fears of death, much as we know it is eternity that one must work on, and that it is Christ we look to, and the only fear for all should be the fear of God.
‘The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’
Psalm 121:8
Should one be a “walking dead,” or a “living testimony?’ Strange question in the eyes of the secular man, for the dead does not walk, and the only testimony that the busy living is interested in is their worldly achievements. Today, the media reminded not just me but all and sundry that chronic diseases are afflicting not just a significant part of our population, but are on the rise not just in Singapore, but globally as it moves in tandem with rising affluence.
We are all but one breath away, that is reality. But most don’t give much thought to that reality nor the more important task of working on our salvation for the prize of eternity with God our Father.
I have for the past decade been a determined follower of the leading of the Holy Spirit, but it was still a little unsettling to be told that the “little time bomb” in all of us, in my case is more visible now.
'For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.'
2 Timothy 1:7
Should I not like most be overwhelmed by this fearful reality, and be consumed in my waking hours by the extrapolated thoughts of the what ifs? Thanks be to God, imperfect as I am, He prepares and provides. And in fact, I am truly thankful for His Divine intervention as shared below, for with knowledge of the situation, one can respond to it, with wisdom and most importantly in prayers. And on prayers, I know God is answering my prayers to grow deeper into the faith, and without going through even greater intense heat, the gold bought from God will not be perfected, for there must be less of me, and more of Him. And I know I got become even more resolute in my faith in our Almighty God. And on answered prayers, I know through this present experience, He has brought my beloved wife and children closer not just as a family, but in the unity of Spirit.
‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord bestows favor and honor, no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in You.’
Psalm 84:11-12
If God is answering my prayers asked in His will, should I not only be faithful for He is faithful, but response as a willing vessel to be used by Him to encourage and minister to others, for we live in a fallen world, where all ills, not just disease ravages many, yet salvation is there if only they are willing. And there is no place for fear be it of sickness or death or whatever the devil throws at us, for fear is the absence of faith. And I am even more determined to stay in the presence of our Lord, for faith comes from God.
'Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion...Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, Who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.'
1 Peter 5:8-10
“Heart to heart,” as the title of the new series #5 in this ministry of words. This was the thought that our good Lord impressed upon my heart as I lingered in the midst of the F1 induced heavy morning traffic. This sharing marks the end of this 4th series “In Spirit and Truth,”( see link (http://www.blogger.com/profile/17185441785316744893) for archive of not just this series but also the first 3 series, “Walking with our Lord,” “Running the race,” and “Reflections” as well as an aperitif mini series, “Sunday Snippets”). A journey I embarked upon last June, in joyful response to the Lord’s bringing me out of mine two weeks self inflicted spiritual depression, for my sinful heart then decided to take a break from God, and opened the doors to the spiritual attacks of the waiting devil. Yet, even in our imperfections, God will not just correct us, but bring us forth, and indeed these 71 shared thoughts of this series “In Spirit and truth,” has taught me that while faith comes from the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, spiritual maturity and transformation comes from a willing response on our part to not just stay in the presence of our Lord, but to respond to His leading, for only then will we experience the truths of His Living Word.
'On thing I have desired of the Lord. That will I seek ' That I may dwell in the house of the Lord. All the days of my life. To behold the beauty of the Lord. And to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His pavilion.....'
Psalm 27:4-5
Our life with God is a series of journey. Man looks for conclusions, God looks for obedience. The race does end, when Christ returns, or if God takes us home earlier. But in this journey of faith, as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in our sin strewn world, to follow well, we must be willing to not just have the Holy Spirit residing in us through our believe in the faithful God, but be determined to follow as the Spirit leads. To do that, our hearts must be at one with the Holy Spirit, where self matters less, others more, but God above all. Where will this new series "Heart to heart" brings us to? I have some inkling but the Spirit of God will lead and clarify as we move along.
A less than perfect heart I have physically, it matters, but what matters more is my spiritual heart. A dear friend shared a prayer of commiseration with me this morning, and with God, nothing is wasted in His handiwork, so let me quote from this prayer, which I believes, sums up this next leg of mine and prayerfully your journey with our Lord.
“Give me a loving heart so that I may always be grateful for your gifts and generous to those most in need.”
The CT scan showed traces of calcium deposits in my heart, an indication of the dreaded plague that can clog up one’s blood flow. But I believe God wants the world to see the loving ministering of the power of the Holy Spirit residing in the hearts of all who faithfully follow. An imperfect physical heart I cannot correct, that I have to leave to His grace and He knows what is good for me. But a loving heart that takes after Christ, we can work on by His enabling grace, for that is the privilege that God offers to all who are willing to let Him transform their lives and that of the people He will place in their path.
'O God, You have taught me from my youth. And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded. O God, do not forsake me. Until I declare Your strength to this generation. Your power to everyone who is to come.'
Psalm 71:17-18
God Blesses
Eng Hieang(22nd Sep 2011)
My note to my mentors
Dear Paul and Bunty
"Adversity is a plus" was the lesson I studied today from the "Heart of the Shepherd.'
And indeed God is always prescient. I just saw a cardiologist today, who confirmed that there is a 40% blockage of one of my main artery in my heart. And it was strategically located right at the key gate from which all others are connected. A Khyber Pass, if blocked more fully, it is to our Father's Home without doubt.
But thanks be to God, the ECG and treadmill tests that I took show no symptoms of a diseased heart as yet. And also a blessing that He send a dear friend's father who is a cardiologist who was kind enough to spend an inordinate amount of time to explain the situation to me and my wife.
'...For He Himself has said, " I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
Hebrews 13:5-6
This discovery of the unexpected came about because our Lord impressed upon my heart these past few weeks to do a CT scan, a very thorough examination of the heart.
In my normal annual medical, everything turned out excellent, and if not for the response to this prompting, I will never know that I have a potential time bomb building up in my heart.
The 40% plaque is permanent, but through proper diet, exercise and medication, can be contained to minimize further increase in the blockage.
But adversity indeed does increase my resolute desire to walk and serve right with our Lord, till He takes me home.
And as you rightly shared, in seeing His grace, I could speak both with confidence and empathy to people He has placed in my life, friends who are going through health or other issues.
'...He tested them, and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord Who heals you.'
Exodus 15:25-26
And God also clarified for me an issue that I have never agreed upon, yet found difficult to contradict. This popular mantra amongst the prosperity type churches to claim all blessings from God, including healing from diseases. It is true that we go to God with our needs. But it is more true that if one believes that God is Sovereign and that He works for our good, then would it not be even more correct to take time to understand and respond to His will, rather than to continue this relentless badgering at Him for what we want, instead of doing His will? He knows our needs, but do we know His will?
Thanks once again for your faithfulness, for indeed our God is faithful
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #70 Mind your language ( 17th Sep 2011)
Dear…
This week I had a chance to bring to flesh one of my childhood desires. To see in person the rich colors of the various natural history drawings of flora and fauna commissioned by Major General William Farquhar back in the early 19th Century Singapore.
At the National Museum, I asked for directions to the Farquhar collection(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goh_Seng_Choo_Gallery) this being the first day of the exhibition. One make new discoveries every day, and I only realized today that “Farquhar” was not pronounced in three syllabic but rather as two syllables. No wonder the receptionist gave me a strange look, for much as the world is increasingly used to having colorful language in mainstream media, I guess I still have the looks of a decent chap.
(see this link for the correct pronunciation to avoid the same grief like me. http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=farquhar).
“Mind your language,” some of the more mature breed might recall, was a half hour weekly television sitcom, set in an environment of an English lesson class for a motley crew of foreigners in good old England of the 1970s, and caricatures the various cultural stereotypes of other races (including a Mao little red book waving female Chinese resplendent in a green Mao jacket), in a humorous manner, though in today’s political correct environment, might not be acceptable any longer.( http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5377040251154974428 )
‘And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years…….and after that he must be loosed a little season.’
And on the Middle Kingdom, China is increasingly asserting its presence in our convoluted world and all of us are going to be impacted in bigger ways by the awakened Kingdom of the dragon king. And the haze that is upon us will only get worse, as China in her relentless surge to provide for the raised expectations of a billion plus Chinese scour the world for jungle land to convert into plantations to satisfy the appetite of these new voracious consumers.
‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’
Luke 1:37
If you cannot beat them, at least join them. For me though, this was not the reason that I have this week, finally resolved to really make an effort to improve my near still death Mandarin capability. A rather late response on my part to the Lord’s prompting back in the midst of the sub-prime crisis, to reach out to the Mandarin speakers of the world. An hour a night of listening to Chinese Hymns, audio Chinese Scriptures, general interest news in Mandarin and rounding it off with an online Hanyu Pinyin lesson taught by a Westerner and ten proverbs a day from my son’s early secondary Chinese school books. Will it turn me into a fluent enough speaker able to share the word of God without confusing my intended recipient? With God, all things are possible, and more importantly, it is not what or who I am, but to know His will and to faithfully respond. God has through the years moved me from perceived deficiencies into ministries that by my own understanding, I once thought not possible.
‘Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another…’
Romans 13:8
On that note, as I sat at a coffee shop indulging in a late lunch yesterday, I was approached by three heavily tattooed youths, selling key chains as part of the Yellow Ribbon week(to get society to affirm the once prisoners). These ex prisoners, as their badge indicated can be quite intimidating with their muscle bound tattoos. But they appeared more like docile deer in their approach to me and it was love for fellow men, as led by the Spirit of the Lord in me, rather than intimidation that led me to make a willing contribution. But that contribution led to another as the other two chaps pleaded for their first sale for the day as well. Were these truly ex prisoners or just con men? My antique dealer friend, whom I visited after lunch, and whose shop happened to be nearby shared this little wisdom that comes from age, he is older. Gangsters have deep pride and for them to stoop to literally begging strangers to buy their wares is indeed a humbling experience for them. I did not get a chance to practice my re-energized Mandarin, for these three chaps spoke good English unlike the common perception that the all "riff raffs" of society are uneducated, but I am glad to be used by the Lord to encourage. The cynical world might think that I am foolish, but love as led by the Spirit of God brings forth much and it is a privilege to be used by our Lord to water.
This week, many in Singapore are encouraged to pin the yellow ribbon on their shirt or dress, as a symbol of support for ex prisoners, to encourage them in their efforts to reintegrate into mainstream society.
The thought just crossed my heart last night. How many of us are in reality still spiritual prisoners of the devil much as in the natural world, we are walking free? And are we truly better off than the now freed prisoners of our legalistic society?
The truth hurts but rudeness is not language of my intention, and prayerfully, this is not a judgmental statement but rather, a realization of the reality that I myself have often re-entered the prison that Christ has freed us all from, by His sacrifice on the cross.
“Many Christians are either a prisoner of the future through worry or a prisoner of the past through guilt and un-forgiveness.” (quote from “School of the Shepherds). How true it is. To not trust totally in the Sovereignty of God, is to revert back to the waiting arms of the devil.
‘Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’
Psalm 139:23-24
I have these past decade, by the enabling grace of God learned the language of love, for God is love. I have like many who acknowledges our good Lord, experienced His love and sanctifying presence and I know God is present, and not an unknown god that the Athenians of Apostle Paul’s time worship.
Through the years, again by His enabling grace, I have been willing to response to His leading and have been privileged to testify to His grace in my lives to all of you on this mail list and wherever He places me. I have also learned that it is often in my weakness that I see with the greatest clarity the grace of God. That is why Christ reminds us to take up the cross for the burden is light.
Empathy, is the language the God speaks to us in. Christ came to be on Earth to take on the lowly form of man, to empathize with us, yet show by example a model of life, different from the sinful Adam.
Empathy is being able to recognize and share the feelings of another. When the Spirit of God falls upon us, our very being feels the love of His presence, that communion. I have come to learn that in professing our desire to serve God, we must be willing to allow Him to let us experience the varied circumstances that will challenge yet strengthen our faith. And in learning to let go and let Him, as we experience the trials yet His glory, will we then be able to understand and speak with conviction to the very hearts of people He places in our lives, as His Spirit ministers to them through us.
‘We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.’
2 Corinthians 5:8
This week, I received the results of my annual medical. Everything was great and I am still a decent specimen of aging well. But my heart scan showed some plaque. It could lead to future heart attacks if not dealt with. Nothing serious my doctor tells me, but an early warning for that is what the scan is supposed to do anyway.
Was I worried? A little but fear did not grip me long, for I do recognize that at age 50, our body must have the inevitable wear and tear.
‘Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.’
Psalm 90:12
But more importantly, I have come to learn that death is not the end all, for eternity with God is for us to take if we are willing. And be it 3 scores or 7 scores or maybe even a little more, it is not how many years in this temporal world we have, but how well we let our Lord enable us to use the time well in His service.
God always prepare us for what comes next in His plan. The night before my medical review, He brought me to the verse that Apostle Paul shared on the ‘thorn in his flesh.’ Yesterday, when I received the little news on the less than perfect heart, His Spirit reminded me that all of us who professed the faith, will have left with us a little thorn in the flesh, for only then will we truly see the grace of God at work in our lives, and not make the same mistake of many great man of faith who fell by the wayside when pride sets in.
And similarly the devil will try to shake our faith. At the clinic, I met a friend whom I have not seen for a long time. She told me if I was aware that her husband had a quadruple heart bypass last year. Yet she shared a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s grace in helping them discover the unknown situation. In my carnal days, I will be very worried to then be told right after that by my doctor on my potential heart condition, no matter how remote it might be. But God is good. He reminded me of the prescience of His ways. My doctor turned out to have a common link with me and this friend of mine. All our kids are from the same school. If God is for us, how can we not be joyful.
"Faith is not about changing the facts, it is to see beyond the facts to the promise of God."
( quote from "Heart of the Shepherd.")
I am off to see the Cardiologist next week for his opinion on this little film let of my heart. I am sure God has a purpose for providing this wonderful opportunity to meet up. Pray for me, for good health yes, but even better, to continue to bask even more in God’s Sovereignty. For difficult circumstances, perceived or real, gives us a chance to cling even closer to God. And in doing so, our faith will increase, for without faith, it is impossible to please God. And faith brings us back into total dependence upon the Lord our God.
'That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that periseth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.' Whom having not seen ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.'
1 Peter 1:7-8
Eng Hieang
(16th Sep 2011)
This week I had a chance to bring to flesh one of my childhood desires. To see in person the rich colors of the various natural history drawings of flora and fauna commissioned by Major General William Farquhar back in the early 19th Century Singapore.
At the National Museum, I asked for directions to the Farquhar collection(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goh_Seng_Choo_Gallery) this being the first day of the exhibition. One make new discoveries every day, and I only realized today that “Farquhar” was not pronounced in three syllabic but rather as two syllables. No wonder the receptionist gave me a strange look, for much as the world is increasingly used to having colorful language in mainstream media, I guess I still have the looks of a decent chap.
(see this link for the correct pronunciation to avoid the same grief like me. http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=farquhar).
“Mind your language,” some of the more mature breed might recall, was a half hour weekly television sitcom, set in an environment of an English lesson class for a motley crew of foreigners in good old England of the 1970s, and caricatures the various cultural stereotypes of other races (including a Mao little red book waving female Chinese resplendent in a green Mao jacket), in a humorous manner, though in today’s political correct environment, might not be acceptable any longer.( http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5377040251154974428 )
‘And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years…….and after that he must be loosed a little season.’
And on the Middle Kingdom, China is increasingly asserting its presence in our convoluted world and all of us are going to be impacted in bigger ways by the awakened Kingdom of the dragon king. And the haze that is upon us will only get worse, as China in her relentless surge to provide for the raised expectations of a billion plus Chinese scour the world for jungle land to convert into plantations to satisfy the appetite of these new voracious consumers.
‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’
Luke 1:37
If you cannot beat them, at least join them. For me though, this was not the reason that I have this week, finally resolved to really make an effort to improve my near still death Mandarin capability. A rather late response on my part to the Lord’s prompting back in the midst of the sub-prime crisis, to reach out to the Mandarin speakers of the world. An hour a night of listening to Chinese Hymns, audio Chinese Scriptures, general interest news in Mandarin and rounding it off with an online Hanyu Pinyin lesson taught by a Westerner and ten proverbs a day from my son’s early secondary Chinese school books. Will it turn me into a fluent enough speaker able to share the word of God without confusing my intended recipient? With God, all things are possible, and more importantly, it is not what or who I am, but to know His will and to faithfully respond. God has through the years moved me from perceived deficiencies into ministries that by my own understanding, I once thought not possible.
‘Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another…’
Romans 13:8
On that note, as I sat at a coffee shop indulging in a late lunch yesterday, I was approached by three heavily tattooed youths, selling key chains as part of the Yellow Ribbon week(to get society to affirm the once prisoners). These ex prisoners, as their badge indicated can be quite intimidating with their muscle bound tattoos. But they appeared more like docile deer in their approach to me and it was love for fellow men, as led by the Spirit of the Lord in me, rather than intimidation that led me to make a willing contribution. But that contribution led to another as the other two chaps pleaded for their first sale for the day as well. Were these truly ex prisoners or just con men? My antique dealer friend, whom I visited after lunch, and whose shop happened to be nearby shared this little wisdom that comes from age, he is older. Gangsters have deep pride and for them to stoop to literally begging strangers to buy their wares is indeed a humbling experience for them. I did not get a chance to practice my re-energized Mandarin, for these three chaps spoke good English unlike the common perception that the all "riff raffs" of society are uneducated, but I am glad to be used by the Lord to encourage. The cynical world might think that I am foolish, but love as led by the Spirit of God brings forth much and it is a privilege to be used by our Lord to water.
This week, many in Singapore are encouraged to pin the yellow ribbon on their shirt or dress, as a symbol of support for ex prisoners, to encourage them in their efforts to reintegrate into mainstream society.
The thought just crossed my heart last night. How many of us are in reality still spiritual prisoners of the devil much as in the natural world, we are walking free? And are we truly better off than the now freed prisoners of our legalistic society?
The truth hurts but rudeness is not language of my intention, and prayerfully, this is not a judgmental statement but rather, a realization of the reality that I myself have often re-entered the prison that Christ has freed us all from, by His sacrifice on the cross.
“Many Christians are either a prisoner of the future through worry or a prisoner of the past through guilt and un-forgiveness.” (quote from “School of the Shepherds). How true it is. To not trust totally in the Sovereignty of God, is to revert back to the waiting arms of the devil.
‘Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’
Psalm 139:23-24
I have these past decade, by the enabling grace of God learned the language of love, for God is love. I have like many who acknowledges our good Lord, experienced His love and sanctifying presence and I know God is present, and not an unknown god that the Athenians of Apostle Paul’s time worship.
Through the years, again by His enabling grace, I have been willing to response to His leading and have been privileged to testify to His grace in my lives to all of you on this mail list and wherever He places me. I have also learned that it is often in my weakness that I see with the greatest clarity the grace of God. That is why Christ reminds us to take up the cross for the burden is light.
Empathy, is the language the God speaks to us in. Christ came to be on Earth to take on the lowly form of man, to empathize with us, yet show by example a model of life, different from the sinful Adam.
Empathy is being able to recognize and share the feelings of another. When the Spirit of God falls upon us, our very being feels the love of His presence, that communion. I have come to learn that in professing our desire to serve God, we must be willing to allow Him to let us experience the varied circumstances that will challenge yet strengthen our faith. And in learning to let go and let Him, as we experience the trials yet His glory, will we then be able to understand and speak with conviction to the very hearts of people He places in our lives, as His Spirit ministers to them through us.
‘We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.’
2 Corinthians 5:8
This week, I received the results of my annual medical. Everything was great and I am still a decent specimen of aging well. But my heart scan showed some plaque. It could lead to future heart attacks if not dealt with. Nothing serious my doctor tells me, but an early warning for that is what the scan is supposed to do anyway.
Was I worried? A little but fear did not grip me long, for I do recognize that at age 50, our body must have the inevitable wear and tear.
‘Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.’
Psalm 90:12
But more importantly, I have come to learn that death is not the end all, for eternity with God is for us to take if we are willing. And be it 3 scores or 7 scores or maybe even a little more, it is not how many years in this temporal world we have, but how well we let our Lord enable us to use the time well in His service.
God always prepare us for what comes next in His plan. The night before my medical review, He brought me to the verse that Apostle Paul shared on the ‘thorn in his flesh.’ Yesterday, when I received the little news on the less than perfect heart, His Spirit reminded me that all of us who professed the faith, will have left with us a little thorn in the flesh, for only then will we truly see the grace of God at work in our lives, and not make the same mistake of many great man of faith who fell by the wayside when pride sets in.
And similarly the devil will try to shake our faith. At the clinic, I met a friend whom I have not seen for a long time. She told me if I was aware that her husband had a quadruple heart bypass last year. Yet she shared a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s grace in helping them discover the unknown situation. In my carnal days, I will be very worried to then be told right after that by my doctor on my potential heart condition, no matter how remote it might be. But God is good. He reminded me of the prescience of His ways. My doctor turned out to have a common link with me and this friend of mine. All our kids are from the same school. If God is for us, how can we not be joyful.
"Faith is not about changing the facts, it is to see beyond the facts to the promise of God."
( quote from "Heart of the Shepherd.")
I am off to see the Cardiologist next week for his opinion on this little film let of my heart. I am sure God has a purpose for providing this wonderful opportunity to meet up. Pray for me, for good health yes, but even better, to continue to bask even more in God’s Sovereignty. For difficult circumstances, perceived or real, gives us a chance to cling even closer to God. And in doing so, our faith will increase, for without faith, it is impossible to please God. And faith brings us back into total dependence upon the Lord our God.
'That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that periseth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.' Whom having not seen ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.'
1 Peter 1:7-8
Eng Hieang
(16th Sep 2011)
Sunday, September 11, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #69 Awash (11th Sep 2011)
Dear ...
I was a little hesitant about penning this, for to flood you with three sharing from last Sunday to this Sunday might be a little too overwhelming. But as the Spirit leads, I will.
Full of vigor you might think I have, but truth is further from reality. Drained physically is my present state. This sense of being totally washed out seemed to creep upon me as I finish my regular workout at the gym this Friday evening and raring fit I might not be, but I am no frail flower either and this inexplicable physical lethargy was a new and unique experience for me.
It was in this state of stupor that I immersed my very being in the nightly half hourly video lesson in the biblical course 'Heart of the Shepherd.' The lesson shared was on "The high ground of love,' and I must confess that while my spirit is willing, the flesh is weak and I find myself often transcending into the realm of blissful sleep. But thanks to our Lord. His Spirit cut through the miasma encapsulating my very being and left a thought though not searing, but suffice to re-energize me.
God is love. All of us are quite familiar with this fact. And for most, our understanding of the expression of love is one of unqualified kindness, gentleness and unselfish sacrifice. Such perceptions of what love means is indeed closely aligned with what Christ has taught and lived by example. And clearly quite different from the carnal world's misinterpretation of lusts for love.
'...to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.'
Ephesians 3:19
The finite man shows love by a series of actions. God pours out His love upon us to the point of overflow.
The love of God is expressed through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our very being. The sanctification that not just awash our all, but followed by this indescribable joy and peace that uplifts the spirit man in us, to a level of intimate communion with God our Father.
Is this what Heaven will be like? God by His grace gave me a foretaste of His empowering love that unforgettable night in Bangkok a decade back. And that infilling of His Holy Spirit upon me that brief few minutes was the defining moment in my till then tentative faith. I am what I am today because my very soul wants to respond to this great outpouring of His love upon me.
'The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners...'
Isaiah 61:1
God knew that the deeply insecure me needed that final push across the chasm of faith. I have never since experienced this same intensity of the outpouring of His love. He has also placed me back into the hard realities of terra firma from the bliss of Heaven. Imperfect I still am, but with this God imbued faith, much as time does make vague once deep memories, I have been able to grow from strength to strength in my walk with our Lord. And His presence and His love is ever-present but in more subtle yet equally impact-full ways.
'No man hath beheld God at anytime: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and His love is perfected in us.'
1John 4:12
God is love. And while the finite us will not be able to express love the way our wonderful Father does. In loving others the way Christ has taught us, God will use us as the vessel upon which the world will get a sense of Who He is. And He will place that desire in a fully watered but still parched soul to take that small but important step unto His presence, the spring of life. And in acknowledging the Sovereignty of our Father in Heaven, you will be sanctified by this great outpouring of His love.
'...because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you,"
Hebrews 13:5
'Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, bu grievous, nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby..'
Hebrews 12:11
Like me, there are times we feel tired physically, emotionally drained or even spiritually overwhelmed. And much as good meaning Christians would and should give you not just an encouraging shoulder, but minister to you in words and in works, there is but one important truth that all who know the Lord must remind ourselves of. Do cling on to the Lord our God with your all, come what may and you must wait upon Him. And in acknowledging Him, He will draw near to us and His love will awash us with this joy and peace that will not just strengthen us, but bring us strongly forth. God will not just meet our needs, but He will use you to meet the needs of others. And only in experiencing His love can you live out His commands to all who call themselves Christians, that you be willing and able to minister to the needs of others, much as our once carnal self and the deceitful world demands otherwise.
'He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.'
Psalm 147:3
Rgds n God blesses
Eng Hieang
(11th Sep 2011)
From love to hate
Much as happened over the past few days. Egyptians have ransacked the Isrealite Embassy, quite reminiscence of the Iranians occupation of the American Embassy back in the late '70s. The embattled Syrian regime are fully into the arms of their Iranian brethren, and what mischief will they do to Israel in the near future to bring about the Biblical fulfillment of the destruction of their capital, Damascus? Turkey is fast working hard on dispelling any lame duck notion of its namesake bird, and would the planned sending of warships to protect the flotilla bringing aid to Gaza lead a skirmish with Israel. And not forgetting the rebel rulers of Libya has amongst its rank, a notable terrorist as her chief of security.
With US fast relinquishing its role as the world's policeman, and Continental Europe about to seize up, once pent up hatred long subdued by repressive oligarchs in the Middle East, and prosperity that paper over long hidden xenophobic fault-lines in Europe, are springing forth.
What can a little love from us who know God do in this rising sea of hatred? Not much if it depends only upon us. But with the enabling grace of God, all things are possible. But the days are with us now, there is no room for fence sitting Christians. Either you are with the Lord, or you are with Lucifer. Do take time with our Lord for the times are now with us.
I was a little hesitant about penning this, for to flood you with three sharing from last Sunday to this Sunday might be a little too overwhelming. But as the Spirit leads, I will.
Full of vigor you might think I have, but truth is further from reality. Drained physically is my present state. This sense of being totally washed out seemed to creep upon me as I finish my regular workout at the gym this Friday evening and raring fit I might not be, but I am no frail flower either and this inexplicable physical lethargy was a new and unique experience for me.
It was in this state of stupor that I immersed my very being in the nightly half hourly video lesson in the biblical course 'Heart of the Shepherd.' The lesson shared was on "The high ground of love,' and I must confess that while my spirit is willing, the flesh is weak and I find myself often transcending into the realm of blissful sleep. But thanks to our Lord. His Spirit cut through the miasma encapsulating my very being and left a thought though not searing, but suffice to re-energize me.
God is love. All of us are quite familiar with this fact. And for most, our understanding of the expression of love is one of unqualified kindness, gentleness and unselfish sacrifice. Such perceptions of what love means is indeed closely aligned with what Christ has taught and lived by example. And clearly quite different from the carnal world's misinterpretation of lusts for love.
'...to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.'
Ephesians 3:19
The finite man shows love by a series of actions. God pours out His love upon us to the point of overflow.
The love of God is expressed through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our very being. The sanctification that not just awash our all, but followed by this indescribable joy and peace that uplifts the spirit man in us, to a level of intimate communion with God our Father.
Is this what Heaven will be like? God by His grace gave me a foretaste of His empowering love that unforgettable night in Bangkok a decade back. And that infilling of His Holy Spirit upon me that brief few minutes was the defining moment in my till then tentative faith. I am what I am today because my very soul wants to respond to this great outpouring of His love upon me.
'The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners...'
Isaiah 61:1
God knew that the deeply insecure me needed that final push across the chasm of faith. I have never since experienced this same intensity of the outpouring of His love. He has also placed me back into the hard realities of terra firma from the bliss of Heaven. Imperfect I still am, but with this God imbued faith, much as time does make vague once deep memories, I have been able to grow from strength to strength in my walk with our Lord. And His presence and His love is ever-present but in more subtle yet equally impact-full ways.
'No man hath beheld God at anytime: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and His love is perfected in us.'
1John 4:12
God is love. And while the finite us will not be able to express love the way our wonderful Father does. In loving others the way Christ has taught us, God will use us as the vessel upon which the world will get a sense of Who He is. And He will place that desire in a fully watered but still parched soul to take that small but important step unto His presence, the spring of life. And in acknowledging the Sovereignty of our Father in Heaven, you will be sanctified by this great outpouring of His love.
'...because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you,"
Hebrews 13:5
'Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, bu grievous, nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby..'
Hebrews 12:11
Like me, there are times we feel tired physically, emotionally drained or even spiritually overwhelmed. And much as good meaning Christians would and should give you not just an encouraging shoulder, but minister to you in words and in works, there is but one important truth that all who know the Lord must remind ourselves of. Do cling on to the Lord our God with your all, come what may and you must wait upon Him. And in acknowledging Him, He will draw near to us and His love will awash us with this joy and peace that will not just strengthen us, but bring us strongly forth. God will not just meet our needs, but He will use you to meet the needs of others. And only in experiencing His love can you live out His commands to all who call themselves Christians, that you be willing and able to minister to the needs of others, much as our once carnal self and the deceitful world demands otherwise.
'He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.'
Psalm 147:3
Rgds n God blesses
Eng Hieang
(11th Sep 2011)
From love to hate
Much as happened over the past few days. Egyptians have ransacked the Isrealite Embassy, quite reminiscence of the Iranians occupation of the American Embassy back in the late '70s. The embattled Syrian regime are fully into the arms of their Iranian brethren, and what mischief will they do to Israel in the near future to bring about the Biblical fulfillment of the destruction of their capital, Damascus? Turkey is fast working hard on dispelling any lame duck notion of its namesake bird, and would the planned sending of warships to protect the flotilla bringing aid to Gaza lead a skirmish with Israel. And not forgetting the rebel rulers of Libya has amongst its rank, a notable terrorist as her chief of security.
With US fast relinquishing its role as the world's policeman, and Continental Europe about to seize up, once pent up hatred long subdued by repressive oligarchs in the Middle East, and prosperity that paper over long hidden xenophobic fault-lines in Europe, are springing forth.
What can a little love from us who know God do in this rising sea of hatred? Not much if it depends only upon us. But with the enabling grace of God, all things are possible. But the days are with us now, there is no room for fence sitting Christians. Either you are with the Lord, or you are with Lucifer. Do take time with our Lord for the times are now with us.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #68 Seize the moment (8th Sep 2011)
Dear…
‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called…’
Ephesians 4:1
How is it possible to write about this same message of joyful surrender to God, week in week out for close to eight years? With God all things are possible and by His enabling grace, I am thankful that most of you, despite the inundations are still on my mail list. But as to when and how much of the shared thoughts you will read, do let the Holy Spirit lead you and may the thoughts shared, edify and encourage and most importantly, not just point you towards Christ the author and finisher of our faith, but encourage you to take that step of faith. And in doing so, experience for yourself the indescribable joy and peace in the very real presence of our Father in Heaven.
‘Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.’
Psalm 90:1-2
“Seize the moment” was the thought that the Spirit of God impressed upon my heart this morning, in my quiet time with our Lord. A mite inappropriate if one does not know the Lord, for I was going for a CT(Computed Tomography) scan, to literally cut my heart in 64 slices. And if one were to stretch one’s imagination and the word “seize’ to “seizure,” it is not exactly the most comforting thought especially with the recent report of the young New Zealander who died of a sudden heart attack while feasting on his steak, while in mid air.
‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’
Ephesians 4:22-24
What exactly are we asked to seize? Our sins have been forgiven, we play no part in that redemptive act of our Lord Jesus Christ. But there is a need for a response from us. Like most, when I first branded myself a Christian, the assumption is that “in taking the free gift of salvation’ that was it, and life carries on as per normal, only difference is I now have a direct line to God whenever I have needs and wants to be fulfilled.
The chains of delusion that Satan placed upon us have come off the moment we accepted the redemptive grace of Christ. But reality is, many of us still prefer to stay within the prison of our finite understanding, rather than boldly go forth as the Spirit of God leads us. Should we not “seize this moment” of freedom from the grasp of the devil and boldly move towards Christ the author and finisher of our faith. And be willing to let His Spirit transform us and renew our mind, to be the child that God wants us to be? It is imperative for us to move from self centered to Christ centered. In not doing so, we are still in the old wineskin, and are not just depriving ourselves of the joy of salvation, but will fall far short when the day of accountability comes with our Lord.
‘I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me.’
Philippians 4:13
Reticence seems to be the mental block that is hindering our willingness to move forth. Often, when prompted by the Holy Spirit, our finite logic takes center stage, and we recoil from our initial desire to move forth as led. I have come to learn that the Spirit of God always affirm wonderfully, but the pre-requisite is that we must first take that step of faith with no expectations other than to do what pleases our Lord. And that knowledge of what will please our Father in Heaven is gained through a diligent seeking of Him always and a willingness to love our neighbors as ourselves.
‘I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works.’
Psalm 145:5
Like many of you whose heart is desirous for our Lord, you will have many testimonies of His goodness in your life, much as circumstances are often challenging. Like the “parting of the Red Sea,’ God has by His grace and power opened the path for us to walk with surefootedness into His Kingdom, much as the devil and its cohorts(like Pharaoh’s army) seek to draw you back, yet they are near but never within grasp of us.
‘I lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth.’
Psalm 121:1-2
Look to God always. Look from His perspective. In doing, I have discovered that my old carnal self no longer takes predominance in my manner of dealing with issues that in the past bring much angst, anger and all negativity in my self centered and self righteous being. “Seizure” is what culminates for many who continue to live as the world, and sadly, it often translates into a breakdown of one’s physical, emotional or relational well being.
Even at that late stage, when your world collapses, you can still turn to God if you are willing, but why allow oneself to digress to that stage before one is willing to acknowledge our Sovereign Lord?
A few years back, God placed me with a rare opportunity with a friend on a long Friday afternoon, to share the gospel with him. My lack of familiarity with our Lord(due to the dearth of time I had spent in His words and in His works) led me to rely not on the Spirit’s prompting to speak to my friend, but instead upon my own understanding. And that understanding was the belief that this friend was not ready to listen to the good news of the gospel and better to talk about things of the world that interested him. This dear friend had a fatal heart seizure over the same weekend.
My regret is not that he was not a believer, but rather, in my not seizing the opportunity that God provided for all who professed the faith to be made ready, I lost the opportunity to share the gospel as empowered and prompted by the Holy Spirit. Would it have made a difference to my late friend in those split seconds of semi consciousness, where a heart that has heard of our Lord Jesus Christ might just say yes and be saved? I believe it will if the gospel was shared from a heart that was convicted by the Holy Spirit and moves in line with God's will. I was not then.
How many regrets should you have before you are willing to take up the mantle of a life of faith?
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(8th Sep 2011)
‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called…’
Ephesians 4:1
How is it possible to write about this same message of joyful surrender to God, week in week out for close to eight years? With God all things are possible and by His enabling grace, I am thankful that most of you, despite the inundations are still on my mail list. But as to when and how much of the shared thoughts you will read, do let the Holy Spirit lead you and may the thoughts shared, edify and encourage and most importantly, not just point you towards Christ the author and finisher of our faith, but encourage you to take that step of faith. And in doing so, experience for yourself the indescribable joy and peace in the very real presence of our Father in Heaven.
‘Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.’
Psalm 90:1-2
“Seize the moment” was the thought that the Spirit of God impressed upon my heart this morning, in my quiet time with our Lord. A mite inappropriate if one does not know the Lord, for I was going for a CT(Computed Tomography) scan, to literally cut my heart in 64 slices. And if one were to stretch one’s imagination and the word “seize’ to “seizure,” it is not exactly the most comforting thought especially with the recent report of the young New Zealander who died of a sudden heart attack while feasting on his steak, while in mid air.
‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’
Ephesians 4:22-24
What exactly are we asked to seize? Our sins have been forgiven, we play no part in that redemptive act of our Lord Jesus Christ. But there is a need for a response from us. Like most, when I first branded myself a Christian, the assumption is that “in taking the free gift of salvation’ that was it, and life carries on as per normal, only difference is I now have a direct line to God whenever I have needs and wants to be fulfilled.
The chains of delusion that Satan placed upon us have come off the moment we accepted the redemptive grace of Christ. But reality is, many of us still prefer to stay within the prison of our finite understanding, rather than boldly go forth as the Spirit of God leads us. Should we not “seize this moment” of freedom from the grasp of the devil and boldly move towards Christ the author and finisher of our faith. And be willing to let His Spirit transform us and renew our mind, to be the child that God wants us to be? It is imperative for us to move from self centered to Christ centered. In not doing so, we are still in the old wineskin, and are not just depriving ourselves of the joy of salvation, but will fall far short when the day of accountability comes with our Lord.
‘I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me.’
Philippians 4:13
Reticence seems to be the mental block that is hindering our willingness to move forth. Often, when prompted by the Holy Spirit, our finite logic takes center stage, and we recoil from our initial desire to move forth as led. I have come to learn that the Spirit of God always affirm wonderfully, but the pre-requisite is that we must first take that step of faith with no expectations other than to do what pleases our Lord. And that knowledge of what will please our Father in Heaven is gained through a diligent seeking of Him always and a willingness to love our neighbors as ourselves.
‘I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works.’
Psalm 145:5
Like many of you whose heart is desirous for our Lord, you will have many testimonies of His goodness in your life, much as circumstances are often challenging. Like the “parting of the Red Sea,’ God has by His grace and power opened the path for us to walk with surefootedness into His Kingdom, much as the devil and its cohorts(like Pharaoh’s army) seek to draw you back, yet they are near but never within grasp of us.
‘I lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth.’
Psalm 121:1-2
Look to God always. Look from His perspective. In doing, I have discovered that my old carnal self no longer takes predominance in my manner of dealing with issues that in the past bring much angst, anger and all negativity in my self centered and self righteous being. “Seizure” is what culminates for many who continue to live as the world, and sadly, it often translates into a breakdown of one’s physical, emotional or relational well being.
Even at that late stage, when your world collapses, you can still turn to God if you are willing, but why allow oneself to digress to that stage before one is willing to acknowledge our Sovereign Lord?
A few years back, God placed me with a rare opportunity with a friend on a long Friday afternoon, to share the gospel with him. My lack of familiarity with our Lord(due to the dearth of time I had spent in His words and in His works) led me to rely not on the Spirit’s prompting to speak to my friend, but instead upon my own understanding. And that understanding was the belief that this friend was not ready to listen to the good news of the gospel and better to talk about things of the world that interested him. This dear friend had a fatal heart seizure over the same weekend.
My regret is not that he was not a believer, but rather, in my not seizing the opportunity that God provided for all who professed the faith to be made ready, I lost the opportunity to share the gospel as empowered and prompted by the Holy Spirit. Would it have made a difference to my late friend in those split seconds of semi consciousness, where a heart that has heard of our Lord Jesus Christ might just say yes and be saved? I believe it will if the gospel was shared from a heart that was convicted by the Holy Spirit and moves in line with God's will. I was not then.
How many regrets should you have before you are willing to take up the mantle of a life of faith?
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(8th Sep 2011)
Sunday, September 4, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #67 Once upon a time (4th Sep 2011)
Dear...
'That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.....that ye may know what is the hope of His calling......And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe according to the working of His mighty power...'
Ephesians 1:17-19
"The Shepherd's ministry is to experience, and then impact, by the Holy Spirit, the revelation of the Lord." These are indeed wonderful words not just of wisdom, but experiential enlightenment from a half century journey of walking and responding in faith. I am not referring to myself, for being only a youthful 50, my desire for the Lord did not start from the day I was born, it took a long 40 years more. But rather, these are indeed Spirit led words shared by my mentors, Paul and Bunty Collins, who after 50 years of faithful service, are being used by our Lord to even greater heights, to shepherd the future shepherds in His Kingdom.
"Once upon a time" is the de riguer opening for most fairy tales that many of us were brought up on, though not too sure if fairy tales are in vogue any longer?
But the brutal truth of life is far from a fairy tale, and more inclined to a recurring nightmare for some, and for most a recurring migraine, for we live in a fallen world.
'I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise Thee among much people.'
Psalm 35:18
My mum will be 80 next year. But lately she is full of praise and thanksgiving for the mercies of our great Lord. Much as our bodily shell cannot shed away the inevitable wear and tear from the passage of time, she is gratified that our Lord answered her prayers. Our family doctor told her that she no longer needs to be on medication for diabetes, which is wonderful news having been subjected to this horror of horrors disease for so many years. My mum was a late starter in this journey of faith with our Lord, but in the last decade of her coming to the faith, our Lord has nurtured and transformed her faith, thanks to the faithfulness of my sisters and niece and her willing response.
'And again, "I will put my trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given me.'
Hebrews 2:13
As a family, I know God has wonderfully moved us closer in the spirit of unity towards Him. What about my neighbors??
Last evening, thanks to the efforts of my ex colleagues from one of my previous employ, we had our first get-together in 16 years, at least for me. And to make it meaningful, we spent time in a home for the aged located in the midst of a public housing estate. I have come to learn that whenever I have a sense of dread before an activity, where clearly activities of such nature are truly in line with the call of our Lord, in this case to love our neighbors, I must learn to submit and be a willing participant much as I might feel some discomfort, for God will more than show me His purpose.
'...Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do......'
John 5:19
"What do we do in a home with 26 old ladies?' Our good Lord reminded me that God is love, and what better way to be like Christ than to show genuine love and interest in till now strangers in one's life. I took the liberty of approaching the two lovely ladies (see photo) who happened to be the first who caught my eyes, and engaged in my "long left in the cupboard Hokkien dialect." To give is to receive, and indeed, much as I believe that not just these two new acquaintances of mine, but all the old folks and the youngsters which is the rest of us, had a great time and look how relax we were(see photo).
'By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments.'
1 John 5:3
This home we visited is run by a church, but not all the residents were believers. Similarly, not many of us who attended yesterday were believers. But love was the glue that kept everyone together, and love is a good start for God is love. A relationship built upon love will give both parties a reason to learn more about each other, our past, our present and our future plans.
As a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, I have experienced the revelation of God's love and the truth of His words many times. And I would love to share that story that He has and continues to write upon my very heart and it is more than a fairy tale, for the ending will not just be happy, but throughout our finite life on Earth and into eternity, if we are willing to trust in Him. And I will like to encourage whoever God places in my life, to hand over the penning of their life's story away from the devil to our Lord Jesus Christ.
These thoughts I have just shared, and in the realms of meanderings in the past 8 years, is not just my story, but yours too, for God is faithful and He has already written a wonderful story for your life, and it is for you now to lived out that story, by letting go and letting Him. And this is true, for you will experience what I and countless other men and women of faith have experienced, when we acknowledge Christ as the author and finisher of our faith.
And God is indeed wonderful in the way He affirms. Of the two ladies that I had the closest affinity to yesterday, one of them turned out to be from the same "kampung" or "village" that I spent the first 6 1/2 years of my life in. I was too young for her to notice then, but strangely I do remember her, once we cross checked our past. She claims to be a sprightly 93(though I think she is closer to late 70s) and a visitor to the home. No visitor has a bed with their name tagged on!!
How lovable these ladies are, shrewd as ever, and having a great time teasing "gullible youngsters" like us, and such simple fun are what gives them great joy, now that the long highway of life comes near to an end for them. Yet, it need not be, for death is not the end as the devil loves to beguile us all with that lie, for there is still eternity to work on. And on this, one sad misconception amongst many of us, Christians included, is the tendency to invest in the lives of the young and healthy, thinking that they have a life ahead that we can invest more productively in. Not realizing that Christ loves us all, and that while mortal life is indeed finite, there is eternity still to be worked on and we must not neglect the old or those who are not in the mold of the normal healthy child.
And indeed God always affirm in more ways than once. I also found out that this home was chaired by a dear friend of mine till recently. What are the odds of finding an old neighbor who one hardly knows amongst a bunch of 26 ladies and what more to find her in a home that one has a friend involved in, without my knowing till yesterday?
All things are impossible with men, but always possible with our Lord, for indeed He is the author and finisher of our faith and that is indeed the indescribable joy and peace that God bless the willing with
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(4th Sep 2011)
'That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.....that ye may know what is the hope of His calling......And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe according to the working of His mighty power...'
Ephesians 1:17-19
"The Shepherd's ministry is to experience, and then impact, by the Holy Spirit, the revelation of the Lord." These are indeed wonderful words not just of wisdom, but experiential enlightenment from a half century journey of walking and responding in faith. I am not referring to myself, for being only a youthful 50, my desire for the Lord did not start from the day I was born, it took a long 40 years more. But rather, these are indeed Spirit led words shared by my mentors, Paul and Bunty Collins, who after 50 years of faithful service, are being used by our Lord to even greater heights, to shepherd the future shepherds in His Kingdom.
"Once upon a time" is the de riguer opening for most fairy tales that many of us were brought up on, though not too sure if fairy tales are in vogue any longer?
But the brutal truth of life is far from a fairy tale, and more inclined to a recurring nightmare for some, and for most a recurring migraine, for we live in a fallen world.
'I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise Thee among much people.'
Psalm 35:18
My mum will be 80 next year. But lately she is full of praise and thanksgiving for the mercies of our great Lord. Much as our bodily shell cannot shed away the inevitable wear and tear from the passage of time, she is gratified that our Lord answered her prayers. Our family doctor told her that she no longer needs to be on medication for diabetes, which is wonderful news having been subjected to this horror of horrors disease for so many years. My mum was a late starter in this journey of faith with our Lord, but in the last decade of her coming to the faith, our Lord has nurtured and transformed her faith, thanks to the faithfulness of my sisters and niece and her willing response.
'And again, "I will put my trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given me.'
Hebrews 2:13
As a family, I know God has wonderfully moved us closer in the spirit of unity towards Him. What about my neighbors??
Last evening, thanks to the efforts of my ex colleagues from one of my previous employ, we had our first get-together in 16 years, at least for me. And to make it meaningful, we spent time in a home for the aged located in the midst of a public housing estate. I have come to learn that whenever I have a sense of dread before an activity, where clearly activities of such nature are truly in line with the call of our Lord, in this case to love our neighbors, I must learn to submit and be a willing participant much as I might feel some discomfort, for God will more than show me His purpose.
'...Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do......'
John 5:19
"What do we do in a home with 26 old ladies?' Our good Lord reminded me that God is love, and what better way to be like Christ than to show genuine love and interest in till now strangers in one's life. I took the liberty of approaching the two lovely ladies (see photo) who happened to be the first who caught my eyes, and engaged in my "long left in the cupboard Hokkien dialect." To give is to receive, and indeed, much as I believe that not just these two new acquaintances of mine, but all the old folks and the youngsters which is the rest of us, had a great time and look how relax we were(see photo).
'By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments.'
1 John 5:3
This home we visited is run by a church, but not all the residents were believers. Similarly, not many of us who attended yesterday were believers. But love was the glue that kept everyone together, and love is a good start for God is love. A relationship built upon love will give both parties a reason to learn more about each other, our past, our present and our future plans.
As a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, I have experienced the revelation of God's love and the truth of His words many times. And I would love to share that story that He has and continues to write upon my very heart and it is more than a fairy tale, for the ending will not just be happy, but throughout our finite life on Earth and into eternity, if we are willing to trust in Him. And I will like to encourage whoever God places in my life, to hand over the penning of their life's story away from the devil to our Lord Jesus Christ.
These thoughts I have just shared, and in the realms of meanderings in the past 8 years, is not just my story, but yours too, for God is faithful and He has already written a wonderful story for your life, and it is for you now to lived out that story, by letting go and letting Him. And this is true, for you will experience what I and countless other men and women of faith have experienced, when we acknowledge Christ as the author and finisher of our faith.
And God is indeed wonderful in the way He affirms. Of the two ladies that I had the closest affinity to yesterday, one of them turned out to be from the same "kampung" or "village" that I spent the first 6 1/2 years of my life in. I was too young for her to notice then, but strangely I do remember her, once we cross checked our past. She claims to be a sprightly 93(though I think she is closer to late 70s) and a visitor to the home. No visitor has a bed with their name tagged on!!
How lovable these ladies are, shrewd as ever, and having a great time teasing "gullible youngsters" like us, and such simple fun are what gives them great joy, now that the long highway of life comes near to an end for them. Yet, it need not be, for death is not the end as the devil loves to beguile us all with that lie, for there is still eternity to work on. And on this, one sad misconception amongst many of us, Christians included, is the tendency to invest in the lives of the young and healthy, thinking that they have a life ahead that we can invest more productively in. Not realizing that Christ loves us all, and that while mortal life is indeed finite, there is eternity still to be worked on and we must not neglect the old or those who are not in the mold of the normal healthy child.
And indeed God always affirm in more ways than once. I also found out that this home was chaired by a dear friend of mine till recently. What are the odds of finding an old neighbor who one hardly knows amongst a bunch of 26 ladies and what more to find her in a home that one has a friend involved in, without my knowing till yesterday?
All things are impossible with men, but always possible with our Lord, for indeed He is the author and finisher of our faith and that is indeed the indescribable joy and peace that God bless the willing with
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(4th Sep 2011)
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
#66 Running the race (30th Aug 2011)
Dear…
‘I have inclined mine heart to perform Thy statutes always, even unto the end.’
Psalm 119:112
Every morning, when sleep slinks away as dawn sets in, my first thoughts are what would be God’s will for me today, and my first prayers are that His grace will enable me to do it well. This desire to put God first is not just a good habit to start the day, but I urge all to make it your imperative. But much as I have got the priorities right(as in Psalm 119:112) in theory, have I in my daily living, truly believed and trusted the leading of the Holy Spirit enough to follow with my all, always?
‘Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.’
Philippians 1:6
Steadfast I must confess sometimes I am not. My excuse, we are only human and to boot imperfect. And as the Bible states, we wrestle against principalities and powers greater than us human form. Adam and Eve had the same excuse, which was not tenable as the Spirit of God was in them, but they chose to disobey.
Today, for us who believe, the Spirit of God has returned and resides in our hearts. There is no excuse for us not to know the will of God and no reason we cannot overcome by resting upon His leading. Issue is, the carnal us are unwilling to submit to the will of God, and rather choose to deal with issues from our finite understanding.
But God remains faithful, much as we often are not. And just last Saturday, I was reminded of His grace and ever presence in my life. A public service bus came barreling onto the back of my stationary car(see picture below), much as the driver should have ample time to stop. Poor guy, he was distracted and apologetic and showed real concern for my kids who were seated at the back seat of the car. Other than two gashes upon my already less than pretty car, thankfully there was no bodily or emotional harm to any of us. A non believer friend of mine when he heard about the accident said that I was unlucky. On the contrary, I count myself very blessed that the accident was not more serious and am thankful not just for that, but that the perpetrator was a decent man who just happened to be distracted.
‘For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’
Philippians 1:21
The need for self preservation runs in the psyche of all of us. And that instinct has often been the justification for the gamut of human indiscretions and follies. But is this self survival mode natural to us or in reality, it came about because of Adam and Eve’s act of disobedience?
The fear of mortal death still lingers over me like an unwanted specter. But by the enabling grace of God, the imperfect me has increasingly learn to look to His Sovereignty and that has allowed me to give less credence to the grip of death and its puppeteer, the devil upon my very being. Why mention this now? This latest bus accident reminded me of the whole litany of “what ifs incidents” that I have had the privilege to encounter in my half century in this difficult world. And truth is that we can be snuffed out in one split second with no willing participation on our part. While not in the same league as Apostle Paul, who has been shipwrecked, bitten by deadly snakes, beaten and thrown into prison and many more travails for the glory of God, I am sure all of us have “near misses” in our lives that thankfully was ingrained in our memory but not left us in memoriam.
I have been robbed twice, had a near loss of life twice over, once through drowning, the other as an amateur circus wannabe hanging out from the flung open emergency door of an old school bus staring into a headlights of a fast approaching taxi. I did not see the light of God then, but did felt a sense of peace. And not counting a professional executed slide on an oil slick and two incidents with the behemoths of our public transport, including the most recent. And if this little history is considered paltry compared to some, at least I had a couple of glass shattering events to enhance my record!!
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‘Holding fast the Word of life.’
Philippians 2:16
Would we rather hold on to what is a temporal life or should we not cling on to the Lord our God for eternity?
Seems an obvious choice yet why are many including professed Christians so oblivious to the fact that they are still very much of the world, with nay an interest in the leading of the Holy Spirit nor in the Word of our Lord?
We do not work for our salvation, but we must work on our salvation.
I am thankful that our good Lord gave me time once again to not just serve Him on earth, but more importantly, to make right what I might not have lived right in this present world. In the race of life that I am running(and you too), much as I by the grace of God has been recalibrated onto the right path, with our Lord Jesus Christ as my focus, and while I might not have the compound eyes of a housefly, my heart do often wander off and I run the race less well than the Lord knows that I am capable of. And till He brings me home, He is giving me and you time to walk or rather run right in His will.
“Running the race” was the second series in this ministry of Words, that I embarked on back in July 2008, in response to the Spirit’s on this sense of urgency as End Times intensifies(see link http://hieang.blogspot.com/2008/07/running-race1-from-ashes-16th-jul-08.html )
‘Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.’
Philippians 2:4-5
“Fissure” was the thought that came to my mind as one reads the result of the just concluded presidential election in Singapore. The faultlines are in place, if the voting patterns are any indication. And it will get deeper if all of us continue to judge at issues from our perspective, no matter how right we think we might be. And we are not just the Antioch of the East, many have equated us as the Israel of the East. Is this correct, only the Lord knows. But unity of Spirit is what the Lord wants in His family, unity of country especially a small country is essential for her survival.
As a nation, we have been blessed with good leaders and hardworking forefathers. We have run the race well, but will we continue to do so in the future?
I was also reminded of the prophesy that Rev Francis Khoo of Covenant Vision Center shared from the thoughts that the Spirit of God impressed upon his heart at the tail end of last year( see link http://www.covenantvision.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=268&Itemid=81) And about a prosperous city yet with great disparity in wealth, and despair amongst the have not, and disregard amidst the carnal revelry amongst the haves. And much as many continue in their lusts, not realizing the ominous clouds forming in the horizon.
A friend told me that he heard this thought that the next major financial crisis in the world will start from Singapore. Is this possible? We might have great aspirations(based on our many attempts to garner a quote in the Guinness Book of World Records), but reality is a dot is a dot. Yet, the world’s largess has increasingly come to us like never before due to geopolitics and the changing regulatory environment. It is also a growing trend where the purveyors of the world’s monetary liquidity, the hedge funds, are housing their operations in friendly Singapore. Something to be mindful of.
As Singaporeans, it is good to remind ourselves of what is the focus of our race? As Christians, it is imperative to remind ourselves that Christ is the author and finisher of our life. Are many of us moving off tandem?
Healing starts when we allow the Spirit of God to transform us. Fissures deepens when we seek to change others, be it through the political process or otherwise, instead of letting God do His work. We must no longer be self centered, but Christ centered. And in doing that, we will experience the joy of a self surrender to God, and to a willingness to look after the needs of others, and that is the race of a Christ focused life that all who proclaim to be Christians must run. For Christ is the author and finisher of our faith.
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(29th Aug 2011)
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
#65 In Spirit and Truth Curry flavor (24th Aug 2011)
Dear…
‘For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.’
Proverbs 4:17
“Curry” is a hot topic in Singapore lately, and it does help spice up the ongoing presidential elections. Think about it, with all four candidates with the common surname “Tan,” might be easier for food loving Singaporeans to tick the right ballot box correctly if they each ascribe a curry dish to their surname. Be it fish head curry, chicken curry, Thai green curry or good old Assam fish head(not really curry, but matters not) or even SanTan("coconut milk).
For my friends from HK and overseas, just in case you are wondering what is the fuss over “curry,” it is the latest symbol of local Singaporean’s resistance to this “foreign invasion” into our little red dot. Come to think about it, my grandparents including my mum were also once foreigners, except they ate Hokkien mee and char siew bao rather than Xiao Long Bao.
(see this link a dear friend sent me on Mr Brown, our resident comic commentator’s tale on the curry war
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhLozqBqPMk)
‘…How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.’
Matthew 23:37
The Kingdom of God is a sharp contrast to our present world. It is the only ‘place’ where all are welcome with no pre-qualifications including culinary preferences. God wants you in His presence, if you are willing to come unto His presence.
Singapore is a blessed land. We are at developed status and inevitably, we will be a magnet to new immigrants looking for a better life. Our forefathers did the same and should we now deprive this new generation of hopefuls? On a secular argument, it is always a moot point for all of us regardless of the spectrum of thoughts will start flawed and have traces of bigotry in us, Christian or not, for we all descend from Adam, the first disobedient man.
‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.’
Matthew 5:14
Indeed Singapore was founded on a hill, Fort Canning, where the Prince of Palembang, Sang Ni La Utama had his residence when he stumbled into our blessed land, long before Sir Stamford Raffles. But are we like the salt of the earth that have lost its savor, because we have become too enamored with God’s provisions and plain forgotten about our Provider?
It will be good to take time and hear the Lord’s perspective and respond to His will accordingly?
Singapore is the “Antioch of the East,” and small as we are, the Christian population in Singapore has been active in mission or in funding missionaries globally. But are we truly living to the full potential that God has blessed us with? And is God now bringing the harvest to us with this great surge of foreigners(easily a quarter to a third of our permanent population)? It can be disconcerting as has been for all of us, yet, will it not be good to remember the command of God, which is not just to seek Him with our all, but to love our neighbors as ourselves(Luke 10:27-29)
Mulligatawny, is a curry-flavored soup of Anglo-Indian origin made with meat stock that the old British colonials use to favor as a soup. Not just quite unpronounceable but at least for me not the most palatable. The aroma of curry does pleases me, but to have that lingering smell hovering around one's abode perpetually is understandably not the most pleasing.
But it would be pleasing to our Lord if we could by the way we live and speak, exude the fragrance of God’s love wherever He places us. An aroma that is so pleasing that many will want to know the reason for your faith, and take that first step into the presence of our Lord.
‘…Because God chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.’
2 Thessalonians 2:13
It is God Who will bring about the increase, that belief in your heart when His Spirit resides in the believer, but it is us He will use to encourage non believers to come unto His presence to receive the sanctifying presence of His Spirit.
‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world but ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that is good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’
Romans 12:2
It is God Who will now bring about not just a belief in one’s heart, but a renewal of the mind that will be transformed from the sinful Adamic understanding, to a mind that is in line with the will of God, a mind that fully knows the experiential truth of God’s will and is willing to believe and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.
It is again us the believers whom God will use to journey with others as they move from heart belief to a total experiential transformation of the once carnal mind.
These last two paragraphs is an explanation I just shared with a friend on what “Spirit and Truth” meant for me.
It is not a theological discovery but rather a personal understanding that prayerfully will guide you even as the Spirit of God teaches you on the truths that God wants us to know and respond to.
And on truths, God will shake the world as man continues to sin even more. This morning’s earthquake near Washington and its tremors right down the US East Coast including New York is new yet not unexpected. There is no place for men to hide except in the shelter of our loving Father. The recent legalizing of same sex marriage in New York and the continued web of lies emanating from Washington as they flood the world with even more paper dollars are just part of the continued move of disobedience that man have chosen to perpetuate.
Will the curry pot boil(“our world”) over as the heat of carnality in man intensifies, as more sins are thrown into this beleaguered world of ours? Only the Lord knows. It is good to ponder upon the implications should a major earthquake ever destroy both the seats of power(Washington) of the remaining Empire in our present world as well as the monies(New York) that fund this empire. Will that be the impetus for the ugly head of stagflation to fully rear itself, or will it need the accompaniment of an oil crisis in the Middle East to help this hydra monster roll itself out of its slumber?
It is imperative for us all to reexamine our lives till now, has it mirrored the will of God?
‘Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life.’
Luke 12:22
But rather, if Christ is not the center of your life, where will you be in eternity?
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(24th Aug 2011)
‘For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.’
Proverbs 4:17
“Curry” is a hot topic in Singapore lately, and it does help spice up the ongoing presidential elections. Think about it, with all four candidates with the common surname “Tan,” might be easier for food loving Singaporeans to tick the right ballot box correctly if they each ascribe a curry dish to their surname. Be it fish head curry, chicken curry, Thai green curry or good old Assam fish head(not really curry, but matters not) or even SanTan("coconut milk).
For my friends from HK and overseas, just in case you are wondering what is the fuss over “curry,” it is the latest symbol of local Singaporean’s resistance to this “foreign invasion” into our little red dot. Come to think about it, my grandparents including my mum were also once foreigners, except they ate Hokkien mee and char siew bao rather than Xiao Long Bao.
(see this link a dear friend sent me on Mr Brown, our resident comic commentator’s tale on the curry war
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhLozqBqPMk)
‘…How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.’
Matthew 23:37
The Kingdom of God is a sharp contrast to our present world. It is the only ‘place’ where all are welcome with no pre-qualifications including culinary preferences. God wants you in His presence, if you are willing to come unto His presence.
Singapore is a blessed land. We are at developed status and inevitably, we will be a magnet to new immigrants looking for a better life. Our forefathers did the same and should we now deprive this new generation of hopefuls? On a secular argument, it is always a moot point for all of us regardless of the spectrum of thoughts will start flawed and have traces of bigotry in us, Christian or not, for we all descend from Adam, the first disobedient man.
‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.’
Matthew 5:14
Indeed Singapore was founded on a hill, Fort Canning, where the Prince of Palembang, Sang Ni La Utama had his residence when he stumbled into our blessed land, long before Sir Stamford Raffles. But are we like the salt of the earth that have lost its savor, because we have become too enamored with God’s provisions and plain forgotten about our Provider?
It will be good to take time and hear the Lord’s perspective and respond to His will accordingly?
Singapore is the “Antioch of the East,” and small as we are, the Christian population in Singapore has been active in mission or in funding missionaries globally. But are we truly living to the full potential that God has blessed us with? And is God now bringing the harvest to us with this great surge of foreigners(easily a quarter to a third of our permanent population)? It can be disconcerting as has been for all of us, yet, will it not be good to remember the command of God, which is not just to seek Him with our all, but to love our neighbors as ourselves(Luke 10:27-29)
Mulligatawny, is a curry-flavored soup of Anglo-Indian origin made with meat stock that the old British colonials use to favor as a soup. Not just quite unpronounceable but at least for me not the most palatable. The aroma of curry does pleases me, but to have that lingering smell hovering around one's abode perpetually is understandably not the most pleasing.
But it would be pleasing to our Lord if we could by the way we live and speak, exude the fragrance of God’s love wherever He places us. An aroma that is so pleasing that many will want to know the reason for your faith, and take that first step into the presence of our Lord.
‘…Because God chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.’
2 Thessalonians 2:13
It is God Who will bring about the increase, that belief in your heart when His Spirit resides in the believer, but it is us He will use to encourage non believers to come unto His presence to receive the sanctifying presence of His Spirit.
‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world but ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that is good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’
Romans 12:2
It is God Who will now bring about not just a belief in one’s heart, but a renewal of the mind that will be transformed from the sinful Adamic understanding, to a mind that is in line with the will of God, a mind that fully knows the experiential truth of God’s will and is willing to believe and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.
It is again us the believers whom God will use to journey with others as they move from heart belief to a total experiential transformation of the once carnal mind.
These last two paragraphs is an explanation I just shared with a friend on what “Spirit and Truth” meant for me.
It is not a theological discovery but rather a personal understanding that prayerfully will guide you even as the Spirit of God teaches you on the truths that God wants us to know and respond to.
And on truths, God will shake the world as man continues to sin even more. This morning’s earthquake near Washington and its tremors right down the US East Coast including New York is new yet not unexpected. There is no place for men to hide except in the shelter of our loving Father. The recent legalizing of same sex marriage in New York and the continued web of lies emanating from Washington as they flood the world with even more paper dollars are just part of the continued move of disobedience that man have chosen to perpetuate.
Will the curry pot boil(“our world”) over as the heat of carnality in man intensifies, as more sins are thrown into this beleaguered world of ours? Only the Lord knows. It is good to ponder upon the implications should a major earthquake ever destroy both the seats of power(Washington) of the remaining Empire in our present world as well as the monies(New York) that fund this empire. Will that be the impetus for the ugly head of stagflation to fully rear itself, or will it need the accompaniment of an oil crisis in the Middle East to help this hydra monster roll itself out of its slumber?
It is imperative for us all to reexamine our lives till now, has it mirrored the will of God?
‘Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life.’
Luke 12:22
But rather, if Christ is not the center of your life, where will you be in eternity?
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(24th Aug 2011)
Saturday, August 20, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #64 Age of lawlessness (20th Aug 2011)
Dear..
‘I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.’
Acts 9:1-9
The rating agency S&P downgraded US Sovereign risk to AA from AAA and the markets went berserk like lemmings over the cliff. One day later and the Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke sheepishly indicated that the US interest rates will be kept low for the next two years, and the same lemmings try to do a kangaroo jump from the deep ravine that they so willingly entered a day earlier.
“When the truth dawns” was the intended title for this sharing. Man plans, God directs and the theme “The age of lawlessness” was deeply impressed upon my being and so here goes as the Spirit of our good Lord leads.
To be in step with the Holy Spirit, that is the command from God.
This morning, the Financial Times wrote about the possibility of the Swiss Central Bank pegging the surging Swiss Franc to the moribund Eurodollar, to try to stem the incessant flight to safety from the Eurodollar to the Swiss Franc. The thought just struck me. Is this the beginnings of the entry of the fiercely independent Swiss, whose Cantons are technically states within a State into the embrace of Mother Europe? “One Europe” is possibly coalescing into a reality with the independent holdouts like the Republic of Ireland, and eventually UK and Norway needing the protective embrace of a bigger ship in Mother Europe from the ramifications of the subprime crisis and its ongoing sequel or in Norway’s case, from the oil rush in the thawing Arctic. And if matters play out, Germany will finally get to rule Continental Europe including their arch nemesis, the dogged British, where their predecessors, Hitler’s Nazi Germany failed?
‘For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.’
1 Thessalonians 5:3
The thoughts above were written about a week ago. Since then I have been to Bangkok and back. And of course, the wealth destruction in the equity markets, after a temporary respite has resumed and gold continue its upward thrust. Where is the world heading some of us might want to fathom a guess? But what truly matters is we know that God is Sovereign, and Christ is Whom we must look to and be like. And God commands us to buy gold as in our character as refined by Him. To be able to stand firm upon Christ our rock, much as the world will intensify in its shaking.
‘….God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.’
2 Thessalonians 2:13
In June last year, the Lord brought me to start a new series entitled “In Spirit and Truth.” And it has been over a year since. I have in all my imperfections, faithfully wrote as He leads on the thoughts He has placed in my heart. Today, our Lord has clarified for me and possibly for some of you, the significance of this term “In Spirit and Truth.”
“2 Thessalonians 2:13” was the verse that spoke to me as I spent time with the Lord in my room at the Hyatt Erawan. This hotel, much as it takes its namesake from the Erawan Wat, a shrine that many of the non believing world flocks to for divine guidance and intervention, is interestingly where God chooses to lift the veil in my heart a decade back, and continues to be one place where He clarifies and guides me in my journey with Him since.
Knowledge is power, for that is what the world believes in and aspires to. It has its grounding in the disobedience act of Adam and Eve taking a bite of the forbidden fruit of knowledge. Our sins have not just been forgiven by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, but with the resurrected Christ, we are no longer under the bondage of death and the delusion of the devil. What remains then is a willing response on our part to step unto the presence of the Lord our God, for only then, will we receive the faith needed to keep us steady, even as the Lord transforms us, much as the devil will try to claw you back into its fold.
I know all of us who first believed have felt this peace and joy. This sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit who resides in the hearts of believers. And I am sure that we continue to experience this enabling grace whenever we take time to quiet our hearts and be with the Lord. But sadly for many, this is rare for you are rarely with the Lord.
“It takes two” that used to be the opening line in the song that the toothy twosome, Donnie and Marie Osmond used to open their show with. We are not partners with the Lord, but we must be willing to not just come unto His presence to receive the enabling grace of the Holy Spirit, but be willing to believe and live in response. This is the “truth” portion of the term “In Spirit and Truth.” For only in responding will we experience the truth of the Word of God, will we be willing to let go and let Him transform us.
‘And for this strong cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.’
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12
Delusion has been with humanity since the sinful Adam. It is just that the intensity and scale seem to have been ratchet up these past decade. And much as the world wants to believe in the delusions, deep in their hearts is this sense of unease that is now being translated into the lemming like behavior in not just the financial markets, but in the real economy, where businesses are buffeted with changes that are too dynamic for their comfort.
‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’
Hebrews 12:26
Time out from one’s daily routine has always been insightful for me, for it does give one time to be reflective, but more importantly to be still and know the will of our Lord.
'For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work: only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming...'
2 Thessalonians 2:7-8
Let me close by sharing a few observations(previously shared but now expanded upon) that while open to different interpretations, at least for me does point to “bigger things” to come. From delusion on a massive scale, the devil now has moved forth to expand into the arc of lawlessness as it encircles its grip on the world. But it matters not, for God is with us who seek Him with our all.
- A deeper debt quagmire
Extreme austerity measures and strong economic growth are necessary to pull the indebted Western economies out of the debt quagmire. Yet, the political will is not there. And increasingly, it looks like the lost two decades of a Japan like anemic growth is being replicated in the Western world. And as nations move to raise revenue, they are compounding the level of personal debt with countries increasingly looking at casinos and online gaming as a source of revenue. Indeed, a delightful way as the devil will wryly put it, to enslave the masses into a life of servitude.
- Great social divide
Is the UK riots a once off or a harbinger of the manifestation of the destitute moving from despondency to retaliation? The latest Business Week has on its cover, the title "Fascist Russia." Is xenophobia and white supremacy the route that many restless and angry youths will take and be harnessed no better than that of the youths of Nazi Germany? Difference is unlike the past, the web is now a potent and powerful force that has made impotent institutions of stability like the government and the police.
- The Middle East stirs.
The recent bus attack at the Israel/Egypt border portends greater troubles ahead for the Middle East. With its few friends now moving to potential enemies(secular Turkey to Islamic Turkey and dreams of a resurrected Ottoman Empire, with Egypt moving closer to the Islamic brotherhood, and with Jordan recently co-opted into the Gulf States, the latter historically bankrolling past Israel/Arab wars) and worse, an Israel that is morally corrupt and disunited, the days of a Middle East conflagration since the last one, the Yom Kippur war in 1978, seems distinctly nearer. And with the Arab Spring, the Syrians, the Libyans and a whole litany of traditional enemies of Israel would serve to have a diversion of a war to distract and unite their restless populace.
- The devil’s brew
If we believe that the devil is the ruler of our delusory world, it is natural that it would continue to keep the world intoxicated. And crude oil prices though in retreat from the global economic slowdown, is still on the high side. And studies have shown that as a proportion to GDP, crude oil prices are near the critical level beyond it, global economies will enter into recession. Admiral Mullen, the US military chief , when queried by Congress, stated that the US economy was the greatest threat to the nation's well being. Iran and presumably Putin would have cocked their ears, for any conflict in the Middle East will definitely cause oil price to take off from its present high levels, and oil being the life stream of the global economy, will kill off any hopes of the stuttering global economy ever recovering in the short to medium term. And with it, stagflation will rear its ugly head.
Much as I love to postulate and often find myself dangerously moving towards the edge of sinful man defined predictions, what matters is not the future, for only the Lord knows and He is in control. What truly matters is the need for a response from us all, to examine our life till now, and ask ourselves, if God is truly Whom we profess to believe in, is it not time to seek Him with our all? And not the inanimate man made idols that many take to be their refuge, be it yellow gold, or the peckish Swiss franc and our own pallor Singapore dollars?
'If you love Me, keep My commandments.....I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you.'
John 14:15-18
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(20th Aug 2011)
‘I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.’
Acts 9:1-9
The rating agency S&P downgraded US Sovereign risk to AA from AAA and the markets went berserk like lemmings over the cliff. One day later and the Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke sheepishly indicated that the US interest rates will be kept low for the next two years, and the same lemmings try to do a kangaroo jump from the deep ravine that they so willingly entered a day earlier.
“When the truth dawns” was the intended title for this sharing. Man plans, God directs and the theme “The age of lawlessness” was deeply impressed upon my being and so here goes as the Spirit of our good Lord leads.
To be in step with the Holy Spirit, that is the command from God.
This morning, the Financial Times wrote about the possibility of the Swiss Central Bank pegging the surging Swiss Franc to the moribund Eurodollar, to try to stem the incessant flight to safety from the Eurodollar to the Swiss Franc. The thought just struck me. Is this the beginnings of the entry of the fiercely independent Swiss, whose Cantons are technically states within a State into the embrace of Mother Europe? “One Europe” is possibly coalescing into a reality with the independent holdouts like the Republic of Ireland, and eventually UK and Norway needing the protective embrace of a bigger ship in Mother Europe from the ramifications of the subprime crisis and its ongoing sequel or in Norway’s case, from the oil rush in the thawing Arctic. And if matters play out, Germany will finally get to rule Continental Europe including their arch nemesis, the dogged British, where their predecessors, Hitler’s Nazi Germany failed?
‘For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.’
1 Thessalonians 5:3
The thoughts above were written about a week ago. Since then I have been to Bangkok and back. And of course, the wealth destruction in the equity markets, after a temporary respite has resumed and gold continue its upward thrust. Where is the world heading some of us might want to fathom a guess? But what truly matters is we know that God is Sovereign, and Christ is Whom we must look to and be like. And God commands us to buy gold as in our character as refined by Him. To be able to stand firm upon Christ our rock, much as the world will intensify in its shaking.
‘….God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.’
2 Thessalonians 2:13
In June last year, the Lord brought me to start a new series entitled “In Spirit and Truth.” And it has been over a year since. I have in all my imperfections, faithfully wrote as He leads on the thoughts He has placed in my heart. Today, our Lord has clarified for me and possibly for some of you, the significance of this term “In Spirit and Truth.”
“2 Thessalonians 2:13” was the verse that spoke to me as I spent time with the Lord in my room at the Hyatt Erawan. This hotel, much as it takes its namesake from the Erawan Wat, a shrine that many of the non believing world flocks to for divine guidance and intervention, is interestingly where God chooses to lift the veil in my heart a decade back, and continues to be one place where He clarifies and guides me in my journey with Him since.
Knowledge is power, for that is what the world believes in and aspires to. It has its grounding in the disobedience act of Adam and Eve taking a bite of the forbidden fruit of knowledge. Our sins have not just been forgiven by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, but with the resurrected Christ, we are no longer under the bondage of death and the delusion of the devil. What remains then is a willing response on our part to step unto the presence of the Lord our God, for only then, will we receive the faith needed to keep us steady, even as the Lord transforms us, much as the devil will try to claw you back into its fold.
I know all of us who first believed have felt this peace and joy. This sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit who resides in the hearts of believers. And I am sure that we continue to experience this enabling grace whenever we take time to quiet our hearts and be with the Lord. But sadly for many, this is rare for you are rarely with the Lord.
“It takes two” that used to be the opening line in the song that the toothy twosome, Donnie and Marie Osmond used to open their show with. We are not partners with the Lord, but we must be willing to not just come unto His presence to receive the enabling grace of the Holy Spirit, but be willing to believe and live in response. This is the “truth” portion of the term “In Spirit and Truth.” For only in responding will we experience the truth of the Word of God, will we be willing to let go and let Him transform us.
‘And for this strong cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.’
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12
Delusion has been with humanity since the sinful Adam. It is just that the intensity and scale seem to have been ratchet up these past decade. And much as the world wants to believe in the delusions, deep in their hearts is this sense of unease that is now being translated into the lemming like behavior in not just the financial markets, but in the real economy, where businesses are buffeted with changes that are too dynamic for their comfort.
‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’
Hebrews 12:26
Time out from one’s daily routine has always been insightful for me, for it does give one time to be reflective, but more importantly to be still and know the will of our Lord.
'For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work: only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming...'
2 Thessalonians 2:7-8
Let me close by sharing a few observations(previously shared but now expanded upon) that while open to different interpretations, at least for me does point to “bigger things” to come. From delusion on a massive scale, the devil now has moved forth to expand into the arc of lawlessness as it encircles its grip on the world. But it matters not, for God is with us who seek Him with our all.
- A deeper debt quagmire
Extreme austerity measures and strong economic growth are necessary to pull the indebted Western economies out of the debt quagmire. Yet, the political will is not there. And increasingly, it looks like the lost two decades of a Japan like anemic growth is being replicated in the Western world. And as nations move to raise revenue, they are compounding the level of personal debt with countries increasingly looking at casinos and online gaming as a source of revenue. Indeed, a delightful way as the devil will wryly put it, to enslave the masses into a life of servitude.
- Great social divide
Is the UK riots a once off or a harbinger of the manifestation of the destitute moving from despondency to retaliation? The latest Business Week has on its cover, the title "Fascist Russia." Is xenophobia and white supremacy the route that many restless and angry youths will take and be harnessed no better than that of the youths of Nazi Germany? Difference is unlike the past, the web is now a potent and powerful force that has made impotent institutions of stability like the government and the police.
- The Middle East stirs.
The recent bus attack at the Israel/Egypt border portends greater troubles ahead for the Middle East. With its few friends now moving to potential enemies(secular Turkey to Islamic Turkey and dreams of a resurrected Ottoman Empire, with Egypt moving closer to the Islamic brotherhood, and with Jordan recently co-opted into the Gulf States, the latter historically bankrolling past Israel/Arab wars) and worse, an Israel that is morally corrupt and disunited, the days of a Middle East conflagration since the last one, the Yom Kippur war in 1978, seems distinctly nearer. And with the Arab Spring, the Syrians, the Libyans and a whole litany of traditional enemies of Israel would serve to have a diversion of a war to distract and unite their restless populace.
- The devil’s brew
If we believe that the devil is the ruler of our delusory world, it is natural that it would continue to keep the world intoxicated. And crude oil prices though in retreat from the global economic slowdown, is still on the high side. And studies have shown that as a proportion to GDP, crude oil prices are near the critical level beyond it, global economies will enter into recession. Admiral Mullen, the US military chief , when queried by Congress, stated that the US economy was the greatest threat to the nation's well being. Iran and presumably Putin would have cocked their ears, for any conflict in the Middle East will definitely cause oil price to take off from its present high levels, and oil being the life stream of the global economy, will kill off any hopes of the stuttering global economy ever recovering in the short to medium term. And with it, stagflation will rear its ugly head.
Much as I love to postulate and often find myself dangerously moving towards the edge of sinful man defined predictions, what matters is not the future, for only the Lord knows and He is in control. What truly matters is the need for a response from us all, to examine our life till now, and ask ourselves, if God is truly Whom we profess to believe in, is it not time to seek Him with our all? And not the inanimate man made idols that many take to be their refuge, be it yellow gold, or the peckish Swiss franc and our own pallor Singapore dollars?
'If you love Me, keep My commandments.....I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you.'
John 14:15-18
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(20th Aug 2011)
Monday, August 8, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #63 All that is brittle (8th Aug 2011)
Dear...
‘More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold.’
Psalm 19:10
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Much as I know the will of God much better now, I must confess that I am still far from a man of complete faith in my response. Belief, is the bridge that will bring us across to the life that God wants us to live, away from the finite man we are. But it is a bridge that is like those we see in the Indiana Jones movies, a swinging rope type bridge that sways not just with the elements, but our own tentative fearful steps, as we walk across the deep chasm.
Gold is what attracts most today. Just a couple of days back, I finally brought home a half oz gold coin for my son, a co investor in this golden endeavor, to chew on. Either he has watched too many B grade movies or his distrust of governments have translated into that for his dear old dad as well, for he wanted to bite on the gold coin to test its hardness and prayerfully, intrinsic content to ensure that it is not a gold colored chocolate.
Hard to fault him on his lesser faith, given that this was a kangaroo half oz from Australia, and the poor marsupial has lent its namesake to one too many scams. And not forgetting that once true blue governments are a lot less trustworthy than normal.
‘A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.’
Proverbs 16:9
Some might have remembered I shared about my near moment of madness in almost committing to a very expensive apartment back in Jan this year. And as a dutiful believer, I did ask God for a few brief seconds as to the correctness of the decision, and felt the peace, though on hindsight, it was more an adrenalin rush in the head that make me giddy, rather than genuine peace of the heart. But God knows our limits, and as shared in the previous sharing, He will divinely intervene to keep us safe from temptations including ourselves. And having been shaken out of my delusion that morning, our good Lord impressed upon my heart, the same night, this deep sense on the need to prepare for an “oil shock.”
‘They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed, their silver and their gold shall not deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord….’
Ezekiel 7:19
It has been seven months since that heady day. And on reflection the only two things that I felt was the appropriate response to the Spirit's leading to this coming “oil shock,” turned out to be right. And every other investments that I have made since based on my own understanding have been off the mark.
Buying paper gold(something I have not done since my last purchase of physical gold at usd750/oz in response to the Spirit’s leading 3 years earlier) and shorting the S&P stock index(taking a view that the US stock markets will fall significantly) was the responses I took, not entirely illogical but definitely not what I would have done at that point in Jan 2011, if based on my own understanding.
If you sense that I am moving to the “prosperity message” then you are only quarter right. I believe God will prosper the faithful, but not in the narrow definition of what many a misguided flock have been led awry on. It is richness of a life lived walking in faith with our Lord in all circumstances, and not the riches of a worldly life (that brings with it the angst and destruction of one’s soul that the devil tried to lure our Lord Jesus Christ with) that God will bless the willing with.
God knows our needs in this difficult world, and He will and has provided. And for those who are willing to be used by Him to shepherd the flock, He will more than provide us with the means, but are you using well what He has has blessed you with? Monies does help to move things in this sinful world, but the means of achieving it and dispensing it must be led by the Lord and not in co-partnership with us. We are the instrument that the Lord uses, but we are not the co-driver, much as we often like to believe so.
'For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God....'
1 Corinthians 3:19
Is this a correct conclusion? That we move only when the Spirit moves us, and not otherwise? It is very difficult for all of us, who have this fruit of the knowledge imbibed in us, thanks to the sinful Adam. I struggle often and being in the business of financial investments, I guess I am a little more regularly exposed to the twin fork roads of decision making, than most. And to be honest, like Jacob the shrewd and worldly man, I often wrestle with the Lord and the logic of His ways, much as I know His will.
‘He must increase, but I must decrease’
John 3:30
Gold today reached a high of US$1707/oz. This was just past the level that I felt God impressed upon me a couple of months back as the level to sell. Madness it might seem to many including professed Christians. Does God really speak with such precision? I have come to learn that He does show us clearly His will at His timing, not at our asking. Question and struggle for me has always been the willingness to response in total belief and obedience. Am I prepared to put aside my wisdom and do as the Lord leads, much as it might not seem logical?
I sold my gold at US$1620/oz exactly a week ago, after a momentous struggle to hang on. Once again, I have disobeyed, and have deprived others whom God want me to bless with these provisions because of my imperfect and brittle faith.
‘But He knows the way that I take,, when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.’
Job 23:10
Where are the financial markets heading? I might have some inkling. But that matters less. I believe that God has shown me the level to take the profit on my short S&P. It is another 11.6% further fall in the market.
Does this make me sound like that those false prophets that appear with daily regularity in the financial news? If it is so, I am afraid you will be disappointed for I really have no idea. But I do know the impressions that God has placed upon my heart and till He shows me otherwise, I must obey and this is the level that I have placed to take out my present position.
‘More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold.’
Psalm 19:10
And here lies the key point that many of us missed. God will use anointed man of faith to speak to us. However, our relationship with Him is an unique and personal one, and such pointers are to help encourage us to look towards Him, as He transforms us. And as to God’s specific approach to refine us in His likeness, only He knows and He will show you and it is God we must look to and not man, no matter how anointed they are.
'...Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.'
Hebrews 12:26-27
Man look for riches of the world and hanker after brittle gold in such times of insecurity.
God wants to give us a richness of life grounded upon our Lord Jesus Christ, that will be unshakable regardless of circumstances. This is the gold as refined by God that we must seek to buy, as the End Times intensify. And the world around us will shake even more, be it the beginnings of collapses of countries, in an intensity and magnitude that will be greater than that experienced during the sub prime crisis when collapses were at the corporate level. The world will not come to an end till Christ returns, but it will be an increasingly unbearable and uncertain world that we are living in.
'Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever.'
Hebrews 13:8
'For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.'
1 Corinthians 13:8
The imperfect me is still learning to follow in total obedience, much as I have come to know His will. God is faithful. Just as I was doing my quiet time this evening, He brought me to lesson number 15 "The sure thing" in my course "The Heart of the Shepherd." The author shared about her own act of disobedience much as she knew without doubt, the instructions God has given her. Yet, God remains faithful much as she erred. But with a heart that in all her imperfections still seek after the Lord, she did not allow sin to creep in too long and in her repentance, God provided and her faith grew. This is what I am going through now as shared today, and this might be what many of you who love the Lord are going through. And for those who have not embarked on this journey to seek our Lord with your all, time is short and the need to "buy gold" as in our imperfect character being refined by God is of the utmost urgency, for the storms are fast building up, and no one can stand steadfast unless our Lord Jesus Christ is their foundation.
'But he that heareth and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell and the ruin of that house was great.'
Luke 6:49
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(8th Aug 2011)
‘More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold.’
Psalm 19:10
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Much as I know the will of God much better now, I must confess that I am still far from a man of complete faith in my response. Belief, is the bridge that will bring us across to the life that God wants us to live, away from the finite man we are. But it is a bridge that is like those we see in the Indiana Jones movies, a swinging rope type bridge that sways not just with the elements, but our own tentative fearful steps, as we walk across the deep chasm.
Gold is what attracts most today. Just a couple of days back, I finally brought home a half oz gold coin for my son, a co investor in this golden endeavor, to chew on. Either he has watched too many B grade movies or his distrust of governments have translated into that for his dear old dad as well, for he wanted to bite on the gold coin to test its hardness and prayerfully, intrinsic content to ensure that it is not a gold colored chocolate.
Hard to fault him on his lesser faith, given that this was a kangaroo half oz from Australia, and the poor marsupial has lent its namesake to one too many scams. And not forgetting that once true blue governments are a lot less trustworthy than normal.
‘A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.’
Proverbs 16:9
Some might have remembered I shared about my near moment of madness in almost committing to a very expensive apartment back in Jan this year. And as a dutiful believer, I did ask God for a few brief seconds as to the correctness of the decision, and felt the peace, though on hindsight, it was more an adrenalin rush in the head that make me giddy, rather than genuine peace of the heart. But God knows our limits, and as shared in the previous sharing, He will divinely intervene to keep us safe from temptations including ourselves. And having been shaken out of my delusion that morning, our good Lord impressed upon my heart, the same night, this deep sense on the need to prepare for an “oil shock.”
‘They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed, their silver and their gold shall not deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord….’
Ezekiel 7:19
It has been seven months since that heady day. And on reflection the only two things that I felt was the appropriate response to the Spirit's leading to this coming “oil shock,” turned out to be right. And every other investments that I have made since based on my own understanding have been off the mark.
Buying paper gold(something I have not done since my last purchase of physical gold at usd750/oz in response to the Spirit’s leading 3 years earlier) and shorting the S&P stock index(taking a view that the US stock markets will fall significantly) was the responses I took, not entirely illogical but definitely not what I would have done at that point in Jan 2011, if based on my own understanding.
If you sense that I am moving to the “prosperity message” then you are only quarter right. I believe God will prosper the faithful, but not in the narrow definition of what many a misguided flock have been led awry on. It is richness of a life lived walking in faith with our Lord in all circumstances, and not the riches of a worldly life (that brings with it the angst and destruction of one’s soul that the devil tried to lure our Lord Jesus Christ with) that God will bless the willing with.
God knows our needs in this difficult world, and He will and has provided. And for those who are willing to be used by Him to shepherd the flock, He will more than provide us with the means, but are you using well what He has has blessed you with? Monies does help to move things in this sinful world, but the means of achieving it and dispensing it must be led by the Lord and not in co-partnership with us. We are the instrument that the Lord uses, but we are not the co-driver, much as we often like to believe so.
'For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God....'
1 Corinthians 3:19
Is this a correct conclusion? That we move only when the Spirit moves us, and not otherwise? It is very difficult for all of us, who have this fruit of the knowledge imbibed in us, thanks to the sinful Adam. I struggle often and being in the business of financial investments, I guess I am a little more regularly exposed to the twin fork roads of decision making, than most. And to be honest, like Jacob the shrewd and worldly man, I often wrestle with the Lord and the logic of His ways, much as I know His will.
‘He must increase, but I must decrease’
John 3:30
Gold today reached a high of US$1707/oz. This was just past the level that I felt God impressed upon me a couple of months back as the level to sell. Madness it might seem to many including professed Christians. Does God really speak with such precision? I have come to learn that He does show us clearly His will at His timing, not at our asking. Question and struggle for me has always been the willingness to response in total belief and obedience. Am I prepared to put aside my wisdom and do as the Lord leads, much as it might not seem logical?
I sold my gold at US$1620/oz exactly a week ago, after a momentous struggle to hang on. Once again, I have disobeyed, and have deprived others whom God want me to bless with these provisions because of my imperfect and brittle faith.
‘But He knows the way that I take,, when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.’
Job 23:10
Where are the financial markets heading? I might have some inkling. But that matters less. I believe that God has shown me the level to take the profit on my short S&P. It is another 11.6% further fall in the market.
Does this make me sound like that those false prophets that appear with daily regularity in the financial news? If it is so, I am afraid you will be disappointed for I really have no idea. But I do know the impressions that God has placed upon my heart and till He shows me otherwise, I must obey and this is the level that I have placed to take out my present position.
‘More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold.’
Psalm 19:10
And here lies the key point that many of us missed. God will use anointed man of faith to speak to us. However, our relationship with Him is an unique and personal one, and such pointers are to help encourage us to look towards Him, as He transforms us. And as to God’s specific approach to refine us in His likeness, only He knows and He will show you and it is God we must look to and not man, no matter how anointed they are.
'...Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.'
Hebrews 12:26-27
Man look for riches of the world and hanker after brittle gold in such times of insecurity.
God wants to give us a richness of life grounded upon our Lord Jesus Christ, that will be unshakable regardless of circumstances. This is the gold as refined by God that we must seek to buy, as the End Times intensify. And the world around us will shake even more, be it the beginnings of collapses of countries, in an intensity and magnitude that will be greater than that experienced during the sub prime crisis when collapses were at the corporate level. The world will not come to an end till Christ returns, but it will be an increasingly unbearable and uncertain world that we are living in.
'Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever.'
Hebrews 13:8
'For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.'
1 Corinthians 13:8
The imperfect me is still learning to follow in total obedience, much as I have come to know His will. God is faithful. Just as I was doing my quiet time this evening, He brought me to lesson number 15 "The sure thing" in my course "The Heart of the Shepherd." The author shared about her own act of disobedience much as she knew without doubt, the instructions God has given her. Yet, God remains faithful much as she erred. But with a heart that in all her imperfections still seek after the Lord, she did not allow sin to creep in too long and in her repentance, God provided and her faith grew. This is what I am going through now as shared today, and this might be what many of you who love the Lord are going through. And for those who have not embarked on this journey to seek our Lord with your all, time is short and the need to "buy gold" as in our imperfect character being refined by God is of the utmost urgency, for the storms are fast building up, and no one can stand steadfast unless our Lord Jesus Christ is their foundation.
'But he that heareth and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell and the ruin of that house was great.'
Luke 6:49
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(8th Aug 2011)
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #62 Shanghaied (3rd Aug 2011)
Dear…
‘Where I am, there you may be also.’
John 14:3
“Awakened by a close friend,” this was the headline reading for yesterday’s Daily Bread devotion(2nd Aug 2011).
Awakened rudely I was yesterday morning, by the piercing shrill of my house alarm, which was triggered for reasons till now unexplained. God is Sovereign, and in all circumstances, He has His purpose, and it will do us well to always take time to give ear to His promptings.
With the mind now no longer in a state of stupor, I decided that instead of plunging backing into bed, it was better to take time to enter unto the presence of our Lord. And in doing so, indeed God had a message for me. He wanted to remind me that I have plain forgotten about the prayer meeting later that morning. And quite embarrassing for in my 9 years of serving the Lord as a coordinator in the prayer ministry, I have never forgotten a meeting.
‘The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.’
2 Peter 2:9
Last Wednesday I was in torrid Shanghai for a meeting. And after dinner, six of us from the office entered the hotel lift, where a local lady was already waiting patiently, while we sauntered in. The lift works on a card system to restrict access only to hotel guests. Anyway, I was the first one out of the lift, as my room was at the lowest level, and just as I was about to enter my room, I heard the voice of the female who was till recently, in that same lift, making an interesting proposition to me. My carnal desires are still very alive, but by the enabling grace of God, it was a little slow to activate, but the spirit man in me was quicker off the mark to categorically reject the offer of paid companionship. And with the wisdom that God gives me, upon entering the safety of my room, I called the wife to alert her on her potential competitor and with that call, any hope of my mind changing my mind, was now no longer possible, now that the accountability bar has been raised.
‘Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.”
2 Peter 3:3
The last days are indeed upon us. In the midst of the false vigor in our global economy, lies many a downtrodden with no hope of employment. And amongst the gainfully employed , are many who are weighed down by the demands of work and the deep sense of insecurity with their jobs. The harvest is indeed great and if not for the grace of God, any succumbing to my innate lusts would have deprived me of this privilege relationship with our great God.
And indeed God affirmed the next day when He provided me an opportunity to minister and testify to His love with a dear friend. Had I sinned, I know I will not be able to be used by the Lord.
‘If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.’
1 John 1:10
“Shanghaied” was the title that God placed in my heart just before my trip to Shanghai last week. Never did I imagine that the devil almost “shanghaied” me in my determined journey of faith with our Lord. The word “shanghaied” is defined as the enrolling of a sailor for the crew of a ship by unscrupulous means, as by force or the use of liquor of drugs and in this case, lusts.
It was understandable that in the days of old, much as the world was no longer perceived to be flat, where ships will totter over into the chasm, living conditions was not great and no good man of right mind will want to be a sailor. But what has “shanghaied” got to do with our spiritual journey?
‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’
1 John 5:4-5
Much as I have professed and indeed seek to live a life that will honor God His way, I know that my carnal self is still very much alive and the devil is like the lion always waiting for an opportunity to pounce upon my weakness. This is the reality of the fallen world we live in till Christ return.
‘Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever, Amen.’
Jude 24-25
Yet, in recent months, I have been reminded and is even more cognizant that indeed God is Sovereign and much as the devil might delude itself, the victory of the cross is a fact. And more importantly, God will and has divinely intervene in my life many times over to ensure that sin is not allowed to creep back.
‘As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.’
Joshua 1:5
The Daily Bread has been a wonderful companion that God used to teach and assure me of His presence since I took that tentative step of faith back into His fold in 1998. And I am touched that our Lord chose to use today’s reading(3rd Aug 2011) to complete and affirm these thoughts that He has placed in my heart in share with all of you.
That He is indeed with us always. And as the author of today’s Daily Bread devotion so succinctly put it “When we are doing God’s will, He will be with us even without our asking…”
Do take time to ponder upon the reason for the “absentee God” in your life. Is it not true that God is never the sole focus of your life, nor do you give much thought to His will, when you are too engrossed with your own will?
A decade back, God brought me into the path that He has long laid for me. A path that I never believed existed because like most, I was backward looking, thanking God only after the fact. Today, in my "Heart of the Shepherd" study, the lesson reminded us all that Abraham, a man of faith was forward looking. He went to Where God leads Him, always looking to Him and not upon his own understanding nor circumstances.
I moved from believer to follower that night in Bangkok a decade back, when by His enabling grace, I decided to thank Him for my circumstances much as the desired conclusion had not occurred. That one step of faith was the opening that God was looking for in my heart, and His Spirit sanctified and filled me up. Life has never been the same for me since.
And life will never be the same for you, if you are willing to take that step of faith, to thank God for all circumstances and go where He leads you.
'A man's heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps.'
Proverbs 16:9
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(3rd Aug 2011)
‘Where I am, there you may be also.’
John 14:3
“Awakened by a close friend,” this was the headline reading for yesterday’s Daily Bread devotion(2nd Aug 2011).
Awakened rudely I was yesterday morning, by the piercing shrill of my house alarm, which was triggered for reasons till now unexplained. God is Sovereign, and in all circumstances, He has His purpose, and it will do us well to always take time to give ear to His promptings.
With the mind now no longer in a state of stupor, I decided that instead of plunging backing into bed, it was better to take time to enter unto the presence of our Lord. And in doing so, indeed God had a message for me. He wanted to remind me that I have plain forgotten about the prayer meeting later that morning. And quite embarrassing for in my 9 years of serving the Lord as a coordinator in the prayer ministry, I have never forgotten a meeting.
‘The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.’
2 Peter 2:9
Last Wednesday I was in torrid Shanghai for a meeting. And after dinner, six of us from the office entered the hotel lift, where a local lady was already waiting patiently, while we sauntered in. The lift works on a card system to restrict access only to hotel guests. Anyway, I was the first one out of the lift, as my room was at the lowest level, and just as I was about to enter my room, I heard the voice of the female who was till recently, in that same lift, making an interesting proposition to me. My carnal desires are still very alive, but by the enabling grace of God, it was a little slow to activate, but the spirit man in me was quicker off the mark to categorically reject the offer of paid companionship. And with the wisdom that God gives me, upon entering the safety of my room, I called the wife to alert her on her potential competitor and with that call, any hope of my mind changing my mind, was now no longer possible, now that the accountability bar has been raised.
‘Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.”
2 Peter 3:3
The last days are indeed upon us. In the midst of the false vigor in our global economy, lies many a downtrodden with no hope of employment. And amongst the gainfully employed , are many who are weighed down by the demands of work and the deep sense of insecurity with their jobs. The harvest is indeed great and if not for the grace of God, any succumbing to my innate lusts would have deprived me of this privilege relationship with our great God.
And indeed God affirmed the next day when He provided me an opportunity to minister and testify to His love with a dear friend. Had I sinned, I know I will not be able to be used by the Lord.
‘If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.’
1 John 1:10
“Shanghaied” was the title that God placed in my heart just before my trip to Shanghai last week. Never did I imagine that the devil almost “shanghaied” me in my determined journey of faith with our Lord. The word “shanghaied” is defined as the enrolling of a sailor for the crew of a ship by unscrupulous means, as by force or the use of liquor of drugs and in this case, lusts.
It was understandable that in the days of old, much as the world was no longer perceived to be flat, where ships will totter over into the chasm, living conditions was not great and no good man of right mind will want to be a sailor. But what has “shanghaied” got to do with our spiritual journey?
‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’
1 John 5:4-5
Much as I have professed and indeed seek to live a life that will honor God His way, I know that my carnal self is still very much alive and the devil is like the lion always waiting for an opportunity to pounce upon my weakness. This is the reality of the fallen world we live in till Christ return.
‘Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever, Amen.’
Jude 24-25
Yet, in recent months, I have been reminded and is even more cognizant that indeed God is Sovereign and much as the devil might delude itself, the victory of the cross is a fact. And more importantly, God will and has divinely intervene in my life many times over to ensure that sin is not allowed to creep back.
‘As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.’
Joshua 1:5
The Daily Bread has been a wonderful companion that God used to teach and assure me of His presence since I took that tentative step of faith back into His fold in 1998. And I am touched that our Lord chose to use today’s reading(3rd Aug 2011) to complete and affirm these thoughts that He has placed in my heart in share with all of you.
That He is indeed with us always. And as the author of today’s Daily Bread devotion so succinctly put it “When we are doing God’s will, He will be with us even without our asking…”
Do take time to ponder upon the reason for the “absentee God” in your life. Is it not true that God is never the sole focus of your life, nor do you give much thought to His will, when you are too engrossed with your own will?
A decade back, God brought me into the path that He has long laid for me. A path that I never believed existed because like most, I was backward looking, thanking God only after the fact. Today, in my "Heart of the Shepherd" study, the lesson reminded us all that Abraham, a man of faith was forward looking. He went to Where God leads Him, always looking to Him and not upon his own understanding nor circumstances.
I moved from believer to follower that night in Bangkok a decade back, when by His enabling grace, I decided to thank Him for my circumstances much as the desired conclusion had not occurred. That one step of faith was the opening that God was looking for in my heart, and His Spirit sanctified and filled me up. Life has never been the same for me since.
And life will never be the same for you, if you are willing to take that step of faith, to thank God for all circumstances and go where He leads you.
'A man's heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps.'
Proverbs 16:9
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(3rd Aug 2011)
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #61 The Addams Family (26th July 2011)
Dear…
‘For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive…’
1 Corinthians 15:22
With irrationality or rather delusion being the main drivers of our world today, our good Lord brought me back to one of my favorite television series of my youth, “The Addams Family.”
This was one half hourly episode that I rarely miss, especially during the exam period, for it was fun and a great way to wind down.
And some might remember the catchy jingle of the theme song,
“They’re creepy and they’re kooky.
Mysterious and spooky,
They’re all together ooky,
The Addams Family.”
Why the Addams family? God is prescient, and in my present Bible study course “The School of the Shepherd( http://schooloftheshepherds.com/),” which focuses on preparing shepherds for the present great harvest that is now, the topic I am reading is on the first man Adam.
‘And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit…..The first man is of the earth, earthly: the second man is the Lord from heaven.’
1 Corinthians 15:45-47
Adam the first man by his disobedience, smeared the rest of humanity with sin and its price, death. Christ the last Adam nailed all our sins on the cross and by His resurrection, broke the grip of death upon humanity.
‘The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.’
1 Corinthians 15:26
This victory of the Risen Christ is not new to Christians. Yet, very few of us take time to reflect on its significance, and clearly by the way we live, we do not give much credence to the living truth of what Christ has done for humanity.
Most of us would look upon the characters in the Addams Family as rather weird, though lovable. But reality is, in our continued pursuit of the life that the sinful Adam chose, in eating from the Tree of Knowledge, are we not outwardly normal, but inwardly taking on the odd looks of these same characters?
God made man to be in His likeness. Adam brought great grief to himself and his seeds by choosing to be different his way. The saving grace of Christ has now allowed us to start from a clean slate and be transformed into the likeness of the risen Christ.
We cannot work for our salvation. It has already been given freely to all who believe and repent. But we must work on our salvation, which required a determined response on our part to look to God always.
The Lord brought me to 1 Corinthians 15 twice over in a manner that I know is only possible because He leads.
'And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shall thou eat of it all the days of thy life.'
Genesis 3:17
This is a simple sharing. Quite short not because I am running off to Shanghai tomorrow, but rather, the message is simple, “Do you realize that you need no longer be living a burdensome life like the fallen Adam and all his carnality. But rather, God has freed you up to live an edified life like Christ, as the spirit man, led by the Holy Spirit?’
In plain speak, much as we still live in a fallen world, God knows and has provided for our needs. It does not mean we take life easy tomorrow and be a wastrel waiting for manna. Work hard we must but for the Lord, and not like the past, to toil in vain for the delusions of the devil. The curse of Genesis 3:17 is lifted, and we need not carry the dead body of our guilt upon us, like the days of old when murderers are chained to the dead bodies of their victims. We now work for the Lord, living life as His Spirit leads us, knowing that He has and will provide and His grace is suffice for the day, much as the day is evil. It means we no longer need to worry about conclusions, about is there enough for tomorrow, which is what grips the mind of many as they struggle to create perceived certainty in their life. Instead, we need only focus on obedience as His Spirit leads and on our response, the Spirit of God will carry us forth, if we are willing.
Is this rational or is a great delusion? Is it not of greater folly that man choose to believe in their ability to predict and control destiny when we do not even have control over our next breath. Is is not equally foolish to believe that the governments of the world today will print us out of our troubles? It is good to start the day with the Lord, then with concerns of the world. It is imperative to look to the Lord in all situations rather than to our finite understanding, for the enabling grace of God will carry us through till He brings us home.
'Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord'
Romans 7:25
Our faith transcends our own understanding and strength. Not many will fully comprehend nor accept what I have just shared. But clarity comes from the Lord, and His enabling grace and the transformation of our mind can only come if we are willing to draw near to God and stay unto His presence.
What is holding us back is our unwillingness to let go of the understanding that Adam gained in that one bite of the forbidden fruit and take that step of faith unto the presence of God.
A small but significant step would be to will ourselves to take time with God first thing in our waking moment, in prayer, in His words and in praise. And be truly amazed by the Divine presence of the Lord in your life. And as I close this, as I just added on the verse Romans 7:25, our good Lord again affirms for right this moment, I just realized that both Romans 7:25 and 1 Corinthians 15:57 happen to point us to the way out of Satan's delusion and into our rightful birthright - our Lord Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.
‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’
1 Corinthians 15:57
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(26th July 2011)
‘For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive…’
1 Corinthians 15:22
With irrationality or rather delusion being the main drivers of our world today, our good Lord brought me back to one of my favorite television series of my youth, “The Addams Family.”
This was one half hourly episode that I rarely miss, especially during the exam period, for it was fun and a great way to wind down.
And some might remember the catchy jingle of the theme song,
“They’re creepy and they’re kooky.
Mysterious and spooky,
They’re all together ooky,
The Addams Family.”
Why the Addams family? God is prescient, and in my present Bible study course “The School of the Shepherd( http://schooloftheshepherds.com/),” which focuses on preparing shepherds for the present great harvest that is now, the topic I am reading is on the first man Adam.
‘And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit…..The first man is of the earth, earthly: the second man is the Lord from heaven.’
1 Corinthians 15:45-47
Adam the first man by his disobedience, smeared the rest of humanity with sin and its price, death. Christ the last Adam nailed all our sins on the cross and by His resurrection, broke the grip of death upon humanity.
‘The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.’
1 Corinthians 15:26
This victory of the Risen Christ is not new to Christians. Yet, very few of us take time to reflect on its significance, and clearly by the way we live, we do not give much credence to the living truth of what Christ has done for humanity.
Most of us would look upon the characters in the Addams Family as rather weird, though lovable. But reality is, in our continued pursuit of the life that the sinful Adam chose, in eating from the Tree of Knowledge, are we not outwardly normal, but inwardly taking on the odd looks of these same characters?
God made man to be in His likeness. Adam brought great grief to himself and his seeds by choosing to be different his way. The saving grace of Christ has now allowed us to start from a clean slate and be transformed into the likeness of the risen Christ.
We cannot work for our salvation. It has already been given freely to all who believe and repent. But we must work on our salvation, which required a determined response on our part to look to God always.
The Lord brought me to 1 Corinthians 15 twice over in a manner that I know is only possible because He leads.
'And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shall thou eat of it all the days of thy life.'
Genesis 3:17
This is a simple sharing. Quite short not because I am running off to Shanghai tomorrow, but rather, the message is simple, “Do you realize that you need no longer be living a burdensome life like the fallen Adam and all his carnality. But rather, God has freed you up to live an edified life like Christ, as the spirit man, led by the Holy Spirit?’
In plain speak, much as we still live in a fallen world, God knows and has provided for our needs. It does not mean we take life easy tomorrow and be a wastrel waiting for manna. Work hard we must but for the Lord, and not like the past, to toil in vain for the delusions of the devil. The curse of Genesis 3:17 is lifted, and we need not carry the dead body of our guilt upon us, like the days of old when murderers are chained to the dead bodies of their victims. We now work for the Lord, living life as His Spirit leads us, knowing that He has and will provide and His grace is suffice for the day, much as the day is evil. It means we no longer need to worry about conclusions, about is there enough for tomorrow, which is what grips the mind of many as they struggle to create perceived certainty in their life. Instead, we need only focus on obedience as His Spirit leads and on our response, the Spirit of God will carry us forth, if we are willing.
Is this rational or is a great delusion? Is it not of greater folly that man choose to believe in their ability to predict and control destiny when we do not even have control over our next breath. Is is not equally foolish to believe that the governments of the world today will print us out of our troubles? It is good to start the day with the Lord, then with concerns of the world. It is imperative to look to the Lord in all situations rather than to our finite understanding, for the enabling grace of God will carry us through till He brings us home.
'Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord'
Romans 7:25
Our faith transcends our own understanding and strength. Not many will fully comprehend nor accept what I have just shared. But clarity comes from the Lord, and His enabling grace and the transformation of our mind can only come if we are willing to draw near to God and stay unto His presence.
What is holding us back is our unwillingness to let go of the understanding that Adam gained in that one bite of the forbidden fruit and take that step of faith unto the presence of God.
A small but significant step would be to will ourselves to take time with God first thing in our waking moment, in prayer, in His words and in praise. And be truly amazed by the Divine presence of the Lord in your life. And as I close this, as I just added on the verse Romans 7:25, our good Lord again affirms for right this moment, I just realized that both Romans 7:25 and 1 Corinthians 15:57 happen to point us to the way out of Satan's delusion and into our rightful birthright - our Lord Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.
‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’
1 Corinthians 15:57
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(26th July 2011)
Friday, July 22, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #60 Hadrian's Wall(22nd July 2011)
Dear…
‘Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding.: For I give you good doctrine, Forsake ye not My law…’
Proverbs 4:1
Hadrian’s Wall was the most heavily fortified border in the Roman Empire, a symbol of the might of Pax Romana and a defensive fortification in conquered Britain. Building works started in AD 122, no doubt on a much smaller scale than the Great Wall of China, but like its bigger sister, parts of it still stand today.
What has the concept of a wall got to do with our Christian faith? “Ring-fencing” is a modern and literal interpretation of the protective nature of walls. It usually denote the funds that are set aside for a project and cannot be spent on anything else.
‘So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.’
Nehemiah 8:8
Nehemiah and the dispossessed Israelites not only completed the rebuilding of the physical wall of destroyed Jerusalem, but they also embarked on a rebuilding of the spiritual wall, to surround the hearts of chastised people with the love of God and His will, through His Word.
‘…For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law….Then he said unto the, Go your way…neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
Nehemiah 8:9-10
These past one year, I have had the privilege of walking with some of you, as the Lord leads. And in coming together unto His presence, His Spirit has edified and affirmed our desire to be faithful, as He is faithful. The End Times are clearly intensifying, and indeed the harvest is already ripe for the picking. But will the nascent faith die an early death or will they grow from strength to strength? Many men and women of faith have plowed, sowed and watered through the years once “hard” grounds, but it is God Who is now bringing about the increase.
‘Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep….I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture..’
John 10:7-9
And it is the Spirit of God Who will nurture and sustain such budding flowers of tentative faith, but God wants those of us who have been blessed to have our veils lifted earlier to now be the builders of the boundary walls that will ensure that the sheep will not turn away from His purpose. And to ensure that the sheep is protected against the savage wolves in our midst. And our good Lord wants us to shepherd the flock towards our Lord Jesus Christ, our Chief Shepherd and the gate unto His Kingdom.
‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.’
Ephesians 4:1
Freedom from the shackles of sin does not equate to the freedom to live as we pleased. For to do so will ensure a quick relapse to our sinful ways and a return to the full grasps of the waiting devil. Many might not comprehend nor accept that the Christian faith requires not just a letting go of our finite understanding, but also a willingness to let the Spirit of God lead us from here on. “Surrendering” runs against the very grain of the fallen human nature, where the bite of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge have imbued in us the carnal need to look at self before others, to be our own god. Believing and repentance is the acceptance of the unearned forgiveness from God. It is just another step in our journey back unto the spirit man that God had planned for us, that the first man Adam brought awry. Following the second man, our Lord Jesus Christ is the next step in our walk with the Lord and this is where many will fall by the wayside if not properly shepherded.
‘That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men…’
Ephesians 4:14
‘If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus…..And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness..’
Ephesians 4:21-23
I know it is a privilege to be brought into a deeper relationship with our Lord. And yet, there is a need for a response from me and all who have by the grace of God matured in our faith. The need to share that experiential testimony of God’s faithfulness and Sovereignty with men and women whom God will bring into our paths as His Spirit begins to minister to them.
But I am also reminded as I pen this that we do not and must not come from a position of personal strength. Maturity of faith with God does not mean that we “talk down” to the sheep that He placed in our path. And in fact, God can and will allow us to go through storms even as we sail together with our fellow brethren. But will we, being imbued with His Spirit be able and willing to draw upon our living knowledge of His faithfulness and stay steadfast and anchored upon Him, much as our carnal self demands otherwise. Then will our brethren of newer faith truly witness the power of the gospel at work, then will they be willing to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
As I close this sharing, the Lord impressed upon my heart the record of Apostle Paul in Acts 27. Do take time to read and reflect upon Acts 27, for it sums up the journey that all who seek to the Lord will go through, whatever the stage of our Christian growth, but more importantly, the faithfulness of our Sovereign God.
Man looks at the temporal treasures, God prepares us for eternity. Will you be willing to throw overboard all remaining vestiges of our carnal life that marks us as part of the race of the fallen Adam, and instead, be now ready from a clean slate, by the saving grace of Christ, to be clothed in the likeness of the spirit man, to be like Christ?
‘And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.’
Acts 27:22
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(22nd July 2011)
‘Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding.: For I give you good doctrine, Forsake ye not My law…’
Proverbs 4:1
Hadrian’s Wall was the most heavily fortified border in the Roman Empire, a symbol of the might of Pax Romana and a defensive fortification in conquered Britain. Building works started in AD 122, no doubt on a much smaller scale than the Great Wall of China, but like its bigger sister, parts of it still stand today.
What has the concept of a wall got to do with our Christian faith? “Ring-fencing” is a modern and literal interpretation of the protective nature of walls. It usually denote the funds that are set aside for a project and cannot be spent on anything else.
‘So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.’
Nehemiah 8:8
Nehemiah and the dispossessed Israelites not only completed the rebuilding of the physical wall of destroyed Jerusalem, but they also embarked on a rebuilding of the spiritual wall, to surround the hearts of chastised people with the love of God and His will, through His Word.
‘…For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law….Then he said unto the, Go your way…neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
Nehemiah 8:9-10
These past one year, I have had the privilege of walking with some of you, as the Lord leads. And in coming together unto His presence, His Spirit has edified and affirmed our desire to be faithful, as He is faithful. The End Times are clearly intensifying, and indeed the harvest is already ripe for the picking. But will the nascent faith die an early death or will they grow from strength to strength? Many men and women of faith have plowed, sowed and watered through the years once “hard” grounds, but it is God Who is now bringing about the increase.
‘Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep….I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture..’
John 10:7-9
And it is the Spirit of God Who will nurture and sustain such budding flowers of tentative faith, but God wants those of us who have been blessed to have our veils lifted earlier to now be the builders of the boundary walls that will ensure that the sheep will not turn away from His purpose. And to ensure that the sheep is protected against the savage wolves in our midst. And our good Lord wants us to shepherd the flock towards our Lord Jesus Christ, our Chief Shepherd and the gate unto His Kingdom.
‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.’
Ephesians 4:1
Freedom from the shackles of sin does not equate to the freedom to live as we pleased. For to do so will ensure a quick relapse to our sinful ways and a return to the full grasps of the waiting devil. Many might not comprehend nor accept that the Christian faith requires not just a letting go of our finite understanding, but also a willingness to let the Spirit of God lead us from here on. “Surrendering” runs against the very grain of the fallen human nature, where the bite of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge have imbued in us the carnal need to look at self before others, to be our own god. Believing and repentance is the acceptance of the unearned forgiveness from God. It is just another step in our journey back unto the spirit man that God had planned for us, that the first man Adam brought awry. Following the second man, our Lord Jesus Christ is the next step in our walk with the Lord and this is where many will fall by the wayside if not properly shepherded.
‘That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men…’
Ephesians 4:14
‘If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus…..And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness..’
Ephesians 4:21-23
I know it is a privilege to be brought into a deeper relationship with our Lord. And yet, there is a need for a response from me and all who have by the grace of God matured in our faith. The need to share that experiential testimony of God’s faithfulness and Sovereignty with men and women whom God will bring into our paths as His Spirit begins to minister to them.
But I am also reminded as I pen this that we do not and must not come from a position of personal strength. Maturity of faith with God does not mean that we “talk down” to the sheep that He placed in our path. And in fact, God can and will allow us to go through storms even as we sail together with our fellow brethren. But will we, being imbued with His Spirit be able and willing to draw upon our living knowledge of His faithfulness and stay steadfast and anchored upon Him, much as our carnal self demands otherwise. Then will our brethren of newer faith truly witness the power of the gospel at work, then will they be willing to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
As I close this sharing, the Lord impressed upon my heart the record of Apostle Paul in Acts 27. Do take time to read and reflect upon Acts 27, for it sums up the journey that all who seek to the Lord will go through, whatever the stage of our Christian growth, but more importantly, the faithfulness of our Sovereign God.
Man looks at the temporal treasures, God prepares us for eternity. Will you be willing to throw overboard all remaining vestiges of our carnal life that marks us as part of the race of the fallen Adam, and instead, be now ready from a clean slate, by the saving grace of Christ, to be clothed in the likeness of the spirit man, to be like Christ?
‘And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.’
Acts 27:22
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(22nd July 2011)
Thursday, July 14, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #59 On the cusp (14th July 2011)
Dear…
‘Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land;…the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.’
Numbers 14:9
“Insouciance” and “catharsis” were two words that the Lord impressed deeply upon my heart this morning. One general comment from many of you my dear long suffering friends in this weekly journey of words is the urge to look for a dictionary by virtue of my often adding more than a dash of rarely used words in our daily lingua franca. God directs, one follows but let me ameliorate any angst by providing prayerfully the clarification but more importantly the Lord’s intent.
‘I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’
1 Timothy 2:8
Just last Friday, at the mini art auction cum fellowship that I was blessed to participate in, in half jest and true seriousness, I reminded my Pastor friend sitting next to me in the midst of the auction proceedings, not to lead me in raising my hands to praise the Lord, as Pastors and faithful men of God are predispose to. For I could end up depriving some other kind soul from contributing to charity should I win the bid for the lovely pieces of art on sale, and worse, large paintings are near impossible to smuggle home without the wife noticing.
‘And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.’
Numbers 9:17
“Insouciance” is a French originate word that describes a carefree attitude to lack of concern. This word is not unfamiliar to me, but has long been left in the dark recesses of my repertoire of words till I spotted it in an article in the Financial Times. It was a word used by the writer to describe the irresponsibility of many in the European Union who continues to dither like Nero on the fiddle, while Athens burn(though for Nero it was Rome). And on that, interestingly, Rome is starting to burn as bond vigilantes next target Italy even as I pen this sharing.
‘We remember the fish; which we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions and the garlic:..’
Numbers 11:5
“Catharsis” is a word with a longer history, from the times of the ancient Greeks. It refers to an emotional release that leads to an extreme change in behavior. A cleansing, a purification that modern psychologist think is necessary to release the demon in us. In present modern speak of our children, it is “ranting” or “emo”
‘And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt,…’
Numbers 9:1
It has been 8 years since our Lord lead me into this ministry of sharing the thoughts He placed in my heart. I thank many of you for staying the course with me, and also for the words of encouragement but more importantly, the testimony that God has used such thoughts shared to affirm, teach or even correct issues that He had placed you through. For we sow, but it is God Who brings about the increase.
In giving we receive, and in writing as the Lord leads, I have personally benefited from the many lessons He has allowed me to live through, so the thoughts penned are truly of deep conviction by the Holy Spirit and written with empathy. And in expressing “out loud” to the Lord, the swirling and sometimes perplexing thoughts in my head, the Lord has given me my own “cathartic” experiences, that has allowed me to persevere and stay focused upon Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.
‘If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us, their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.’
Numbers 14:8-9
“On the cusp” was the title that popped up in my heart last Saturday and interestingly, the reading the next day in the Daily Bread(Sunday July 10th) shared about “the Israelites being on the cusp of the ultimate blessing that God promised to them.”
“On the brink” was the competing title that also cried out for my attention that same Saturday, and on the brink of turning away from the Lord, is what many of us who call ourselves believers, often find ourselves in when weighed down by both the challenges of life or the distractions of the world. For myself, thanks to the divine intervention of the Lord that wonderful night in Bangkok, there has always been that keen awareness of the need to submit to God, much as I must confess that many a times in serving the Lord or even in my own personal walk, the temptation to just disobey the Lord and to succumb to one’s sinful understanding is never a distant stranger.
‘But all the congregation bade stone them with stones..’
Numbers 14:10
Serving the Lord is often a seeming thankless task, for we often pay from our pockets, are asked to pray as our only form of defense and offense, and we are urged to forge ahead where Christ our Chief Shepherd leads us, much as the sheep might not follow.
And what about self? God will transform us, but going through the fire of refinement is painful notwithstanding it is gainful.
‘Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land;…the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.’
Numbers 14:9
“Entering the Promise Land” was the thought that God placed in my heart in the rudimentary stages of this sharing. Lately, He has brought dear friends who first journeyed with me in the early days of my returning to the faith(back in 1998) back into my life, after a long absence of quite a few years. And He has also brought an individual who clearly was using our faith to mislead and cheat into my path as well. Interestingly, this person epitomized the devil in the sense that just like the devil when he attempted to tempt our Lord Jesus Christ in the desert, this person knew the word of God inside out and could use it to mislead with the apt choice of words and emphasis. But thanks to God, our good Lord used this experience back in year 2001 to jolt me from living our faith based on my own understanding to a determined effort to feed on the Word of God. And in feeding upon the word of God these past decade, He has helped me to grow in Christian maturity.
God indeed often affirms in “threes” in my experience with Him, and in my 13 years since returning to my church, I was invited for the first time to share a short testimony to a baptism class on serving the Lord. And it was like a homecoming for just being in the same room where I had my baptism class back in 1998 and watching the participants lead worship brought back memories of the beginnings of my tentative response to the call of our Lord to return to the fold. And it was especially meaningful to know that a dear friend who has recently come to the faith was in that same group leading worship.
Why is our good Lord showing me a literal “reel” of my life as a believer since He brought me back to the faith 13 years back? And more importantly, the significance of bringing people who mattered in my faith back into my life now that most of us have matured in our faith from part-time believer to desirous follower of our Lord Jesus Christ?
‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’
Romans 12:1-2
Many of us who were blessed to have the veil lifted in our eyes, have unfortunately returned back to the bondages of the Egypt of our lives that God has taken us out of. Yet there are also many of us who are keenly aware of the call of God to follow His leading, who are still struggling in the desert of our own doubts and fears. Would we want to be like the disobedient Israelites of Moses’ time who had to go through another forty years in the desert, before their innocent children could enter the Promise Land?
The present troubles in Europe and USA will not go away. No doubt it can be deferred a little longer but like a bulging water filled balloon, it will burst. Will this literal “catharsis” be the needed release from our present troubles in the global economic system or more likely the prelude to the heralding of the rise of a new economic system that will be presided by the anti-Christ countries of China, and Russia?
God will shelter us till Christ returns. He wants to bring us into the Promise Land, where He will lead us in conquering the “giants” inhabiting our very psyche that has kept us from living a life of joy and peace that He has offered to all who seek Him. The day is near where continued insouciance on our part does not mean one can be indifferent to the upheavals that will surely envelope the world. The choice to be not just a believer but a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ in Spirit and Truth is to be made now.
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(14th July 2011)
‘Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land;…the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.’
Numbers 14:9
“Insouciance” and “catharsis” were two words that the Lord impressed deeply upon my heart this morning. One general comment from many of you my dear long suffering friends in this weekly journey of words is the urge to look for a dictionary by virtue of my often adding more than a dash of rarely used words in our daily lingua franca. God directs, one follows but let me ameliorate any angst by providing prayerfully the clarification but more importantly the Lord’s intent.
‘I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’
1 Timothy 2:8
Just last Friday, at the mini art auction cum fellowship that I was blessed to participate in, in half jest and true seriousness, I reminded my Pastor friend sitting next to me in the midst of the auction proceedings, not to lead me in raising my hands to praise the Lord, as Pastors and faithful men of God are predispose to. For I could end up depriving some other kind soul from contributing to charity should I win the bid for the lovely pieces of art on sale, and worse, large paintings are near impossible to smuggle home without the wife noticing.
‘And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.’
Numbers 9:17
“Insouciance” is a French originate word that describes a carefree attitude to lack of concern. This word is not unfamiliar to me, but has long been left in the dark recesses of my repertoire of words till I spotted it in an article in the Financial Times. It was a word used by the writer to describe the irresponsibility of many in the European Union who continues to dither like Nero on the fiddle, while Athens burn(though for Nero it was Rome). And on that, interestingly, Rome is starting to burn as bond vigilantes next target Italy even as I pen this sharing.
‘We remember the fish; which we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions and the garlic:..’
Numbers 11:5
“Catharsis” is a word with a longer history, from the times of the ancient Greeks. It refers to an emotional release that leads to an extreme change in behavior. A cleansing, a purification that modern psychologist think is necessary to release the demon in us. In present modern speak of our children, it is “ranting” or “emo”
‘And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt,…’
Numbers 9:1
It has been 8 years since our Lord lead me into this ministry of sharing the thoughts He placed in my heart. I thank many of you for staying the course with me, and also for the words of encouragement but more importantly, the testimony that God has used such thoughts shared to affirm, teach or even correct issues that He had placed you through. For we sow, but it is God Who brings about the increase.
In giving we receive, and in writing as the Lord leads, I have personally benefited from the many lessons He has allowed me to live through, so the thoughts penned are truly of deep conviction by the Holy Spirit and written with empathy. And in expressing “out loud” to the Lord, the swirling and sometimes perplexing thoughts in my head, the Lord has given me my own “cathartic” experiences, that has allowed me to persevere and stay focused upon Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.
‘If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us, their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.’
Numbers 14:8-9
“On the cusp” was the title that popped up in my heart last Saturday and interestingly, the reading the next day in the Daily Bread(Sunday July 10th) shared about “the Israelites being on the cusp of the ultimate blessing that God promised to them.”
“On the brink” was the competing title that also cried out for my attention that same Saturday, and on the brink of turning away from the Lord, is what many of us who call ourselves believers, often find ourselves in when weighed down by both the challenges of life or the distractions of the world. For myself, thanks to the divine intervention of the Lord that wonderful night in Bangkok, there has always been that keen awareness of the need to submit to God, much as I must confess that many a times in serving the Lord or even in my own personal walk, the temptation to just disobey the Lord and to succumb to one’s sinful understanding is never a distant stranger.
‘But all the congregation bade stone them with stones..’
Numbers 14:10
Serving the Lord is often a seeming thankless task, for we often pay from our pockets, are asked to pray as our only form of defense and offense, and we are urged to forge ahead where Christ our Chief Shepherd leads us, much as the sheep might not follow.
And what about self? God will transform us, but going through the fire of refinement is painful notwithstanding it is gainful.
‘Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land;…the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.’
Numbers 14:9
“Entering the Promise Land” was the thought that God placed in my heart in the rudimentary stages of this sharing. Lately, He has brought dear friends who first journeyed with me in the early days of my returning to the faith(back in 1998) back into my life, after a long absence of quite a few years. And He has also brought an individual who clearly was using our faith to mislead and cheat into my path as well. Interestingly, this person epitomized the devil in the sense that just like the devil when he attempted to tempt our Lord Jesus Christ in the desert, this person knew the word of God inside out and could use it to mislead with the apt choice of words and emphasis. But thanks to God, our good Lord used this experience back in year 2001 to jolt me from living our faith based on my own understanding to a determined effort to feed on the Word of God. And in feeding upon the word of God these past decade, He has helped me to grow in Christian maturity.
God indeed often affirms in “threes” in my experience with Him, and in my 13 years since returning to my church, I was invited for the first time to share a short testimony to a baptism class on serving the Lord. And it was like a homecoming for just being in the same room where I had my baptism class back in 1998 and watching the participants lead worship brought back memories of the beginnings of my tentative response to the call of our Lord to return to the fold. And it was especially meaningful to know that a dear friend who has recently come to the faith was in that same group leading worship.
Why is our good Lord showing me a literal “reel” of my life as a believer since He brought me back to the faith 13 years back? And more importantly, the significance of bringing people who mattered in my faith back into my life now that most of us have matured in our faith from part-time believer to desirous follower of our Lord Jesus Christ?
‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’
Romans 12:1-2
Many of us who were blessed to have the veil lifted in our eyes, have unfortunately returned back to the bondages of the Egypt of our lives that God has taken us out of. Yet there are also many of us who are keenly aware of the call of God to follow His leading, who are still struggling in the desert of our own doubts and fears. Would we want to be like the disobedient Israelites of Moses’ time who had to go through another forty years in the desert, before their innocent children could enter the Promise Land?
The present troubles in Europe and USA will not go away. No doubt it can be deferred a little longer but like a bulging water filled balloon, it will burst. Will this literal “catharsis” be the needed release from our present troubles in the global economic system or more likely the prelude to the heralding of the rise of a new economic system that will be presided by the anti-Christ countries of China, and Russia?
God will shelter us till Christ returns. He wants to bring us into the Promise Land, where He will lead us in conquering the “giants” inhabiting our very psyche that has kept us from living a life of joy and peace that He has offered to all who seek Him. The day is near where continued insouciance on our part does not mean one can be indifferent to the upheavals that will surely envelope the world. The choice to be not just a believer but a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ in Spirit and Truth is to be made now.
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(14th July 2011)
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