Dear…
‘Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’
John 12:30-32
In the above verse, the voice of God was thunderous, and the people with our Lord Jesus Christ heard it loud and clear, and they thought it was the voice of an angel.
For many of you who have blessed me by remaining in my email list for this ministry the past few years, you might sense that lately, at least in the past one year plus, I seem to have degenerated in my mental faculties in terms of more boldly expressing, without any hedging, the thoughts that God placed in my heart, as a direct clear command, and often testifying that “that God spoke to me.” For many of us who are still living very much as the carnal natural man, it is something that we cannot fathom nor accept and on that, I thank you for your forbearance that you do not prayerfully share the same thoughts that King Agrippa had of the Apostle Paul, when the former proclaimed, to paraphrase it, that too much knowledge had made Paul “mad.”
In the past, like many believers of Christ, but not follower, I used to think that such statements of “God speaking to oneself” is a hallucination or a belief gone delusory. And when I see Christians at the touch of an anointed pastor fall onto the ground, as the Spirit of God touches them, I tend to think that it is rigged for how can it be possible, especially when I seem to be the few in the room still standing.
‘Into Thine hand I commit my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.’
Psalm 31:5
When I read this verse a couple of days back, it spoke to me. This is not a unique experience for many who take time with our Lord in His Words, for through the Word of God, we will experience His very presence and receive clarity of heart.
In Spirit and Truth has been the underlying theme in my sharing since June 2010, when our good Lord brought me out of my spiritual lows, and doleful I am no longer, but like a doe bounding in even greater spiritual joy I have been blessed.
The thought struck me as to the reason why so many of us who professed to be Christians all these years have continued to remain lukewarm and never truly understood the love of God nor experience the liberating joy and peace of walking with an omnipresent and Sovereign Father in Heaven, Whose Spirit is down on Earth, in our hearts.
‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds)’
2 Corinthians 10:3-4
It is because we have never, unlike the call in Psalm 31:5, committed our spirit to God our Father.
Without faith, which can only come from a willingness to surrender our carnal natural self and to let God, by seeking Him always, we will never experience the sanctifying love of His very presence, for God will not impose Himself upon the unwilling. Only in our exercising that willingness to give up what Adam sinfully took in disobedience to the will of God, that is, to give up our right to think or “play god” can we be able to be cognizant, and to receive and respond to the outpouring of the sanctifying grace of the Spirit of God, then can we truly understand and live out the truth of God’s will, that will allow us to stand firm and stay focus upon Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, as He lovingly transform us unto His likeness, in preparation for His return.
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light…’
John 12:35-36
On darkness, much as it seems this push for democracy is the beginning of a new dawn of freedom for the long repressed Arab world, it could also be a harbinger of darkness disguised as light. And on that, a friend emailed me a picture of the protest in Egypt which interestingly had an image of a horseman floating in the midst of the protestors. This strange image of course, given the human tendency to speculate, for many is read to herald the entrance of the Four Horseman of Apocalyse, as in Revelation 6:7-8
‘And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth…’
Hunger has always been with many in our once blessed Earth. But it has just got more intense with the continued surge in food prices, that will likely result in man’s greed and selfishness compounding it further as politicians take the politically expedient route of hoarding and limiting export of food, much as their own population might ill afford the prices.
‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound,. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn..’
Isaiah 61:1-2
Things are happening and man often looks for explanation, for certainty does help stabilize one’s emotions, or at least sate one’s curiosity. This is the other hunger that will now come to the fore. The hunger for inner peace and joy. As determined followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, God will use us to lead the spiritually thirsty and hungry to Christ, the source of all comfort and grace. But we cannot do it on our own strength, but His Spirit will fall upon us and imbue us with that means to do it.
As Christians, much as we are aware of God’s plans, and events affirmed what He has already stated in the Bible, as Christians, we must not miss the intent of the Word of God.
And which is not about directing our energies towards speculating about what is about to happen or even about what is happening now, but rather, to take time with the Lord our God, to know His will, so that we can truly be not swayed by what is around us, even as His Spirit continues to transform us unto His likeness in preparation for the glorious day of Christ’s return.
As the outpouring of grief starts, be assured that God is in control. And in the midst of such great tribulations, the faithful will witness and experience the power of God, for overcoming this deluge of grief, is an even greater outpouring, of the love and grace of God. Let me close by asking all of you to take time to reflect and pray upon the following verses, and the Spirit of God will speak to you, if you are willing.
‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places…’
Ephesians 6:12
‘Arise, shine, for Thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.’
Isaiah 60:1
‘Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation…’
Romans 13:1-2
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(9th Feb 2011)
Understanding the times
This was the theme from latest newsletter from the Singapore Bible College(SBC). The author, Dr Albert Ting, Principal(SBC) quoted from 1 Chronicles 12:32
‘…from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do – 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command.’
We are indeed in interesting and daunting times. The tendency is often for men to dig deeper into their own strengths and understanding, but the reality is circumstances are profoundly beyond our control. Do we surrender with flailing hands and be cowed over and willingly subscribe to the next false prophet who promises us a continuation of our delusion?
In the same article, Dr Albert Ting said
“.. At such a time as this, we need to go back to what we already know and are committed to..”
And what is that? It is to fully trust in God and to glorify Him in our daily living, come what may, and when the outpouring of woes start to hit home as it surely would, the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon your very being will keep you in good stead, till Christ brings you home.
‘But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God…’
Acts 7:55
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