Dear…
‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
I have on a few occasions, while walking in the malls near my office, been approached by complete strangers who looked me in the eyes, and proclaimed that lady fortune is shining upon me. If this was in the Marina Sands or the Resort World, I might be more susceptible to such scams for who does not need lady luck when entering the temple of hope, when common knowledge is that most will exit the casinos poorer?
'...and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.'
Luke 24:47-48
It is easier to parlay promises of the riches of this fallen world, then it is about the richness of a life lived serving the Lord our God in this difficult world, much as the faithful knows that Heaven awaits when Christ returns. And it gets even more dodgy, at least in the eyes of the recipient of this message when he/she is told that they have been sinners all their life, and they not just need to repent, but to surrender their all to follow our Lord Jesus Christ.
‘Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked…’
Revelation 3:17
This morning, the newspaper reported on the complain of a hospital patient’s kin as regards a Christian volunteer worker who purportedly sneaked through her faith onto a vulnerable old man. And with it, the hospitals going forward will be increasingly another common space opened to secularism, but less to spirituality. This rising tide of secularism, where those who seek to share the faith will find themselves increasingly hemmed in, with less real estate to stand upon is not a new phenomenon in the West, once the bastion of the Christian faith. And as observed in the trendsetting West,it will not just stopped at limitations to sharing, for the unseen but real forces of anti Christ will continue to push the boundaries of even limiting the living out of one’s faith and persecuting those who dare. Is there not something that those who love the Lord our God can and should do?
‘Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.’
1 John 2:18
Change has to start with us who love the Lord, not others. The Christian Crusaders of old were all fire and brimstone, rallying to the man defined and ill conceived cause of freeing the Holy Lands from the oppression of the forces of darkness. Calling themselves Christians, but living a life in deep contradiction to what our Lord Jesus Christ has taught and shown by in his life, the Crusades after its initial success eventually came to a woeful end.
‘He saith to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?. Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.’
John 21:17
A new bible course that I am starting, “The heart of the Shepherd” has some wonderful lessons for all of us who seek to share the faith as is the command to all Christians. The speaker, a dear friend shared about how in Australia, where they are based, where there are more sheep then man, the shepherd is known as driver. They drive the sheep, and uses the dogs to nip at the heels of those sheep that go awry.
Quite a contrast to the way our Lord Jesus Christ, our shepherd lead us. Christ take the lead, He does not push us. But He is there to develop a relationship with us, if we are willing. And as we know Him, we will learn to hear His voice and follow in obedience, willingly, for we the sheep will know and follow the voice of Christ our Shepherd. This is the example Christ has set for us who seek to point others towards Him. To develop a genuine relationship with people God will place in our lives, a relationship that is based on the fruits of the Spirit, with Christ as our focus, that will create a common space that is not determined by physical boundaries, that no man can curb nor send asunder.
‘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
This is the verse I placed on the cover of my new book. And it sums up the way we must not just live our lives, but the way we share the faith. It is not by words alone, but by work. And it is not like the secular world where we look at “what is it in for me or at what costs to me?” to want to follow in obedience as the Holy Spirit leads us. Nor is it about how many people will join us in the next endeavor that God has placed us in. It is about being still and knowing the will of God. And in knowing, it is our willingness to follow, even if we are the only one who desires to do so, to lay straight the path in the wilderness, for others who will surely join us, as the Spirit of God touches their very hearts.
Be it in the hospitals, the schools, the office or wherever God places us, it is His command to share the gospel of salvation to all He placed in our paths. But for someone to not just reject your overtures, but to even consider the possibility that you are right about the Divine God, they must see God at work in your life. They must experience a voice that is not the norm that many are used to, an uncommon voice that speaks of selfless love from the heart, quite different from the present self centered world of the devil's. A voice that is truthful and not deceitful, which many including Christians have a preponderance to, even in the way they scheme to convert the non believers. The means must not justify the end, for it is God Who brings about the increase, we only water, and we must remember that everyone has a right to decide and we must respect that. And if there is a need for us to "push" the faith, it is through prayers and through the manner we let God transform our own lives, rather than in 'imposing' change upon others.
Living a Christ-like life does not mean no challenges, but the devil will flee from us, when we learn to live a life of submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and only then will the world truly see the power of the Gospel, for it is God Who will bring about the increase, much as many will resist.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(28th May 2011)
A note of thanks
- The Lord placed in my heart to take time to distribute this new book "Happy Family - A mirror of God's love." And indeed in doing so, in the past one week since the book was published, He has blessed this ministry of art bountifully, way surpassing my expectations, notwithstanding the little hiccups that happen to ensure that I stay focused on His will. I will be writing to each of you individually as the Spirit leads to ask you to consider joining me in this partnership of sharing His Words and the blessings He has given you with the needy and do not be surprised that it might be twenty years from now, as our good Lord leads.
- But if you do feel led, and would like to have a copy of the book before we lose our faculties, do drop me an email at hieang88@yahoo.com and will be most blessed to send a copy to you. Only commitment from you is to send me a check for at least $100 to be made payable to any of the charities listed below, for in giving we receive and we can never out-give our Lord. Kindly write your name, NRIC# and address at the back of the check for the 250% tax rebate which will be automatically credited to you at the next tax assessment year. Kindly note that all proceeds will go to the charity you donate to, as the costs of the book has already been fully paid for by our good Lord.
“Focus on the Family Singapore Ltd” Or “The Helping Hand”
Or
“Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home” or “Yong-en Care Center”
Or
“Dover Park Hospice”
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #51 Touch me not (22nd May 2011)
Dear….
‘But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’
Acts 1:8
If the Spirit of God had not sanctified my very being that wonderful early dawn in Bangkok a decade back, would I have been as resolute in my desire to seek the Lord with my all and to be a witness to His grace all these years? And would this chapter in my life this past decade been as joyful and at peace, notwithstanding it being the most challenging in my past five decades?
‘So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before Thee. Nevertheless I am continually with Thee: Thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.’
Psalm 73:23-25
I have come to learn that the burdens of the world are indeed unbearable and I can never resolve them on my own strength. Yet, I have also learned that while such “problems” might not go away immediately or at all, it matters not, for God is Sovereign and in my being willing to come unto His presence, His peace will assure and sustain, till His plans which are good plans for me, comes to fruition.
‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end.’
Psalm 73:17
Mimosa Pudica or in layman’s term is the plant or weed to some, that most commonly associate with the plant “touch me not” that used to grow quite commonly wherever there are grass patches. Of course, in today’s more manicured lawns, more cemented pavements and the fact that most children spent less time in the fields, not many of today’s generation might be aware of the existence of this almost “shy” plant.
A light touch on the leaves and it will close inward(see attached link of picture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mimosa_Pudica.gif), like a lady of honor in the more conservative days of old, when no lady of good upbringing will be seen in public without a chaperon, and without adequate cover.
‘And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.’
Acts 1:26
My name has not changed to Matthias, so I am not the twelfth apostle replacing Judas. And I am sure none of us are, but does that preclude any of us who profess to be a Christian from not following the leading of the Holy Spirit in our daily living nor can we claim ignorance of the command to live a Christ-like life, to be the salt and light to the world.
In reality, many of us who come to the faith often come to the Lord in our times of need. We will blossom for the moment inspired and provided for by the grace of God, but only for the moment. The distractions of the world will gradually sap away our desire to move into a deeper relationship with our Lord and if one is reminded of the need to go forth and share the gospel in words and in works, the reaction in most would be like that of the Mimosa Pudica, we will shrink very quickly into our comfort zone and closed our hearts to any desire to serve the Lord.
‘Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’
Matthew 28:20
If God is with us, should we not draw near to Him always? A truism yet an anomaly for many who seems to be quite reticent, almost like a shrinking violet, when it comes to living our their faith. God gives us all a free will, much as He is very present in our midst. Your faith can only blossom forth, your hearts transformed, your minds renewed, only if you are willing to come unto the presence of our Lord. He will not force you if you do not want to. But the costs of our continued disobedience is not only palpable when He returns but a very real consideration in our present living, for to live life in this difficult and burdensome world without obeying God deprives us of the lightness of being, that inner peace and joy that is there for our taking, but yet few have availed themselves of.
‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues…’
Mark 16: 16-17
The “Dalit” is the name given to the segment of Indian society deemed to be outcast and for all intent, untouchable by the rest of society. ‘Untouchable” not in the sense that they are above the law, as some of the nouveu rich in China are behaving so, but “untouchable” as in they are not deemed good enough to have any relationship with the rest of society, and are often ill treated and discriminated against.
What about mankind in general? Out there are many more across all segments of society who seem impossible for us to share the gospel of God with, be it due to real physical barriers of distance, cultural or legal impediments as in the Middle East or more often than not, a hardened heart that is tighter than Fort Knox.
Like the gentleman in the time of the Apostles, who wanted to buy from God the same ability to perform miracles like healing and signs and wonders, in our weakness, do we the imperfect man, yet desirous followers of our Lord Jesus Christ not sometimes desire the ability to do the same in order to impress and convince our subject that God is real and they should be Christians?
Let me close this relatively short sharing(brief by my ponderous standards) with this new clarification the Spirit of God has just placed in my heart as regards the above verse Mark 16:16-17.
Indeed, a willingness to receive the love of God can only come when one is willing to come unto His presence, for faith comes only from God. But that willingness to turn to God and move unto His presence can be prodded along by believers who God will place in the paths of the non-believers.
And indeed we, as determined followers of our Lord Jesus Christ will “cast out the demons and devils” as a testimony of God’s grace and power in our renewed life. But more often than not, the demons we will be casting out will be our past habits of greed, lust, pride, anger, impatience, deceit and all things the devil loves. Not as visually dramatic compared to floating specters or shrilled banshees or hideous green fallen angels, but rest assured that as our non believer friends and families or even once strangers see the transformation in the once unchangeable us, and as they experience the love of God shared through us, for love is the new tongue, the gift of God to all who seek Him and obey Him, the once “untouchables” will be encouraged enough to take that small but important step unto presence of our Lord, and like the popular closing sentence in some movies, ‘the rest will be history” or in this case, a new beginning, a wonderful step into the journey of faith that God has already laid out for all, who are willing.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(20th May 2011)
A new beginning
According to the popular press, yesterday was supposed to be doomsday, as claimed by an American evangelical pastor. Interesting how men persist in trying to play God. But I am still thankful for today, not because I do not desire to meet our Lord, but rather, while I wait upon Him, and till He returns, His presence is already with us who believe and seek after Him.
Thankful today because on one of those rare occasions, I was at the early morning service at 7.30am. And thankful to meet a few dear friends in church as well,but even more thankful that the prayer and worship songs this morning truly affirms this message that you have just read, that I have allowed to simmer for a couple of days, while waiting upon the Lord.
"Grace is the good will or favor of God towards us, which moved Him to share Christ, and the Holy Spirit with us"
(from the "call to worship" in Wesley Weekly May 2st1/22nd)
And indeed, the Spirit of God will fall upon us and bring us into that communion with our Abba Father if only we are willing to come unto His presence.
'..by Thy Spirit didst inspire them to kindle a flame of sacred love which leaped and ran, an inextinguishable blaze...'
(from "in prayer" from the Wesley Weekly May 21st/22nd)
And indeed, for all of us who first come to the faith, when the Spirit of God sanctified our very being and brought us out of the bondage of the Egypt of our lives, there is a need not just for a response for the moment, but a continued response that relies less on us, and increasingly more on the Holy Spirit. A response that looks less at our own needs, and more on the needs of others that God will surely place in our lives.
"The voice of God is calling.....Whom shall I send to loosen the bonds of shame and greed?"
Should our reply as children of God Whose Spirit has freed us from the imprisonment of sin and death not be one as in the closing line of this inspiring song "The Voice of God is Calling" and that is
"Speak, and behold! we answer; command, and we obey."
In closing, the greatest gift from God for all of us who believe is that promise of eternal life with Him and yet, peace and joy in this present difficult world. And the only response that the Lord commands from us who spirit has been touched by His grace is to love Him with our all, and to be like Him, in loving our neighbors like ourselves, for God is love. And I ask that you do take time to read, reflect and ask our Lord, what the words in Revelations 3:16-19 mean to you and may His Spirit convict you and inspire you to follow our Lord Jesus Christ , the author and finisher of our faith, every breath of your finite life.
'So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raimen, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore, and repent.'
Revelations 3:16-19
And if the Spirit of God so lead me and you, I will be calling upon some of you to consider joining me in the partnership of sharing the gospel through the 2nd art book "Happy Family - A mirror of God's love" that He has blessed all of us with. This is a ministry of using art to place the word of God in the lives of people He put in our paths. Do pray for us in this ministry and if His Spirit so leads, do contribute by sharing your blessings with those who are in need, and this blessing can be both in financial(all contributions to my charity partners listed in the book, for all cost are already fully borne by our Lord) , in prayers or simply in encouragement to a thirsty soul and if the book can be used to affirm, do let me know and will be most blessed to send you some copies.
rgds again and indeed God provides
‘But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’
Acts 1:8
If the Spirit of God had not sanctified my very being that wonderful early dawn in Bangkok a decade back, would I have been as resolute in my desire to seek the Lord with my all and to be a witness to His grace all these years? And would this chapter in my life this past decade been as joyful and at peace, notwithstanding it being the most challenging in my past five decades?
‘So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before Thee. Nevertheless I am continually with Thee: Thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.’
Psalm 73:23-25
I have come to learn that the burdens of the world are indeed unbearable and I can never resolve them on my own strength. Yet, I have also learned that while such “problems” might not go away immediately or at all, it matters not, for God is Sovereign and in my being willing to come unto His presence, His peace will assure and sustain, till His plans which are good plans for me, comes to fruition.
‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end.’
Psalm 73:17
Mimosa Pudica or in layman’s term is the plant or weed to some, that most commonly associate with the plant “touch me not” that used to grow quite commonly wherever there are grass patches. Of course, in today’s more manicured lawns, more cemented pavements and the fact that most children spent less time in the fields, not many of today’s generation might be aware of the existence of this almost “shy” plant.
A light touch on the leaves and it will close inward(see attached link of picture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mimosa_Pudica.gif), like a lady of honor in the more conservative days of old, when no lady of good upbringing will be seen in public without a chaperon, and without adequate cover.
‘And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.’
Acts 1:26
My name has not changed to Matthias, so I am not the twelfth apostle replacing Judas. And I am sure none of us are, but does that preclude any of us who profess to be a Christian from not following the leading of the Holy Spirit in our daily living nor can we claim ignorance of the command to live a Christ-like life, to be the salt and light to the world.
In reality, many of us who come to the faith often come to the Lord in our times of need. We will blossom for the moment inspired and provided for by the grace of God, but only for the moment. The distractions of the world will gradually sap away our desire to move into a deeper relationship with our Lord and if one is reminded of the need to go forth and share the gospel in words and in works, the reaction in most would be like that of the Mimosa Pudica, we will shrink very quickly into our comfort zone and closed our hearts to any desire to serve the Lord.
‘Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’
Matthew 28:20
If God is with us, should we not draw near to Him always? A truism yet an anomaly for many who seems to be quite reticent, almost like a shrinking violet, when it comes to living our their faith. God gives us all a free will, much as He is very present in our midst. Your faith can only blossom forth, your hearts transformed, your minds renewed, only if you are willing to come unto the presence of our Lord. He will not force you if you do not want to. But the costs of our continued disobedience is not only palpable when He returns but a very real consideration in our present living, for to live life in this difficult and burdensome world without obeying God deprives us of the lightness of being, that inner peace and joy that is there for our taking, but yet few have availed themselves of.
‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues…’
Mark 16: 16-17
The “Dalit” is the name given to the segment of Indian society deemed to be outcast and for all intent, untouchable by the rest of society. ‘Untouchable” not in the sense that they are above the law, as some of the nouveu rich in China are behaving so, but “untouchable” as in they are not deemed good enough to have any relationship with the rest of society, and are often ill treated and discriminated against.
What about mankind in general? Out there are many more across all segments of society who seem impossible for us to share the gospel of God with, be it due to real physical barriers of distance, cultural or legal impediments as in the Middle East or more often than not, a hardened heart that is tighter than Fort Knox.
Like the gentleman in the time of the Apostles, who wanted to buy from God the same ability to perform miracles like healing and signs and wonders, in our weakness, do we the imperfect man, yet desirous followers of our Lord Jesus Christ not sometimes desire the ability to do the same in order to impress and convince our subject that God is real and they should be Christians?
Let me close this relatively short sharing(brief by my ponderous standards) with this new clarification the Spirit of God has just placed in my heart as regards the above verse Mark 16:16-17.
Indeed, a willingness to receive the love of God can only come when one is willing to come unto His presence, for faith comes only from God. But that willingness to turn to God and move unto His presence can be prodded along by believers who God will place in the paths of the non-believers.
And indeed we, as determined followers of our Lord Jesus Christ will “cast out the demons and devils” as a testimony of God’s grace and power in our renewed life. But more often than not, the demons we will be casting out will be our past habits of greed, lust, pride, anger, impatience, deceit and all things the devil loves. Not as visually dramatic compared to floating specters or shrilled banshees or hideous green fallen angels, but rest assured that as our non believer friends and families or even once strangers see the transformation in the once unchangeable us, and as they experience the love of God shared through us, for love is the new tongue, the gift of God to all who seek Him and obey Him, the once “untouchables” will be encouraged enough to take that small but important step unto presence of our Lord, and like the popular closing sentence in some movies, ‘the rest will be history” or in this case, a new beginning, a wonderful step into the journey of faith that God has already laid out for all, who are willing.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(20th May 2011)
A new beginning
According to the popular press, yesterday was supposed to be doomsday, as claimed by an American evangelical pastor. Interesting how men persist in trying to play God. But I am still thankful for today, not because I do not desire to meet our Lord, but rather, while I wait upon Him, and till He returns, His presence is already with us who believe and seek after Him.
Thankful today because on one of those rare occasions, I was at the early morning service at 7.30am. And thankful to meet a few dear friends in church as well,but even more thankful that the prayer and worship songs this morning truly affirms this message that you have just read, that I have allowed to simmer for a couple of days, while waiting upon the Lord.
"Grace is the good will or favor of God towards us, which moved Him to share Christ, and the Holy Spirit with us"
(from the "call to worship" in Wesley Weekly May 2st1/22nd)
And indeed, the Spirit of God will fall upon us and bring us into that communion with our Abba Father if only we are willing to come unto His presence.
'..by Thy Spirit didst inspire them to kindle a flame of sacred love which leaped and ran, an inextinguishable blaze...'
(from "in prayer" from the Wesley Weekly May 21st/22nd)
And indeed, for all of us who first come to the faith, when the Spirit of God sanctified our very being and brought us out of the bondage of the Egypt of our lives, there is a need not just for a response for the moment, but a continued response that relies less on us, and increasingly more on the Holy Spirit. A response that looks less at our own needs, and more on the needs of others that God will surely place in our lives.
"The voice of God is calling.....Whom shall I send to loosen the bonds of shame and greed?"
Should our reply as children of God Whose Spirit has freed us from the imprisonment of sin and death not be one as in the closing line of this inspiring song "The Voice of God is Calling" and that is
"Speak, and behold! we answer; command, and we obey."
In closing, the greatest gift from God for all of us who believe is that promise of eternal life with Him and yet, peace and joy in this present difficult world. And the only response that the Lord commands from us who spirit has been touched by His grace is to love Him with our all, and to be like Him, in loving our neighbors like ourselves, for God is love. And I ask that you do take time to read, reflect and ask our Lord, what the words in Revelations 3:16-19 mean to you and may His Spirit convict you and inspire you to follow our Lord Jesus Christ , the author and finisher of our faith, every breath of your finite life.
'So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raimen, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore, and repent.'
Revelations 3:16-19
And if the Spirit of God so lead me and you, I will be calling upon some of you to consider joining me in the partnership of sharing the gospel through the 2nd art book "Happy Family - A mirror of God's love" that He has blessed all of us with. This is a ministry of using art to place the word of God in the lives of people He put in our paths. Do pray for us in this ministry and if His Spirit so leads, do contribute by sharing your blessings with those who are in need, and this blessing can be both in financial(all contributions to my charity partners listed in the book, for all cost are already fully borne by our Lord) , in prayers or simply in encouragement to a thirsty soul and if the book can be used to affirm, do let me know and will be most blessed to send you some copies.
rgds again and indeed God provides
Saturday, May 14, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #50 Schism (15th May 2011)
Dear…..
‘Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.’
1 Corinthians 13:12
Thankfully things did not fall apart in our recently concluded election. It is in fact a God blessed result for it now provides an opportunity for all of different political orientation to work on achieving the promises as well as addressing the key concerns and gripes of the electorate. God has given us all a reprieve to bring about changes for the general good and indeed may healing underline this process for our blessed nation as a whole and that we indeed can be united as one country, much as dark clouds are looming in the horizon. And on dark clouds, we are told that the dreaded haze from the Indonesia forest/plantation fires could be upon us for the next 3 months.
‘That there should be no schism in the body: but that the members should have the same care for one another.’
1 Corinthians 12:25
For the country to move in the right direction, it must start with the desire of our hearts to want to move from self to selfless. Is this possible on our own strength and can this act of community before individual go viral and infect the general population? With man, it is not possible but mere idealism. The communist system is a living example of utopia gone awry. But with God, all things are possible, and in fact, this is the command of God to all who call themselves Christians, to take that lead, for us to love our neighbors as ourselves, with our eyes always focused upon the Lord our God, the author and finisher of our faith.
‘And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye?...Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam that is in thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye..’
Luke 6:41-42
It is always easier to assess the deficiencies of everyone else except oneself. And this is not unsurprisingly played out in the recent election campaign. And is it not correct to feel very certain that one is right about one’s assessments about the subject of one’s critical analysis? God is not against us using the wisdom He imbued in us to share corrective love on our fellow brethren, but we must first start with ourselves. This soul searching ensures that we not just take the unnecessary sting off our assessment, but in taking time with our Lord, we will learn to look at the same issue from His perspective, for His ways are much more wonderful than ours.
‘Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.’
Acts 2:37-38
It is always easier to hear one’s own voice, or if not, the voice of others whose views resonates with ours. But as a Christian, we must learn to leave that finite understanding aside, and instead learn to bring ourselves unto the presence of our Lord, to be still to know His will. God has left His Holy Spirit as a “GPS” system in our very heart, to ensure that we will be able to navigate the delusions of Satan’s world, till Christ returns.
The Holy Spirit is with us who believe, and we must learn to let our carnal man be transformed into the spirit man, to align our every moment to the leading of our Lord.
‘Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.’
Romans 13:1
The carnal man looks at the temporal and fights for the momentary. The spirit man who seeks after the will of the Lord must look at the eternal, the knowledge that Christ will return and must live every breathe in the presence of the Lord. The battle lines are now clearly drawn. Do we continue to denude the world and degrade ourselves, in the pursuit of selfish wants, the price of which we are increasingly paying in terms of emotional angst and unprecedented disasters, the latest being the devastating hurricanes that flattened homes in the States followed by the mega floods along the Mississippi of historic proportions, the wake-up call in terms of a more potent earthquake in Spain, and not forgetting the poor food crops worldwide due to inclement weather. And are not the roots of the world’s problems residing in the continued disobedience of finite man to the will of God? And with the same relentless pursuit of self interest, one of the last pristine part of the world, the Arctic Circle is now where nations are hovering over like vultures looking to carve up its hidden riches beneath the till now crystal clear waters.
It might not be plausible to change the world, but we definitely can let the Spirit of God transform us. And in allowing Him to bringing about that healing in our once sinful hearts, God will also bring about healing to people He placed in our lives. And collectively, our family, our friends, our community, our nation and the world will be transformed, if we are willing to let God close the schism in our relationship with Him.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(13th May 2011)
‘…for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.’
Acts 8:21
How many of us actually take time to ponder upon this thought that we are not right with God in our daily living? I do, though I also often forget. What is the real costs of not being right with our Lord? For many, it might not be immediately obvious, and continued disobedience will lead the oblivious us to oblivion.
‘…but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.’
Romans 16:19
Rather than look at the costs, what about the fruits of a heart that is right with God? Today, at a prayer meeting for men, a brother was convicted by the Spirit of God and shed tears of release as the Spirit of God sanctified his very being, and convicted him of the need to forgive and it was an edifying experience for all of us present.
There is no proper moment as to when the Spirit of God chooses to move our hearts and lift the burdens that encapsulate our very being. God looks for a humble and contrite heart and while it is He Who brings about the cleansing and sanctification of our once sinful heart, we must be willing to come to His presence to receive His grace. And how does one do that?
For myself, I not just thank the Lord for the new day the moment I awaken, for indeed the day is evil, but His grace is suffice for the day. I also ask that I will truly be cognizance of the prompting of His Spirit to ensure that I do not dishonor His love for me and that my heart will be truly right in His sight always.
‘…take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you…’
Mark 4:24
And on this note, I also receive wonderful news today, from my dear friend, sister in Christ and publisher that Book 2 : “Happy Family – A mirror of God’s love” is printed, and do look forward to blessing all of you with a copy of it, for indeed the family is where the battleground is, as the devil seeks to turn more away from the Lord our God. And even as you enjoy this lovely handiwork, which will edify for it is from our Lord, do commit to share your blessings with those who have less, for God is love and in sharing His blessings, we will know Him.
‘Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.’
1 Corinthians 13:12
Thankfully things did not fall apart in our recently concluded election. It is in fact a God blessed result for it now provides an opportunity for all of different political orientation to work on achieving the promises as well as addressing the key concerns and gripes of the electorate. God has given us all a reprieve to bring about changes for the general good and indeed may healing underline this process for our blessed nation as a whole and that we indeed can be united as one country, much as dark clouds are looming in the horizon. And on dark clouds, we are told that the dreaded haze from the Indonesia forest/plantation fires could be upon us for the next 3 months.
‘That there should be no schism in the body: but that the members should have the same care for one another.’
1 Corinthians 12:25
For the country to move in the right direction, it must start with the desire of our hearts to want to move from self to selfless. Is this possible on our own strength and can this act of community before individual go viral and infect the general population? With man, it is not possible but mere idealism. The communist system is a living example of utopia gone awry. But with God, all things are possible, and in fact, this is the command of God to all who call themselves Christians, to take that lead, for us to love our neighbors as ourselves, with our eyes always focused upon the Lord our God, the author and finisher of our faith.
‘And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye?...Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam that is in thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye..’
Luke 6:41-42
It is always easier to assess the deficiencies of everyone else except oneself. And this is not unsurprisingly played out in the recent election campaign. And is it not correct to feel very certain that one is right about one’s assessments about the subject of one’s critical analysis? God is not against us using the wisdom He imbued in us to share corrective love on our fellow brethren, but we must first start with ourselves. This soul searching ensures that we not just take the unnecessary sting off our assessment, but in taking time with our Lord, we will learn to look at the same issue from His perspective, for His ways are much more wonderful than ours.
‘Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.’
Acts 2:37-38
It is always easier to hear one’s own voice, or if not, the voice of others whose views resonates with ours. But as a Christian, we must learn to leave that finite understanding aside, and instead learn to bring ourselves unto the presence of our Lord, to be still to know His will. God has left His Holy Spirit as a “GPS” system in our very heart, to ensure that we will be able to navigate the delusions of Satan’s world, till Christ returns.
The Holy Spirit is with us who believe, and we must learn to let our carnal man be transformed into the spirit man, to align our every moment to the leading of our Lord.
‘Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.’
Romans 13:1
The carnal man looks at the temporal and fights for the momentary. The spirit man who seeks after the will of the Lord must look at the eternal, the knowledge that Christ will return and must live every breathe in the presence of the Lord. The battle lines are now clearly drawn. Do we continue to denude the world and degrade ourselves, in the pursuit of selfish wants, the price of which we are increasingly paying in terms of emotional angst and unprecedented disasters, the latest being the devastating hurricanes that flattened homes in the States followed by the mega floods along the Mississippi of historic proportions, the wake-up call in terms of a more potent earthquake in Spain, and not forgetting the poor food crops worldwide due to inclement weather. And are not the roots of the world’s problems residing in the continued disobedience of finite man to the will of God? And with the same relentless pursuit of self interest, one of the last pristine part of the world, the Arctic Circle is now where nations are hovering over like vultures looking to carve up its hidden riches beneath the till now crystal clear waters.
It might not be plausible to change the world, but we definitely can let the Spirit of God transform us. And in allowing Him to bringing about that healing in our once sinful hearts, God will also bring about healing to people He placed in our lives. And collectively, our family, our friends, our community, our nation and the world will be transformed, if we are willing to let God close the schism in our relationship with Him.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(13th May 2011)
‘…for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.’
Acts 8:21
How many of us actually take time to ponder upon this thought that we are not right with God in our daily living? I do, though I also often forget. What is the real costs of not being right with our Lord? For many, it might not be immediately obvious, and continued disobedience will lead the oblivious us to oblivion.
‘…but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.’
Romans 16:19
Rather than look at the costs, what about the fruits of a heart that is right with God? Today, at a prayer meeting for men, a brother was convicted by the Spirit of God and shed tears of release as the Spirit of God sanctified his very being, and convicted him of the need to forgive and it was an edifying experience for all of us present.
There is no proper moment as to when the Spirit of God chooses to move our hearts and lift the burdens that encapsulate our very being. God looks for a humble and contrite heart and while it is He Who brings about the cleansing and sanctification of our once sinful heart, we must be willing to come to His presence to receive His grace. And how does one do that?
For myself, I not just thank the Lord for the new day the moment I awaken, for indeed the day is evil, but His grace is suffice for the day. I also ask that I will truly be cognizance of the prompting of His Spirit to ensure that I do not dishonor His love for me and that my heart will be truly right in His sight always.
‘…take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you…’
Mark 4:24
And on this note, I also receive wonderful news today, from my dear friend, sister in Christ and publisher that Book 2 : “Happy Family – A mirror of God’s love” is printed, and do look forward to blessing all of you with a copy of it, for indeed the family is where the battleground is, as the devil seeks to turn more away from the Lord our God. And even as you enjoy this lovely handiwork, which will edify for it is from our Lord, do commit to share your blessings with those who have less, for God is love and in sharing His blessings, we will know Him.
Friday, May 6, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #49 The morning after (posted 3.01pm Sat May 7th, 2011)
Dear...
'Trust in the Lord, and do good, dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.'
Psalm 37:3
I decided to take the verse in the Daily Bread(Sunday May 8th) reading as the opening verse for these heartfelt thoughts that the Spirit of God is leading me to pen.
God spoke to me this morning as I did my quiet time and the verse in the Daily Bread(Sat May 7th) reading was on peace and reconciliation.
'Then Peter came to Him and said, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy seven times.'
Matthew 18:21-22
It is indeed almost impossible by our own strength and understanding to fully forgive someone who has sinned against us. For even if we are willing, what is to stop us having deep regrets should the forgiven persist in their sinful ways and stay non repentant. What about those who are weaker? Do we take the risk of having the same unrepentant soul continue to subject them to more abuses?
This morning, after my quiet time at 8am, I was at the polling station at 9.15am to exercise my right to vote. I would have been at least half an hour earlier, if not for the lack of a car par space and in fact, after waiting for an available space to no avail, my wife and I had wanted to defer our visit to the polling station and return in the afternoon. Man plans, God directs, and lo and behold, I did find an excellent vacant car park lot in one corner of the estate that I never even realized existed.
God is always prescient and the delay ensured that as we stepped into the polling station, right smack into my path was one of the main election candidate in my district. He was in the queue right next to me with his lovely family to cast his vote.
"Should I tell him that God wanted me to both remind him that he is forgiven yet there is a need for a response from him, as a Christian to live out his faith boldly in following the commands of our Lord, to look after the widows and orphans. For like Queen Esther, God places us all in positions of influence to do His will and not for our own self preservation.
I did not speak to him other then the polite greetings, for to do otherwise might be construed as his influencing the voters and lead to his disqualification, then it will be his turn to forgive me instead.
'...that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.'
Ephesians 5:17-21
This morning, I text to some of you my little testimony of how God indeed truly led me in my decision as to how to vote. It was not meant to influence anyone of you as to how you should vote, for God will speak to each one of us individually and we both could vote in opposing ways, yet still be in obedience to the will of God.
Why is that possible? As finite man, we look at issues from our own flawed perspective and yet only God is in control of the 'big picture.' Throughout the past two weeks, some of you out of goodness of heart have spoken to me with diverse messages as to how one should vote.
1. the need to be grateful for the work done by the ruling party all these ways and the fact that we can never please everyone and stability will bring more good than harm to our nation. OR
2. the great disconnect of our present ruling party with the real needs of the masses who are groaning under the burdens of their policies and an opposition will be useful to help bring the ship to a more even keel.
Satan was a devil honored by God, for Lucifer led worship at the footstool of the throne of God. Yet pride got the better of him and he was cast into eternal damnation.
Pride and lack of compassion are clearly creeping into our society. And like many, I believe we need a change in attitude in not just our government but society in general and rapping a few knuckles by voting out some of the ruling party candidates might just do the trick.
What if most follow their own wisdom and vote accordingly and the specter of a not fully equipped opposition party truly ending up with a slim majority in Parliament? Will this scenario that the ruling party oft remind us to scare us, at least in the view of its detractors, on the need to vote wisely turn out to be reality tomorrow morning when the votes are counted? Can many of us who are so fervent about our sense of righteousness be truly able to live with that reality that the much maligned stability of our blessed lives is gone and the morning after polling day seems less palatable?
The ideal result will be one of the ruling party still in charge, but with a few more vocal opposition in Parliament. But how can anyone of us be sure this "right' configuration will turn out the way we hope? Only God knows the right mix and it is to Him we must follow.
All views will have its detractors. It matters not what I think but rather, as for me and my household, we must follow the leading of the Spirit of God. I vote today with the knowledge that truly God led me and I obeyed accordingly.
And I do care about the needs of those who have less and are in a more difficult position be it materially or emotionally than me. But as mentioned to a friend, much as it seems that a vote for a change of leadership will make right all ills, how one should vote must be led more by God than our own understanding. But there is something that God has already blessed us with the means to do. Which is, like the early Christians, to learn to be generous with our time, love and blessings with whoever God places in our life.
Our words must be matched by works. Voting is easy, but giving from our monies, time and resources that God has so blessed us with, is in reality quite difficult for many. But even of greater importance, we must pray, for the prayers of the faithful avails much and yet, not many Christians truly believe in the power of prayer. But Christ has shown us all that prayers must under gird our every moment.
And what if I am wrong. The party I voted for continue in their errant ways?
Let me close by bringing you back to the same verse Matthew 18 which I shared on in the topic of forgiveness. Reading further down to Matthew 18:32-34
'Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you also not have had compassion on you fellow servant,just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.'
Matthew 18:32-34
An unbeliever might not agree with this for they know not God. And the same disbelief will apply to a Christian who believes with his mouth but not his heart. But as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, I and I know all who like me seek Him with our all that God will punish those who continue in their errant ways. But the correcting is left to Him, not us unless He tells us otherwise. And for many of you who I have been blessed to walk together in the presence of our Lord, I pray that I have been bold on many occasions to correct with love but only when our Lord so commands.
For to do otherwise is to disobey the Lord our God, much as our intentions might be good. For Christ rebuke Peter when the latter wanted to discourage him from going for his cruxification.
And much as the morning after has not occurred, for it is still within voting hours when you receive this email from me, I believe most of you by the time you read this would have already voted. It is not my intention nor within my capacity to sway you in your voting choice, for only the Spirit of God can speak to you and on that, you still have a choice to disobey God.
But do join me in praying for healing to start in our nation, and that indeed, all, and not just our leaders, will learn from the error of our ways so that our beloved nation will come out of this not just stronger, but a place where truly God's love is shown and shared with all with a heart of compassion for our neighbors.
And I believe that in obeying, God will give our nation an election result His way and it will be good. And that is the promise that the opening verse that I used in this sharing affirms.
'Trust in the Lord, and do good, dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.'
Psalm 37:3
And on affirmation, as I was about to proceed upstairs to my study to pen this, I happened to catch snippets of the 'Asian move awards" on television, and guess what was the song the performer was belting out in Mandarin " forgiveness.'
How great is our God.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(2.12pm Sat May 7th, 2011)
Apologies
For all my overseas friends on this mail and the previous two, thank you for your forbearance in reading through what seems to be a very localized matter. Yet do keep us in Singapore in your prayers and more importantly, the Lord will use the lessons gleaned to apply to wherever you are.
God blesses
'Trust in the Lord, and do good, dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.'
Psalm 37:3
I decided to take the verse in the Daily Bread(Sunday May 8th) reading as the opening verse for these heartfelt thoughts that the Spirit of God is leading me to pen.
God spoke to me this morning as I did my quiet time and the verse in the Daily Bread(Sat May 7th) reading was on peace and reconciliation.
'Then Peter came to Him and said, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy seven times.'
Matthew 18:21-22
It is indeed almost impossible by our own strength and understanding to fully forgive someone who has sinned against us. For even if we are willing, what is to stop us having deep regrets should the forgiven persist in their sinful ways and stay non repentant. What about those who are weaker? Do we take the risk of having the same unrepentant soul continue to subject them to more abuses?
This morning, after my quiet time at 8am, I was at the polling station at 9.15am to exercise my right to vote. I would have been at least half an hour earlier, if not for the lack of a car par space and in fact, after waiting for an available space to no avail, my wife and I had wanted to defer our visit to the polling station and return in the afternoon. Man plans, God directs, and lo and behold, I did find an excellent vacant car park lot in one corner of the estate that I never even realized existed.
God is always prescient and the delay ensured that as we stepped into the polling station, right smack into my path was one of the main election candidate in my district. He was in the queue right next to me with his lovely family to cast his vote.
"Should I tell him that God wanted me to both remind him that he is forgiven yet there is a need for a response from him, as a Christian to live out his faith boldly in following the commands of our Lord, to look after the widows and orphans. For like Queen Esther, God places us all in positions of influence to do His will and not for our own self preservation.
I did not speak to him other then the polite greetings, for to do otherwise might be construed as his influencing the voters and lead to his disqualification, then it will be his turn to forgive me instead.
'...that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.'
Ephesians 5:17-21
This morning, I text to some of you my little testimony of how God indeed truly led me in my decision as to how to vote. It was not meant to influence anyone of you as to how you should vote, for God will speak to each one of us individually and we both could vote in opposing ways, yet still be in obedience to the will of God.
Why is that possible? As finite man, we look at issues from our own flawed perspective and yet only God is in control of the 'big picture.' Throughout the past two weeks, some of you out of goodness of heart have spoken to me with diverse messages as to how one should vote.
1. the need to be grateful for the work done by the ruling party all these ways and the fact that we can never please everyone and stability will bring more good than harm to our nation. OR
2. the great disconnect of our present ruling party with the real needs of the masses who are groaning under the burdens of their policies and an opposition will be useful to help bring the ship to a more even keel.
Satan was a devil honored by God, for Lucifer led worship at the footstool of the throne of God. Yet pride got the better of him and he was cast into eternal damnation.
Pride and lack of compassion are clearly creeping into our society. And like many, I believe we need a change in attitude in not just our government but society in general and rapping a few knuckles by voting out some of the ruling party candidates might just do the trick.
What if most follow their own wisdom and vote accordingly and the specter of a not fully equipped opposition party truly ending up with a slim majority in Parliament? Will this scenario that the ruling party oft remind us to scare us, at least in the view of its detractors, on the need to vote wisely turn out to be reality tomorrow morning when the votes are counted? Can many of us who are so fervent about our sense of righteousness be truly able to live with that reality that the much maligned stability of our blessed lives is gone and the morning after polling day seems less palatable?
The ideal result will be one of the ruling party still in charge, but with a few more vocal opposition in Parliament. But how can anyone of us be sure this "right' configuration will turn out the way we hope? Only God knows the right mix and it is to Him we must follow.
All views will have its detractors. It matters not what I think but rather, as for me and my household, we must follow the leading of the Spirit of God. I vote today with the knowledge that truly God led me and I obeyed accordingly.
And I do care about the needs of those who have less and are in a more difficult position be it materially or emotionally than me. But as mentioned to a friend, much as it seems that a vote for a change of leadership will make right all ills, how one should vote must be led more by God than our own understanding. But there is something that God has already blessed us with the means to do. Which is, like the early Christians, to learn to be generous with our time, love and blessings with whoever God places in our life.
Our words must be matched by works. Voting is easy, but giving from our monies, time and resources that God has so blessed us with, is in reality quite difficult for many. But even of greater importance, we must pray, for the prayers of the faithful avails much and yet, not many Christians truly believe in the power of prayer. But Christ has shown us all that prayers must under gird our every moment.
And what if I am wrong. The party I voted for continue in their errant ways?
Let me close by bringing you back to the same verse Matthew 18 which I shared on in the topic of forgiveness. Reading further down to Matthew 18:32-34
'Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you also not have had compassion on you fellow servant,just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.'
Matthew 18:32-34
An unbeliever might not agree with this for they know not God. And the same disbelief will apply to a Christian who believes with his mouth but not his heart. But as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, I and I know all who like me seek Him with our all that God will punish those who continue in their errant ways. But the correcting is left to Him, not us unless He tells us otherwise. And for many of you who I have been blessed to walk together in the presence of our Lord, I pray that I have been bold on many occasions to correct with love but only when our Lord so commands.
For to do otherwise is to disobey the Lord our God, much as our intentions might be good. For Christ rebuke Peter when the latter wanted to discourage him from going for his cruxification.
And much as the morning after has not occurred, for it is still within voting hours when you receive this email from me, I believe most of you by the time you read this would have already voted. It is not my intention nor within my capacity to sway you in your voting choice, for only the Spirit of God can speak to you and on that, you still have a choice to disobey God.
But do join me in praying for healing to start in our nation, and that indeed, all, and not just our leaders, will learn from the error of our ways so that our beloved nation will come out of this not just stronger, but a place where truly God's love is shown and shared with all with a heart of compassion for our neighbors.
And I believe that in obeying, God will give our nation an election result His way and it will be good. And that is the promise that the opening verse that I used in this sharing affirms.
'Trust in the Lord, and do good, dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.'
Psalm 37:3
And on affirmation, as I was about to proceed upstairs to my study to pen this, I happened to catch snippets of the 'Asian move awards" on television, and guess what was the song the performer was belting out in Mandarin " forgiveness.'
How great is our God.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(2.12pm Sat May 7th, 2011)
Apologies
For all my overseas friends on this mail and the previous two, thank you for your forbearance in reading through what seems to be a very localized matter. Yet do keep us in Singapore in your prayers and more importantly, the Lord will use the lessons gleaned to apply to wherever you are.
God blesses
Thursday, May 5, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #48 Dark clouds in the horizon (5th May 2011)
Dear...
'...from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, "You
shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away
your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love........and his
heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David'
1 Kings 11:2-4
"Dark clouds in the horizon," this is the recent message our present leaders in
government are bringing to the attention of the general population in Singapore.
And indeed, it is good that in the midst of plenty, that many be reminded that
good times do not last forever, and this is of particular importance given that
an inordinate portion of the population could be leveraging both their
lifestyles as well as asset investments, and not many will escape unscathed from
the double edged sword of leverage when it is thrust in their direction.
But is this message also for our leaders as well, a message that King Solomon the wisest man in the world chose to ignore at great costs to himself and Israel?
'Then Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab...And he
did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to
their gods.'
1 Kings 11:7-8
Prescient it might seem, or is it because some of our political leaders have had the
chance to read Reverend Francis Khoo's prophetic word for year 2011, which I
referenced to in my previous sharing(#47 Spiritual Compass)? In his sharing,
Reverend Khoo shared about a vision that God gave him showing dark ominous
clouds starting to gather in the month of May 2011, a prelude to a time of
correction for a nation that in the pursuit of prosperity, has moved away from
the source of their comfort and grace, our Almighty God and has neglected His
command to look after those with less.
'So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the
Lord God of Israel, Who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him
concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods, but he did not
keep what the Lord had commanded.'
1 Kings 11:9-10
"Repentance" is a word that is used often enough in the Bible, and in Christian
evangelism as we seek to encourage, but not impose upon non-believers on the need to turn to God and
receive His saving grace with a humble and contrite heart. But in the present
heat of political campaigning, the word "repentance" has been used to remind
voters in the most widely contested district that an incorrect choice of
candidates would possibly mean a lengthy 5 years for remorse and regret.
But again, would this word “repentance” not be an opportunity for our leaders now that they have the hindsight experience of witnessing the negative ramifications of decisions taken, be it our fixation upon scholastic ability as a narrow measure of a man’s worth, the opening of the floodgates to an immorally more liberal lifestyle just to make our nation attractive to the world, or the seedy side of the glamorous casinos, to revisit the same decisions and be bold enough to make the necessary corrections for the long term good of the nation? For history has shown that a nation with a weakened moral fiber and dysfunctional family structure will disintegrate.
Apolitical I must stay, and let me write within the confines of the thoughts that the Lord
has placed in my heart and what my and possibly your response should be as a
follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, much as we are all caught in the swirl of
political events enveloping our lives.
‘…God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’
James 4:6
"Servant leader" was also another recently used word by our political leaders to describe
the humility that the governing must show in their relationship with the
governed. And is this a forewarning of creeping dangers of an ongoing transformation from the self sacrificing first generation leaders to the self interest that often permeates successive generations as seen in human societies, when the first generation builds, the second maintains, and the third destroys.
‘….the hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live…’
John 5:25
“Voice or more precise “an alternate voice.” That is the clarion call of the opposition members who urge us to vote them in, to ensure that they can be the check and balance to the ruling party, a “co-driver.” In all debate, efforts will be made to appeal to our understanding and/or emotions and to try to sway us in the direction intended. But are the promises realistic and achievable or are they just for the moment? Wise I might think I am, but reality is, I know not a man’s heart nor can I foretell tomorrow. Is it not more correct to take time to be still and listen to the “voice” of God and to respond in all obedience, for the Holy Spirit residing in our hearts is the compass that we must follow?
‘For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.’
James 4:15
My attention is piqued, what with politicians of all colors generously using ‘words’ that are usually confined to the Christian faith. What does it truly mean? Is the Spirit of God drawing our attention to the dangers that lie ahead if the blessed us continue to have our heads up in the clouds, pitch dark or azure blue, it matters not. We must turn back to God and take time to know His will.
‘The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen. And the sword shall come upon Egypt….They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down….’
Ezekiel 30:1-6
Much as this General Election seems to be about basic secular needs of cost of living for some, and for others further up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, it is about displeasure with policies being shoved down the general populace, there is an issue that is deeper that God wants us to pay attention to? We are looking at the temporal while God wants us to pay attention to the eternal, and in our being enamored with the temporal, we have allowed the forces of evil, an entry into our very being. We might be Solomon, but reality is, Sodom is at our gates. And it is not that Sodom has Gomorrah with he/she, but the barbarians pushing at the gates to our and our children’s hearts include the demons of pride, greed, selfishness, impatience, non-forgiveness, envy and all that will please the devil. In dealing with the storms of the secular world our finite way, we as a nation have allowed the spiritual forces of evil to gather and ‘cloud’ our view of the Lord our God.
'For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a
building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.'
2 Corinthians 5:1
Looking at the numbers attending the opposition rallies in the General Election in Singapore, it does seem that many including myself do take an active interest to hear out the opposition candidates vent out
some of our chief grouses on our behalf. Will it translate into actual votes for
the opposition? I am not too sure for Singaporeans are in general fairly
practical, they would like their friends to vote for the opposition on their
behalf, but they, for reasons of self interest, might quietly do the opposite. And things can be fluid in the run up to this Saturday what with Osama Bin Laden’s death being a good reminder to all that present disagreements become irrelevant when greater threats come to the fore.
'Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through
us, we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.....'
2 Corinthians 5:20
Truthful politicians are a rarity, for most go the way of the Dodo bird. But to be fair, needs are aplenty and can never be satisfied by men. Yet Christ is the spring of life that will satisfy our spiritual thirst. But more importantly, Christ must be the Rock upon which we must anchor our very being as the Mother Earth groans from the excessiveness of men and the Babylonian ship that our global economic relationships have rested upon starts to keel over.
‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you….’
James 4:7-8
It is not about who we should vote for, but rather, what is the will of God? And for us to exercise that act of obedience wherever God places us, for His plans are greater than our finite minds can fathom.
And to know the will of God, to vote the way He wills, we must take time to come to our Lord in prayers, to be still in His presence, much as many rather be engaged in the rough and tumble of the many ongoing election rallies or be involved in animated if not heated discussions hearing out their own wisdom.
God has a purpose for our nation. The right to vote is less about us affecting the destiny of our nation, but it is about our willingness to let God work His ways for us, to make right what we as a nation have done wrong and will we be willing to cast that vote of obedience in the way He will lead you to vote this Saturday?
‘Make hast to help me, O Lord!’
Psalm 70:1
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(3rd May 2011)
'They will throw their silver into the streets. And their gold will be like
refuse. Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day
of the wrath of the Lord......'
Ezekiel 7:19
And on dark clouds, as I pen this, the cloud is indeed looking pretty dark outside. And one that is forming has to do with our Big Brother the United States of America.
The "Great Satan" at least this is what the Iranians first coined the term to
describe their arch enemy, the United States of America in the throes of the
Iranian revolution nearly three decades back. It is still a term used today but interestingly, seems more
appropriate given the great irresponsibility of the USA in exporting their
troubles to the rest of the world through flooding the global economic system
with cheap greenbacks. Gold and silver and its proxy, the Australian dollar have
increasingly pick up their momentum of appreciation as many investors look to
reign in the erosion of their purchasing power with heightened inflation as
rising commodity prices reflect the cheapening US dollars, upon which global
trade is still primarily based upon.
Is "Noah's Ark' truly made of gold and silver papered over with Australian
dollar and Swiss Franc? And unlike Biblical times, there is no orderly movement
of sets of animals and a family of eight humans into the boat, but rather, it
seems to me that in the next couple of months to next few weeks, the world will
witness an unprecedented rush into this same boat as Uncle Sam open further the
tap of easy monies, no doubt prodded along by the need to reconstruct in the
broad swathes of tornado afflicted areas.
'Now He Who has prepared us for this very thing is God, Who also has given us
the Spirit as a guarantee.....'
2 Corinthians 5:5
Anyone who has ever carried more than two dozen one oz gold coins in their
pocket will agree that it can be quite a burden. And indeed none of us as death
nears, will be able to muster the strength to lug our worldly treasures to
wherever we think we could be going. Not a perfect analogy, but the point is in
the perfect storm that is coming our way, will the safe haven of precious
metals and currencies truly preserve one's wealth? And for that matter, can man with their finite wisdom be able to deal with challenges that are from the principalities? I doubt it, if the recent painful losses for those who bought silver these past one week is any indication.
'...from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, "You
shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away
your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love........and his
heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David'
1 Kings 11:2-4
"Dark clouds in the horizon," this is the recent message our present leaders in
government are bringing to the attention of the general population in Singapore.
And indeed, it is good that in the midst of plenty, that many be reminded that
good times do not last forever, and this is of particular importance given that
an inordinate portion of the population could be leveraging both their
lifestyles as well as asset investments, and not many will escape unscathed from
the double edged sword of leverage when it is thrust in their direction.
But is this message also for our leaders as well, a message that King Solomon the wisest man in the world chose to ignore at great costs to himself and Israel?
'Then Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab...And he
did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to
their gods.'
1 Kings 11:7-8
Prescient it might seem, or is it because some of our political leaders have had the
chance to read Reverend Francis Khoo's prophetic word for year 2011, which I
referenced to in my previous sharing(#47 Spiritual Compass)? In his sharing,
Reverend Khoo shared about a vision that God gave him showing dark ominous
clouds starting to gather in the month of May 2011, a prelude to a time of
correction for a nation that in the pursuit of prosperity, has moved away from
the source of their comfort and grace, our Almighty God and has neglected His
command to look after those with less.
'So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the
Lord God of Israel, Who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him
concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods, but he did not
keep what the Lord had commanded.'
1 Kings 11:9-10
"Repentance" is a word that is used often enough in the Bible, and in Christian
evangelism as we seek to encourage, but not impose upon non-believers on the need to turn to God and
receive His saving grace with a humble and contrite heart. But in the present
heat of political campaigning, the word "repentance" has been used to remind
voters in the most widely contested district that an incorrect choice of
candidates would possibly mean a lengthy 5 years for remorse and regret.
But again, would this word “repentance” not be an opportunity for our leaders now that they have the hindsight experience of witnessing the negative ramifications of decisions taken, be it our fixation upon scholastic ability as a narrow measure of a man’s worth, the opening of the floodgates to an immorally more liberal lifestyle just to make our nation attractive to the world, or the seedy side of the glamorous casinos, to revisit the same decisions and be bold enough to make the necessary corrections for the long term good of the nation? For history has shown that a nation with a weakened moral fiber and dysfunctional family structure will disintegrate.
Apolitical I must stay, and let me write within the confines of the thoughts that the Lord
has placed in my heart and what my and possibly your response should be as a
follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, much as we are all caught in the swirl of
political events enveloping our lives.
‘…God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’
James 4:6
"Servant leader" was also another recently used word by our political leaders to describe
the humility that the governing must show in their relationship with the
governed. And is this a forewarning of creeping dangers of an ongoing transformation from the self sacrificing first generation leaders to the self interest that often permeates successive generations as seen in human societies, when the first generation builds, the second maintains, and the third destroys.
‘….the hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live…’
John 5:25
“Voice or more precise “an alternate voice.” That is the clarion call of the opposition members who urge us to vote them in, to ensure that they can be the check and balance to the ruling party, a “co-driver.” In all debate, efforts will be made to appeal to our understanding and/or emotions and to try to sway us in the direction intended. But are the promises realistic and achievable or are they just for the moment? Wise I might think I am, but reality is, I know not a man’s heart nor can I foretell tomorrow. Is it not more correct to take time to be still and listen to the “voice” of God and to respond in all obedience, for the Holy Spirit residing in our hearts is the compass that we must follow?
‘For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.’
James 4:15
My attention is piqued, what with politicians of all colors generously using ‘words’ that are usually confined to the Christian faith. What does it truly mean? Is the Spirit of God drawing our attention to the dangers that lie ahead if the blessed us continue to have our heads up in the clouds, pitch dark or azure blue, it matters not. We must turn back to God and take time to know His will.
‘The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen. And the sword shall come upon Egypt….They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down….’
Ezekiel 30:1-6
Much as this General Election seems to be about basic secular needs of cost of living for some, and for others further up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, it is about displeasure with policies being shoved down the general populace, there is an issue that is deeper that God wants us to pay attention to? We are looking at the temporal while God wants us to pay attention to the eternal, and in our being enamored with the temporal, we have allowed the forces of evil, an entry into our very being. We might be Solomon, but reality is, Sodom is at our gates. And it is not that Sodom has Gomorrah with he/she, but the barbarians pushing at the gates to our and our children’s hearts include the demons of pride, greed, selfishness, impatience, non-forgiveness, envy and all that will please the devil. In dealing with the storms of the secular world our finite way, we as a nation have allowed the spiritual forces of evil to gather and ‘cloud’ our view of the Lord our God.
'For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a
building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.'
2 Corinthians 5:1
Looking at the numbers attending the opposition rallies in the General Election in Singapore, it does seem that many including myself do take an active interest to hear out the opposition candidates vent out
some of our chief grouses on our behalf. Will it translate into actual votes for
the opposition? I am not too sure for Singaporeans are in general fairly
practical, they would like their friends to vote for the opposition on their
behalf, but they, for reasons of self interest, might quietly do the opposite. And things can be fluid in the run up to this Saturday what with Osama Bin Laden’s death being a good reminder to all that present disagreements become irrelevant when greater threats come to the fore.
'Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through
us, we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.....'
2 Corinthians 5:20
Truthful politicians are a rarity, for most go the way of the Dodo bird. But to be fair, needs are aplenty and can never be satisfied by men. Yet Christ is the spring of life that will satisfy our spiritual thirst. But more importantly, Christ must be the Rock upon which we must anchor our very being as the Mother Earth groans from the excessiveness of men and the Babylonian ship that our global economic relationships have rested upon starts to keel over.
‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you….’
James 4:7-8
It is not about who we should vote for, but rather, what is the will of God? And for us to exercise that act of obedience wherever God places us, for His plans are greater than our finite minds can fathom.
And to know the will of God, to vote the way He wills, we must take time to come to our Lord in prayers, to be still in His presence, much as many rather be engaged in the rough and tumble of the many ongoing election rallies or be involved in animated if not heated discussions hearing out their own wisdom.
God has a purpose for our nation. The right to vote is less about us affecting the destiny of our nation, but it is about our willingness to let God work His ways for us, to make right what we as a nation have done wrong and will we be willing to cast that vote of obedience in the way He will lead you to vote this Saturday?
‘Make hast to help me, O Lord!’
Psalm 70:1
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(3rd May 2011)
'They will throw their silver into the streets. And their gold will be like
refuse. Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day
of the wrath of the Lord......'
Ezekiel 7:19
And on dark clouds, as I pen this, the cloud is indeed looking pretty dark outside. And one that is forming has to do with our Big Brother the United States of America.
The "Great Satan" at least this is what the Iranians first coined the term to
describe their arch enemy, the United States of America in the throes of the
Iranian revolution nearly three decades back. It is still a term used today but interestingly, seems more
appropriate given the great irresponsibility of the USA in exporting their
troubles to the rest of the world through flooding the global economic system
with cheap greenbacks. Gold and silver and its proxy, the Australian dollar have
increasingly pick up their momentum of appreciation as many investors look to
reign in the erosion of their purchasing power with heightened inflation as
rising commodity prices reflect the cheapening US dollars, upon which global
trade is still primarily based upon.
Is "Noah's Ark' truly made of gold and silver papered over with Australian
dollar and Swiss Franc? And unlike Biblical times, there is no orderly movement
of sets of animals and a family of eight humans into the boat, but rather, it
seems to me that in the next couple of months to next few weeks, the world will
witness an unprecedented rush into this same boat as Uncle Sam open further the
tap of easy monies, no doubt prodded along by the need to reconstruct in the
broad swathes of tornado afflicted areas.
'Now He Who has prepared us for this very thing is God, Who also has given us
the Spirit as a guarantee.....'
2 Corinthians 5:5
Anyone who has ever carried more than two dozen one oz gold coins in their
pocket will agree that it can be quite a burden. And indeed none of us as death
nears, will be able to muster the strength to lug our worldly treasures to
wherever we think we could be going. Not a perfect analogy, but the point is in
the perfect storm that is coming our way, will the safe haven of precious
metals and currencies truly preserve one's wealth? And for that matter, can man with their finite wisdom be able to deal with challenges that are from the principalities? I doubt it, if the recent painful losses for those who bought silver these past one week is any indication.
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