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”
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