Dear...
"My guess is that you'll agree with me that the noise and frantic pace of having
more and more can cause us to lose touch with what is most important.."
(quote from "Dear Fellow Traveler" by Mart De Haan)
A departure from the norm of using a verse from the Bible to start my sharing of
the thoughts our good Lord impress upon my heart. God is dynamic and our
relationship with Him is one of following in obedience, and the only set pattern
in our relationship with our Abba Father is His faithfulness and our commitment
to seek Him always in loving obedience.
'Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice...'
Philippians 4:4
"Are you happy?' It will be with a sense of ambivalence for all of us if we
truly take time to ponder upon what constitute true happiness? For gratification
is fleeting, and even at its sweetest, it falls short often like a wonderful
dish that seems to miss that key ingredient that will make it great. But joy and
peace that only our good Lord can give to all who seek Him is beyond
understanding, yet is independent of our circumstances and its sustainability is
permanent if we are willing to let His Spirit minister to us.
'And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus.'
Philippians 4:7
The latest survey done on happiness at work ranked Singapore based workers as
the unhappiest in the world. I once was part of this statistic that I am sure
record seeking Singaporeans, who have an inclination to desire manifold
listings on the Guinness Book of World record will be willing to do without. The
past decade since the Spirit of our Good Lord brought me forth from reluctant
believer to determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ has been marked by two
parallels. Circumstances of life especially at work that to put it mildly, has
been "stormy." Yet through it all, God remains faithful, much as I often dither
and nearly wither, and by His grace, in my clinging on to Him for dear life, He
has seen me through every wave that comes crashing in, and He has anchored me
upon Him this peace and joy, that nothing can send asunder and He delivers.
'Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour:
but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father glorify Thy name...''
John 12:27-28
"Unforgettable" is the song that Natalie Cole did a duet on with her late father
Nat King Cole. It is a lovely song and made possible with the help of some
clever technology, given that Natalie is still breathing, while Nat prayerfully
is with our Lord. For all of us who have experienced God's sanctifying grace
upon our lives, that moment of peace and joy, the affirmative ways He dealt with
that compelling issue of our lives, is it right for us to enter into a memory
lapse and move on with our life and be oblivious to His call to us to respond to
His leading?
'Jesus saith unto them, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to
finish His work.....Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white
already to harvest..'
John 4:34-35
"More or less" sounds Singlish. But it does bring forth clearly the general
mentality amongst many Christians. An attitude of "sloppiness" in the way we
live our faith. God's command to all who profess to be a Christian is to seek
Him with our all and to love others as ourselves. Christianity is a relationship
with God. This relationship can only grow if we are willing to be determined to
"feed on His Words" for the Word is God. God wants to transform us from the
sinful carnal man to the spiritual man in Christ-likeness. The Word of God is
the milk that we as newborns, when our old man dies, and the new us are birthed,
feed on when we accept the saving grace of the Gospel of salvation. But Words
without works will leave us as babes. In John 4:34-35, Christ reminds us that
growth will come if we are willing to move from mere sheep to shepherding many
other lost sheep, who have not experienced the sanctifying love of God in their
lives.
'I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.'
Philippians 4:13
This is the verse that my son sticks on his wall to remind himself of Who God
is, even as he labors through the rigors of academic life. Like him all of us
who profess to be Christians must continue to walk the path that God has
destined for us. A path that will be strewn with distractions and challenges in
our present fallen world, yet with the absolute certainty of the goal ahead of
us, eternity in heaven with our Abba Father. Yet there is also another
reassurance that many often forget. And that is, our Chief Shepherd, our Lord
Jesus Christ is with us and He has sent the Holy Spirit to lead us. The question
facing all of us is not about the correctness of the Spirit's leading, but
rather, it is about our willingness to increasingly let go of more of our own
understanding, and let more of Christ be reflected in our very being and soul
and in doing so, God will use us to point others towards Him.
'Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines,
the labor of the olive shall fall, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock
shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. Yet I
will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is
my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds feet, and He will make me to
walk upon mine high places....'
Habakkuk 3:17-19
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
( 4h June 2011)
More of "more or less"
'...Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability..'
2 Corinthians 8:2-3
As I return from a family gathering to complete these thoughts, God is indeed the Author, I am but the pen. "The daily journal," a new online ministry of word by the producers of "our daily bread" highlighted the Apostle Paul's exhortation to the Corinthians to be as generous and selfless like the materially poor but spiritually rich Macedonians.
'But just as you excel in everything...see that you also excel in this grace of giving.'
2 Corinthians 8: 7
For me, I have been a giver for many years. And much as God has bless me richly, not just materially but in all aspects, I do struggle though thankfully with decreasing resistance when it comes to sharing His provisions.
'For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have."
2 Corinthians 8:12
We can never out-give God. In the past two years since I answered the Lord's call to use the two art books He has blessed me with the need to not just place the gospel into the lives of others, but to use it as an impetus to encourage all of you to sense God better by showing love to the needy in sharing your financial blessings, it has been a joy to see traces of the Macedonian spirit of giving in both believers and especially in non believers.
It is not how much we give but rather our willingness to give with what the Lord has blessed us with as His Spirit leads. As our Lord blesses us, we must never lose sight of Him our provider and get too entranced with His provisions. And often as Christians, we limit God's desire to use us even more wonderfully by believing in the 10% tithing rule and the rest for ourselves.
Do take time to reflect upon the truth of 2 Corinthians 8:15
..then there will be equality, as it is written: "'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."
2 Corinthians 8:15
No comments:
Post a Comment