Dear…
‘Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute…’
1 Timothy 6:17-19
Things are starting to go awry again. At least in the once bubbly financial and property markets. As I took time with the Lord, the thought came to my heart that indeed, now are many who are starting to fret again, not that they have not been doing it past few months, difference is, now is about culminating losses, prior to that was about missed profit opportunities. It there a better tomorrow? Afraid not, if like the Chow Yuen Fatt's gangster film “A better tomorrow,” things got blazingly worse.
'A man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps.'
Proverbs 16:9
As I moved from thinking to reading a message a dear friend sent me from Chiangmai. She reminded me that Chiangmai is an epicenter where about two thirds of the world population live within a three thousand mile radius. And having moved out from Down Under, where one is fairly insulated from the reality of human suffering and material deprivation that weighs on a disproportionate majority of the human race, she felt the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ, to rule this sinful world that the carnal man has, without God, brought spiraling down to near total destruction. So, would it not be better to seek to live a godly present, then strive for a sinful tomorrow?
Just today, I truly felt the Spirit of God reminding me to now take a hiatus from the recent trend of investments that He has led me to make, both in the financial and the real assets spectrum. But assets are looking cheap, my mind questions, but I have learned to obey the prompting of the Spirit of God residing in my heart. Continue to invest, yes, but in His Kingdom as God leads, be ready to distribute as the Word of God exhorts us in the above verse in 1 Timothy 6:17-19
‘Take therefore no thought for tomorrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil therof.’
Matthew 6:34
And if one needed a further affirmation to dispel any doubts about following God, I received an unexpected email, right after the above message, from another dear friend in Thailand, a non-believer, who forwarded a very Christian message on the need to follow God, as He leads. The title was “Bike ride with God”
Many of us as believers, know the Sovereignty of God, but it stays just that, as head knowledge. When life is dandy, we tell God to just be the passive passenger on our tandem bike, while we cruise along. When we start to hit some painful road bumps, we ask God to take the front seat, but we still very much act as the navigator. It is no wonder life is rather fretful for so many of us. Would it not be nice to just sit back and let God lead, and we simply ride along? We will save ourselves a lot of grief, and yet enrich our lives wonderfully with the many joy and peace that God will provide, even as we speed along the smooth roads of life or as we are uplifted over the inevitable humps and bumps that do line this same road.
‘He remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass. As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it and it is gone. And the place thereof shall know it no more.’
Psalm 103:14-16
Life need not be this way(as in Psalm 103:14-16). Like a sudden burst of intense flame before it burns off into ashes. God is preparing us for eternity, much as we often are so enamored with the temporal.
‘But the lovingkindness of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him. And His righteousness unto children’s children. To such as keep His covenant. And to those that remember His precepts to do them. Jehovah hath established His throne in the heavens.’
Psalm 103:17-19
God is faithful. Woes there will be in this fallen world. But we need not droop like a dog wet in its tail. Nor need we be like the mad hatter in Alice’s Wonderland, always fretting and hyperventilating. God will draw near to us, when we draw near to Him. Once we understand and acknowledge the will of God, His very Spirit will permeate our very being, and nothing of this world can ever gripped us ever.
‘Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.’
1 Timothy 2:4
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(10th June 2010)
An afterthought
This sharing was written back in 10th June 10. But only today ie 26th June as I pondered or more like fret a little about an issue, almost a déjà vu like twelve years back, that could impact my business, that the Lord brought me a few days reading ahead to the Daily Bread dated 1st July 2010 titled “worry list.” And indeed, much as we cannot control present events nor fathom what will be in the next second, all of us spent an undue part of our life worrying about the extrapolated future. In Matthew 6:34, God reminded us “Do not worry about tomorrow.”
'The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.'
Proverbs 16:1
If this reassurance is from men, it will be fallible, much like the singer of the song “Don’t worry, be happy” who was rumored to have subsequently killed himself, when he stopped believing in his own rationalization. Thankfully the rumor was not true, but for many, to just cling on to these words alone will not remove that nagging doubts in their hearts. But with God all things are possible and this reassurance from Matthew 6:34 is from God. In fact, it is a command.
For with God, it is not just His words, but in His works and like all who have in our own imperfect ways seek that close relationship with God, we are fully cognizance that indeed God is Sovereign and He is fully in charge and He has and will provide.
What then should be our response? Like the Aussies love to pepper every reply of theirs with “no worries” indeed, let us not be sorry about leaving the worry bug behind, but instead, lets honor God in our lives by doing what He has commanded us to do.
‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’
Matthew 6:33
And indeed God will take care of our needs, but will we take care to stay faithful to His command to be a living sacrifice, to be made ready by Him? God is good. He not only brought me back, in my quiet time yesterday morning, to this verse in Matthew 6:33 to bring me out of my own miasma of confusion, but for an affirmation, on the way home yesterday evening, the words from the radio was exactly from Matthew 6:33.
How great is our God indeed.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sundaysnippets #15 Through it all (30th May 10)
Dear...
'The simple believes every word. But the prudent considers well his steps...'
Proverbs 14:15
Just yesterday, I heard a comment by a respectable gentleman who said that he hardly reads the newspaper as most of it is trash, and gossip. This might be a little harsh, but is there some truth to it, much as we want to believe that there do exist journalistic integrity amongst those in this profession? No news is good news, and this is a truism for we are inundated with news in the published press of disasters, conflict, murders and other manifestation of the ills of society. Bad news sells better, and the more sensational, the greater is its appeal to our innate carnal being. The purveyors of the published form is well schooled in this, and besides the gore and blood, they also throw in a generous dosage of flesh and sensuality that will not just titillate our lusts, but corrupt both old and young. The British tabloids are very adept at this genre.
Life indeed is quite sad, given the primeval instincts that the newspapers believe is what drives us. For the fairer sex, we see a surfeit of advertisements that implies that everyone can be a Venus, when reality is beauty is in the heart, and not just in the eyes of the beholder. For the men, if the advertisements that promise a re-invigoration of our virility with the restoration of our crowning glory is not compelling enough, the stories of material success or means towards attaining it, coupled with enticing plethora of what monies can buy in delusory dreams might be suffice to keep our adrenalin pumping that bit longer.
'Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression. But a good word makes it glad.'
Proverbs 12:25
I am as much a willing if not addicted recipient of this massive influx of information that permeates our very wired world. It is necessary if we are to be in this world. But if we desire not to be of this world, should we not increasingly feed that much more on the good news of the gospel and less on the machinations of finite and sinful men?
Just these past few days, being a long weekend, having too much time without the distractions of work, I found myself in a state of stupor, with an unexplainable troubled spirit. King Saul had David play the flute to him to assuage his sense of incompleteness. What about me?
The Word of God is indeed the spring of life from our God, for the Word is God, and in spending time reading and pondering upon the Word of God, I found my peace, my joy and regained my sense of singular purpose as ordained by God to all who seek Him. Nothing of this world can ever come close to what God has provided.
'They shall be My people, and I will be their God.'
Jeremiah 32:38
'My son, give attention to My words. Incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them. And health to all their flesh...'
Proverbs 4:20-22
"Through it all" is a wonderful song sung back in 1975 during a Billy Graham crusade in New Mexico, USA ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvIxwc90BEI). Wonderful because it is written from the heart. And if we sing from a grateful heart, the words in this song will minister wonderfully to us. The song talks about our trusting God upon His Word, for His faithfulness and goodness in our lives. It reminds us of the need to acknowledge the Sovereignty of God, much as we might be in the midst of our present refinement process. It reinforce the command to us to be obedient much as life might seem less than radiant, with troubles lingering longer than they should. But through it all, God is not just our anchor upon which we cling our very all to, but His Spirit will carry us forth, and uplift our very being, to a glory only God can create.
'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'
Jeremiah 33:3
For all of us who have obeyed God's command to seek Him in His words, He is a very visible God in our lives. The carnal man looks for proof of a Living God from their natural senses, but God is Spirit, and His Spirit resides in our hearts, His Spirit seeks out our spirit, and in our living the fruits of the Spirit, God renews our mind and transform us. What is the meaning of life? There are diverse views, but one commonality in the carnal man, is a longing that the finite man living in the sinful world can never satisfy, for only God can. This is the indescriable joy and peace that faithful followers of our Lord Jesus Christ is blessed with. It is no trade secret of our faith, for the sanctifying grace of God's love is offered to all, but sadly accepted by few.
'But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eatheth and drinketh unworthily, eatheth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.'
1 Corinthians 11:28-30
The book I am reading "None of these diseases" the Bible 's Health secrets for the 21st Century(S.I McMillen, M. D. and David E Stern, M.D.) stated an obvious truism if not generalization, That faith makes for health, and lack of faith brings one closer to death. Our body is the temple of God, upon which the Spirit of God resides. To not live a life that honors God, is to leave us open to the ills of the world, and the purveyor of mortal death, the devil who will so love to see us crumble both physically and emotionally, for he longs for your soul in accompaniment in eternal damnation.
' I rise before dawn and cry for help. I have put my hope in Your word.....that I may meditate on Your promises.'
Psalm 119:147-148
A picture speaks a thousand words, just like a face albeit beautiful of that of Helen of Troy launched a thousand ships. But every word of God will speak to us, in His way, and if we are willing to soak in His words, God's love will blossom forth through our very being, that it matters less whatever we might be going through, for we will know that God will see us through. That is the power of His words.
'All Your words are true, all Your righteous laws are eternal.'
Psalm 119:160
Much as I hope to be a faithful wordsmith as the hands of God leads me, I am often lost for words, when asked to pray and assure a fellow being who is in need. Yet, it is not what I say, but rather, how the Spirit of God will minister to a parched soul that matters. And what role can we who luxuriates in the grace of God's word do in responsive faithfulness as He leads?
My my tongue sing of Your Word....Let me live that I may praise You....for I have not forgotten Your commands.'
Psalm 119:171-176
I have been through it all. Not what life can throw at us in this wretched world for on that, all believer or not, follower or not will be subjected to its ills, for the world is ruled by the devil. But rather, through it all, I have learned that only the word of God matters, for it is our sustenance, and its resonance will uplift us and bring us forth, to the spirit man that God wants us all to be.
'I rejoice in Your promise like one who finds great spoil.'
Psalm 119:162
rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(30th May 10)
'The simple believes every word. But the prudent considers well his steps...'
Proverbs 14:15
Just yesterday, I heard a comment by a respectable gentleman who said that he hardly reads the newspaper as most of it is trash, and gossip. This might be a little harsh, but is there some truth to it, much as we want to believe that there do exist journalistic integrity amongst those in this profession? No news is good news, and this is a truism for we are inundated with news in the published press of disasters, conflict, murders and other manifestation of the ills of society. Bad news sells better, and the more sensational, the greater is its appeal to our innate carnal being. The purveyors of the published form is well schooled in this, and besides the gore and blood, they also throw in a generous dosage of flesh and sensuality that will not just titillate our lusts, but corrupt both old and young. The British tabloids are very adept at this genre.
Life indeed is quite sad, given the primeval instincts that the newspapers believe is what drives us. For the fairer sex, we see a surfeit of advertisements that implies that everyone can be a Venus, when reality is beauty is in the heart, and not just in the eyes of the beholder. For the men, if the advertisements that promise a re-invigoration of our virility with the restoration of our crowning glory is not compelling enough, the stories of material success or means towards attaining it, coupled with enticing plethora of what monies can buy in delusory dreams might be suffice to keep our adrenalin pumping that bit longer.
'Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression. But a good word makes it glad.'
Proverbs 12:25
I am as much a willing if not addicted recipient of this massive influx of information that permeates our very wired world. It is necessary if we are to be in this world. But if we desire not to be of this world, should we not increasingly feed that much more on the good news of the gospel and less on the machinations of finite and sinful men?
Just these past few days, being a long weekend, having too much time without the distractions of work, I found myself in a state of stupor, with an unexplainable troubled spirit. King Saul had David play the flute to him to assuage his sense of incompleteness. What about me?
The Word of God is indeed the spring of life from our God, for the Word is God, and in spending time reading and pondering upon the Word of God, I found my peace, my joy and regained my sense of singular purpose as ordained by God to all who seek Him. Nothing of this world can ever come close to what God has provided.
'They shall be My people, and I will be their God.'
Jeremiah 32:38
'My son, give attention to My words. Incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them. And health to all their flesh...'
Proverbs 4:20-22
"Through it all" is a wonderful song sung back in 1975 during a Billy Graham crusade in New Mexico, USA ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvIxwc90BEI). Wonderful because it is written from the heart. And if we sing from a grateful heart, the words in this song will minister wonderfully to us. The song talks about our trusting God upon His Word, for His faithfulness and goodness in our lives. It reminds us of the need to acknowledge the Sovereignty of God, much as we might be in the midst of our present refinement process. It reinforce the command to us to be obedient much as life might seem less than radiant, with troubles lingering longer than they should. But through it all, God is not just our anchor upon which we cling our very all to, but His Spirit will carry us forth, and uplift our very being, to a glory only God can create.
'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'
Jeremiah 33:3
For all of us who have obeyed God's command to seek Him in His words, He is a very visible God in our lives. The carnal man looks for proof of a Living God from their natural senses, but God is Spirit, and His Spirit resides in our hearts, His Spirit seeks out our spirit, and in our living the fruits of the Spirit, God renews our mind and transform us. What is the meaning of life? There are diverse views, but one commonality in the carnal man, is a longing that the finite man living in the sinful world can never satisfy, for only God can. This is the indescriable joy and peace that faithful followers of our Lord Jesus Christ is blessed with. It is no trade secret of our faith, for the sanctifying grace of God's love is offered to all, but sadly accepted by few.
'But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eatheth and drinketh unworthily, eatheth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.'
1 Corinthians 11:28-30
The book I am reading "None of these diseases" the Bible 's Health secrets for the 21st Century(S.I McMillen, M. D. and David E Stern, M.D.) stated an obvious truism if not generalization, That faith makes for health, and lack of faith brings one closer to death. Our body is the temple of God, upon which the Spirit of God resides. To not live a life that honors God, is to leave us open to the ills of the world, and the purveyor of mortal death, the devil who will so love to see us crumble both physically and emotionally, for he longs for your soul in accompaniment in eternal damnation.
' I rise before dawn and cry for help. I have put my hope in Your word.....that I may meditate on Your promises.'
Psalm 119:147-148
A picture speaks a thousand words, just like a face albeit beautiful of that of Helen of Troy launched a thousand ships. But every word of God will speak to us, in His way, and if we are willing to soak in His words, God's love will blossom forth through our very being, that it matters less whatever we might be going through, for we will know that God will see us through. That is the power of His words.
'All Your words are true, all Your righteous laws are eternal.'
Psalm 119:160
Much as I hope to be a faithful wordsmith as the hands of God leads me, I am often lost for words, when asked to pray and assure a fellow being who is in need. Yet, it is not what I say, but rather, how the Spirit of God will minister to a parched soul that matters. And what role can we who luxuriates in the grace of God's word do in responsive faithfulness as He leads?
My my tongue sing of Your Word....Let me live that I may praise You....for I have not forgotten Your commands.'
Psalm 119:171-176
I have been through it all. Not what life can throw at us in this wretched world for on that, all believer or not, follower or not will be subjected to its ills, for the world is ruled by the devil. But rather, through it all, I have learned that only the word of God matters, for it is our sustenance, and its resonance will uplift us and bring us forth, to the spirit man that God wants us all to be.
'I rejoice in Your promise like one who finds great spoil.'
Psalm 119:162
rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(30th May 10)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sundaysnippets #14 Much ado about ash (25th April 10)
Dear...
'O God, do not keep silent, be not quiet, O God, be not still...'
Psalm 83:1
Be still and know that I am God. That is the command to all of us, to learn to come unto the presence of the Lord our God, to wait upon Him. But many think that in their time of need, they have waited, but nothing happened. Is God testing our patience?
As for me, I have learned to take time to recognize the quiet steps that God is in fact showing us, much as many have not fathomed the promptings of His Spirit, because they do not know Him, having never invested their all in developing a relationship with our Abba Father.
ASH was the word that I first received in church this morning. As we meandered in, a little late for church today, thankfully not a habit that some have gotten used to, my dear friend told me that the Icelanders have plenty of ash, but no CASH, for it seems that the letter C does not exist in their vocabulary.
ASH is indeed aplenty in Iceland now, their comeuppance, at least possibly in the thoughts of their still aggrieved European counterparts on the mainland. Cash the Icelanders definitely do not have, but who knows, should the vagaries of the wind reassert itself, the Icelanders might decide to bestow upon the European Continent, more powdery ash, in lieu of hard cash that they owe.
With others' cash, the Icelanders used to have a great BASH and such BRASHNESS in living it up has led to the inevitable CRASH. The Brits and the Dutch(from the land beneath the sea level) have understandably LASHED out at the deep GASH left upon their STASH of cash, conveniently forgetting that it takes two to tango, for the descendants of the Vikings needed cash to live up in all brevity the short daylight hours, and the once colonial masters of the world took a wrong turn and instead of looking East like their once premier East India Company, looked West for what they thought were new opportunistic investments.
Greece, not grease might be the word for now, but grease could be what the pompous French, the clinical Germans and the laid back Southern Europeans could soon find themselves sliding helter skelter over soon. Such caricatures of nationalities is a child of cultural biasedness in all of us, reinforced by comedies that play on such natural tendencies to degrade fellow men, but what is happening in Iceland nor Greece is a mess, and not the once popular comedy MASH, where turning off the telly meant that one's issue of life is resolved.
HASH, or rather hashish might be a good temporary solution to the unresolvable. MASH is potato, hash is not a herb but a drug that gives one a high. The financial markets are on a high. Even solid terra firma, aka property has gone astronomically high that today, governments from Australia to China are cracking their heads as to how best to stop many more from being RASH.
JASH is the initial of the component members of my family. And of course it start with the wife at the top, my two kids in between and the real man that is me anchoring the end. Workhorses we men are, and we know who is truly in charge much as the wives might think otherwise. To God be the glory.
SASH is what people of supposedly importance might wear, but sash can also serve a secondary use, for those who need to hang themselves., instead of the bloodier dashing of one's head against the rocks, when their world comes to an end, at least in terms of asset prices.
Enough of frivolous meanderings round the three letters "ASH' It is time to get a little more sober, since dinner is fast approaching and so does blue Monday. But to experience a dash of ash on our prized houses and cars might be one of faint recollection for many, for it last happened back in 1991 in Singapore, from the Philippines volcanic fallout.
But to be AWASH with the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, is an experience that will not leave you ASHEN faced, but instead, not just uplift your very being, but will bring you to the knowledge and understanding of truly Who God is, and your needed response, which has been long overdue.
'And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.'
Job 2:8
But in reality, most would have "to do a Job" before they can finally be willing to acknowledge the Sovereignty of the Lord our God and have their very being filled with His Spirit. Till then, the devil would be most pleased to help you wallow in your own private ash heap.
See attached link.( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/iris-lee/icelands-volcano_b_540185.html) Real or not, quite an interesting if not macabre face of the Iceland volcanic fissures. "The devil in him" is an oft phrase to describe an erratic behavior. Prayerfully, beneath the outward calm in us, is not an increasingly unbearable tension in one's life that will eventually, like the volcano, implode, much to the glee of the devil.
ASH might be what our bodily shell eventually will be, but to be sprinkled into the sea, or be blown away by the wind is not the end, for eternity still awaits. Would it be in eternal damnation with Satan, or will it be like the Pheonix that rose from the ashes. The choice is yours.
'Behold I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.'
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(25th April 10)
'O God, do not keep silent, be not quiet, O God, be not still...'
Psalm 83:1
Be still and know that I am God. That is the command to all of us, to learn to come unto the presence of the Lord our God, to wait upon Him. But many think that in their time of need, they have waited, but nothing happened. Is God testing our patience?
As for me, I have learned to take time to recognize the quiet steps that God is in fact showing us, much as many have not fathomed the promptings of His Spirit, because they do not know Him, having never invested their all in developing a relationship with our Abba Father.
ASH was the word that I first received in church this morning. As we meandered in, a little late for church today, thankfully not a habit that some have gotten used to, my dear friend told me that the Icelanders have plenty of ash, but no CASH, for it seems that the letter C does not exist in their vocabulary.
ASH is indeed aplenty in Iceland now, their comeuppance, at least possibly in the thoughts of their still aggrieved European counterparts on the mainland. Cash the Icelanders definitely do not have, but who knows, should the vagaries of the wind reassert itself, the Icelanders might decide to bestow upon the European Continent, more powdery ash, in lieu of hard cash that they owe.
With others' cash, the Icelanders used to have a great BASH and such BRASHNESS in living it up has led to the inevitable CRASH. The Brits and the Dutch(from the land beneath the sea level) have understandably LASHED out at the deep GASH left upon their STASH of cash, conveniently forgetting that it takes two to tango, for the descendants of the Vikings needed cash to live up in all brevity the short daylight hours, and the once colonial masters of the world took a wrong turn and instead of looking East like their once premier East India Company, looked West for what they thought were new opportunistic investments.
Greece, not grease might be the word for now, but grease could be what the pompous French, the clinical Germans and the laid back Southern Europeans could soon find themselves sliding helter skelter over soon. Such caricatures of nationalities is a child of cultural biasedness in all of us, reinforced by comedies that play on such natural tendencies to degrade fellow men, but what is happening in Iceland nor Greece is a mess, and not the once popular comedy MASH, where turning off the telly meant that one's issue of life is resolved.
HASH, or rather hashish might be a good temporary solution to the unresolvable. MASH is potato, hash is not a herb but a drug that gives one a high. The financial markets are on a high. Even solid terra firma, aka property has gone astronomically high that today, governments from Australia to China are cracking their heads as to how best to stop many more from being RASH.
JASH is the initial of the component members of my family. And of course it start with the wife at the top, my two kids in between and the real man that is me anchoring the end. Workhorses we men are, and we know who is truly in charge much as the wives might think otherwise. To God be the glory.
SASH is what people of supposedly importance might wear, but sash can also serve a secondary use, for those who need to hang themselves., instead of the bloodier dashing of one's head against the rocks, when their world comes to an end, at least in terms of asset prices.
Enough of frivolous meanderings round the three letters "ASH' It is time to get a little more sober, since dinner is fast approaching and so does blue Monday. But to experience a dash of ash on our prized houses and cars might be one of faint recollection for many, for it last happened back in 1991 in Singapore, from the Philippines volcanic fallout.
But to be AWASH with the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, is an experience that will not leave you ASHEN faced, but instead, not just uplift your very being, but will bring you to the knowledge and understanding of truly Who God is, and your needed response, which has been long overdue.
'And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.'
Job 2:8
But in reality, most would have "to do a Job" before they can finally be willing to acknowledge the Sovereignty of the Lord our God and have their very being filled with His Spirit. Till then, the devil would be most pleased to help you wallow in your own private ash heap.
See attached link.( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/iris-lee/icelands-volcano_b_540185.html) Real or not, quite an interesting if not macabre face of the Iceland volcanic fissures. "The devil in him" is an oft phrase to describe an erratic behavior. Prayerfully, beneath the outward calm in us, is not an increasingly unbearable tension in one's life that will eventually, like the volcano, implode, much to the glee of the devil.
ASH might be what our bodily shell eventually will be, but to be sprinkled into the sea, or be blown away by the wind is not the end, for eternity still awaits. Would it be in eternal damnation with Satan, or will it be like the Pheonix that rose from the ashes. The choice is yours.
'Behold I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.'
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(25th April 10)
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sundaysnippets#13 Wellness (11 April 2010)
Dear...
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.......And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.'
1 John 1:15-17
This morning, in church, the Lord placed the thought "wellness" into my heart, and He completed the words that will resonate around this word for today's sharing. Today's weather is hot, but as for me, since I returned from church, I have been lying flat out till about now. Not too sure if it is the weather, or just my recent active travels taking a toll on me, or it could be both plus a dash of food poisoning.
When a person is unwell, the lures of the world does matter a little less or is it still alluring for some, even if on their deathbeds?
Singaporeans have lately come to grief seeking wellness, with the unexpected and sudden closure of spas and other holistic centers. Younger Singaporeans who go clubbing are increasingly taking to not just drinks, but mixed with a cocktail of designer drugs, to get a high and possibly a sense of temporal escapism from their real woes.
And what about the rest of us. Either we are working very hard or investing intently with the common objectives of securing our financial future, much as it is temporal and death is the price of sin.
'And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees, and they encamped there by the waters.'
Exodus 15:27
God will provide and God has provided. For those of us who call ourselves Christians, ie believers and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. The manna and quail God gives to the faithful is indeed suffice for the day, but will we be willing to let go of the need to be of this world, with its lures and insecurities, and instead, seek to trust, follow and obey as the Spirit of God leads us in our daily lives?
'And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord Thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight,, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord that healeth thee.'
Exodus 15:26
Exodus 15:26 is a verse that God has placed very close to my heart these past few months. It is a verse that most uses, primarily the last line " for I am the Lord that healeth thee"
to remind and reassure those who are unwell. In my last sharing on Sundaysnippets#11 dated mar 14th, titled "play, not pray." The Lord used me to remind each and everyone of us that much as He can heal us physically or from whatever worldly woes that ail us, it is the spiritual healing that is of greater significance, for He is looking at eternity, much as men looked at the temporal. God also reminded all of us of the need to play out the roles and carry out the tasks that God will show us, and it is not just about us going to God with a shopping list of prayers. Prayers indeed will be answered if asked in His will, but we must seek to know God.
Exodus 15:26 is also the starting point from which a medical doctor based his book on, from what a friend who has read it eons ago told me just yesterday.
As one reflects upon Exodus 15:26, one is reminded of the sad reality of how easy it is for all of us to revert back to our old sinful ways, to go back to the Egypt of our lives, to be back in bondage, as we succumb to the challenges and distractions of this world. But it should not be, for God by the sacrifice of the risen Christ, has already brought us out of Egypt.
A generalization it might be, but clearly, many of our woes are a direct result of us reverting to our sinful ways and depending upon our own understanding or even the counsel of fellow men. God is Sovereign and we must learn to look to Him always in all situations, for only then will we avoid the diseases placed on those who regress to their Egyptian days.
Just a couple of days back, I found myself ensnared in some unexpected but quite distressing circumstances. Not of my own doing, my self righteous man states and the imperfect me will either want to hit back for the inequitability or/and wallow in painful emotional reverberations. By the grace of God, such actions did not come forth and such stressful thoughts did not hold its grip upon me too long. For I know that it is God Whom I must turn to.
And God is indeed good. He brought me to Psalm 46:1 ' God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.'
God also reminded me that He is not a tool that we picked off the shelf to sate our pain, but rather, we must truly learn to put all things aside and look to Him, to know His will.
'Be still, and know that I am God...'
Psalm 46:10
For the carnal us, in all situations, the first and immediate reaction is to deal with issues the way we see it. With God, we are often taught, and asked to take a few steps forward unto His presence. And what does God often tells us next. For me and I am sure for many of us who truly seek to honor Him, God will remind us to show love, much as it is difficult to.
'Do not rejoice when your enemy falls'
Proverbs 24:17
What is the command of God? To seek Him with our all and to love our neighbors as ourselves. God commands us to seek Him in all circumstances, for only then can we be able to love our neighbors, even the unloved. For us who have been blessed to have the veil in our hearts lifted, it is not the end all. God wants all to know and follow Him, and He wants to use us in His plans. He will bring about the increase, but are we willing to be used by Him to plant, water or even sow?
'And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him......'
Luke 24:31
Living out the commands of God in Exodus 15:26 does not mean that we will not fall sick or not have troubles in our lives, for we live in a sinful and fallen world. But we will have a peace and joy, that no arrows of the devil can ever destroy and God will always bring us forth, till the day Christ returns, or if He so decides to take us home.
' I form the light, and create darkness. I made peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things.'
Isaiah 45:7
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(11th April 2010)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.......And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.'
1 John 1:15-17
This morning, in church, the Lord placed the thought "wellness" into my heart, and He completed the words that will resonate around this word for today's sharing. Today's weather is hot, but as for me, since I returned from church, I have been lying flat out till about now. Not too sure if it is the weather, or just my recent active travels taking a toll on me, or it could be both plus a dash of food poisoning.
When a person is unwell, the lures of the world does matter a little less or is it still alluring for some, even if on their deathbeds?
Singaporeans have lately come to grief seeking wellness, with the unexpected and sudden closure of spas and other holistic centers. Younger Singaporeans who go clubbing are increasingly taking to not just drinks, but mixed with a cocktail of designer drugs, to get a high and possibly a sense of temporal escapism from their real woes.
And what about the rest of us. Either we are working very hard or investing intently with the common objectives of securing our financial future, much as it is temporal and death is the price of sin.
'And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees, and they encamped there by the waters.'
Exodus 15:27
God will provide and God has provided. For those of us who call ourselves Christians, ie believers and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. The manna and quail God gives to the faithful is indeed suffice for the day, but will we be willing to let go of the need to be of this world, with its lures and insecurities, and instead, seek to trust, follow and obey as the Spirit of God leads us in our daily lives?
'And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord Thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight,, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord that healeth thee.'
Exodus 15:26
Exodus 15:26 is a verse that God has placed very close to my heart these past few months. It is a verse that most uses, primarily the last line " for I am the Lord that healeth thee"
to remind and reassure those who are unwell. In my last sharing on Sundaysnippets#11 dated mar 14th, titled "play, not pray." The Lord used me to remind each and everyone of us that much as He can heal us physically or from whatever worldly woes that ail us, it is the spiritual healing that is of greater significance, for He is looking at eternity, much as men looked at the temporal. God also reminded all of us of the need to play out the roles and carry out the tasks that God will show us, and it is not just about us going to God with a shopping list of prayers. Prayers indeed will be answered if asked in His will, but we must seek to know God.
Exodus 15:26 is also the starting point from which a medical doctor based his book on, from what a friend who has read it eons ago told me just yesterday.
As one reflects upon Exodus 15:26, one is reminded of the sad reality of how easy it is for all of us to revert back to our old sinful ways, to go back to the Egypt of our lives, to be back in bondage, as we succumb to the challenges and distractions of this world. But it should not be, for God by the sacrifice of the risen Christ, has already brought us out of Egypt.
A generalization it might be, but clearly, many of our woes are a direct result of us reverting to our sinful ways and depending upon our own understanding or even the counsel of fellow men. God is Sovereign and we must learn to look to Him always in all situations, for only then will we avoid the diseases placed on those who regress to their Egyptian days.
Just a couple of days back, I found myself ensnared in some unexpected but quite distressing circumstances. Not of my own doing, my self righteous man states and the imperfect me will either want to hit back for the inequitability or/and wallow in painful emotional reverberations. By the grace of God, such actions did not come forth and such stressful thoughts did not hold its grip upon me too long. For I know that it is God Whom I must turn to.
And God is indeed good. He brought me to Psalm 46:1 ' God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.'
God also reminded me that He is not a tool that we picked off the shelf to sate our pain, but rather, we must truly learn to put all things aside and look to Him, to know His will.
'Be still, and know that I am God...'
Psalm 46:10
For the carnal us, in all situations, the first and immediate reaction is to deal with issues the way we see it. With God, we are often taught, and asked to take a few steps forward unto His presence. And what does God often tells us next. For me and I am sure for many of us who truly seek to honor Him, God will remind us to show love, much as it is difficult to.
'Do not rejoice when your enemy falls'
Proverbs 24:17
What is the command of God? To seek Him with our all and to love our neighbors as ourselves. God commands us to seek Him in all circumstances, for only then can we be able to love our neighbors, even the unloved. For us who have been blessed to have the veil in our hearts lifted, it is not the end all. God wants all to know and follow Him, and He wants to use us in His plans. He will bring about the increase, but are we willing to be used by Him to plant, water or even sow?
'And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him......'
Luke 24:31
Living out the commands of God in Exodus 15:26 does not mean that we will not fall sick or not have troubles in our lives, for we live in a sinful and fallen world. But we will have a peace and joy, that no arrows of the devil can ever destroy and God will always bring us forth, till the day Christ returns, or if He so decides to take us home.
' I form the light, and create darkness. I made peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things.'
Isaiah 45:7
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(11th April 2010)
Sunday, March 21, 2010
SundaySnippets #12 Shelf Life (21st Mar 2010)
Dear...
'Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.'
1 Corinthians 12:1
The Word of God did say that the wisdom of men is a pale shadow of the 'foolishness' of our Lord. Prayerfully I have not paraphrased this incorrectly, but clearly, much as there are giants of great intellect amongst us homo sapiens( the Latin word for wise and knowing humans), men in reality are but finite and all will wilt away.
Today, encased in the middle pages of our local Sunday newspaper, is an article that highlighted the differing responses to a recent, but not new view put forward by some legal minds on the possibility of amending the law to allow for patient assisted suicides. The difference between this and euthanasia, is that for the latter, the snuffing out of one's life is administered by trained medical professionals, while the former is a D..I.Y, no doubt with some guidance.
From Adam's first bite of the apple, men have till death take their last breath away, will always have an opinion, framed by their own understanding, molded by life's experiences, and driven by their own core selfish needs, no matter how one try to couch it on higher moral grounds. To those who cherish the sanctity of life, and stands firmly on the grounds of moral and ethical as well as one's religious orientation, no one should exercise the right to take the life of another or even one's own. But from a practical consideration, especially where one is not coming from a detached 3rd party perspective, but is either the despairing sick person, or the loved ones of the dying person, the burden can be overwhelming, both emotionally, physically and financially to continue to sustain what by medical definition is a dying person.
So who is right?
It is a function of one's beliefs. If life on Earth is it, and one should live it to the fullest, much as the secular man do not subscribe to the thereafter and even less to entertaining the possibility of "gods' or God, then it is a correct thought that one should self terminate, if one no longer can live life fruitfully. Like the widgets in a factory, one should be discarded when one outlive one's usefulness. Cruel but necessary in our not just increasingly crowded and overburdened Mother Earth, but with the blossoming expectations of the once repressed populations of the two most populous countries n the world, ie India and China, there is simply not enough for everyone.
'And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us.'
Acts 15:8
Being a Christian does not mean that I will live not just forever on Earth, but healthily. In fact, as age begin to take its toll, I do feel my bodily parts showing its wear. Having just returned from Nagoya and Kyoto, I not just carried memories of a lovely time, but also the scars of subjecting the body to a short but intense trip. My last trip to the States two years back, I brought home a painful left wrist, and now from Japan, I bring home not just vivid images of the rudimentary stages of the blossoming Sakuras, but also an unwelcome painful left heel and aching shoulders.
In Church today, the pastor talked about miracles. And indeed God has healed me in so many ways, both physically but more importantly in the Spirit. Man looks at the temporal, God is concerned about our eternity. A doctor who in his suicide note despaired about how life has become meaningless and since he only believes in the present and not in God, the 'right' thing to do was to snuff himself out for at least that was within his control.
Today, there are similar other controversies about abortion, especially of foetus scanned with birth defects. The same legalistic and medical contentions about one's sexual orientations and desires and other addictions be it gambling or drugs.
In all instances, are we making the erroneous assumptions that we should be the arbiter and worse, that we are god?
'That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My name is called, saith the Lord, Who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all His works form the beginning of the world.'
Acts 15:17-18
If God is real, and He is, He has placed in us that innate desire to seek a relationship with Him. Sadly, that desire or connection is often submerged and lost amongst the clutter of the delusions of Satan's world and the selfish and self-serving misguided thoughts and actions of us, the sinful men.
Illnesses are often the manifestations of a life lived not right, or even that of past generations. Hereditary does take on a deeper meaning here. God wants to heal all of us, but not necessarily in the physical but definitely in our spiritual, for eternity is what truly matters.
Having walked closely with friends who have since left this temporal world, one common experience learned is that God will truly draw near to those who draw near to Him. My friends are no longer with me, but I know that they are with the Lord our God. For God indeed in each of the last 6 months of their life, through the clearly hopeless medical conditions, brought about healing both within the individual and without, amongst their once estranged loved ones.
To by our own understanding, assist some to end his temporal pain, is to not to just leave him or her in eternal damnation, and I am sure that person will not be very thankful for your misguided good intentions in facilitating his mercy killing when you next meet in the hot-tub of eternal damnation with the devil. But there are greater ramifications, for God do use the down and out to reach out to many others. So in one's singular desire to play 'god', you could also be committing mass genocide, think about it or rather do pray about it, and here is an interesting prayer fresh from my church's sermon this morning to give you a perspective.
'O Lord,
Open our eyes to Your Presence
Open our minds to Your grace
Open our lips to Your praises
Open our hearts to Your love
Open our lives to Your healing
And be found among us.
In Christ's name, Amen
(David Adam)
When does God transform one's sexual orientation to align to that of His will. where science deem it not possible? When does a mass rapist break free of his bondage of uncontrolled lust? When does the bitter learn to swallow the repulsive pill of his pride and begin to taste the sweetness of forgiveness.? Or even simply when does God transform us from the man of the world to a man who seeks after Him? And when does one depart in joy and peace, much as the body is wasting away, knowing that eternity with God is what matters?
No one knows when the Spirit of God will fall upon us. But no one has the right to play god and cause a fellow man to lose his chance to accept the salvation that God has freely given to all who believe?
But can we afford to wait for God, especially with so many burdens associated with medical care and life in general? The Germans come to the warmer and cheaper climes of Thailand, and we in Singapore might soon go to nearby Johore for not just water, but for that less costly medical care, but these are plans of men.
God will provide, but will we remain faithful and be obedient and trust in our Provider, rather than in our provisions. Miracle is the witnessing of the impossible. It is the affirmation of the omnipresence and Sovereignty of our Abba Father. With God all things are possible and there is no expiry date for those who trust in Him.
'And the world passeth away, and the lust therof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.'
1 John 1:17
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(21st Mar 2010)
'Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.'
1 Corinthians 12:1
The Word of God did say that the wisdom of men is a pale shadow of the 'foolishness' of our Lord. Prayerfully I have not paraphrased this incorrectly, but clearly, much as there are giants of great intellect amongst us homo sapiens( the Latin word for wise and knowing humans), men in reality are but finite and all will wilt away.
Today, encased in the middle pages of our local Sunday newspaper, is an article that highlighted the differing responses to a recent, but not new view put forward by some legal minds on the possibility of amending the law to allow for patient assisted suicides. The difference between this and euthanasia, is that for the latter, the snuffing out of one's life is administered by trained medical professionals, while the former is a D..I.Y, no doubt with some guidance.
From Adam's first bite of the apple, men have till death take their last breath away, will always have an opinion, framed by their own understanding, molded by life's experiences, and driven by their own core selfish needs, no matter how one try to couch it on higher moral grounds. To those who cherish the sanctity of life, and stands firmly on the grounds of moral and ethical as well as one's religious orientation, no one should exercise the right to take the life of another or even one's own. But from a practical consideration, especially where one is not coming from a detached 3rd party perspective, but is either the despairing sick person, or the loved ones of the dying person, the burden can be overwhelming, both emotionally, physically and financially to continue to sustain what by medical definition is a dying person.
So who is right?
It is a function of one's beliefs. If life on Earth is it, and one should live it to the fullest, much as the secular man do not subscribe to the thereafter and even less to entertaining the possibility of "gods' or God, then it is a correct thought that one should self terminate, if one no longer can live life fruitfully. Like the widgets in a factory, one should be discarded when one outlive one's usefulness. Cruel but necessary in our not just increasingly crowded and overburdened Mother Earth, but with the blossoming expectations of the once repressed populations of the two most populous countries n the world, ie India and China, there is simply not enough for everyone.
'And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us.'
Acts 15:8
Being a Christian does not mean that I will live not just forever on Earth, but healthily. In fact, as age begin to take its toll, I do feel my bodily parts showing its wear. Having just returned from Nagoya and Kyoto, I not just carried memories of a lovely time, but also the scars of subjecting the body to a short but intense trip. My last trip to the States two years back, I brought home a painful left wrist, and now from Japan, I bring home not just vivid images of the rudimentary stages of the blossoming Sakuras, but also an unwelcome painful left heel and aching shoulders.
In Church today, the pastor talked about miracles. And indeed God has healed me in so many ways, both physically but more importantly in the Spirit. Man looks at the temporal, God is concerned about our eternity. A doctor who in his suicide note despaired about how life has become meaningless and since he only believes in the present and not in God, the 'right' thing to do was to snuff himself out for at least that was within his control.
Today, there are similar other controversies about abortion, especially of foetus scanned with birth defects. The same legalistic and medical contentions about one's sexual orientations and desires and other addictions be it gambling or drugs.
In all instances, are we making the erroneous assumptions that we should be the arbiter and worse, that we are god?
'That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My name is called, saith the Lord, Who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all His works form the beginning of the world.'
Acts 15:17-18
If God is real, and He is, He has placed in us that innate desire to seek a relationship with Him. Sadly, that desire or connection is often submerged and lost amongst the clutter of the delusions of Satan's world and the selfish and self-serving misguided thoughts and actions of us, the sinful men.
Illnesses are often the manifestations of a life lived not right, or even that of past generations. Hereditary does take on a deeper meaning here. God wants to heal all of us, but not necessarily in the physical but definitely in our spiritual, for eternity is what truly matters.
Having walked closely with friends who have since left this temporal world, one common experience learned is that God will truly draw near to those who draw near to Him. My friends are no longer with me, but I know that they are with the Lord our God. For God indeed in each of the last 6 months of their life, through the clearly hopeless medical conditions, brought about healing both within the individual and without, amongst their once estranged loved ones.
To by our own understanding, assist some to end his temporal pain, is to not to just leave him or her in eternal damnation, and I am sure that person will not be very thankful for your misguided good intentions in facilitating his mercy killing when you next meet in the hot-tub of eternal damnation with the devil. But there are greater ramifications, for God do use the down and out to reach out to many others. So in one's singular desire to play 'god', you could also be committing mass genocide, think about it or rather do pray about it, and here is an interesting prayer fresh from my church's sermon this morning to give you a perspective.
'O Lord,
Open our eyes to Your Presence
Open our minds to Your grace
Open our lips to Your praises
Open our hearts to Your love
Open our lives to Your healing
And be found among us.
In Christ's name, Amen
(David Adam)
When does God transform one's sexual orientation to align to that of His will. where science deem it not possible? When does a mass rapist break free of his bondage of uncontrolled lust? When does the bitter learn to swallow the repulsive pill of his pride and begin to taste the sweetness of forgiveness.? Or even simply when does God transform us from the man of the world to a man who seeks after Him? And when does one depart in joy and peace, much as the body is wasting away, knowing that eternity with God is what matters?
No one knows when the Spirit of God will fall upon us. But no one has the right to play god and cause a fellow man to lose his chance to accept the salvation that God has freely given to all who believe?
But can we afford to wait for God, especially with so many burdens associated with medical care and life in general? The Germans come to the warmer and cheaper climes of Thailand, and we in Singapore might soon go to nearby Johore for not just water, but for that less costly medical care, but these are plans of men.
God will provide, but will we remain faithful and be obedient and trust in our Provider, rather than in our provisions. Miracle is the witnessing of the impossible. It is the affirmation of the omnipresence and Sovereignty of our Abba Father. With God all things are possible and there is no expiry date for those who trust in Him.
'And the world passeth away, and the lust therof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.'
1 John 1:17
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(21st Mar 2010)
Saturday, March 13, 2010
SundaySnippets #11 Play, not pray (14mar10)
Dear...
'...The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.'
Romans 8:26-27
Why are only some prayers answered. And even for those that are answered, they are not always answered the way we desire? The promise in the Bible is that all prayers asked in God's will be answered. Does it mean that prayers not answered were not asked in His will then?
The World Cup is coming soon in South Africa and today's sport columnist highlighted five key players whose physical readiness is essential for the possible success of their respective countries, and hence the need for prayers to keep them well. Even if all the players are well, there can only be one winner in this prestigious tournament. And amongst the players and their fans, there are indeed many a Christian, be it
Catholic, or Protestant but the same Sovereign God. Does it mean than that either the winning country not just played better, but prayedbetter or that God is bias or less potent than the "gods' of the
winning team, if the latter happen to be from a non Christian country?
Prayers is a ministry that God has placed me in these past decade. Prayers is also an issue that is 'bugging' me these past few days, as if my inner being is struggling with the Spirit of God, as to what it truly means. Yet God never leave us wandering too long, and prayers and what it truly meant is a topic that I have had the privilege of reading/listening to these past few days, from no less God anointed writers like our Methodist Bishop Dr Robert Solomon( from the latest Bible Society of Singapore newsletter "Word@work dated Mar 2010)) as well as Rev Francis Khoo. You can listen to the latter's hour long sermon on "the multi-dimension of prayers at the following link
http://www.covenantvision.org/mediacentre/watch/118
'To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.'
Ecclesiastes 3:1
A couple of months back, a friend who was not well felt the need for prayers. Most of us will pray to God our Healer for the removal of the disease. But God reminded me that my prayers for my friend should be for the spiritual rather than the physical healing. Often physical illnesses is the manifestation of what could be wrong with our own walk with the Lord our God. The physical can be healed, but if the spiritual is not made right, not aligned with the will of God, we can gain the body albeit temporarily, but lose the soul for eternity. That was the command of God, to work on transforming ourselves from the carnal to the spiritual man. And what then should be our prayers,? That my friend will be determined to exercise the free will to move away from the sinful world, and into a determined desire to come unto the presence of God always, for God will heal her spiritually, if she will just respond. What about the original request for physical healing?
Should we not pray for it then? Only as God leads.
'Because he loves me, says the Lord, i will rescue him. i will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. He will call upon Me, and i will answer him. i will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him and show him My salvation.'
Psalm 91:14-16
Just a couple of weeks back, a dear friend asked me to pray for her father, who was not well physically. Just yesterday, she messaged to let me know that her father has since passed on. Was my prayers and supplication ineffective? Did God not promise to deliver and honor and show salvation to those who love Him? My friend's late father was a recent believer. A joy to her for she had never imagined both her parents in their old age will be able to become not just believers, but desirous followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. Her father might be a recent Christian, but he was from all accounts a very determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I was in Sydney when my friend messaged me on her father's illness. At that point, God reminded me that much as we humans look at the temporal, it is eternity that is more important, and much as we want to pray for good health, or other needs we value, they are but temporal. What we must pray for is that our loved ones are ready, when God calls, be it to Heaven or to do His work on Earth.
Bishop Solomon in his article stated that "The most important change for us is the change within us - our transformation into the likeness of Jesus"
'Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.'
And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.'
1 John 3:2-3
I believe that my friend's late father is more than ready and God will be most pleased with him. That is the reassurance and comfort that God has provided, for indeed God answers the prayers of the faithful. And her prayers has been for her parents to accept Christ. Not easy, by human terms, given their age and also the fact that she is based overseas these past few years. But God delivered.
Prayers in not about telling God our shopping list. He already knows our needs on Earth. He will more than provide. Prayers is about asking for God to give us the necessary to do His will, that is already made known to us. Prayers is about us asking God to align our hearts to His will, for us to do in total obedience and confidence, what He commands.
The prophet Elijah in the misconstrued eyes of many is one of those who seems to be able to command God to do what he asked for. God send rain, where there was no rain, for rain came after Elijah asked or prayed for(1 Kings 18:37-41)
But do tarry a little, before we all get excited like what some has often preached, or possibly has been misconstrued, that God loves us and is like Santa Claus, and He will give us all we asked for in our will and irregardless of our obedience!!
God indeed loves us all, and salvation is given to all. But with our acceptance of His salvation, is a need on our part to respond to His leading, to be transformed unto His likeness. In his video above, Rev Khoo talked about us giving back our salvation, by our continued carnal ways. There are differing views on this, but to each his own, but what the Bible is very clear on is that all will be held accountable by our Lord on the day of His return. We do not work for our salvation, but we must work on our salvation.
I know that the Spirit of God is in me. I experienced it in Bangkok that wonderful night in early 2000. But I know that I am still an imperfect man, being perfected by our Lord Jesus Christ. The devil is always waiting to pounce upon me, to lead my carnal self away from the spiritual man that God wants me to be.
What then should I be praying for??
In 1 Kings 18:1, God spoke to Elijah and told him
'And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.'
Indeed, God has already told Elijah as to what will transpire when he dueled with the false prophets. All Elijah needed to do was to obey as God leads. Was it easy. Seems to be for us the reader on hindsight, but given that many prophets were killed during that period and that there was truly no rain. Elijah must have had a lot of faith in the promise of God to want to challenge the evil King Ahab and his band of falsies.
What about us? Like Elijah, we must spend the times of God's silence in prayers as in a conversation with a Sovereign God rather than in ordering Him around, in praise for all things, be it good or "bad" and in doing God's work totally dependent on His grace and provisions. We must let God transform us, so that when He commands, we will not just hear Him, but understand His will and be willing to obey. And where does the prayer come in? Man look for conclusion, God looks for obedience, and pray we must, but that our very actions and thoughts will stay focus on the commands that God will have given us or will be giving us.
Prayers is not about what we want. But rather, that we play out the role that God expects from us, the way He has ordained.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(14th Mar 2010)
'...The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.'
Romans 8:26-27
Why are only some prayers answered. And even for those that are answered, they are not always answered the way we desire? The promise in the Bible is that all prayers asked in God's will be answered. Does it mean that prayers not answered were not asked in His will then?
The World Cup is coming soon in South Africa and today's sport columnist highlighted five key players whose physical readiness is essential for the possible success of their respective countries, and hence the need for prayers to keep them well. Even if all the players are well, there can only be one winner in this prestigious tournament. And amongst the players and their fans, there are indeed many a Christian, be it
Catholic, or Protestant but the same Sovereign God. Does it mean than that either the winning country not just played better, but prayedbetter or that God is bias or less potent than the "gods' of the
winning team, if the latter happen to be from a non Christian country?
Prayers is a ministry that God has placed me in these past decade. Prayers is also an issue that is 'bugging' me these past few days, as if my inner being is struggling with the Spirit of God, as to what it truly means. Yet God never leave us wandering too long, and prayers and what it truly meant is a topic that I have had the privilege of reading/listening to these past few days, from no less God anointed writers like our Methodist Bishop Dr Robert Solomon( from the latest Bible Society of Singapore newsletter "Word@work dated Mar 2010)) as well as Rev Francis Khoo. You can listen to the latter's hour long sermon on "the multi-dimension of prayers at the following link
http://www.covenantvision.org/mediacentre/watch/118
'To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.'
Ecclesiastes 3:1
A couple of months back, a friend who was not well felt the need for prayers. Most of us will pray to God our Healer for the removal of the disease. But God reminded me that my prayers for my friend should be for the spiritual rather than the physical healing. Often physical illnesses is the manifestation of what could be wrong with our own walk with the Lord our God. The physical can be healed, but if the spiritual is not made right, not aligned with the will of God, we can gain the body albeit temporarily, but lose the soul for eternity. That was the command of God, to work on transforming ourselves from the carnal to the spiritual man. And what then should be our prayers,? That my friend will be determined to exercise the free will to move away from the sinful world, and into a determined desire to come unto the presence of God always, for God will heal her spiritually, if she will just respond. What about the original request for physical healing?
Should we not pray for it then? Only as God leads.
'Because he loves me, says the Lord, i will rescue him. i will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. He will call upon Me, and i will answer him. i will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him and show him My salvation.'
Psalm 91:14-16
Just a couple of weeks back, a dear friend asked me to pray for her father, who was not well physically. Just yesterday, she messaged to let me know that her father has since passed on. Was my prayers and supplication ineffective? Did God not promise to deliver and honor and show salvation to those who love Him? My friend's late father was a recent believer. A joy to her for she had never imagined both her parents in their old age will be able to become not just believers, but desirous followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. Her father might be a recent Christian, but he was from all accounts a very determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I was in Sydney when my friend messaged me on her father's illness. At that point, God reminded me that much as we humans look at the temporal, it is eternity that is more important, and much as we want to pray for good health, or other needs we value, they are but temporal. What we must pray for is that our loved ones are ready, when God calls, be it to Heaven or to do His work on Earth.
Bishop Solomon in his article stated that "The most important change for us is the change within us - our transformation into the likeness of Jesus"
'Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.'
And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.'
1 John 3:2-3
I believe that my friend's late father is more than ready and God will be most pleased with him. That is the reassurance and comfort that God has provided, for indeed God answers the prayers of the faithful. And her prayers has been for her parents to accept Christ. Not easy, by human terms, given their age and also the fact that she is based overseas these past few years. But God delivered.
Prayers in not about telling God our shopping list. He already knows our needs on Earth. He will more than provide. Prayers is about asking for God to give us the necessary to do His will, that is already made known to us. Prayers is about us asking God to align our hearts to His will, for us to do in total obedience and confidence, what He commands.
The prophet Elijah in the misconstrued eyes of many is one of those who seems to be able to command God to do what he asked for. God send rain, where there was no rain, for rain came after Elijah asked or prayed for(1 Kings 18:37-41)
But do tarry a little, before we all get excited like what some has often preached, or possibly has been misconstrued, that God loves us and is like Santa Claus, and He will give us all we asked for in our will and irregardless of our obedience!!
God indeed loves us all, and salvation is given to all. But with our acceptance of His salvation, is a need on our part to respond to His leading, to be transformed unto His likeness. In his video above, Rev Khoo talked about us giving back our salvation, by our continued carnal ways. There are differing views on this, but to each his own, but what the Bible is very clear on is that all will be held accountable by our Lord on the day of His return. We do not work for our salvation, but we must work on our salvation.
I know that the Spirit of God is in me. I experienced it in Bangkok that wonderful night in early 2000. But I know that I am still an imperfect man, being perfected by our Lord Jesus Christ. The devil is always waiting to pounce upon me, to lead my carnal self away from the spiritual man that God wants me to be.
What then should I be praying for??
In 1 Kings 18:1, God spoke to Elijah and told him
'And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.'
Indeed, God has already told Elijah as to what will transpire when he dueled with the false prophets. All Elijah needed to do was to obey as God leads. Was it easy. Seems to be for us the reader on hindsight, but given that many prophets were killed during that period and that there was truly no rain. Elijah must have had a lot of faith in the promise of God to want to challenge the evil King Ahab and his band of falsies.
What about us? Like Elijah, we must spend the times of God's silence in prayers as in a conversation with a Sovereign God rather than in ordering Him around, in praise for all things, be it good or "bad" and in doing God's work totally dependent on His grace and provisions. We must let God transform us, so that when He commands, we will not just hear Him, but understand His will and be willing to obey. And where does the prayer come in? Man look for conclusion, God looks for obedience, and pray we must, but that our very actions and thoughts will stay focus on the commands that God will have given us or will be giving us.
Prayers is not about what we want. But rather, that we play out the role that God expects from us, the way He has ordained.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(14th Mar 2010)
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Sundaysnippets #10 Tiger in the Lion City(14 Feb 2010)
Dear...
'For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.'
1 Corinthians 2:16
Every year, in the run-up to the Lunar New Year, we are peppered with advices(like in today's Sunday papers), paid or not, as to how best to position oneself for the new year ahead and it is during such times that one is reminded of the close kinship that many professed to have with the beasts of the world. Last year turned out to be a bullish year in the stock-markets, but my only participation in that bullish phase was that I was a bear that happened to be born in the year of the ox, some cycles back.
Sentiments and the general economy are definitely much better now, though one should bear in mind that much as the Tiger is perceived to be one of strength and resourcefulness, and hence some has equated this new Lunar year to be an excellent year, the tiger is also an animal of cunning, a loner by habit or is it due to selfishness, hence the need to mark out its territory by leaving droplets of its urine, and the tiger devours all, at least for those of us who grew up watching the wonderful black and white Malay films that featured the Harimau(ie tigress) often transformed into a kindly old lady chewing not nuts, but bones of wayward children.
'Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.'
1 Peter 1:8
Love is also in the air, this being Valentine's day as well, but love for most is based on what we see on the outward, and it takes time for one to fully comprehend the inward workings of one's object of desire. Love should be a daily expression rather than a one day event orchestrated by those with commercial interests, at least that is my justification for not buying my wife flowers today. Not exactly sure who coined the term "tigress" to denote our better but fiercer half, but a "lioness" seems more complimentary, for it implies a wife who is of good stature, almost regal.
'In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.'
Ephesians 1: 13
A menagerie I am not trying to create, so it is time to move on and what better way to do that than to truly wish all not just the usual good health, great wealth and all material blessings that the finite men believe is what makes fellow men happy, but rather, my prayers for you is that you will, with the passing of another year, not just take stock of your life but more importantly to take time to think about your relationship with the very visible God and that in acknowledging His grace, His Spirit will fall upon you, and like in 1 Peter 1:8, you be filled with this great and indescribable peace and joy, that will truly mark a turning point in your life.
'And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God'
Romans 12:2
Geek is good, if you happened to be Bill Gates, making billions from Microsoft. Greed is good, at least that was what Gordon Gekko( played by actor, Michael Douglas) in the 1980s film "Wall Street" proudly pronounced. Guess many of my generation were more impressionable and they took it to heart, from reel to real life, and the world today is still reeling from that single minded focus on wealth accumulation at all costs.
But is Greek good? An ancient civilization, Greece has definitely had its halcyon days, and like the Middle Kingdom(ie China), Greece has its fair share of myths and icons, and a couple of years back, some Greeks did try to reinvigorate the desire in their fellow citizens to go back to the days of pagan worship, when awesome King Zeus, the curious Pandora, the mighty Atlas and other mighty Greek gods supposedly reigned supreme both in Heaven and on Earth.
Greece unfortunately is in the news for all the wrong reasons, being one of the sub-letters in the soon to be infamous acronym "PIGS" for European countries that are heavily indebted and possibly on the brink of default.
Is it any comfort to the Greeks that while Spain(letter "S" in PIGS) had the rock of Gibraltar, and that Italy has the mafia and spaghetti, while Portugal other than the footballer Ronaldo, would be hard pressed in other areas, the Greeks still have Heracles(or Hercules to the Romans) to call on, if he is real. Yet, real or not, the European Commission will have a pretty tough time cobbling a viable long term plan for politics, personal interests and deeply ingrained biasedness are hurdles that can be insurmountable even for the gods from Mt Olympus.
'...Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falleth..'
Luke 11:17
As a finite mortal, I do recognize my inability to predict about the next second, much the year ahead. So I will leave that futile attempt to those who think that they can. But God does give us markers of His plans not for us to place ourselves on the pedestal as far-sighted clairvoyants, but to remind us of His faithfulness in an unfaithful world, to give us that boldness and assurances as we learn to let Him lead us in this present End Times intensified.
I believe in our present generation, we are already witnesses to the beginnings of the One World. And Western Europe to be able to eventually resolve the issues of the PIGS,(primarily Southern Europe) as well as that of its poorer but till recently practicing Christian bastions of Eastern European neighbors, will have to truly move into one Sovereign nation, in all aspects, that is, fiscal, political, social and not just the present unworkable monetary union. And the very much secular Continental Europe has to include the till now fiercely independent but bankrupt British Isles for United Europe to bear fruit and for the one Supreme leader, the anti-Christ to appear to lead the world into further delusion.
'And that, knowing the time, that now, it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.'
Romans 13:11
And what about Asia, the most populous and poorest continent in the world. Africa is poor but not as populous, and at the rate the Chinese are exploiting resources in the Dark Continent, it might be a colony of China soon.
The resurgence of the once dormant Chinese dragon has clearly brought growth in many ways, but is has also quickened the damage to the world's environment, depleted our finite resources that much faster, forced everyone to cling on to the need to sacrifice all to or lose their material lifestyle to the new and hungry Chinese consumers, and not forgetting that China's voracious appetite for energy is leading to the sprouting of nuclear plants within the Middle Kingdom, as well as in the rest of the world. God did say that He will not drown out the sinful world but He did mention that the world will be destroyed by fire and even little red dots like us is considering joining this man-made ring of fire.
'For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.'
Galatians 1:12
Quack I hoped I am not, for ducks have no place in the Lunar calendar nor in the sharing of God's message of peace and hope. Vision or some great revelation I received not from our Lord for these meanderings. But clearly, God is patient for HE wants all to be saved. But God will not wait for us forever, while we continue to move year in, year out, living out our lives as determined by fellow men's interpretation of our destiny from a combination of the elements(ie wood, fire, earth, water and metal) and the twelve animals of the Zodiac.
The devil is on the prowl, just like the cunning tiger in this present jungle of our lives. Satan is aware of the times, hence his desire to ensure that you continue to be blinded by him and not be aware of God's love and offer of salvation to all.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah has already broken the grip of sin and death upon all humanity. It is no myth, not like the Merlion that dons the waterfront of my beautiful Lion City, Singapore.. It is real, this spiritual battle for our souls and hearts and the battleground is across the world, in each and everyone of our hearts, and not just in my beloved Lion City.
In the old Tarzan movies, the lion always emerges victorious over the tiger. The fatherly lion moves regally with its pride, it has a complete family. The sinister tiger works alone, it moves in the dark, and it is determined to have you as its next meal, just like Satan would love you to join him in eternal damnation.
'I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.'
Jeremiah 15:21
It is time to recognize yourself for who you are, a child of our Sovereign God Who loved us all. Lets leave the pigs, the tigers, the snakes, the goats, the ox and the rest of the animals to those who profess a desire to be other than the child of God. And this being a long weekend, do take time to read Psalm 16, for this is one Psalm that speaks to me, on my relationship with our Sovereign God.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(14th Feb 2010)
'For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.'
1 Corinthians 2:16
Every year, in the run-up to the Lunar New Year, we are peppered with advices(like in today's Sunday papers), paid or not, as to how best to position oneself for the new year ahead and it is during such times that one is reminded of the close kinship that many professed to have with the beasts of the world. Last year turned out to be a bullish year in the stock-markets, but my only participation in that bullish phase was that I was a bear that happened to be born in the year of the ox, some cycles back.
Sentiments and the general economy are definitely much better now, though one should bear in mind that much as the Tiger is perceived to be one of strength and resourcefulness, and hence some has equated this new Lunar year to be an excellent year, the tiger is also an animal of cunning, a loner by habit or is it due to selfishness, hence the need to mark out its territory by leaving droplets of its urine, and the tiger devours all, at least for those of us who grew up watching the wonderful black and white Malay films that featured the Harimau(ie tigress) often transformed into a kindly old lady chewing not nuts, but bones of wayward children.
'Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.'
1 Peter 1:8
Love is also in the air, this being Valentine's day as well, but love for most is based on what we see on the outward, and it takes time for one to fully comprehend the inward workings of one's object of desire. Love should be a daily expression rather than a one day event orchestrated by those with commercial interests, at least that is my justification for not buying my wife flowers today. Not exactly sure who coined the term "tigress" to denote our better but fiercer half, but a "lioness" seems more complimentary, for it implies a wife who is of good stature, almost regal.
'In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.'
Ephesians 1: 13
A menagerie I am not trying to create, so it is time to move on and what better way to do that than to truly wish all not just the usual good health, great wealth and all material blessings that the finite men believe is what makes fellow men happy, but rather, my prayers for you is that you will, with the passing of another year, not just take stock of your life but more importantly to take time to think about your relationship with the very visible God and that in acknowledging His grace, His Spirit will fall upon you, and like in 1 Peter 1:8, you be filled with this great and indescribable peace and joy, that will truly mark a turning point in your life.
'And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God'
Romans 12:2
Geek is good, if you happened to be Bill Gates, making billions from Microsoft. Greed is good, at least that was what Gordon Gekko( played by actor, Michael Douglas) in the 1980s film "Wall Street" proudly pronounced. Guess many of my generation were more impressionable and they took it to heart, from reel to real life, and the world today is still reeling from that single minded focus on wealth accumulation at all costs.
But is Greek good? An ancient civilization, Greece has definitely had its halcyon days, and like the Middle Kingdom(ie China), Greece has its fair share of myths and icons, and a couple of years back, some Greeks did try to reinvigorate the desire in their fellow citizens to go back to the days of pagan worship, when awesome King Zeus, the curious Pandora, the mighty Atlas and other mighty Greek gods supposedly reigned supreme both in Heaven and on Earth.
Greece unfortunately is in the news for all the wrong reasons, being one of the sub-letters in the soon to be infamous acronym "PIGS" for European countries that are heavily indebted and possibly on the brink of default.
Is it any comfort to the Greeks that while Spain(letter "S" in PIGS) had the rock of Gibraltar, and that Italy has the mafia and spaghetti, while Portugal other than the footballer Ronaldo, would be hard pressed in other areas, the Greeks still have Heracles(or Hercules to the Romans) to call on, if he is real. Yet, real or not, the European Commission will have a pretty tough time cobbling a viable long term plan for politics, personal interests and deeply ingrained biasedness are hurdles that can be insurmountable even for the gods from Mt Olympus.
'...Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falleth..'
Luke 11:17
As a finite mortal, I do recognize my inability to predict about the next second, much the year ahead. So I will leave that futile attempt to those who think that they can. But God does give us markers of His plans not for us to place ourselves on the pedestal as far-sighted clairvoyants, but to remind us of His faithfulness in an unfaithful world, to give us that boldness and assurances as we learn to let Him lead us in this present End Times intensified.
I believe in our present generation, we are already witnesses to the beginnings of the One World. And Western Europe to be able to eventually resolve the issues of the PIGS,(primarily Southern Europe) as well as that of its poorer but till recently practicing Christian bastions of Eastern European neighbors, will have to truly move into one Sovereign nation, in all aspects, that is, fiscal, political, social and not just the present unworkable monetary union. And the very much secular Continental Europe has to include the till now fiercely independent but bankrupt British Isles for United Europe to bear fruit and for the one Supreme leader, the anti-Christ to appear to lead the world into further delusion.
'And that, knowing the time, that now, it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.'
Romans 13:11
And what about Asia, the most populous and poorest continent in the world. Africa is poor but not as populous, and at the rate the Chinese are exploiting resources in the Dark Continent, it might be a colony of China soon.
The resurgence of the once dormant Chinese dragon has clearly brought growth in many ways, but is has also quickened the damage to the world's environment, depleted our finite resources that much faster, forced everyone to cling on to the need to sacrifice all to or lose their material lifestyle to the new and hungry Chinese consumers, and not forgetting that China's voracious appetite for energy is leading to the sprouting of nuclear plants within the Middle Kingdom, as well as in the rest of the world. God did say that He will not drown out the sinful world but He did mention that the world will be destroyed by fire and even little red dots like us is considering joining this man-made ring of fire.
'For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.'
Galatians 1:12
Quack I hoped I am not, for ducks have no place in the Lunar calendar nor in the sharing of God's message of peace and hope. Vision or some great revelation I received not from our Lord for these meanderings. But clearly, God is patient for HE wants all to be saved. But God will not wait for us forever, while we continue to move year in, year out, living out our lives as determined by fellow men's interpretation of our destiny from a combination of the elements(ie wood, fire, earth, water and metal) and the twelve animals of the Zodiac.
The devil is on the prowl, just like the cunning tiger in this present jungle of our lives. Satan is aware of the times, hence his desire to ensure that you continue to be blinded by him and not be aware of God's love and offer of salvation to all.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah has already broken the grip of sin and death upon all humanity. It is no myth, not like the Merlion that dons the waterfront of my beautiful Lion City, Singapore.. It is real, this spiritual battle for our souls and hearts and the battleground is across the world, in each and everyone of our hearts, and not just in my beloved Lion City.
In the old Tarzan movies, the lion always emerges victorious over the tiger. The fatherly lion moves regally with its pride, it has a complete family. The sinister tiger works alone, it moves in the dark, and it is determined to have you as its next meal, just like Satan would love you to join him in eternal damnation.
'I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.'
Jeremiah 15:21
It is time to recognize yourself for who you are, a child of our Sovereign God Who loved us all. Lets leave the pigs, the tigers, the snakes, the goats, the ox and the rest of the animals to those who profess a desire to be other than the child of God. And this being a long weekend, do take time to read Psalm 16, for this is one Psalm that speaks to me, on my relationship with our Sovereign God.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(14th Feb 2010)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
SundaySnippets #9 Follicles (31st Jan 2010)
ear...
'And he took their king's crown from off his head..............'
2 Samuel 12:30
King David had the crown of the vanquished King Rabbah of Ammon placed on his victorious head. In the old cowboy movies, the victorious Red Indians collected the scalps of the out of luck white settlers as their prize from a hard fought battle.
Sunday tend to be not just a lazy, but rather frivolous day of rest, not just for the tired body, but a near shutdown of one's gray matters, if some of the articles one read are any indication. Crowning glory often refers to one's once luxuriant patch of hair, and till recently, most men either try to dye away the silvery signs of age and/or stress, while others either make do with a brand new toupee(if one's green fingers yields poor return on one's patch).
Of course, some are quite happy to literally "shoe-shine" their pate but if the writer of today's article is to be believed, it seems many men out there are not just joining the Eve's in removing the obvious follicles but also in areas once reserved for the eyes of the privileged few!!
'I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.'
1 John 2:12
In some Eastern religions, to be shorn of one's cabbage patch is a sign of repentance and a desire to move away from the desires of the world. I don't think the subjects discussed in the newspaper article are of the non worldly type. On the contrary, if one reads the writer's slant, it seems to be part of the accouterments amongst those who seek and lived an alternative lifestyle.
To each their own, but what about those who professed to follow our Lord Jesus Christ? Are there some behavioral patterns or even physical manifestations that clearly define who we are, ie not just believers but followers of our Lord Jesus Christ?
For those who are less acquainted with our faith, to read or hear that when we believe, the old man in us die, and we put on the new body, seems quite drastic, for the closest analogy is not about shedding one's follicles, but like the snake, shedding one's skin. And to confuse matters further, Christ talked about old and new wineskin. Is it little wonder that not just the non-believers but many of the professed Christians often get confused by the semantics and get caught up with interpretative entanglements that often lead to personal and corporate discord.
"O God, we pray for unity, give us guidance from above. In our differences unite us, in the circle of Your love"
( a prayer from a Christian bookmark)
Like many, I often asked for God's guidance in not just the momentous moments, but in every moment of my life. Some decisions are quite obvious as to the choice, but difficult to implement for it means going against our interests or ingrained thoughts. Yet, the more difficult ones are the ones where our intent seems right, but is it truly what God wills?
I am no science student, but I do recall from my limited knowledge, and also read in the same article today that our follicles enable us to better sense the environment around us. For those who are more clean cut than a fully shorn sheep, your inability to sense God's will is not a direct result of your foolishness to rid yourself of what nature provides, for this inability to know God's will apply to most.
'Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.'
1 John 3:21
In the days before I truly seek the Lord our God, where I rarely read His Word, nor bother to commune with Him, nor do I give a care to doing His work or even try to understand what Christ-likeness meant, peace of heart or the lack of it is often a function of what my carnal mind thinks rather than that feeling in the heart. Even that sinking feeling in my heart is often a direct result of the distraught juices in the gray matter working overtime.
Like all today who is diligent, (sounds politically better than fervent in this politically correct secular world of ours where whenever a loving Christian shares God's love is deemed unwarranted imposition of one's faith), that is, determined to seek God with our all and to acknowledge Him in all our ways, the Spirit of God who resides in the hearts of those who truly believed, do indeed speak to us the follower of Christ. Speak yes, but we must still want to respond. Indeed, one affirmation of my hearing and following correctly God's will is the peace in my heart, a peace which permeates my very being, beyond the rational human mind.
'And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.'
1 John 4:14-15
As I ponder today upon a decision that I finally made this morning, as some of you might be aware, much as I am sure that it was the right decision, but is it truly aligned with the will of God.'
My heart was at peace. So one correct tick in the box of decisions. But suppose I was wrong? Would I not disappoint my God whom I professed to spend more time than most to know better?
A few years back, when guilt was the over-riding emotion that underlines such profusion of dilemmas in my rudimentary follower of Christ days, God brought me to a verse in the Bible which reminds me that as long as one's heart is right, God will always make all things right.
So it is not about right decisions from us at every crossroads of our life, but rather, the need for us to want to start to live and continue to live a life that is right every breathing moment of our finite life on earth, in the presence of God our Father.
Do reflect upon this very purposeful verse
'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.'
Romans 12:1
For indeed our heart does matter, but our mind will have an equally important role in our walk with God, but only if our mind is renewed, for then it is no longer driven by the sinful natural,but by the Spirit of God who resides in our hearts. And what about your follicles, remember, the outward body is temporal, and lets not tarry too much with such airy fairy or hairy matters, or end up irrelevant like Adonis or worse, the self loving androgynous Lucifer.
And am I today writing something as frivolous as such a lazy day warrant in our Sunday read. I pray not and I asked God for a verse of affirmation before I press the "send" button, and what did our good Lord brought me to, but this
'if my brother be waxen poor.......'
Leviticus 25:25
'But if he be not able to restore it...."
Leviticus 25:28
A little literary liberty I might have exercise here in using these verses but not with ill intent. But interestingly, wax is how you remove your follicles, but no guarantee it will be restored.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(31 Jan 2010)
'And he took their king's crown from off his head..............'
2 Samuel 12:30
King David had the crown of the vanquished King Rabbah of Ammon placed on his victorious head. In the old cowboy movies, the victorious Red Indians collected the scalps of the out of luck white settlers as their prize from a hard fought battle.
Sunday tend to be not just a lazy, but rather frivolous day of rest, not just for the tired body, but a near shutdown of one's gray matters, if some of the articles one read are any indication. Crowning glory often refers to one's once luxuriant patch of hair, and till recently, most men either try to dye away the silvery signs of age and/or stress, while others either make do with a brand new toupee(if one's green fingers yields poor return on one's patch).
Of course, some are quite happy to literally "shoe-shine" their pate but if the writer of today's article is to be believed, it seems many men out there are not just joining the Eve's in removing the obvious follicles but also in areas once reserved for the eyes of the privileged few!!
'I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.'
1 John 2:12
In some Eastern religions, to be shorn of one's cabbage patch is a sign of repentance and a desire to move away from the desires of the world. I don't think the subjects discussed in the newspaper article are of the non worldly type. On the contrary, if one reads the writer's slant, it seems to be part of the accouterments amongst those who seek and lived an alternative lifestyle.
To each their own, but what about those who professed to follow our Lord Jesus Christ? Are there some behavioral patterns or even physical manifestations that clearly define who we are, ie not just believers but followers of our Lord Jesus Christ?
For those who are less acquainted with our faith, to read or hear that when we believe, the old man in us die, and we put on the new body, seems quite drastic, for the closest analogy is not about shedding one's follicles, but like the snake, shedding one's skin. And to confuse matters further, Christ talked about old and new wineskin. Is it little wonder that not just the non-believers but many of the professed Christians often get confused by the semantics and get caught up with interpretative entanglements that often lead to personal and corporate discord.
"O God, we pray for unity, give us guidance from above. In our differences unite us, in the circle of Your love"
( a prayer from a Christian bookmark)
Like many, I often asked for God's guidance in not just the momentous moments, but in every moment of my life. Some decisions are quite obvious as to the choice, but difficult to implement for it means going against our interests or ingrained thoughts. Yet, the more difficult ones are the ones where our intent seems right, but is it truly what God wills?
I am no science student, but I do recall from my limited knowledge, and also read in the same article today that our follicles enable us to better sense the environment around us. For those who are more clean cut than a fully shorn sheep, your inability to sense God's will is not a direct result of your foolishness to rid yourself of what nature provides, for this inability to know God's will apply to most.
'Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.'
1 John 3:21
In the days before I truly seek the Lord our God, where I rarely read His Word, nor bother to commune with Him, nor do I give a care to doing His work or even try to understand what Christ-likeness meant, peace of heart or the lack of it is often a function of what my carnal mind thinks rather than that feeling in the heart. Even that sinking feeling in my heart is often a direct result of the distraught juices in the gray matter working overtime.
Like all today who is diligent, (sounds politically better than fervent in this politically correct secular world of ours where whenever a loving Christian shares God's love is deemed unwarranted imposition of one's faith), that is, determined to seek God with our all and to acknowledge Him in all our ways, the Spirit of God who resides in the hearts of those who truly believed, do indeed speak to us the follower of Christ. Speak yes, but we must still want to respond. Indeed, one affirmation of my hearing and following correctly God's will is the peace in my heart, a peace which permeates my very being, beyond the rational human mind.
'And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.'
1 John 4:14-15
As I ponder today upon a decision that I finally made this morning, as some of you might be aware, much as I am sure that it was the right decision, but is it truly aligned with the will of God.'
My heart was at peace. So one correct tick in the box of decisions. But suppose I was wrong? Would I not disappoint my God whom I professed to spend more time than most to know better?
A few years back, when guilt was the over-riding emotion that underlines such profusion of dilemmas in my rudimentary follower of Christ days, God brought me to a verse in the Bible which reminds me that as long as one's heart is right, God will always make all things right.
So it is not about right decisions from us at every crossroads of our life, but rather, the need for us to want to start to live and continue to live a life that is right every breathing moment of our finite life on earth, in the presence of God our Father.
Do reflect upon this very purposeful verse
'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.'
Romans 12:1
For indeed our heart does matter, but our mind will have an equally important role in our walk with God, but only if our mind is renewed, for then it is no longer driven by the sinful natural,but by the Spirit of God who resides in our hearts. And what about your follicles, remember, the outward body is temporal, and lets not tarry too much with such airy fairy or hairy matters, or end up irrelevant like Adonis or worse, the self loving androgynous Lucifer.
And am I today writing something as frivolous as such a lazy day warrant in our Sunday read. I pray not and I asked God for a verse of affirmation before I press the "send" button, and what did our good Lord brought me to, but this
'if my brother be waxen poor.......'
Leviticus 25:25
'But if he be not able to restore it...."
Leviticus 25:28
A little literary liberty I might have exercise here in using these verses but not with ill intent. But interestingly, wax is how you remove your follicles, but no guarantee it will be restored.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(31 Jan 2010)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
SundaySnippets 8 Poignant (17 jan 2010)
Dear...
'Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, because He was angry...'
Psalm 18:8
This verse is written by godly men, inspired by God centuries back, but it is as evergreen as ever, and could pass off easily as a media report of the present earthquake in Haiti.
The rudimentary days of January 2010 has not been quite inspiring, and though we are still a couple of years away from year 2012, if Hollywood and the Mayan calendar are to be believed, is the extreme weather conditions in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere and the clinical precision of the destructive earthquake in Haiti an indication of things to come when the Chinese Tiger year comes roaring in?
Mythical the latter might be, but there is no delusion in the minds of the continued desire of the unrepentant financial gnomes of the Western world, to continue to lay their grubby hands on the largesse of their trade, no doubt aided by the generous assumption of risks by governments, in the continued provision of liquidity that has been primarily used for speculative trades rather than real business.
'The great day of the Lord is near. It is near and hastens quickly.....'
Zephaniah 1:14
Not everyone might give much thought nor care two hoots about the Biblical warnings, but for the chap or rather dead chap, who was unceremoniously evicted from his coffin by a looter in Haiti, a photo of which appeared in today's Sunday newspaper, one wonders, what was his life like before ground zero hit? Was he a relative of the once rich and powerful Papa Doc and his equally cruel and corrupted son Baby Doc Duvalier, once all supreme rulers Haiti, where voodoo and his sinister henchmen, tonton macoute helped ensured no dissent?
Assumptive it might be, but to have such a fine coffin, the gentleman must be of some wealth, in the general sea of poverty and deprivation that permeates the once ramshackle city of Port Au Prince.
'Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath....'
Zephaniah 1:18
The word "poignant" might be used to describe a heart rending situation. Physical Death for all is inevitable, for that is the price of sin, and for many of us who have lost loved ones, be it family, friend or even pet-dogs, it is painful but can it ever be gainful?
'I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer. My God, my strength, in whom I will trust....I will call upon my Lord, Who is worthy to be praised...'
Psalm 18:1-3
Funerals tend to be pretty detached for most, unless you happen to be a close friend or family member. But funerals for Christians who truly seek the Lord till their last breath, can be a joyful one, much as our imperfect selves will still tear, but the heart moans not too long, for we know where the departed has gone to, and we will meet again. But will we??
I was at a healing service yesterday. It was a good experience, for in the midst of many with varied ills, is the knowledge that God will heal, and indeed, quite a few testified to God's healing in their lives, be it illness, financial or other woes.
Life is indeed a journey, or rather, a series of journeys. For many if not all of us, we only truly begin our walk with the Lord our God, we only truly begin to fix our eyes on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, only when the accumulated dross of disobedience in our sin-filled lives, causes us to keel over, to be shaken out of our delusion, in our moment of poignancy, to begin to realize that life is indeed finite, and wealth and other material pursuits not only does not heal the aching emptiness in our hearts, but it can deal a fatal blow to our very present being. And what about eternity?
'The fool says in his heart, there is no God'
Psalm 53:1
There is indeed no gods of our imagination, but there is a Sovereign God. Our Father in Heaven, Who loves us, Who wants to shake us out of our self deceived stupor in this sinful world, controlled by the delusions of the devil.
In days of ease and plenty, most would be like the men in Noah's time. Too busy to prepare their Ark, for eternity seems so far away. The old Roman city of Pompeii was encased in volcanic ash in a few short moments. A large number of people died within the few vibrant moments of the haiti earthquake. The tsunami of a few years back was no different, and the same could be said of the Szechuan earthquake or the Myammar typhoon.
'For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be..'
Matthew 24:38-39
A crisis in one's life can indeed be heart rending, but if it leads one to think about and refocus one's life back to our ever-present Lord, to move from a believer to a determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. That cognizance of the ongoing battle for not just our very soul, but that of our loved ones, that we have been so blissfully been unaware of, is cause for joy and not sadness.
The journey to the renewing of our mind, to be like Christ, often comes when what we hold dear in this world, are in near tatters. Poignant it might seem, but
true poignancy is when like the rich man who realized too late, upon his death, that indeed eternity in damnation is a reality, and he can only live in eternal pain and regret, for not responding to the outstretched hands of our everpresent God.
'lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died'
John 11:32
God is here. But is your heart far from him?
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(17 Jan 2010)
'Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, because He was angry...'
Psalm 18:8
This verse is written by godly men, inspired by God centuries back, but it is as evergreen as ever, and could pass off easily as a media report of the present earthquake in Haiti.
The rudimentary days of January 2010 has not been quite inspiring, and though we are still a couple of years away from year 2012, if Hollywood and the Mayan calendar are to be believed, is the extreme weather conditions in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere and the clinical precision of the destructive earthquake in Haiti an indication of things to come when the Chinese Tiger year comes roaring in?
Mythical the latter might be, but there is no delusion in the minds of the continued desire of the unrepentant financial gnomes of the Western world, to continue to lay their grubby hands on the largesse of their trade, no doubt aided by the generous assumption of risks by governments, in the continued provision of liquidity that has been primarily used for speculative trades rather than real business.
'The great day of the Lord is near. It is near and hastens quickly.....'
Zephaniah 1:14
Not everyone might give much thought nor care two hoots about the Biblical warnings, but for the chap or rather dead chap, who was unceremoniously evicted from his coffin by a looter in Haiti, a photo of which appeared in today's Sunday newspaper, one wonders, what was his life like before ground zero hit? Was he a relative of the once rich and powerful Papa Doc and his equally cruel and corrupted son Baby Doc Duvalier, once all supreme rulers Haiti, where voodoo and his sinister henchmen, tonton macoute helped ensured no dissent?
Assumptive it might be, but to have such a fine coffin, the gentleman must be of some wealth, in the general sea of poverty and deprivation that permeates the once ramshackle city of Port Au Prince.
'Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath....'
Zephaniah 1:18
The word "poignant" might be used to describe a heart rending situation. Physical Death for all is inevitable, for that is the price of sin, and for many of us who have lost loved ones, be it family, friend or even pet-dogs, it is painful but can it ever be gainful?
'I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer. My God, my strength, in whom I will trust....I will call upon my Lord, Who is worthy to be praised...'
Psalm 18:1-3
Funerals tend to be pretty detached for most, unless you happen to be a close friend or family member. But funerals for Christians who truly seek the Lord till their last breath, can be a joyful one, much as our imperfect selves will still tear, but the heart moans not too long, for we know where the departed has gone to, and we will meet again. But will we??
I was at a healing service yesterday. It was a good experience, for in the midst of many with varied ills, is the knowledge that God will heal, and indeed, quite a few testified to God's healing in their lives, be it illness, financial or other woes.
Life is indeed a journey, or rather, a series of journeys. For many if not all of us, we only truly begin our walk with the Lord our God, we only truly begin to fix our eyes on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, only when the accumulated dross of disobedience in our sin-filled lives, causes us to keel over, to be shaken out of our delusion, in our moment of poignancy, to begin to realize that life is indeed finite, and wealth and other material pursuits not only does not heal the aching emptiness in our hearts, but it can deal a fatal blow to our very present being. And what about eternity?
'The fool says in his heart, there is no God'
Psalm 53:1
There is indeed no gods of our imagination, but there is a Sovereign God. Our Father in Heaven, Who loves us, Who wants to shake us out of our self deceived stupor in this sinful world, controlled by the delusions of the devil.
In days of ease and plenty, most would be like the men in Noah's time. Too busy to prepare their Ark, for eternity seems so far away. The old Roman city of Pompeii was encased in volcanic ash in a few short moments. A large number of people died within the few vibrant moments of the haiti earthquake. The tsunami of a few years back was no different, and the same could be said of the Szechuan earthquake or the Myammar typhoon.
'For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be..'
Matthew 24:38-39
A crisis in one's life can indeed be heart rending, but if it leads one to think about and refocus one's life back to our ever-present Lord, to move from a believer to a determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. That cognizance of the ongoing battle for not just our very soul, but that of our loved ones, that we have been so blissfully been unaware of, is cause for joy and not sadness.
The journey to the renewing of our mind, to be like Christ, often comes when what we hold dear in this world, are in near tatters. Poignant it might seem, but
true poignancy is when like the rich man who realized too late, upon his death, that indeed eternity in damnation is a reality, and he can only live in eternal pain and regret, for not responding to the outstretched hands of our everpresent God.
'lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died'
John 11:32
God is here. But is your heart far from him?
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(17 Jan 2010)
Monday, January 11, 2010
SundaySnippets #7 Patience (10 jan 10)
Dear...
'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.'
Hebrews 11:1
It has been two months since I felt led to draw upon noteworthy articles in our local Sunday papers for sharing the word of God. Patient I have been, and indeed, the word "patience" is the thought that God left as a deep impression upon my very being these past few weeks.
Today's Sunday Times, has the headline banner " entering relationships require a leap of faith." which indeed has an obvious ring of truth for the human mind is fickle and our hearts are even more imponderable.
The lady journalist who wrote this article is not a Christian, at least a few months back, when her article on over-enthusiastic purveyors of our faith, led to the birth of this 2nd blog of mine at http://sundaysnippets.com, not as an intent to challenge the views of others, but rather, to provide a spiritual perspective to the thoughts of the secular.
With this little vignette of history now shared, let me not ramble along too much, for the intent of "SundaySnippets" is to be concise, much as my other blog http://hieang.com.sg is a discourse in meandering, as the Spirit of God leads, and like a lovely long walk in the park, there is no predestination, for one could stop and smell the fragrance of God's word, as it speaks to you. No rushing along, no clear destination, only certainty is that it is undergirded by the grace of God and enlightenment for you, the reader, comes from God at His timing and form.
Your patience I must have stretched a little here, with my flashbacks to the focus of my two blogs, but patience is indeed a virtue, that most hoped to have, but are quite hapless when it comes to exercising it.
God looks not for sacrifices from us, but an obedient heart.
Faith does not arise from us, but it is a gift from God and to receive that God given faith, we must be willing to come unto His presence, in prayers, in praise, in His words and in His works.
Christianity is a relationship. A relationship with an everpresent and faithful God Who is unchanging. It is not a leap of faith into the unknown, as the writer of today's Sunday papers article alude to in human relationships, for we know not the hearts of our fellow human beings. But God's love for us and His promise to deliver those who trust in Him remains the same.
Faith indeed comes from God, but are we willing to not just come unto His presence, but be willing to stay steadfast, waiting patiently for His leading? Will we stay patient in obeying His leading, much as we do not seem to see the deliverance of His promises and the compelling call of our imperfect understanding ask us to do otherwise?
'Princes have persecuted me without a cause, but my heart standeth in
awe of Thy word. I rejoice at Thy word, as one that findeth great
spoil.'
Psalm 119:161-162
We live in a sinful world. There are at any point of time, many crosscurrents that demand and distract our willingness to sit still and know the will of God. And even in the seemingly more privileged environs of ours, where freedom of worship has long been taken for granted, will we still continue to be patiently faithful, like our counterparts across the Causeway, who are now experiencing situations that have been more prevalent in Indonesia and India and the Middle East?
Patience becomes a habit, when we truly remember and acknowledge our Sovereign God as the great " I AM " every moment of our lives. Impatience sets in when the "i and m" comes to the fore and supercedes what was once patient us. Like the devil, selfishness replaces selflessness.
Patient is what one associates with those who are physically ill as well as the mentally challenged. We live in a fallen world, where many ills abound. Yet, God is a God who healeth us. Healing is more than physical or emotional. God looks at making our hearts right, to be willing to receive His Spirit, to be willing to be made right again in His likeness, in preparation for eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our journey with God does not mean that He will not allow us to go through storms. In fact, the Bible says that those who seek to be godly will be persecuted. But the Bible also clearly state that God will deliver those who stay steadfast and obedient in their faith. Unlike the sinful man, our relationship with God is not a journey into the unknown. There is instead a very clear pattern in the way God will relate to us. It always start with an imperfect action from us the sinful man, continues with a search from God for a solution that we think should be, but if we stay faithful, the Spirit of God will convict us of our sinfulness, and in our repentance, the healing starts and God will begin to move us up from the morass of our lives into the great heights of inner peace and joy, as we see the wonders and wisdom of His ways.
'Consider how I love Thy precepts, quicken me, O Lord, according to Thy
lovingkindness. They word is true from the beginning, and every one of
Thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.'
Psalm 119:159-160
Indeed, the Psalmist is right. Every word of God is true. Every experience in our lives are for our refinement and is always a blessing. Man can and will disappoint, hence the trepidation of the writer of today's Sunday papers. But God is faithful always, much as we are often not. God is patient. And we must be like Him.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(10 jan 10)
note
Patience is what our good Lord impressed upon my heart these past couple of weeks. Patience in every aspect of my life. In financial investments, many who were restrained by fear and sound logic last year, are now straining at the gates of rationality, much as the optimistic delusions are hard to resist, even as they are indeed delusory. This is the year to invest, to prepare for the high inflationary cycle that the world has foolishly entered into by their continued unrepentance from the sins of this past decade, much as many are still waiting for fuller proof of this new and more virulent animal. But great patience is needed for one to not end in grief this year, as many surely would if they continue to be driven by their own understanding. I believe that the storehouses are being prepared to be released in the days of famine a few short years from now, to be shared with many who God will place in our lives. For God is love, and He will use us as
the bridge upon which many will walk upon unto His presence.
Will you be willing in all patience, to let Him mold you, just as He will show us where to plant the seeds that He has given us??
'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.'
Hebrews 11:1
It has been two months since I felt led to draw upon noteworthy articles in our local Sunday papers for sharing the word of God. Patient I have been, and indeed, the word "patience" is the thought that God left as a deep impression upon my very being these past few weeks.
Today's Sunday Times, has the headline banner " entering relationships require a leap of faith." which indeed has an obvious ring of truth for the human mind is fickle and our hearts are even more imponderable.
The lady journalist who wrote this article is not a Christian, at least a few months back, when her article on over-enthusiastic purveyors of our faith, led to the birth of this 2nd blog of mine at http://sundaysnippets.com, not as an intent to challenge the views of others, but rather, to provide a spiritual perspective to the thoughts of the secular.
With this little vignette of history now shared, let me not ramble along too much, for the intent of "SundaySnippets" is to be concise, much as my other blog http://hieang.com.sg is a discourse in meandering, as the Spirit of God leads, and like a lovely long walk in the park, there is no predestination, for one could stop and smell the fragrance of God's word, as it speaks to you. No rushing along, no clear destination, only certainty is that it is undergirded by the grace of God and enlightenment for you, the reader, comes from God at His timing and form.
Your patience I must have stretched a little here, with my flashbacks to the focus of my two blogs, but patience is indeed a virtue, that most hoped to have, but are quite hapless when it comes to exercising it.
God looks not for sacrifices from us, but an obedient heart.
Faith does not arise from us, but it is a gift from God and to receive that God given faith, we must be willing to come unto His presence, in prayers, in praise, in His words and in His works.
Christianity is a relationship. A relationship with an everpresent and faithful God Who is unchanging. It is not a leap of faith into the unknown, as the writer of today's Sunday papers article alude to in human relationships, for we know not the hearts of our fellow human beings. But God's love for us and His promise to deliver those who trust in Him remains the same.
Faith indeed comes from God, but are we willing to not just come unto His presence, but be willing to stay steadfast, waiting patiently for His leading? Will we stay patient in obeying His leading, much as we do not seem to see the deliverance of His promises and the compelling call of our imperfect understanding ask us to do otherwise?
'Princes have persecuted me without a cause, but my heart standeth in
awe of Thy word. I rejoice at Thy word, as one that findeth great
spoil.'
Psalm 119:161-162
We live in a sinful world. There are at any point of time, many crosscurrents that demand and distract our willingness to sit still and know the will of God. And even in the seemingly more privileged environs of ours, where freedom of worship has long been taken for granted, will we still continue to be patiently faithful, like our counterparts across the Causeway, who are now experiencing situations that have been more prevalent in Indonesia and India and the Middle East?
Patience becomes a habit, when we truly remember and acknowledge our Sovereign God as the great " I AM " every moment of our lives. Impatience sets in when the "i and m" comes to the fore and supercedes what was once patient us. Like the devil, selfishness replaces selflessness.
Patient is what one associates with those who are physically ill as well as the mentally challenged. We live in a fallen world, where many ills abound. Yet, God is a God who healeth us. Healing is more than physical or emotional. God looks at making our hearts right, to be willing to receive His Spirit, to be willing to be made right again in His likeness, in preparation for eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our journey with God does not mean that He will not allow us to go through storms. In fact, the Bible says that those who seek to be godly will be persecuted. But the Bible also clearly state that God will deliver those who stay steadfast and obedient in their faith. Unlike the sinful man, our relationship with God is not a journey into the unknown. There is instead a very clear pattern in the way God will relate to us. It always start with an imperfect action from us the sinful man, continues with a search from God for a solution that we think should be, but if we stay faithful, the Spirit of God will convict us of our sinfulness, and in our repentance, the healing starts and God will begin to move us up from the morass of our lives into the great heights of inner peace and joy, as we see the wonders and wisdom of His ways.
'Consider how I love Thy precepts, quicken me, O Lord, according to Thy
lovingkindness. They word is true from the beginning, and every one of
Thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.'
Psalm 119:159-160
Indeed, the Psalmist is right. Every word of God is true. Every experience in our lives are for our refinement and is always a blessing. Man can and will disappoint, hence the trepidation of the writer of today's Sunday papers. But God is faithful always, much as we are often not. God is patient. And we must be like Him.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(10 jan 10)
note
Patience is what our good Lord impressed upon my heart these past couple of weeks. Patience in every aspect of my life. In financial investments, many who were restrained by fear and sound logic last year, are now straining at the gates of rationality, much as the optimistic delusions are hard to resist, even as they are indeed delusory. This is the year to invest, to prepare for the high inflationary cycle that the world has foolishly entered into by their continued unrepentance from the sins of this past decade, much as many are still waiting for fuller proof of this new and more virulent animal. But great patience is needed for one to not end in grief this year, as many surely would if they continue to be driven by their own understanding. I believe that the storehouses are being prepared to be released in the days of famine a few short years from now, to be shared with many who God will place in our lives. For God is love, and He will use us as
the bridge upon which many will walk upon unto His presence.
Will you be willing in all patience, to let Him mold you, just as He will show us where to plant the seeds that He has given us??
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