Dear..
'....each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me. Therefore I will cast you out of this land....and there you shall serve other gods day and night, where I will not show you favor.'
Jeremiah 16:12-13
"9 to 5" was the song made popular in the 1980s by Scottish singer, Sheen Easton. Blessed her. Today, most work much longer hours than that, yet are never certain of the permanency of their employ, as the Babylonian economy shows its true colors, and its high priests, the corporates demi-gods look to dress up their numbers through layoffs, excessive risks taking and accounting machinations.
'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Psalm 22:1
For King David, it was a prayerful plea to an Almighty God he knows and trusts.
Today, 'my god!' is a much frivolous used expression of surprise and astonishment, with no consideration of Who God truly is.
Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit him nothing?
.....craftsmen are nothing but men.
Isaiah 44:10-11
Is God truly a figment of one's imagination? Physical imagery abounds in many societies of what man deems to be the representation of their perceptions of what constitute the gods.
What about the supposedly secular man? For the communist of the past, man took on the role of God. That is true in the past for the mummified corpses of Lenin and Mao Tse Tung. And the North Koreans apparatchik are working hard on fashioning the recently installed younger Kim as the new demi- god. In the present capitalist world, the neo-secular man's god is himself.
'To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?'
Isaiah 40:18
But the idol of our lives need not be a physical manifestation, be it a block of carved wood or of more valuable materials. It is what holds our heart, and that could include pride or fear or envy or any of the carnal bad fruit of the devil.
And even for the godly, like King David, our carnality can still surface much as we are walking closely with God.
'lest Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.'
2 Corinthians 2:11
'Do we begin again to commend ourselves?
2 Corinthians 3:1
Just yesterday, my interest as an investor was piqued by the deep dive in the share price of pedigreed listed HK property company, Sun Hun Kai Properties. And our good Lord brought me to focus on the professed Christian faith of Thomas Kwok, one of the two brothers arrested for alleged graft.
(see link http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/03/30/uk-sunhungkai-idUKBRE82T04P20120330 ).
Like the HK billionaire, Thomas Kwok of Sun Hung Kai Properties(see script of testimony below as well as video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTFcYvDHfuk&feature=youtube_gdata_player ) all of us are moved from lukewarm believer to determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the sanctifying grace of our Great God. Faith comes from God, but growth in our faith needs a response from us.
'...But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.'
2 Samuel 11:27
God punished King David for his moment of folly. But God forgave his repentant heart and brought him forth mightily.
All of us are imperfect. It is not for us to pass judgment on the truth of the perceived guilt of the now fallen two out of three Kwok brothers. But we can and should pray for them. For what matters is a repentant heart that is steadfast in looking at Christ the author and finisher of our faith.
There is no trial of failure, but trial of faith that all who profess to seek our Lord will continue to go through, as He perfects the imperfect us.
Would Thomas Kwok, the evangelical Christian in the family gasp out 'my God,' as an act of despair in this moment of challenge or would he eventually attest with all humble confidence, 'my God,' as an acknowledgment of God's continued grace upon his life?
I know God will bring us forth if we are willing, for He draws near to a humble and contrite heart that is willing to draw near to Him.
'And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'
2 Corinthians 12:9
God blesses
Eng hieang
(30th Mar 2012)
TESTIMONY :Thomas Kwok
In 1994, when my wife and I came back from holiday, I tried to sleep that night, and as usual I couldn't, as I felt so concerned, so worried and so afraid. My wife could see what was happening to me and she said to me, "Why don't you read that book?" She was referring to the Bible, which I had had since I was a teenager. When I opened the Bible, the passage I read was John 14:27, where Jesus told his disciples. 'The peace I give to you is very different from the world.' Immediately, it brought a sense of peace to my mind. I knew there was something there, and that God was asking me to do something, but I didn't know what it was. So I asked my wife to go to church with me the next day. We went to a church along Kennedy Road. When I first walked into the church, the music and the sermon brought a great sense of peace to my mind. At that service, an English gentleman by the name of Gumbel preached on the first lesson of the "Alpha, course" which the church was about to start soon. I thought I already knew much about the Bible from my high-school days, so I was reluctant to sign up. As it required me to commit to eleven Monday evenings for three months from seven to ten p.m., it seemed very unlikely. However, as God always has a way to work in us, we decided to sign up and attended each session in the end.
Through Alpha, I learnt that Christianity was not only knowing about Jesus, but it was more like starting and building a relationship. It was like, suddenly knowing your God, your best friend, and someone you can count on. The Alpha weekend in particular, which was probably the most important day of my life, was a day that I will never forget. During that day, there were many times when we encountered the Holy Spirit. Even though we may not know the Bible well, by knowing the Spirit, we know Jesus. My wife and I were so touched on that day that we decided to be baptized the following Christmas.
At times when I lose confidence and hope, and when I am overwhelmed by difficult situations, I always turn to God and learn to trust Him more, for He will cast all doubts from my mind. Probably the best gift I can ever give to my friends, whether they are believers or not, is to give them a chance to know our God better by attending an Alpha course. It is a wonderful experience, an experience I'll never forget.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Heart to heart#19 Question of economics(28th Mar 2012)
Dear...
'Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage. And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!'
Psalm 27:14
'What to produce, for whom to produce and how to produce?' Market systems across the globe save for the last standing communist utopia that is North Korea, are generally a mix of free market with some central planning. But always with profit/self enrichment as a key driver.
'Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.'
Mark 1:12
Satan offered Christ
the riches of the world, in exchange for His subservience. Man since the first man Adam, continues to struggle with this same survival instinct, imbued from the fruit of knowledge. Many sadly have entered into a 'Dr Faustus' type contract with the devil, their soul in eternal damnation, in exchange for the temporal pleasures of the world.
'But others fell on good ground, and yielded a crop; some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.'
Matthew 12:8
Difficult terrain of life God can allow us to go through, but He walks with us. And less than utopian circumstances of life allows us to truly know God better. Difficulties of life is the good ground for nurturing one's faith. It is what is often needed to bring us out of the revolving doors of the economic question, to bring us to the only perspective that God intended, that is, how do we honor Him in our every breathing moment? To be a holy and living sacrifice.
'One thing I have desired of the Lord. That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord. All the days of my life. To behold the beauty of the Lord. And to inquire in His temple...'
Psalm 27:4
But will we and our family starve or be overwhelmed by our present burdens while waiting upon the Lord, or even follow His leading which seems counter intuitive to our carnal understanding and need for self survival?
'I would have lost heart unless I had believed. That I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.'
Psalm 27:13
I am not sure if this qualifies as a dream. Our good Lord impressed upon my heart in my sleep this thought or maybe more aptly reminder. That the path for good works has already been laid. But we need to be willing to partake in it. And faith can only come when we are willing to seek the Lord our God with our all. And that compulsion often arises when life is no longer a bed of roses and we are no longer enamored with things of the world.
Tan Soo Inn in his latest commentary 'Graceworks' (a ministry of encouragement through the Word of God) quoted from the late monk Augustine
'You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you. (Augustine 354-430)'
The Babylonian economy we live in works on the principle of unlimited wants, finite resources. It indoctrinates in all, the need to strive and if need be strife for that 'unholy grail' of power, prestige and precious materialism. But in God's kingdom, there is only one 'P' that truly satisfies. Peace that can only come from the sanctifying grace and love of our omnipresent God.
But for that big 'P' ie peace to happen , two small 'p' must emanate from our hearts. 'Persistence' in seeking to be in the 'presence' of our Lord. I used to think that this must come from a relentless exertion of effort on our part, on our own wits, come what may.
'Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.'
2 Corinthians 12:10
But reality is, would we be willing to be stripped of what defines us the finite man, and be willing to wait upon the Lord? As I look upon the infirmities that seem to have lately befallen upon men and women of determined faith, is it not incorrect to attribute it to the wrath of the devil upon those who hinder its plans? But like in Job, it is our Sovereign God Who allows it.
Why? Does it make good economic sense? The very question that led to the Jews refusing to accept that their Savior is a lowly carpenter and not a forceful warrior.
'And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.."
2 Corinthians 12:9
'...and work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you, do not fear!'
Haggai 2:4-5
God blesses
Eng hieang
28th Mar 2012
'Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage. And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!'
Psalm 27:14
'What to produce, for whom to produce and how to produce?' Market systems across the globe save for the last standing communist utopia that is North Korea, are generally a mix of free market with some central planning. But always with profit/self enrichment as a key driver.
'Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.'
Mark 1:12
Satan offered Christ
the riches of the world, in exchange for His subservience. Man since the first man Adam, continues to struggle with this same survival instinct, imbued from the fruit of knowledge. Many sadly have entered into a 'Dr Faustus' type contract with the devil, their soul in eternal damnation, in exchange for the temporal pleasures of the world.
'But others fell on good ground, and yielded a crop; some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.'
Matthew 12:8
Difficult terrain of life God can allow us to go through, but He walks with us. And less than utopian circumstances of life allows us to truly know God better. Difficulties of life is the good ground for nurturing one's faith. It is what is often needed to bring us out of the revolving doors of the economic question, to bring us to the only perspective that God intended, that is, how do we honor Him in our every breathing moment? To be a holy and living sacrifice.
'One thing I have desired of the Lord. That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord. All the days of my life. To behold the beauty of the Lord. And to inquire in His temple...'
Psalm 27:4
But will we and our family starve or be overwhelmed by our present burdens while waiting upon the Lord, or even follow His leading which seems counter intuitive to our carnal understanding and need for self survival?
'I would have lost heart unless I had believed. That I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.'
Psalm 27:13
I am not sure if this qualifies as a dream. Our good Lord impressed upon my heart in my sleep this thought or maybe more aptly reminder. That the path for good works has already been laid. But we need to be willing to partake in it. And faith can only come when we are willing to seek the Lord our God with our all. And that compulsion often arises when life is no longer a bed of roses and we are no longer enamored with things of the world.
Tan Soo Inn in his latest commentary 'Graceworks' (a ministry of encouragement through the Word of God) quoted from the late monk Augustine
'You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you. (Augustine 354-430)'
The Babylonian economy we live in works on the principle of unlimited wants, finite resources. It indoctrinates in all, the need to strive and if need be strife for that 'unholy grail' of power, prestige and precious materialism. But in God's kingdom, there is only one 'P' that truly satisfies. Peace that can only come from the sanctifying grace and love of our omnipresent God.
But for that big 'P' ie peace to happen , two small 'p' must emanate from our hearts. 'Persistence' in seeking to be in the 'presence' of our Lord. I used to think that this must come from a relentless exertion of effort on our part, on our own wits, come what may.
'Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.'
2 Corinthians 12:10
But reality is, would we be willing to be stripped of what defines us the finite man, and be willing to wait upon the Lord? As I look upon the infirmities that seem to have lately befallen upon men and women of determined faith, is it not incorrect to attribute it to the wrath of the devil upon those who hinder its plans? But like in Job, it is our Sovereign God Who allows it.
Why? Does it make good economic sense? The very question that led to the Jews refusing to accept that their Savior is a lowly carpenter and not a forceful warrior.
'And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.."
2 Corinthians 12:9
'...and work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you, do not fear!'
Haggai 2:4-5
God blesses
Eng hieang
28th Mar 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
#18 Heart to heart - Lord's army (20th Mar 2012)
Dear...
'Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work.'
Exodus 36:2
A few year back, I asked the Lord for the opportunity to minister to my fellow journeymen in my church. To encourage them to move from insouciant believer to determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord not just answered my prayers but has in recent months broaden the platforms. Last Sunday morning, I just did a second session as a worship leader. The first was in January, when even the elements knew I was nervous, what with an ominous thunderstorm in the night preceding, much as the actual worship went well. What about last Sunday morning. The second time round?
No pre worship blues, but in the prayer hymn, I sang stanza 3 instead of 4 by virtue of mistakenly referring to a different source material. Sigh, inexperience but thanks be to God, it is Who He is and not what we are. Such moments of imperfections prayerfully will ensure that in all the moments of glory for the Lord, which will be the prevailing experience for the faithful, irregardless of our deficiencies, one will remain mindful that it is He Who matters and not us.
'When you were little in your own eyes,....did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel?
1 Samuel 15:17
God always affirms when He knows our convicted hearts are ready to move on in response to His leading. As I penned this revised opening thoughts, the news on television just showed a short snippet on Joseph Kony, the infamous leader of the notorious long running rebels in Uganda. And let me now reconnect you to what I wrote last week about Uganda as below.
Uganda was very much in my psyche in the '70s because of the larger than life late dictator Idi Amin. A mad dictator is an understatement and a cannibal he was rumored to be , having reportedly feasted on his dead enemies as a way to ensure their souls do not return to haunt him.
With his subsequent deposal, the long suffering Ugandans had all but a brief respite before tribal fault lines plunged the nation into fresh turmoil and renewed misery.
"The Lord's Resistance Army(LRA)," my memory of them was recently refreshed when I chanced upon an article about a documentary on the atrocities committed and how this documentary has gone viral in the net. A child of the '80s, but still going strong under their ruthless leader, Kony, a former altar boy, who professed a desire to run Uganda based on the Ten Commandments, but ended up breaking everyone of it with their continued atrocities till now.
'And the Lord said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying , "My own hand has saved me."
Judges 7:2
I am not sure if Kony of the LRA started with a good intent that went awry? But is it not the same for many who first came to the faith, all raring to run for the Lord? Like a falling star, after the initial outburst, most taper off in their enthusiasm. And for some who managed to sustain that much more, either disillusion sets in or pride takes over.
'So he said to Him, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
Judges 6:15
In the Book of Judges, Gideon stated the obvious, not too sure if out of humility or genuine fear. Saul ( before he was anointed King) did the same when Samuel asked him to join him in the place of honor(1 Samuel 9:21), but sadly King Saul soon entered a memory lapse, when pride reigned..
So Samuel said to Saul, " Be quiet! And I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night? And he said to him, "Speak on."
1 Samuel 15:16
'Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord?'
1 Samuel 15:19
My mum is officially an octogenarian last Sunday(see photo). Thank the Lord for blessing both my parents with not just longevity but fairly good health. But of greater significance is both their coming to and growing in the faith not too many years back. And it is by His grace that everyone of my family is now a believer. And the I picked this particularly less than sharp first photo because it is special, it shows the joy of a once rag tag secular family now united in joyful unity of Spirit in our Lord and as today's Daily Bread reading remind the faithful, there is life in eternity with our loved ones, but are we willing to take up the offer?
For all of us who are blessed to know our Lord a little earlier? Have you by your unwillingness to live the faith, deprived your loved ones of the transforming experience of God at work in yours and their lives?
Our fallen world, coupled with our imperfect understanding, formed the perfect duet for for sin to dance around, even amongst the now repentant.
A humble and contrite heart is the necessary anti thesis to the anti Christ.
Man looks for the perfect conclusions, God asks for our obedience.
The willingness to seek our Lord and serve in His army, does not mean that we will always be on the high ground of what the world perceive as 'success.' It is often in the less than ideal circumstances of life that we will know our Perfect God better. To serve in Kony's renegade force, you have to overcome the real and perceived demons of your life on your own strength and finite understanding.
As soldiers in our Lord's army, we submit to the Lord.
And in letting go, we are letting the Spirit of God transform us into Christ-likeness.
Do we have to move nearer to age 80 to understand that?
'....we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will,through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way...'
Colossians 1:9-10
'I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I am doing. He will do even greater things than these..... You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.'
John 14:12-14
God blesses
Eng hieang
20th Mar 2012
'Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work.'
Exodus 36:2
A few year back, I asked the Lord for the opportunity to minister to my fellow journeymen in my church. To encourage them to move from insouciant believer to determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord not just answered my prayers but has in recent months broaden the platforms. Last Sunday morning, I just did a second session as a worship leader. The first was in January, when even the elements knew I was nervous, what with an ominous thunderstorm in the night preceding, much as the actual worship went well. What about last Sunday morning. The second time round?
No pre worship blues, but in the prayer hymn, I sang stanza 3 instead of 4 by virtue of mistakenly referring to a different source material. Sigh, inexperience but thanks be to God, it is Who He is and not what we are. Such moments of imperfections prayerfully will ensure that in all the moments of glory for the Lord, which will be the prevailing experience for the faithful, irregardless of our deficiencies, one will remain mindful that it is He Who matters and not us.
'When you were little in your own eyes,....did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel?
1 Samuel 15:17
God always affirms when He knows our convicted hearts are ready to move on in response to His leading. As I penned this revised opening thoughts, the news on television just showed a short snippet on Joseph Kony, the infamous leader of the notorious long running rebels in Uganda. And let me now reconnect you to what I wrote last week about Uganda as below.
Uganda was very much in my psyche in the '70s because of the larger than life late dictator Idi Amin. A mad dictator is an understatement and a cannibal he was rumored to be , having reportedly feasted on his dead enemies as a way to ensure their souls do not return to haunt him.
With his subsequent deposal, the long suffering Ugandans had all but a brief respite before tribal fault lines plunged the nation into fresh turmoil and renewed misery.
"The Lord's Resistance Army(LRA)," my memory of them was recently refreshed when I chanced upon an article about a documentary on the atrocities committed and how this documentary has gone viral in the net. A child of the '80s, but still going strong under their ruthless leader, Kony, a former altar boy, who professed a desire to run Uganda based on the Ten Commandments, but ended up breaking everyone of it with their continued atrocities till now.
'And the Lord said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying , "My own hand has saved me."
Judges 7:2
I am not sure if Kony of the LRA started with a good intent that went awry? But is it not the same for many who first came to the faith, all raring to run for the Lord? Like a falling star, after the initial outburst, most taper off in their enthusiasm. And for some who managed to sustain that much more, either disillusion sets in or pride takes over.
'So he said to Him, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
Judges 6:15
In the Book of Judges, Gideon stated the obvious, not too sure if out of humility or genuine fear. Saul ( before he was anointed King) did the same when Samuel asked him to join him in the place of honor(1 Samuel 9:21), but sadly King Saul soon entered a memory lapse, when pride reigned..
So Samuel said to Saul, " Be quiet! And I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night? And he said to him, "Speak on."
1 Samuel 15:16
'Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord?'
1 Samuel 15:19
My mum is officially an octogenarian last Sunday(see photo). Thank the Lord for blessing both my parents with not just longevity but fairly good health. But of greater significance is both their coming to and growing in the faith not too many years back. And it is by His grace that everyone of my family is now a believer. And the I picked this particularly less than sharp first photo because it is special, it shows the joy of a once rag tag secular family now united in joyful unity of Spirit in our Lord and as today's Daily Bread reading remind the faithful, there is life in eternity with our loved ones, but are we willing to take up the offer?
For all of us who are blessed to know our Lord a little earlier? Have you by your unwillingness to live the faith, deprived your loved ones of the transforming experience of God at work in yours and their lives?
Our fallen world, coupled with our imperfect understanding, formed the perfect duet for for sin to dance around, even amongst the now repentant.
A humble and contrite heart is the necessary anti thesis to the anti Christ.
Man looks for the perfect conclusions, God asks for our obedience.
The willingness to seek our Lord and serve in His army, does not mean that we will always be on the high ground of what the world perceive as 'success.' It is often in the less than ideal circumstances of life that we will know our Perfect God better. To serve in Kony's renegade force, you have to overcome the real and perceived demons of your life on your own strength and finite understanding.
As soldiers in our Lord's army, we submit to the Lord.
And in letting go, we are letting the Spirit of God transform us into Christ-likeness.
Do we have to move nearer to age 80 to understand that?
'....we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will,through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way...'
Colossians 1:9-10
'I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I am doing. He will do even greater things than these..... You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.'
John 14:12-14
God blesses
Eng hieang
20th Mar 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Heart to heart #17 Heart of the Shepherd (9th Mar 2012)
Dear...
See then you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the the will of Lord is.'
Ephesians 5:15-17
The finite us often looks for conclusions, based upon our flawed understanding. God looks for obedience from us, for His ways are perfect.
The days have always been evil since Adam abdicated his God given authority on Earth to the devil in exchange for an apple. However, my sense is that evil has become more intense, pervasive and blatant in its manifestation these past few years.
And interestingly, men today are even more enamored with the fruit of knowledge, as epitomized by the indispensability of the Apple related products in our daily lives.
'I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.'
Ezekiel 36:26
Apostle Peter heeded the call of Christ and walked on water towards Him. But the rational man in him succumbed to the fears of the stormy waters, and almost led to his demise, if not for the saving grace of Christ's outstretched hands.
Like Peter, much as I know Christ, I often struggle with my carnal instinct to cling on and not let go and let Christ.
Why? It is because I am always looking beyond the next few steps, and I seek comfort in a quick conclusion to whatever woes I am going through. I want to be at the exit point of the dark maze I find myself in, rather than trust the light of the Holy Spirit's leading which is suffice for just the next small step, in this encapsulating darkness.
'When I sit in darkness. The Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord. Because I have sinned against Him. Until He pleads my case. And execute justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness.'
Micah 7:8-9
I have been wrestling with our Lord over an issue these past few days. Troubled I am a little, overwhelmed I am not. Answers I have not but it is always a joy to experience how our Lord brings clarity in thought at His timing, when till recently the finite me was still wallowing in this seemingly intractable miasma. The only thing I did right was to stay in His presence always.
'What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8
Often at the crossroads of our life, or when one is staring at a near insurmountable wall, the tendency is to use the burdensome scale of finite human rationality, which often ends in inconclusiveness, yet certain grief.
It is not how matters should conclude, but rather how do we conduct ourselves in the next small step that we can take. Have we honored God in our daily responses to what life throws at us?
Extrapolation most of us love to indulge in, much as it is an exercise in futility, for none can predict, and no angst can take away the reality that all are but one breadth away from eternity, be it damnation or heavenly bliss.
Micah 6:8 is a timely reminder from our Lord that He is Sovereign and we should entrust our all to Him. But there is a response that God expects from us, much as we rest in Him.
Which is, to let the world see Christ in us by the way we engage with them.
'To open blind eyes. To bring out prisoners from the prison. Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. I am the Lord, that is My name....'
Isaiah 42:7-8
Being a believer does not make you a Christian? A disciple of Christ has to be willing to follow His exemplary life as guided by the Holy Spirit. The knowledge that the bonds of death upon us has been removed still require a willingness to walk out of the unlocked prison doors of Satan's delusions, to live a transformed life in preparation for eternity in Heaven.
Shepherd Your people with Your staff.....As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders.'
Micah 7:14-15
It is God Who brings about the increase, but He will use us who are willing to journey with and shepherd the sheep, as we work together not for, but on our salvation, that is given freely to all. For there is much to discover for the willing, as the Spirit of God stirs that desire in your very heart, to seek Him. And it is a journey of faith that God knows we should not walk alone, but in the company of like minded men and women of faith, united in their focus upon our Lord Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd and the gate to our Heavenly Father.
John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about (Jesus) were true.'
John 10:41
God blesses
Eng Hieang
9th Mar 2012
See then you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the the will of Lord is.'
Ephesians 5:15-17
The finite us often looks for conclusions, based upon our flawed understanding. God looks for obedience from us, for His ways are perfect.
The days have always been evil since Adam abdicated his God given authority on Earth to the devil in exchange for an apple. However, my sense is that evil has become more intense, pervasive and blatant in its manifestation these past few years.
And interestingly, men today are even more enamored with the fruit of knowledge, as epitomized by the indispensability of the Apple related products in our daily lives.
'I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.'
Ezekiel 36:26
Apostle Peter heeded the call of Christ and walked on water towards Him. But the rational man in him succumbed to the fears of the stormy waters, and almost led to his demise, if not for the saving grace of Christ's outstretched hands.
Like Peter, much as I know Christ, I often struggle with my carnal instinct to cling on and not let go and let Christ.
Why? It is because I am always looking beyond the next few steps, and I seek comfort in a quick conclusion to whatever woes I am going through. I want to be at the exit point of the dark maze I find myself in, rather than trust the light of the Holy Spirit's leading which is suffice for just the next small step, in this encapsulating darkness.
'When I sit in darkness. The Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord. Because I have sinned against Him. Until He pleads my case. And execute justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness.'
Micah 7:8-9
I have been wrestling with our Lord over an issue these past few days. Troubled I am a little, overwhelmed I am not. Answers I have not but it is always a joy to experience how our Lord brings clarity in thought at His timing, when till recently the finite me was still wallowing in this seemingly intractable miasma. The only thing I did right was to stay in His presence always.
'What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8
Often at the crossroads of our life, or when one is staring at a near insurmountable wall, the tendency is to use the burdensome scale of finite human rationality, which often ends in inconclusiveness, yet certain grief.
It is not how matters should conclude, but rather how do we conduct ourselves in the next small step that we can take. Have we honored God in our daily responses to what life throws at us?
Extrapolation most of us love to indulge in, much as it is an exercise in futility, for none can predict, and no angst can take away the reality that all are but one breadth away from eternity, be it damnation or heavenly bliss.
Micah 6:8 is a timely reminder from our Lord that He is Sovereign and we should entrust our all to Him. But there is a response that God expects from us, much as we rest in Him.
Which is, to let the world see Christ in us by the way we engage with them.
'To open blind eyes. To bring out prisoners from the prison. Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. I am the Lord, that is My name....'
Isaiah 42:7-8
Being a believer does not make you a Christian? A disciple of Christ has to be willing to follow His exemplary life as guided by the Holy Spirit. The knowledge that the bonds of death upon us has been removed still require a willingness to walk out of the unlocked prison doors of Satan's delusions, to live a transformed life in preparation for eternity in Heaven.
Shepherd Your people with Your staff.....As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders.'
Micah 7:14-15
It is God Who brings about the increase, but He will use us who are willing to journey with and shepherd the sheep, as we work together not for, but on our salvation, that is given freely to all. For there is much to discover for the willing, as the Spirit of God stirs that desire in your very heart, to seek Him. And it is a journey of faith that God knows we should not walk alone, but in the company of like minded men and women of faith, united in their focus upon our Lord Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd and the gate to our Heavenly Father.
John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about (Jesus) were true.'
John 10:41
God blesses
Eng Hieang
9th Mar 2012
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