Dear...
'...The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.....So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast....'
Revelation 13:2,4
"Chasing the dragon," was a sharing I penned back in year 2005.
This term is popularly associated with the taking of illegal drugs, which brings one into a hallucinating temporal bliss, and long term grief. Is this not symptomatic of the riches of this world, where the chase with its thrills and spills is often more satisfying than the actual attainment? Attainment of the richness of the fallen world brings no permanent joy and peace. Only a life lived in alignment with the leading of the Holy Spirit will bring us into the sanctifying peace and joy that God promises all who seek Him.
'But now, thus says the Lord, Who created you, O Jacob. And He Who formed you, O Israel. Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are Mine.'
Isaiah 43:1
Happiness from God is that inexpressible joy, that is INDEPENDENT OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES.
( from 'Heart of the Shepherd #30 Life of the overflow')
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYehq60CfIs&feature=youtube_gdata_player
With half a century each of serving our Sovereign Lord, my mentors and friends, Paul and Bunty have not just discovered but experienced many times over this Biblical truth.
A life lived with Christ as our sole focus is not an addiction, but an empowerment by the Holy Spirit in residence in us the believer. And we are no longer chasing the delusion of the mythical dragon but very real devil, but living out boldly the good works that God has already laid out for the willing.
'Living an authentic Christian life,' this is a fresh out(was at least in Jan this year when I first penned this) of the press booklet from the publishers of our Daily Bread. Do take time to go to this link ( thttp://discoveryseries.org/discovery-series/living-an-authentic-christian-life/) to read this easy to comprehend yet affirmative testimony shared by a fellow brother in Christ.
Affirmative because God's truth are unchanging, and like many, I have experienced the same understanding of His living word through the circumstances of life He put us through.
Wisdom comes from our Lord and the author of this little booklet shared the following truths, with some added thoughts on my part, about what constitutes an authentic Christian.
- Unquenchable optimism
We are always thankful to our Lord in all circumstances. This spiritual contentment rests on the assurance that God is Sovereign. God can and will move us out of our comfort zone.
'Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.'
John 15:2
Being a fervent man or woman of faith does not exempt us from the refiner's fire. For He must increase, we must decrease. The imperfect us, completely washed over by the Perfect and Sovereign Lord. All who profess to serve the Lord will and must be willing to walk through the refiner's fire umpteen times, for only then will the pure sheen of Christ-likeness shine forth from us.
BUT WE WALK NOT ALONE.
'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil. For You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.'
Psalm 23:4
- Unvarying success
As the end times intensifies, evil is manifesting itself in increasingly blatant ways. Yet, to the finite man, it seems that the defenders of godly values, are increasingly incapacitated, when God should be beefing them up to meet these challenges from the evil forces!!
God will always ensure that 'failures' are for our refinements, and success His affirmation.
Man constitutes 'success' based on their finite understanding and worldly benchmarks and what they can see now. God's plans are often beyond the finite man, but when we look back on hindsight, we will look upon in awe the wisdom and greatness of His ways.
'My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord. Nor detest His correction. For whom He loves He corrects. Just as a father the in whom son he delights.'
Proverbs 3:11-12
- Unforgettable impact
The carnal man looks at manipulating people the way their sinful heart desire. The spiritual man of God knows not what is in the heart of another. But in living an authentic Christian life, in focusing on letting the Holy Spirit transform himself rather than trying to change others, you will be used by our Lord TO STIR THE HEARTS of people He will place in your path, either to want to know Christ better, or to look away in guilty bitterness.
The Israelites were looking for their promised Savior to be much more than a mere carpenter. The world continues to think that a man of God must be endowed with all the attributes of success the carnal world values. Truth is the world must see Christ in us, but not us and it is often in our moments of greatest weakness, that the glory of God shines most brilliantly, if we are willing.
- Unimpeachable integrity
We are not just perceived but must seek by the grace of God to be people of sincerity, purpose, transparency and authority who are absolutely trustworthy. We speak words and deliver messages that heaven honors.
- Undeniable reality
'When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned. Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God. The Holy One of Israel, your Savior....'
Isaiah 43:2-3
Are the hearts of the sheep that God placed in your ministry witness of the transforming power of the gospel of truth that God used you to minister to them?
The Emperors of Imperial China styled themselves as heirs of the dragon, swishing in all it's reptilian power and grandeur. Our Lord Jesus Christ, much as He is the Son of God willingly lived a lowly life of the humble man, like us but yet He is perfect while we are not.
And as we celebrate Good Friday today, we remember His willingness to be the sacrificial lamb to atone for our sins. And with his resurrection, victory is ours for the bondage of sin
and the grip of death have been broken. And knowing that truth is not good enough, there is a need for a continued determined response from us, to walk as man freed from the grip of the devil.
'Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly. and said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and He heard, me, out of the belly of hell cried I, and Thou heardest my voice...'
Jonah 3:2
It is time to stop chasing the devilish dragon's tail and time to turn to the waiting God, our Father in Heaven. Jonah knew God, but only truly acknowledged His Sovereignty when he was brought to the depths of the ocean, stuck in the hellish confines of a slimy fish.
It might not be too late prayerfully, but definitely unnecessary to have to come off the scaly dragon's tail, down hard on to terra firma before one is willing to turn away from the devil, to God.
In the midst of your present troubles, are you finally paying attention to that soft but certain stirring in your heart? Or at the glowing heights of your present attainments, you feel this ache for a fulfillment that your heart is crying out for, yet nothing in the world comes near to satisfying?
God is omnipresent. But till you are willing to be in His presence, He will always be hearsay to you. And what us who have seek to be steadfast in the Lord?
Troubles might seem to abound, but the grace of God more than help us rebound forth, for to quote from Charles Spurgeon, the anointed preacher, in one of his many long but edifying sermons -
"Surely sorrows were then but joys in masks, because they gave an opportunity to go to Jesus to have them removed."
God blesses
Eng Hieang
6th April 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment