Heart to heart #58 A Chinese Ghost Story (26th Mar 2013)

Dear....

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
                  Ephesians 6:12

A "third eye, " the supposedly gift some are endowed with to see beyond the natural to the supernatural realm. A friend with that purported gift, once said that a walk in the cemetery at night  is quite an eye opener for her. Not necessarily Orchard Rd but fairly robust crowd of specters. And come to think about it, the stretch of Orchard Rd, where Ngee Ann City sits on used to be a cemetery.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
                  1 Thessalonians 4:16

If my understanding is correct, upon death, our bodily shell return to dust, but our spirit, at least for the faithful, lies in abeyance till Christ returns. If this is true, there should be no wandering dead contrary to popular misconception. For the non believing spirit, they would be led to hell, to await judgement??

That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
                  Genesis 6:2

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
                      Genesis 6:4

Ghost of the deceased there isn't but fallen angels there are aplenty, masquerading in whatever form that will feed upon our fears or desires, with the intent that you will lose your soul by following the evil one. Are they nephilims, the offsprings of fallen angels?

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
                  Psalms 23:4

Today's newspaper had a testimony by a lady about her return from death. Brain dead, saved for the life support machines,she came out of her coma after 36 hours. She in all probability, had the devil or its cohorts visited her in her subconscious, wanting her to surrender her soul.
But by the faithfulness of God, she was miraculously healed.

Coincidental or not, this was the second testimony of resurrection I encountered in the last one week. I make a new acquaintance last week who powerfully testified about her hubby's coming out of being clinically diagnosed as dead on the seventh day of his coma.

Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
              Luke 24:34

Is this the flavor of the month, given that we are fast approaching Good Friday( the death of Christ on the cross) and Easter Sunday ( the resurrected Christ)?
The natural man find it unfathomable such resurrections can occur. Yet, what the Bible has documented is increasingly being played out in our modern times of rationality.

Death is a finality that is inevitable where many do not want to think about.
I remember the testimony of a friend whose father was in the throes of a life threatening situation. When he came out of it, he told my prayerful friend of sinister creatures of Hades wanting to bring him to the darkness of hell. But thanks be to God, a figure in glorious white appeared and saved him. And that was when he awaken. The friend's father has since died but he accepted the saving grace of our Lord.

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell:God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell:God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
                    2 Corinthians 12:2-4

Juxtaposed next to our natural world is the spiritual realm. Most of us are not cognizant of the latter's existence and continue to live in the delusion of the present world, whose authority God gave to man, but Adam surrendered to the devil.
Would we only experience the truth of this battle for our souls between the forces of good versus the dark elements, when our souls are at risk?

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
                    Matthew 10:28

A dear friend shared about her encounter with the spirits of darkness in her hotel room last week. But thanks be to God, prayers brought her into the presence of God, Who shelters us from the evil one.
A coward I am. I am no fan of the paranormal, but have had the "privilege" of experiencing the ominous oppressive presence of the evil one. This was during my army days, and for a period of 2-3 weeks, was pressed by an unseen but oppressive presence upon my being every night at about 9pm  in my bunk. One literally could not move nor scream out. Some would say it is probably one's constricted blood flow, but truth is, only in calling upon Christ, much as I was not much of a Christian then, was I able to break free from the unseen but very real evil presence.

Every day, we are subjected to the pounding of spiritual forces of evil. But we rarely think in that context. For emotions of anger, greed, lusts, pride, envy, fear, impatience and the whole litany of non Christlikeness, we look and deal with them from the context of the carnal man, rather than the spirit man.
But as our hearts are transformed, our minds renewed, the hold the devil has on us loosens, and our frustrated Lucifer start to put aside the niceties and instead manifest his true ugly self. It is not a non choice like the proverbial devil and deep blue sea,  but rest assured one will run very quickly to our Sovereign God, when the devil manifests itself to you, warts and all.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.'
                James 4:7-8

Turn to God, this is the compelling theme of the Bible. Only in staying in the presence of God, will we be imbued with this willingness to submit to Him. And only then can we overcome the evil one. Only then can we truly be both at peace and joyful, come what may, no matter the arrows that Satan shoots in our direction. For we know The Lord is our shield and strength, and we know He is Sovereign, and learn to look at all situations from His perspective.

Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.
                  Psalms 88:10

Not all will be privileged to know Christ so deeply by coming back from the dead. But if we are willing to let go and let God in our daily living, we are indeed living out the resurrection in the spirit. And then can we understand that the day is indeed evil, but the grace of our Great God is indeed suffice for the day. And victory has been won on the resurrected cross, for which Christians not just commemorate but celebrate this biblical truth, come this Easter.

God blesses

Eng Hieang
26th  Mar 2013

An afternote
As I was in the pool tonight as the solitary swimmer, as I pondered upon the logic of this message, and if it is truly our Lord's will, I smelt a distinct whiff of burning joss paper for a third of my last lap. Not sure where it came from, but this was the same smell that filled my side of the bed many years back in my previous abode. That was the time I had this persistent drone in my left ear, which left me as my small group members sang the song "He healeths me." As I went to bed, exhilarated with God's healing grace, I felt a slight giddiness, just as the distinct incense of burning joss paper whiff past me.
Most of us gets the chill when we sense an evil presence. Not too sure how many smell joss paper burning where none was in sight. But matters not, God is with us, and indeed He is our Sovereign God.
And what about "A Chinese Ghost story?" Just a title I felt led to use. The main actor, Leslie Cheung died a tragic death, but that is another story.

Heart to heart#57 Regress to progress (17th Mar 2013)

Dear....

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
                 Ecclesiastes 3:1

A season of change, I am in the midst of. And one would have thought that it will be a logical expansion of the wonderful works of service that God has placed me in these past decade or more. But truth is, I seemed to have regressed rather than progressed in His service.

Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
                Psalms 143:10

For a start, the flexibility of my day hours are more curtailed, by virtue that unlike my days of self employment, being on the payroll now entails a responsibility to ensure my time used is reflective of the trust and remuneration of my present employer. Day time ministry, a mainstay of my spiritual life is no longer tenable?

And not sure if it is age or the greater demands of building a new business, that my energy level is more easily sapped, and my vigor for extra curricular endeavors outside office hours is severely curtailed. I seem to find on weekends, greater thrill in lying longer on the bed, than be up and running in the early dawn to participate in the various man's Christian activities. And my studying the Word of God in the evenings, a good practice of the past decade, now seems the easiest way for me to fall into restful slumber. God understands and thankfully, He awakens me an hour earlier than normal, at 5.45am on the dot, for me to spend time to commiserate with Him.

He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
              Proverbs 19:17

And on giving, I have reorganized  the basis for funding the sharing of our Lord's blessings
Will it lead to less distribution and to more accumulation? Invest in the lives of others, this is the mantra I have faithfully followed this past decade, though not always without some personal pain for the natural man in us is selfish. For giving selflessly goes against the very grain of all of us. Why this change now? Prayerfully, the sense that now is the time for me to build the resources to be ready to receive the transfer of wealth that will come my way is truly from The Lord, and not the machinations of my delusive mind. Question is, would receiving become my end all, or will I be mindful that God will have a greater purpose and will I respond in obedience to release the storehouses even more fully when He calls?

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust:
cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
               Psalms 143:8

"Regress to progress," is this truly the way forward at this juncture of my journey with You Lord?

"Equestrian, " the art of horse riding, an Olympic sport.
"Sequestration," legal procedure in which automatic budget cuts are imposed on spending by the United States Government, as a futile means to balance the budget. Fewer of us have heard of this term, though it is now in motion.
It is quite ludicrous to witness a superpower regress to this state of incapacity, with its implications on the global economy if this game of bluff between the Republicans and the Democrats goes awry. But interestingly, President Obama and his UK sidekick, Prime Minister Cameron seem to be more adroit at pushing through same sex marriages.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
                    Proverbs 14:12

Progress towards carnality, the days of Sodom and Gomorrah are closer to moving to mainstream life. The Western colonials were instruments for the gospel in the past. Today, paradoxically, they are fast becoming conduits for the propagation of non Godly  human relationships, as the Brits and French, soon to be joined by USA, pushed for gay rights across the globe,  as part of their foreign policy.

I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me:
I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
               Isaiah 45:5

Many of us, Christians included, sail through life without giving much thought to the omnipresent God. God is patient for He wants all to be saved, if we are willing.
But there will come a time when Christ will return and judgement day commences.
The increasingly degenerative world is the sign of progress towards this day.
Till the very last, God will still want to shake us out of our stupor as the disobedient hurtle down the self destructive route.

We are in unusual times. The subprime crisis is one such manifestation. Anarchy and xenophobia  in once civilized Europe is brewing over. The war of the generations in the States, as the pensioners square off with the younger population over underfunded social benefits, this according to the well known and one of the most successful hedge fund manager Stan Druckenmiller, is a bomb waiting to explode.

There are many devices in a man's heart;
nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.
               Proverbs 19:21

Such non normal times requires a bold response from the faithful. And while total reliance on the Holy Spirit remains indisputable, the response that God will show us need not necessary be in the form of the proven path. Do take time in His presence, for He will lead you, His way.

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
                Romans 3:28

Much as we know the Biblical principles, to rely on our own strengths to move forth  is nay impossible. For we are up against principalities and forces that are much stronger than us. Our strength will come from the infilling of the Holy Spirit. But a willingness to come unto and stay in the presence of God has to come from us, for us to to be imbued with the faith, the power of the living word of God.
We cannot overcome the world by our own strength, but we can submit to God, for the victory of the cross is with Him.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
                     Romans 8:28

Come 1st April and I will have completed 6 months in this new endeavor our good Lord has placed me. Indeed He has blessed me with enough to be effective, yet not enough to be prideful. And in this period, God has brought me to meeting new people and new experiences that I would never have, if I had stayed within my comfort zone of my old employ. Just yesterday late morning, I was at Geylang, right at the most vibrant spot where the sex trade is conducted. I was there for a good reason, viewing rather than using a hotel that was for sale. Been eons since I find myself in such colorful surrounds. The last time was when I was 18, conducting a survey on the residents in another red light district, Desker and Johore Road. Ministry is where our good Lord places us, He is constant, but is our heart steadfast, much as our circumstances changes?

With God, the only certainty is His faithfulness, that is the only expectation that we should come to Him with, as we open our hearts to receive His presence and follow His leading.

For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.
                 Proverbs 8:35

God blesses

Eng Hieang
16th Mar 2013

#56 Heart to heart Knowing You, knowing me (4 mar 2013)

Dear...

Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
               Psalms 136:23

ABBA the iconic Swedish pop group of my youth released this hit "Knowing you, knowing me," in 1977.  The lyrics described the sadness yet the necessity of the breakup of a relationship gone awry.
Fast forward to our internet savvy generation, one no longer need to go through the tedium of penning a song to end a relationship. Facebook, Twitter, Linkelin, Youtube or any of the whole array of platforms can be availed.

I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me:
I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
               Isaiah 45:5

Charles Spurgeon, the faithful communicator of the gospel, he writes brilliantly, speaks at great length, and often, I struggle to understand his sermons, which can and do last hours.
While not in the same league, am I equally guilty in not providing clarity in my thoughts and simplicity in my language, that many of you who read some of my regular meanderings, struggle to follow?

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
               Psalms 8:4

What about our Sovereign God? He is not just omnipresent, but is definitely in a much better position to enable all to know Him as our Father intimately and in all clarity. But it is not happening!

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief
               Hebrews 4:11

In the carnal world, we look at the gifts and talents of a man, as a measure of his worth. In the Kingdom of God, He looks at our hearts, a heart that is willing to seek Him with our all.
The natural man believe only when their senses could process, analyse and made a judgment on the evidence.
The spirit man of God is convicted by the Spirit of God. For faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.

That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west,
that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.
                Isaiah 45:6

How is it possible to have faith in someone who is not seen? This goes against the very nature of the carnal man, which all of us are, since Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit of knowledge.

Happy is the people that is in such a case; Yea, happy is the people whose God is Jehovah.
              Psalms 144:15

Faith comes from God, and we can only receive it by letting go of our innate desire to decide, and instead to let God, by coming wholeheartedly unto His presence. And to experience His sanctifying presence upon our hearts, this indescribable peace and joy beyond understanding. You will know God.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
          Hebrews 4:12

Much as I believe that the thoughts I penned are truly God breathed, it will clarify and convict your heart as the Spirit of God so decides. But a responsive preparation is needed from all who seek to understand and grow in the faith. Taking time to live out your faith is not about attending church once a Sunday. Rather, it is about entering into a covenant with Him, to seek Him with your all. And that will entail a diligent immersion in His presence, be it in prayers, praise, words and works.
If at this very moment, by His grace, you finally not just understood but feel convicted to make that response, do open your hearts to the Spirit of God.

Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
                Hebrews  4:7

And some might lean on the notion that even if they can "hear" God, He does not seem to hear us. But Christ has proclaimed God always hear us. And He hears our prayers, but was it asked in His will?

And I knew that thou hearest me always:but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
               John 11:42

God blesses

Eng Hieang
4th Mar 2013

An after note : Double confirmed

Singlish, this term "double confirmed," but it conveys its intent quite well.
Next to my office, construction has just started on the new SBF Building. At the back of my building, another construction has been ongoing for the past one year. Not a pretty sight, much as the billboard showing the visualized completed building is quite impressive.

I am also in the midst of constructing a banking model  God's way. It will be a blessing, but it is far from easy nor is it a pretty sight at the moment, but necessarily that way. God hears my struggles and He assures.  Daniel 10:12 was what I read in my Hardcopy Bible, and as I opened my IPad version to look for the same verse to put into this closing thoughts, there it was, nicely tagged by our good Lord as if waiting patiently for my expected appearance.

God knows us and is there for us always, the moment our hearts are determined to seek Him.

Daniel 10:12
Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel:for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.