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