Children of The Light#19 When God speaks(28 Sep 2015)

Dear.....

Republican Boehner just announced his resignation as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. That was announced after his morning prayers with our Lord. Did God speak to him? The man teared a day earlier in Capitol Hill as he stood next to the Pope who spoke to the people.

http://www.people.com/article/john-boehner-house-speaker-resigning

For many of us, Christians included, we find it hard to fathom when a believer proclaimed that God has spoken to them. Like Thomas, who doubted the resurrection of Christ, will we only believe when God stands right in front of us, grab us by the hands, and bellow into our disbelieving ears?

And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live

         Exodus 33:20

God does allow us to "see" Him in other ways. Be it in His Words in the Bible, a prescience of events that point us towards His omnipresence, a word from people that speaks to our heart, a vision often in our times of slumber though not always exclusively, through worship and prayers or in His work or a conviction of our heart by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Like the baby John in Elizabeth's womb, who literally jumped for joy when Mary, the unwed mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, came to seek respite with her cousin Elizabeth, I often experience that uplifting of my spirit when God "speaks" to me. A joy, a balm to my distressed soul or often, an encapsulating loving reassurance that "propels" my very being into that indescribable joy and peace, independent of my circumstances.

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy life of vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun,  all thy days of vanity: for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labor wherein thou laborest under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.

         Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

My ego was recently dented, and I find it neigh impossible to rise from my sunken spirit, until God lifted me up with these words. For much as it should not be, I often am very cognizant of what others think of me. Pride is a familiar enemy for me, but instead of admonishing the downtrodden me like the friends of Job( and interestingly Job is my current Bible reading). Our dear Heavenly Father simply lifted me up with these words "for God hath already accepted thy works."

And God is a wonderful Father. He will not just address our immediate needs, but will point us to the way forward for issues that have cluttered our following of His vision for us.

Are these thoughts a figment of my imagination? It is not, for God is always faithful and I have experienced His love many times.

And as a human father, have we not seek to love our children with our all, imperfect as we are?

Is God speaking to you now? Are you paying attention?

God blesses

Eng Hieang

26 Sep 2015

An afterthought(30 Sep 2015)

They die in an instant, in the middle of the night; the people are shaken and they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.

Job 34:20

I just read about the passing of a Facebook friend. We were linked up past 3 years though I cannot say I know him well. But from the varied comments posted post death by his friends, this late brother has lived a faithful life glorifying God.

And this brevity of life reminds me of the closing words of Ecclesiastes 9:10. Once we are taken home, everything that seems so important in our breathing moments are irrelevant.

Much as I started this sharing about pride, I believe God has a message for all.

That is, what matters most in our finite life is not what the world values, but rather enjoy the day that God has given us and honor Him in all that we do, by letting go and letting Him.

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

          Romans 12:1-2

Children of The LIght#18 Coming or continued troubles?(18 Sep 2015)

Dear...

'Then the Prophet Jeremiah said to Hanaiah the prophet, "hear now Hanaiah, the Lord has not sent you,but you make this people trust in a lie.'

             Jeremiah 28:15

Contrary to expectations, the U.S. Federal Reserve continues to hold back raising interest rates.
Why are they not letting off some air in the very low interest rate, liquidity driven bubble?
Most think it is because the perceived US economic recovery is not as robust as believed.
That's probably true for not just the U.S., but globally, for the internet in conjunction with technology have created structural unemployment that the world will need time to adjust, retrain and retool.
Witness the demise of traditional service providers and brick and mortar shops.

http://www.governing.com/topics/finance/tns-federal-reserve-interest-rate.html

But is there more to it? Maybe it is not just the surfeit of economic woes, that is still endemic post subprime.
The Middle East is brewing. With the troubles on the Temple Mount, would the present internecine Sunni Shiite proxy wars being fought out, be soon reorientated to a broader but more familiar Arab Israelite conflict? The Russians are in Syria now, ready to be an actor in this theatre!

http://www.timesofisrael.com/muslim-cleric-blames-netanyahu-government-for-temple-mount-escalation/?utm_source=The+Times+of+Israel+Daily+Edition&utm_campaign=0e44d88d03-2015_09_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_adb46cec92-0e44d88d03-55192013

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/11/russian-build-up-in-syria-part-secret-deal-with-irans-quds-force-leader/

The last major Arab Israelite war was back in 1973, the Yom Kippur war.
What has it got to do with us? That conflict led to the 1st oil crisis, the precursor to the 2nd oil crisis in 1978-1979 and the subsequent stagflation.
A world mired in recession, yet pounded by double digit interest rates.
The latter might seem implausible in our present Central Bank induced zero interest rate environment.
But the Bible oft reminds one and all

"man plans, God directs"

The above thoughts were just penned for my new financial blog "MoneySense."

Interestingly I asked our Lord before I penned these thoughts if it was truly the right message to share? He brought me to Jeremiah 28, where Hananiah preached falsehood and taught rebellion against our Lord. He paid for his sins with his life.

Contrast this to Prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 29 who spoke the truth of God's will much as it seemed contrary to the logic and desires of the captive Jews.

4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

         Jeremiah 29:4-7

Are the Central Bankers the modern day Hanaiah giving soothing but delusory words to a world that wants to continue in their profligate ways, not learning nor willing to atone for their subprime days?

Prophet Jeremiah I am not. But may the words shared be truly from our Lord. For we have entered dangerous times, and the safest place is wherever our Lord places us.

God blesses

Eng Hieang

18 Sep 2015

Children of The Light#17 What's next?? (9 Sep 2015)

'Then Joshua fell down to the ground in reverence and asked him, "what message does my Lord have for His servant?"

         Joshua 5:14

Last year Christmas I was in Strasbourg. And it felt a little strange for it was the first time I was out of Singapore during the festive period. I did miss the bon viva spirit of celebrating with friends.

Now, nine months later, i find myself in Dublin and London, looking from a distance the hustings going on in our coming polls. And I missed the rare chance to cast my vote this Saturday, as geography dictates my ineligibility to vote.

Where yonder lies the destiny of our little Red Dot after this weekend?

Who should we vote for? Emotions naturally run high when it comes to the need to depend on one's finite and flawed understanding.

Is it pride, envy, fear, self righteousness and the whole myriad of emotions that is at full play in us the electorate?

How do we know we have voted "right?"

'See Damascus will no longer be a city, but a heap of ruins.'

          Isaiah 17:1

A sudden change of scenery. What has our election got to do with the ongoing refugee fallout from Syria?

Lest we forget, our forefathers were in the main seeking refuge from the ravages of war and economic hardships in Mother China.
We have come a long way, and in the recent bereavement of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, there have been ample visually powerful reminders of our what was.

'You have forgotten God your Saviour, you have not remembered the Rock your fortress'

        Isaiah 17:10

Gratitude to the previous generation of leaders does not give a birthright of credibility to the next.

So how should one vote?

For us who know our Lord, we thank Him for blessing our nation. And we now must look to Him.

With the Biblical prophesy for Damascus being
fulfilled as I pen this, will the destruction of Northern Israel as indicated in Isaiah17:10 be a near reality? The Iranians and their Hezbollah proxies are gearing up to make this a reality.

This Saturday is more than an election.
As a nation, we must not forget the Lord our God.
He has blessed us and will continue to do so. But forget Him not.

God blesses
Eng Hieang
9 Sep 2015