Look On Nature

‘When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him?  And the son of man, that thou visitest him?’  Psalms 8:3-4 (KJV)

Bishop Robert Solomon opined that one of the spiritual disciplines is to train the soul by immersing oneself in nature like taking quiet walks in the picturesque countryside.

We had a family holiday in Wales once, Pat, Debbie, John and I in Oct 2004. I insisted on making a detour to visit the ruins of Tintern Abbey. I needed to see the hills that rise up from the valley of the River Wye. This was the nature scene that captivated the poet William Wordsworth when he wrote the poetic essay ‘Tintern Abbey.’ I studied the poem in school when I was 15 years old. It so inspired me that I had an urge to stand in awe of the natural surroundings, as viewed from the ruins of Tintern Abbey.

Since reading ‘Tintern Abbey,’ I have learned to view nature enrapt by worshipful thoughts and attitudes. Wordsworth wrote:

“For I have learned

To look on nature, not as in the hour

Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes

The still, sad music of humanity,

Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power

To chasten and subdue. And I have felt

A presence that disturbs me with the joy

Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime

Of something far more deeply interfused,

Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,

And the round ocean and the living air,

And the blue sky, and in the mind of man;

A motion and a spirit, that impels

All thinking things, all objects of all thought,

And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still

A lover of the meadows and the woods,

And mountains; and of all that we behold.”

The Bishop and I know the secret that God is present in nature. Let us go out of our way to find those sublime moments that awaken our hearts and reach our souls. When surrounded by the simple beauty of the woods or the splendid panoramas of the Grand Canyon we will sense the subtle presence of God. It is a sweet and gentle presence. We come out of that experience matured, elevated, chastened and subdued.

When nature confronts us, we also sense the infinite gap between man and God; just how miniscule we are and how infinitely great God is. Like the Psalmist who contemplated the cosmos, we are left to wonder just why God would even consider us. 

"Reading about nature is fine, but when a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he experiences more than what is gathered from books, for they speak the voice of God." This quote from George Washington Carver, repeats the same realisation as found in Job, 

'But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.' Job 12:7-10

Yes, nature brings the realisation of the presence of God so we can confidently declare, "All things bright and beautiful; all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all!” Listen to this lovely song by John Rutter!

 

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,

Each little bird that sings,

He made their glowing colours,

He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountain,

The river running by,

The sunset and the morning,

That brightens up the sky;

The cold wind in the winter,

The pleasant summer sun,

The ripe fruits in the garden,

He made them every one;

He gave us eyes to see them,

And lips that we might tell

How great is God Almighty,

Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.

Lionel

Updated article. 1st Published 27 Jul 2009

Financial Security is not Eternal Security

Rembrandt 1627,  The Parable of the Rich Fool

'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.' Luke 12:15

There is a unique slang in the Hokkien dialect which has come into use in the Singaporean-Malaysian Chinese community to welcome prosperity, 'Huat Ah!' It has also become a greeting among friends, much like the US battle cry 'Hooah!' We now use 'Huat Ah!' when we toss the customary Chinese New Year dish/salad, 'Yu Sheng.' 

Yu Sheng is a dish made of ingredients with symbolic meanings to usher in prosperity at the start of the Chinese New Year. It is served on the seventh day of the New Year which is everyone's birthday renri (人日everyman’s birthday). Because this dish is so popular, it is now served from the eve to the 15th day of the New Year. The symbolism and meaning of the ingredients, unfortunately, may underlie our obsession with material wealth. 

• The greetings at the start of dish gongxi facai (恭喜发财 wishing you wealth and good fortune) and huat ah (prosperity)
• Raw fish with the words which nian nian youyu (年年有余 abundance through the year)
• Dried orange peels over the fish daji dali (大吉大利 which is luck and auspicious value)
• Liberal dash of pepper and 5-spice powder over the ingredients zhaocai jinbao (招财进宝  greater prosperity and fortune)
• Pour oil, circling the ingredients with words yibenwanli (一本万利)and caiyuan guang jin (财源广进) to wish profit and money flowing in from all directions.
• Add carrots and green and white radish to the fish, indicating hongyun dangtou (鸿运当头 ), feng sheng shui qi (风生水起), bubu gaosheng (步步高升) to bring blessings of good luck, prosperity in business and promotion at work
• Dust ground peanuts on the dish, jinyin manwu (金银满屋 a household filled with gold and silver)
• Sesame seeds follow, symbolising growth in business shengyi xinglong (生意兴隆)
• Finally abundance of pillow-shaped deep-fried flour crisps to literally mean that the whole floor would be filled with gold, biandi huangjin (遍地黄金)

In an age of affluence and plenty, want has become need and luxury a necessity. Although the Chinese may be very dramatic in their wishes for wealth and materialism, it is the same for almost all the modern cultures living in cities. Enticed by consumerism and fueled by avarice, we buy and spend much much more than we need. 

Jesus Christ warned, a man may store up things for himself but is not rich toward God. We are in danger of becoming the rich fool mentioned in the Gospel of Luke.

'And He told them this parable. The ground of a rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, "What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops." Then he said, "This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones and there I will store my surplus grain. And I'll say to myself, You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat drink and be merry." But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" This is how it will be for whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.' Luke 12:16-21  

Like that rich fool, misled by the comforts and satisfaction riches can bring, we equate financial security with eternal security. That would be a mistake.

A man who understood what it means to live life depending on God’s faithfulness rather than financial security was Thomas Chisholm. Rev Chisholm wrote more than 1200 poems, many were written into hymns including Great is Thy Faithfulness.

In a letter dated 1941, Mr. Chisholm wrote, “My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health, but I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.”

Thomas Chisholm, living in a state of “just enough” learned a lesson of dependence on God’s faithfulness which the rich fool in the parable did not.

Why is that farmer in Jesus' parable such a fool?

• He sacrificed living for God by living for himself.
• He confused surplus for security
• He lived for time and not eternity
• He assumed he had lots of time

In contrast, we should live our lives dependent on the blessings of God, a useful lesson as we step into 2022.

'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.' Lamentations 3:24

Thomas Chisholm's lyrics were derived from Lamentations 3 and were set to music by William Runyan. From the heart of a Methodist minister, 'Great is Thy Faithfulness' has inspired countless believers to trust their faithful God.

'Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.' Lamentations 3:21-23

Great is Thy faithfulness O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changed not, Thy compassions, they fail not 

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside! 

How many times have we stood in church and along with the congregation sang this great hymn? Did we not feel warmness of heart and realise that our life is abundant only by God's great faithfulness?  

Lionel

Updated 1st Published 19 Mar 2007

A New Day Dawning

A New Day with Vivid Colours

'Your new day is dawning. The glory of the Lord shines brightly on you. the earth and its people are covered with darkness, but the glory of the Lord is shining upon you. Nations and kings will come to the light of your new dawning day.' Isaiah 60:1-3 (Contemporary English Version)

Today, 1 Feb 2022 is the first day of the Chinese New Year. Following tradition most Chinese would wear new clothes, usually in red. We will give away as gifts 'Ang Pows' or red packets containing fresh new crisp dollar notes. The children are especially excited as they don their new Chinese-styled garments (most times only worn once), make their CNY greetings to receive the ang-pows.

Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival, an excitement is in the air as in the rural farming area, the farmers eagerly wait for the Spring to sow and reap a bountiful harvest. It's a new cycle of new beginnings.

The same is true of Christianity. When we first become Christians, there is a crisp freshness to life. This is the sheer joy of being restored to a relationship with the creator God through Jesus Christ, His Son. It is very aptly expressed in this song, New! Ev'ry Morning It's New, which we sang in our youth fellowships 

New! ev'ry morning it's new!
The love of God to me is wonderfully new!
New! ev'ry morning it's new!
The mercy of the Lord is wonderfully new!
Great is His faithfulness,
Constant is His love,
Great is His saving pow'r
Coming from above!
New! ev'ry morning it's new!
The mercy of the Lord is wonderfully new!

New! ev'ry morning it's new!
The love of Calvary is wonderfully new!
New! ev'ry morning it's new!
The mercy fresh outpoured is wonderfully new!
He is our daily strength,
He's our daily guide
If we will wait on Him
And in Him abide!
New! ev'ry morning it's new!
The mercy of the Lord is wonderfully new!

Unfortunately I am unable to locate a video of this song on the Internet. But just looking at the lyrics with its many exclamation marks indicate the exuberance when we first received salvation. There is a freshness of spring and there is rejoicing every morning as the love and mercy of God flow towards us.

Kevin and Lynette Teo wrote in their article New Beginnings (Ref 1), there is a new road to travel.

'Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.'  Isaiah 43:19 

• A Restored Relationship.  'Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. ' Romans 5:1-2 (New Living Translation)

• A Renewed Vision. 'I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called - His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance.' Ephesian 1:18 (NLT)

• A Revitalised Life - 'For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.' Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

The Apostle Paul declared

'Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.' 2 Corinthians 5:17

The Prophet Isaiah also spoke of this transformation as a new day dawns,

'Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your healing (restoration, new life) will quickly spring forth. Your righteousness will go before you, the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.' Isaiah 58:8 (Amplified Bible)

In the celebration of Chinese New Year, we recognise the dawning of a new day with the freshness of Spring. We celebrate the Chinese New Year with exuberance, with feasting and lion and dragon dances.

In that same way we can celebrate our new life in Christ! King Solomon declared  

'How pleasant to see a new day dawning' Ecclesiastes 11:7 (NLT)

Indeed enjoy this piano solo 'New Every Morning' composed by Cindy Berry and use it for your early morning reflections. 

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Happy New Year!

Lionel

Inspired by articles posted by Kevin and Lynette Passion with Purpose New Beginnings (A New Day Dawning) Jan 2022

Maranatha

'For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the the dead in Christ will rise  first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them to meet the lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.' 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Maranatha, מרנאתא is an Aramaic word which means Our Lord, Come. It is occurs in the Bible only once in the closing chapters of the book of 1 Corinthians, 1 Cor 16:22. It is understood to be an early prayer for the early return, otherwise known as the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Many people use this word as a mantra in their meditation in the tradition of John Main. John Douglas Main, OSB (1926 - 1982) was a Benedictine monk and Roman Catholic Priest who taught a way of meditation which used a simple prayer-phase or mantra repetitively. He taught, "Not only is this one of the most ancient Christian prayers, in the language Jesus spoke, but it also has a harmonic quality that helps to bring the mind to silence." (Ref 1). This practice lives on in the ecumenical network of Christian meditation groups known as the World Community for Christian Meditation led by another Benedictine monk, Father Laurence Freeman, OSB. 

The prayer-phrase, Maranatha, expresses the longing for the second coming of Jesus Christ. The closing verses of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, reveals this expectation,

'He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.' Revelation 22:20  

Today, the second coming of Jesus Christ, is not often taught in the churches but in the early days of Christianity, the church expected an imminent return; a relief to the severe persecutions they faced from the Jews and the Romans. Since then at times of depravity, hardships, crisis and persecutions, Christian circles have often prayed this prayer, Maranatha!

One of the best sermons on the topic was given by Billy Graham. This was a no-holds-barred sermon on the second coming of Christ given in 1990 in Albany, New York. This is a sermon worth listening to, it's thorough and given with the passion and honesty that was Billy Graham's. 

When we pray 'Come Lord Jesus' and when we meditate 'Maranatha' we should, just as Billy Graham warned, be ready at all times for His coming again. The Bible says

'But the day of the Lord will come like a thief...what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.' 2 Peter 3:10a, 11b and 12. 

Jesus spoke of His second coming warning us to be on our guard, that is, to be ready. Many will be oblivious towards God and living in debauchery as in the days of Noah. We are told to be different.

'But about that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son but only the Father. As in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.'  Matthew 24:36-39 

Jesus' warning that many will not be ready in Matthew 24:40-41 was put into a song written by Larry Norman, 'I Wish We'd All Been Ready' 

Life was filled with guns and war

And everyone got trampled on the floor

I wish we'd all been ready

Children died the days grew cold

A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold

I wish we'd all been ready

There's no time to change your mind

The Son has come and you've been left behind

A man and wife asleep in bed

She hears a noise and turns her head, he's gone

I wish we'd all been ready

Two men walking up a hill

One disappears and one's left standing still

I wish we'd all been ready

There's no time to change your mind

How could you have been so blind

The father spoke the demons dined

The Son has come and you've been left behind

You've been left behind

We are told to keep watch,

'Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.' Matthew 24:42

Saint Paul interpreted this readiness as keeping the faith, practicing love and keeping hope in God. Instead of debauchery St Paul urged us all to be sober,

'Let us be sober, putting on faith and love as breastplate, and the hope of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our lord Jesus Christ.' I Thessalonians 5:8-9

Do not be left behind! Be sure of your salvation!

Lionel

Ref 1: John Main, Biography, theschoolofmeditation.org.

The Beauty of Holiness

Wakatipu Lake South Island New Zealand

'Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.' Psalms 29:2

Rev Tan-Yeo Lay Suan in a sermon given on the 27 May 2007 at Charis Methodist posited that a person who is Spirit-filled will manifest the Beauty of Holiness. 

This is a distinctive thought or lesson so different from the usual ones we would associate with sermons on the Holy Spirit. Often ‘Holy Spirit’ sermons will emphasize the external display of spectacular gifts; such gifts can then be utilized for evangelism and mission e.g. the gifts of miracles and healing. But  Rev Yeo expounded on an inner gift, an inner beauty, arguing that such a gift will attract others to Jesus. 

Rev Yeo told the story of a Christian businessman who ran a holiday centre, a ranch, for tourists. He also wanted to witness and evangelize the gospel to his tourist guests without being too direct and intrusive. His method was to recruit the hospitality staff at his centre by asking 3 questions: Do you like work? Do you like life? Do you love Jesus? Depending on their answers he would engage the staff for this enterprise.  

Soon his guests began asking him how he managed to get so many attractive staff. The guests noted certain qualities in the attitude of the staff; the way they carried out their work, their zest for life. These became evidence of a rich Christian witness at the centre. The guests became so attracted by the life-style Christianity of the staff that they were eager to know about Jesus

The Bishop of Winchester in a sermon 16 Jul 2006 stated, 'There is a fundamental beauty of holiness; which is the holy life, obedient to the truth of God in Jesus, humbly and penitently expectant of his changing us into his likeness from glory to glory so that we embody and express the love of Jesus in every aspect of our lives.' 

It is thus not surprising that Rev Yeo should preach that the key to a Spirit-filled Life lies in the transformation from within and not the display of the external. This transformation occurs as we bear the fruit of the Spirit in our character

'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance. kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.' Galatian 5:22-23a

The Spirit-filled person receives the beauty of holiness not by acquiring, as in religious practices or religious education, but by gazing upon the beauty of the Lord, that is, by seeking God.

“One thing I asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and seek Him in His temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in His dwelling: He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.”  Psalms 27:4-5

What does it mean to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and seek His presence? To gaze at the Lord, is to become contemplative, to spend time in God's presence and to meditate. 

I wrote in my journal in May 2004 after reading Psalms 27,

 

'If you dwell in His shelter which is staying faithful in the Lord and within His protection; and gaze upon his beauty thus being able to is appreciate worship and the beauty of God’s holiness; then you should realise how fortunate you are to have gained this gift of insight. Seek after Him, yearn for this meaningful relationship with God. He will do three things for you. 

• He will keep you safe - He will be with you in times of trouble and keep you from harm and danger. 
• He will shelter you – not only your physical self but also your thoughts and feelings, from the emotional storms that may beset you in this world. 
• You will be set upon a rock - that is He shall lift you high so that you can see far ahead and have a good perspective of life - a personal spiritual vision. 

However, it will be very tragic, having received our blessings and realising our fortune, that we stay still within our safe comfort zones. Instead girded by such promises of security and safety we should go out, reach out and touch somebody.'

When we possess the Spirit-filled qualities, we become attractive people, not by external physical attraction but by the winsomeness of an inner character. We become influential people. 

Should we desire to have that winsomeness, the beauty of holiness? Man has the ability to discern beauty when it is really there. Beauty attracts us like bees to honey. 

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you!

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me

All His wonderful passion and purity

O, Thou, Spirit divine, all my nature refine

Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me

 

Let my wonderful Saviour be seen in me

His amazing compassion and constancy

His great love is my goal, by His Spirit’s control

Till my wonderful Saviour be seen in me

 

Let the fruit of the Spirit be seen in me

Grant me grace all sufficient that I may be

True and faithful each day, ev’ry step of the way

Pointing souls to the Saviour on Calvary

Psalms 29:2. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness does not just mean in the settings of nature or in churches and cathedrals but also in the beauty of our characters.

Lionel

Updated 1st Published 27 May 2007