God And Eagles (cont'd)

There will come a time in the growing up experience when the mother eagle, "stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young".  This means she rips out the soft feathers.  Flapping her massive wings, she blows away all the comfortable lining materials.  This exposes the eaglets to the prickly briars and thorns.

Try though they may, the eaglets can find no place of comfort.  Things are crowded and uncomfortable because several junior eaglets are competing for the same space.  Complaints and squawks fill the air.  Tests and trials begin to agitate the young eaglets who up to now have known no pain.

Although the junior eaglets do not understand what is happening, the mother eagle has a plan.  She is making the nest uncomfortable for them so that the young eaglets will abandon the nest for the flying lessons.

Similarly, we are all like those eaglets.  We hear the Word and enjoy the preaching.  Life is good and comfortable.  But then God decides it is time for us to do some growing up - and things change rapidly.  Suddenly problems, pain and suffering hit us.  We begin complaining and crying, but all to no avail.

When the testing and suffering has done its works, we will become more matured and refined in our spiritual life; and that is necessary.



Rev Dr. Ronnie Ng

God And Eagles

In the midst of our tests and trials, the Word encourages us with these promises; "they that wait upon the Lord....shall mount up with wings as eagles..." (Isa 40:31).  "As the eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead.."(Deut 32:11).

To appreciate the marvelous comfort of these promises, one needs to know something about the mother eagle - and her method of raising and training her young.

The eagle builds her nest in lofty crags, high on the side of a mountain.  She weaves together prickly branches from briar and thorn bush to form a strong interlocking structure for her eggs.  Soft materials combine with feathers plucked from her own breast line the the nest.

Once hatched, the eaglets dwell high above all harm in warm comfort.  The mother eagle feeds, protects and sees to their every need.

Similarly, God treats us as "babes in Christ".  We come to know the grace, love, forgiveness and abundant provision from our Heavenly Father.  We enjoy dwelling in a place of safety, learning from and enjoying the "sincere milk of the word" (1 Pet 2:2).




Rev Dr. Ronnie Ng

Patiently Endure

Who brings tests and trials into our lives? Is it God or the devil?

We blame the devil for the pain and suffering we experience as Christians.  And often the devil is involved in our tests and trials.

King David had a different view of the source of trials that come to leaders in preparation for God's service, "The Lord testteth the righteous" (Ps 11:5).  We can all praise God that most often we are not dealing with the devil in our trials and problems.  We are dealing with God, or our own misdeeds.

We can learn an important lesson from Job's suffering and tribulations.  The Bible tells us the devil obtained God's permission to test Job (Job 1).  But notice, Job never blamed the devil.  He said, "The hand of God has touched me" (Job 19:21).  "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him" (Job 13:15).

Even though Job was being attacked by Satan, he was dealing with his God - not the devil.  He refused to acknowledge Satan in any of his trials and temptations.

When we place ourselves in His hand, He is always with us, no matter what are the circumstances.

"He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand against it" (1 Cor 10:13, tlb).  God always "work all things together for good, for those that love him and are called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28 rsv)




Rev Dr. Ronnie Ng

Relationship With Our Heavenly Father

Relationship is not a formula.  Jesus healed one blind man by mixing dust and spittle, forming mud and applying it to the blind man's eyes.  The blind man was then sent to the pool of Siloam to wash the mud out of his eyes and was healed. (John 9).

It is not the form or formula.  It is hearing God's voice and responding obediently to what God has said.  On other occasions, Jesus healed the blind with other means (Matt 9:29; Mark 10:52).

A proper relationship with His heavenly Father was the secret of Jesus' ministry.  Jesus said, "I always do those things that please the Father" (John 8:29).  Because Jesus was right with His Heavenly Father, He could easily hear and obey His Father's voice.

Jesus knew the scriptures and He spent a great deal of time with the Father.  You remember that Jesus' ministry began with forty days of fasting and prayer.  Often we see Him spending nights in prayer (as before choosing His twelve disciples).  We find Him withdrawing from the multitudes and going into the desert to pray.





Rev Dr. Ronnie Ng

LOGOS AND RHEMA

"So then faith comes by hearing....the word of God". (Rom 10:17)

There are two Greek words translated as "word" in our English Bibles, "LOGOS" and "RHEMA" (pronounced as ray-mah).  Logos refers to the written while Rhema refers to the living or life-giving word,

These verses illustrate the inseparable bond between logos and rhema.  They always work together.  We must know the scriptures (logos) to judge whether the word (rhema) that comes to us is really from the Lord - or some other spirit.  The Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible are always in unison.

When the Work of God quickens us - a certain verse in the Bible suddenly strikes us with power, we have received a rhema (living-word) for our personal use.

While we are praying for wisdom to deal with certain problems or issues in life, God suddenly speaks the solution into our hearts in clear practical ways which solve the problems, that is rhema.

During our ministry, we have a sudden impression to take on some specific actions which result in great blessing, this is rhema.



Rev Dr. Ronnie Ng