The Study of Ezra

Ezra Chapter 1 to Chapter 4:5
Our journey with God

1) The promise and the hope
The story begins interestingly with a hope. In Jer 25:11, Jeremiah "11 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years." It was prophesised that after 70 years in captivity, the people were be free. In addition, in Isa 44:28 who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,and he shall fulfill all my purpose’;saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’”.

Imagine, in Ezra "1:1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, " Wow, this will be the year and we are going to be free, free from captivity. Indeed, we served a God of hope. From the begining, He promised us a saviour, a salvation plan. To Abraham, He promised a nation, to the people in Egypt, He promised them land flowing with milk and honey. To Daivd, He promised a lasting kingdom. What then is your destiny? Our hope is in Him, the provider and author of our faith.

Indeed, when Cyprus made the proclaimation, we witness the fulfilment of the promise. God promise and fulfil them. He is a faithful God and we served that faithful God. He may seem slow at times, but never late in fulfilling the promises. Claim the promises.

2) The journey of faith
The journey of faith begun. Those who chose to go back, did so. But not everyone did so. Ezra 1:5"everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem.". Nevertheless, the others gave to those who went back. How about you? Would you want to go back. Yes, for years and decades, the people has been very comfortably settle in the cities of Bablylon. A lot of us, may say no. What's install there?

The journey from Babylon is significant. It is not only a step of faith, but a claimant to the promise God had given. Abraham was called out of Ur or Babylon. He obeyed. He took that step of faith and moved out of his home town - a place filled with idol worship and choose to worship and trust the soverign God. Likewise, the city of Babylon was a city of idol worshippers. Very simply, by just staying there, we will be corrupted.

In our world today, we had to made choice and some meant giving up. But when God called, do you obey?

3) The encounter with God
In Jerusalem, the people began a rebuilding program. They first rebuild the altar then followed by the temple. These were centre of worhsip - represented the presence of God - our focus.

When they started out their journey back to Jerusalem with the hope, but when they saw the destruction, something has to be done. The journey represent our first step of faith, the rebuilding represent our encounter with Him. If we choose to end our journey in Jerusalem, we failed to see the purpose, we will fail to claim the promise.

Ezra 3: "And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, "

These older generation priest knew the former glory of God and the temple, but definetely not the newer generation. In verse 11, the foundation was laid, when the people shouted for joy. It is only the foundation not eh completion of the temple.

Our walk with God will be spices up with oir personal encounter with God. These encounters required our delibrate actions and a choice and santification on our part.

Noted lastly our encounters with God is not without trouble. The whole of chapter 4 spoke about that.

In the next study, we will look into how the obstacle was overcome.

Talents, Money and Time

I was reading "Master Your Money" by a Christian author Ron Blue. In his book, he mentioned about using your talents, money and time for God.

Is money bad? - Not really - its the love of money. If you are not earning any money - there will be no bread on the table. You may choose to differ - that God will provides. I will say amen. But since God has given you the talents and time - why are you making use of them to bring bread on the table.

I will not try to debate on the topic, but however intend to explain how my work in forex is linked with the vision God gave me, as well as fulfilling the dreams of my family.

I am a on-line trader in spot forex. I trade mainly GBP/USD and EUR/USD currency pair - 1 forex, 2 currency pair and 3 economies. I have been in forex for about a year.

Let's look at history on how I landed doing forex.

I had a number of childhood dreams - that was before I know Christ:

1) To design my own house

2) To be a chef

3) To be a teacher

4) To own a cafe

I had always wanted to be a architect, and knew very well that I will not be a doctor, a chemist.. But when I realised that it would be a 6 years course I gave up and became an engineer instead. I have save enough for my own degree from my NS pay, supplemented with extra from tuition. As I looked back, the Lord has blessed me. By the time I completed my 4 years degree course, I paid all my loans, without paying a single interest.

I did not began as an engineer. I first fulfilled my dream as a chef (and waiter) during my engineering course time. I took up a job as a teacher for a year, before working for 2 engineering company till now. So I still have 2 un-fulfilled dreams.

So where is God in the picture. Not here, these are the dreams I have before I know Jesus. Then I was only a teenager. I was searching for God. I was only 13 or 14. My mum died when I was 14. I knew what I want - that's the dream, they are not eternal. I wanted 2 more - something external on this earth and something external after death. The search began.

It was until 1988, in my first year of NS, when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and saviour. "He is the way, the truth and the life", and no ones comes to the father (God) except through me (Jesus), "God so loved us.. He gave us Jesus, that who ever believes in Jesus, will not persish nut has external life" I found it.

So what is external on this earth - family. Geonology, a family line that contiune the legacy. I am the first in the family to become a Chirstian. So the search began and it took me 14 years before I meet Rachael on 19 March 1997, evening at TCC. What legacy?

In 1998, I began another quest, a thrist for a vision, a purpose God has for me. God first touch me and I first encoutered with God. I received a vision - my heart cry for the people in Yunan, see picture of the particular region.

A region in the north west of Yunan provice, China. Two main rivers runs across - Nu Jiang and Lan Cang Jiang. The region is generally mountainous. In general, the region is economically disadvantage. The people there in general are from the monority tribes.

So, the vision, is too big for me - I will not be able to finish it. My family will - that the legacy. My son is called Xusong- light on a mountain and Kaixi- peace to the river.

The vision, my childhood dreams how will they fit into a overall plan. Maybe only one. But it will be nice to have both.

As I seek, I came up with a 4 x 5 years plan. The first 5 years - get all your creditials to get into a polytechnic, the second 5 years, teach there and enjoy the 42 days of leave. During which I will spend the leave to develop a buisness plan. The third 5 years, execute the business and the last 5 years grow the business.

Why business? ESBI (emplyment, self-employed, business and Investment)

Yes, God provides, but it is the talents you have that you should multiple. In the first sermon - the sermon at the mount, Jesus saw the multitude, but he retreated to the mountain with his disciples and began preaching on the beautitudes. Why not preach to the multitude? Jesus knew that minsistering to the multitude only address their current needs, but it would be the disciples that will fulfil the great commission.

Yes I can work, but I know very well that for a dollar I am being paid, I will have to work harder. Remember - the vision, my dreams and the family that I so longed for. I would rather spend time in these. In addition, working towards these needs resources - money. Of course, God will provides. Business is one way of generating profits and profits translate to cash or capital for investment and investment with compounded interest, multiple. Once at that stage, time is what you gain and money just roll in.

Let see how God has provided. I need time and money. Basically I need to use less and less time earning money and yet has sufficient for my ultimate intent.

I started off with conventional business, but it failed. Not only that conventional ties me down in Singapore, it needs capital. Remember the vision, yes in Yunan, not Singapore. I don't want to be looking after my business in Singapore and not able to go anywhere for long period of time - relocation if God calls.

I came up with my three business model law:

1) I must be able to do business transaction everywhere I go

2) Regardless of economic situation - inflation or recession, bull run or bear, I must be able to do transations

3) The effort I made in transactions must be able to be compunded or be able to multiple

I found three type of business. Tried them and two of them was not sucessful. In the end, and that was some 2 years ago - I did stocks options, futures and forex.

It was forex that I stayed on for a year. In my earlier blog, I shared why not options, future, index and why forex.

As I looked back, when I started work, a ex-colleague Simon introduce me to stocks. It was then many years later when another colleague, Max, left the company, he introduced options. It was last year, I went for a church breakthrough weekend, I was introduced to Abraham. He taught me the ropes to forex. Being graphical and mathematically incline, I was able to grapse the technics of forex.

The techniques I used will spend me 5-10 minutes a day, with 4-5 hours of research and eading every week, the return is about 300pips for a standard lot of investment. I can spend more time with my God, my family, my exercise routine, with people and of course doing the things I like, fulfiling my dreams and my vision.

God gave the vision. Bless me with a family (support and co-heirs to the vision). God gave me the knowledge and know-how and daily decision making (talents) and provides the people (Simon, Max and Abraham) and the resources (capital).

I pray that with the money, time and talents, that my god provides and bless, I will bless others and gives. As you my Lord leads, I journeyed with you and as I do so and see how my faithful God provides, my faith in you increase. Amen.

My family dreams

"For a man without visions, will perish"

I have a session with Rachael and encouraged her to write down her dreams. What is the purpose. We live only once, therefore live it with a purpose and a fulfilling one. Without listing down your dreams, it would be OK to have, Ok not to have it, there may be a lack of motivation and you may just fail to strive out your best to achieve anything.

We have a limited resources, time, talents and money. We need to know how to use them for whatever purpose and intends - be it a calling in God's work or others.

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God". Indeed, if you don't seek, you will be just beating around the bush. God gave Abraham a very clear destination, He gave Mosses clear guidance and provides us a definte saviour. What's yours?

I believe that I cannot lead where I have not gone to. There is a lot of things we want to do for God, but seek first the intend. I shared and will share it again: - The first lesson was on core cirriculum. It talks about knowing who God is, followed by knowing who our master is, and knowing who I am, next, knowing our purpose, values and priorities. The last two is our empowerment (doing what is right) and gaining in our foundation, so that we can know who God is more.... The cycle goes round again and we grew more in God.

Discipleship is about PDA - Personal revival, Divine Appointment and Active obediece. We cannot go where God does not lead, we cannot lead where we have not gone to. First it is about myself and God. Listen and grow internally and in steadfastness in God (personal revival). Pray for divine appointment - who heal the cripple at the gate of Jesusalem (Peter or God). Unless God call, nothing happen, we will be doing it out of our own strength. But when God call -obey (active obedience). If you have a personal walk with God (P) , you will learn to hear from Him (D) and when He speaks, you obey (A) and when God does the work, you grow - the cycle goes again.

What is then these to do with your dreams - simply we are God children. God must be part of us, He is our dream and our destiny. How can we be in tune with God - "take up the cross and follow me daily" . Read, pray and spend time alone with Him everyday. Relationship grows as we spend time. Listen to God.

So back to dreams, what is Rachael's dreams? I list them without ranking them in priorities.
1. To be able to skii
2. To go to the Candadian Rockies
3. To be with Deborah (play together)
4. To BBQ at East Coast Park
5. To visit Alaska
6. To swim with Dolphins
7. To be with the orphans in China
8. To bring people to Christ
9. To spend time with Josef (hepl him in his homework, play together, watch movies, beach)
10. To bring mum and dad to meal
11. To have a fit body
12. To update woredrobes
13. To win at least 1 or 2 disciples for Jesus in ?
14. To have a car of my own

What's mine?
1. To design and own my new house
2. To gain financial independence
3. To visit the people in the provice of Yunnan, China
4. To help the orphans and the econmomically disadvantage in the region mentioned in (2)
5. To watch and spend time with my family - going places, growing in the Lord togehter, play
6. To make disciple for Christ (my family, my relatives, friends, and the people in China)
7. To own and start a cafe business
8. To spend a year or so in North America with my family
9. To set up a trust fund to help the less fortunate and the economically disadvantage

I may not have finished my list, but that is ok to start.

The next excerise is for Rachael and myself to rank and prioritize them. By ranking them, help us to make decisions, be it spiritually and permit us to allocate with priority resouces to achieve them.

Well with all said - "many are the plans of man, but it is the Lord purpose that prevail" In Jesus name I committed them to you. Amen.