20150615 : Micah's Mercy: DO or LOVE Mercy? From Trash to Triumph! Music - His love language

Micah 6:8" He has showed me, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of me; but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God?"

The strange case of Amos Yee in little red dot.....

It all began in late April 2015 when the spark was flamed shortly after the passing of the late LKY.

A 16-year old rant resulting to a series of unusual events at judicial court.

This saga kind of divided the nation at her prime of celebration of her 50th Jubilee-

muted by the death of a leader LKY in April 2015.

The 28th SEA games opening was also jaded by yet another death of 10 Singaporeans by the most unexpected earthquake in Kota Kinabalu on 29/5/2015.

And for the very first time, I heard the term called "Prisoner of Conscience" [ now Amnesty International is on the side of Amos as they are also of the view that this young lad is declared as a POC]

What is CONSCIENCE?

Defined as" the part of the mind that makes you aware of your actions as being either morally right of wrong" 

"BETTER TO LIGHT A CANDLE THAN CURSE THE DARKNESS"amnesty int'd

We, human beings , are born with conscience.  It is part of God's given ability . We are not from the animal kingdom where we have the body and soul yet lacking in the spirit of conscience. It is this inner spirit prompting to lead us to understand the need for repentance when we know we have done wrong.  Even a little child knows guilt - it is inborn in all of us. The sense of morality is the same across all cultures- tribal third world to cities of first developed nations.   It is universal truth.

Reflections on Micah 6:8:

I used to equate that verse 'Mercy" to doing acts of mercy.

But recently , I realised I was wrong. It is not about 'doing acts of mercy' or "mercy relief works" which many NGOs or parachurch organisations or even religious organisations are doing.

The main difference is "LOVE mercy " Can we love mercy?

In the bible, there are so many verses on mercy and mercies.  His mercies are new everything.  I will sing of His mercies forever. YWHW is the God of mercy.(Eph2:4 says He is rich in mercy!) Even here in the Asian culture we have a similar Guan Yin called the Goddess of Mercy.

How many times in psalms that King David pleaded for mercy .  He understood and knew the character of   his God - one who will extends mercy to him who called unto Him -God not giving to us what we deserve. Mercy.

Conscience ,if not seared, would lead us to understand this important concept of mercy. Is that not what Micah was seeking for in the answer of what one should uphold in this life? Do Justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly before the Creator God? 

There was a group of hounds that went after a young Amos lad who did something that was yes a little vulgar.  Such that this case is now brought to our Courts of Justice.  Would justice prevail? Would mercy reign? Perhaps it is not about Amos.  But it is all about the heart of our society - the people's heart condition that is being revealed.

Before one goes to do acts of mercy or any humanitarian works, we have to examine our own hearts first.  Do we love mercy? Do we love the Lord with all of our hearts, soul, mind and strength? If justice is not met, do we rest in the our Most high Judge who would judge all works one day to come?

Having then received mercy from YWHW, would we only then be able to extend that mercy relief works that would bless His heart. But still, He desires that we will continue to Love Him first always. And will we - continue to walk humbly before our God?

We pray that we ourselves will not be our own prisoner of  conscience.  We can be set free by the One who had paid for our sin with His own life so that we can be free indeed. Grace.  God giving to us what we do not deserve. He is the Light of the world. Seek the Light. Light dispels the darkness. Darkness has to flee when the light comes.  In the present world of so much violence - not just humans on warpath but also the natural elements of volcanic eruptions and quakes - run run run...to the Light of the world!

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Here is an interesting "Mercy relief " work that had transformed trash to something beautiful. Someone said that music is His love language.  Believe it is true. The 7 notes of musical notes  - simple notes with the right tempo and beat - life can become a symphony ! 

Have a view of this youtube.  A good reminder. A tale of 2 cities.  Red dot has been greatly blessed. We produced more trash and rubbish nowadays due to the affluence of the society. We have become a foodie waster. We seemed to have progressed in quantum leap within the 50 years. But the Lord is still looking at the inward part.  Amos the minor prophet had spoken about the society injustices during his time. He is still speaking today. And trash? Can be turned into great musical instruments! With love and care, lives can still be transformed. 

From trash to triumph! Indeed!

20150525_Penang 3D art!

Penang 3D art place!

Just on above the Penang Museum along Light Street!

Paintings looked popped out! But need guides to help to pose and take the photo.

For us - thanks to Christopher below who helped us!

 The spacesuit and the car shots were interesting. We were not behind the painting. But rather we were merely standing at a certain place and the mirror reflected unto the paintings instead!

The luminous light section was also interesting ...a bit like Avatar colours...

 The anti-gravity shots were also interesting. The props were already upside down....

20150525- Penang History and days of old

Penang: Founded by Captain Francis Light

The Penang Museum brought back many memories of the days of old...

Penang, Malacca and Singapore - All traced back to British colonisation - the Straits settlement days...

These items show...looks familiar?

20150525 : Penang celebration

Penang : Interesting Unesco World heritage town.

 

The Blue Mansion... 

A town of art murals...

A historical old town

A nature place in the sea and gunung mountain

A tropical fruit place - nutmeg!

Penang Hill!

 Car crossing to Butterworth by ferry!

Drove to Taiping...Big Aeon Mall just opened in Nov 2014!

Taiping Lake revisited!!

20150323_ A black out dotted nation; The 3rd Desert?

Wonder what happened to the blog 
for the month of March - April 2015?

It was so grieved that it went into silent mode.....

And reading the minor prophet "Amos" in the bible made it even more sorrowful...........a dark time for the nation

Isaiah 6:1  it was as if .......in the year that LKY died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, the train of his robe filled the tempe.  Above him were seraphs, each with 6 wings: With the  2 wings they covered their faces, with 2 they covered their feet, and with 2 they were flying. nd they were callin to one another :
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty:
the whole earth is full of his glory"


Dr Lee Wei Ling “ Fellow Singaporeans, let us move on in a post-Lee Kuan Yew era and continue to behave with kindness and consideration towards each other and work for a better Singapore for Singaporeans.   Remember Ozymandias.  But nothing remained except the desert .  Shelley’s moral was that all prominent figures and the empires they build are impermanent, their legacies doomed to decay into oblivion”. (Sunday Times April 19, 2015)

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The Desert Triumphs!
He reigns forever!
What man builds in temporal will reap in the temporal
What man invests in kingdom building will reap in eternity!

20150521_ Another Desert? Palmyra: TAKEN today

Palmyra appears in the Bible (II Chronicles 8.4) as a desert city fortified by Solomon. (There is a mention of a city of Tamar in I Kings 9.18, also fortified by Solomon, which may refer to Tadmor but could also be a place near the Dead Sea.) 

What happened to this desert city on 21/5/2015?
It was TAKEN by ISIS!!!

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32820857

Oh my! Oh My! Oh My! But this is revelationary!One of those King Solomon's extension of building projects in his golden days!

Site of Palmyra

An oasis in the Syrian desert, north-east of Damascus, Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. From the 1st to the 2nd century, the art and architecture of Palmyra, standing at the crossroads of several civilizations, married Graeco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences.

Palmyra is an ancient city of central Syria, located in an oasis 130 miles (210 km) NE ofDamascus.

Once dubbed the "Bride of the Desert," Palmyra was a vital stop for caravans crossing the Syrian desert. Palmyra was mentioned in the Old Testament as being fortified by Solomon and it flourished in Roman times.

advertisementHistory of Palmyra

There is much to see at the site today, including several temples dedicated to Aramean, Babylonian and Mesopotamian deities. The ancient ruins are a World Heritage Site and are one of the most popular tourist destinations in Syria.

Palmyra (Παλμυρα) is the Greek name for the city, a translation of its original Aramaic name, Tadmor, which means "palm tree." Today, Tadmor (in Arabic تدمر) is the name of a small city of about 36,000 next to the ruins, which is heavily dependent on tourism.

The city is mentioned in tablets dating from as early as the 19th century BC, when it was a trading city in the extensive trade network that linked Mesopotamia and northern Syria.

Palmyra appears in the Bible (II Chronicles 8.4) as a desert city fortified by Solomon. (There is a mention of a city of Tamar in I Kings 9.18, also fortified by Solomon, which may refer to Tadmor but could also be a place near the Dead Sea.) Tadmor is also mentioned by Josephus(Antiquities, Book VIII) along with the Greek name of Palmyra, as a city built by Solomon.

Tadmor began to attain prominence in the 3rd century BC, when a road through it became one of the main routes of east-west trade. It was built on an oasis lying approximately halfway between the Mediterranean Sea in the west and the Euphrates River east, and thus helped connect the western world with the Orient. When the Seleucids took Syria in 323 BC, Palmyra remained autonomous and continued to flourish as an important caravan stop.

In 41 BC, Mark Antony tried to occupy Palmyra but failed. The Palmyrans had advance warning and had escaped to the other side of the Euphrates by the time he arrived, which indicates that Palmyra was still a nomadic settlement whose valuables could be removed at short notice.

Palmyra was made part of the Roman province of Syria during the reign of Tiberius (14–37). It steadily grew in importance as a trade route linking Persia, India, China, and the Roman empire. In 129, Hadrian visited the city and was so impressed that he proclaimed it a free city and renamed itPalmyra Hadriana. In 217, Emperor Caracalla made Palmyra a colonia, which meant exemption from paying taxes to the empire. The 2nd and 3rd centuries were the golden age of Palmyra, when it flourished through its extensive trading and favored status under the Romans.

The main god of the Aramaeans at Palmyra was Bol (probably an equivalent to Baal). Bol soon became known as Bel by assimilation to the Babylonian god Bel-Marduk; both gods presided over the movements of the stars. Ruins of the Temple of Bel can still be seen today.

The Palmyrenes associated Bel with the sun and moon gods, Yarhibol and Aglibol, and another heavenly triad formed around the Phoenician godBaal Shamen, the Lord of Heaven, who was more or less identical with Hadad. A monotheistic tendency emerged in the 2nd century AD with the worship of an unnamed god "whose name is blessed forever, the merciful and good."

The language of Palmyra was Aramaic. Its two systems of writing, a monumental script and a Mesopotamian cursive, reflect the city's position between East and West. The great bilingual inscription known as the Tariff of Palmyra and the inscriptions carved below the statues of the great caravan leaders reveal information on the organization and nature of Palmyra's trade. The Palmyrenes traded with India via the Persian Gulf route and also with Coptos on the Nile River, Dura-Europus in Syria, and Rome.

Palmyra's trade began to diminish in the early 3rd century, when the Persian Sassanids occupied the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates and closed the caravan road that passed through Palmyra (227). In 255, Septimus Odaenathus was appointed governor of Syria Phoenice, based in Palmyra. Five years later, he was made Governor of all the East.

In 266 Odaenathus and his eldest son were assassinated. Power fell to his infant son, but Odaenathus' wife, Zenobia, became the effective ruler. Some believe she was the one who hired the assassin.

The ambitious Zenobia was half-Greek and half-Arab (or possibly half-Jewish) and claimed to be descended from Cleopatra. She was exceptionally intelligent and an eloquent speaker of Palmyrian, Greek and Egyptian and attractive. In her court were philosophers, scholars and theologians.

Queen Zenobia was an effective ruler and her armies conquered most of Anatolia (Asia Minor) in 270, and the city declared its independence from Rome. Zenobia had her sights set on Antioch when she was captured in 272.

She was sent to Rome, where she was paraded in golden chains as Emperor Aurelian's trophy. There are two stories of Zenobia's last days: she either lived comfortably in Rome in a villa provided for by the emperor or she starved/poisoned herself to death. A year later, Palmyra was destroyed and the inhabitants slaughtered.

In the 6th century, Palmyra's defences are rebuilt by emperor Justinian and a few Byzantinechurches were built, but most of the city remained in ruins. In 634, Palmyra was taken by the Muslim Arabs under Khalid ibn Walid in the name of the first Muslim caliph, Abu Bakr. A castle was built on top of a mountain overlooking the oasis. Surrounded by a moat, the castle was accessible only through a drawbridge.

In 1089, a major earthquake destroyed what was left of Palmyra. In 1678, Palmyra was "rediscovered" by two English merchants living inAleppo. Excavations began in 1924 and the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/syria/palmyra {EXtracted from]

20150312_Desert : Heb 11:38 Pinnacles in Perth

Heb 11:38 ..the world was not worthy of them.  They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.  V39. These were commanded for their faith yet non of them received what had been promised"

We drove miles and miles up north of Perth just to witness these funny looking jutting out stones or rocks or stumps or columns! No one really know how they came about. LOL

In the midst of such desert land , bloomed some pretty looking desert flowers like the one above.  Well, the bible calls such places as wilderness too.  And how often in the bible did Jesus retreated into such a desert place to meet with his Father.  His protected solitude.  His sanctuary of rest.  His treasured spa of rejuvenation.  

Hebrews 11 Chapter Hall of Faith for many men and women.  Yes, many wandered in deserts alright.  Yet none of them received what had been promised.  They were all commended for their faith.  Faith defined as being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Such is FAITH.  Forsaking All I Trust Thee.

Oh what did some of them go through? Tortured.  Jeerred. Flogged.  Chained.  Prisoned.  Stoned.  Swed into two.  Killed by the sword.  Wore sheepskins and goatskins.  Destituted.  Persecuted.  Mistreated.  

Oh what did some conquer? Kingdoms.  Shut the mouths of lions.  Quenched the fiery flames.  escaped the sword.  Powerful in battle. Routed foreign armies.  Women received back their dead!

Conclusion

Desert Period in your life?

We need deserts in our lives.  Not just desserts at the end of our meals. But the real main course too.

It is the place and time where we can start to hear His voice.

It is also the test of our life - either we make it or break it.

So we will always remember at the end of this awesome Hebrews 11 Faith chapter V40 (remember the 40 days of wilderness of Jesus? ) "God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect"

Would we partner with Him? Stand firm in our faith even during the desert where no main meal seemed to be awaiting for us.  We longed for the yummy cooling dessert in our thirst and dream of all the oasis set before us. Hang in there and make it through!  There will always be a Desert Song of praise unto Him.  Sing it out!

After the Desert....lobster main course!

Star gazing....

 .......and to the Top of this tower..
what an awesome aerial view...after the Desert experience!