20101231: Crossing over to 2011!

Looking back at 2010...giving thanks to the Lord for all that He had done!

20101208: John 10:27 Even a 4-year old can hear God's voice!

John10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me"

John10:27 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me"

Amen!

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Jerry shows us what grit and spirit is, and he is 4 years old

Jerry shows us what grit and spirit is, and he is 4 years old

4 year-old Jeremiah Liauw "Jerry" was born with spina bifida, a spinal defect which causes his lower body to be especially weak.

The Club Rainbow member's goal was to crawl his way to the finish line for the 750m Kids Dash event.

You can watch this video on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150099593506414&oid=120040444682776&comments&ref=mf

Watching him finish what must have been a really tough 750m on his hands and knees in the hot sun was inspirational enough.

But what brought tears to my eyes was was what his mother shared in the comments section:

…Jerry wanted to crawl and refused to be carried when everyone was telling me to carry him coz for those of you who knows and are there, the weather was super duper hot and the ground was really radiating IMMENSE HEAT as it was approaching noon but Jerry kept diving for the ground.

If he could have it his way, he would not allow me to carry him at anytime at all. And a last note to share which may sound unbelieving to unbelievers, as I was changing Jerry yesterday, Jerry said, yes Jerry said, these are his exact words which took me aback too…

Jerry: "Actually when i saw the many people, I didn't want to crawl but God told me to crawl."

Me: "God told u to crawl?"

Jerry: "Yes. God told me to crawl."

Me: "Huh? What do you mean God told you to crawl?"

Jerry: "Yes, in my heart, I heard God's voice telling me to crawl."

Me: "Huh? you mean you heard God's voice?"

Jerry: "Yes. I heard God telling me to crawl."

Me: "Huh? What do you mean? How did you know it's God's voice?"

Jerry: "You will know it when He talks to you."

20101201-Something cost more than the other?

Subject: STORY OF APPRECIATION (a forward in an email rec'd)

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. He passed the first interview, the director who did the last interview, had the final decision.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research,never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none".

The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.

The director asked, "Where did your mother work?" The youth answered,

"My mother worked as a laundry woman. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to

study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me."

The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and wash your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When hewent back, he happily requested his mother to let him wash her hands.

His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to her son.

The youth washed his mother's hands slowly. His tears fell as he didthat. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were washed with water.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.

After finishing the washing of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: "Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"

The youth answered, "I washed my mother’s hand, and also finished washing all the remaining clothes'

The Director asked, "Please tell me your feelings."

The youth said, "Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship."

The director said,"This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired."

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team.

The company's performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents,are we really showing love or are we destroying the child instead?*

You can let your child live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow grey, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your child learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learn the ability to work with others to get things done.

Reflections:

I happen to chance upon this video from another blog. Then I went back to read the email story above "Story of Appreciation". Life is a bit of a paradox.

2 different worlds for a child simply just because he was born in a different country, place , family and time.

SOMETHING COST MORE THAN THE OTHER?

Why not? Is life unfair? Why not?

Perhaps after watching this and reading the above story, you may have many things to wonder about or become more reflective.

I did.

1. Life is unfair? - we better acknowledge it & come to terms with it, simply because we live in a very fallen world right from the beginning of Adam and Eve being chased out of the Garden of Eden. Gen 3:24" After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life" - Gone...no turning back...through no fault of ours but that of Adam and Eve's disobedience.

2. What is life? - Affluence in society does not equate to happiness and joy in the real world. The poor has their own set of problems and so do the affluent ones. Some wear Crocs sandals that cost more than S$40 while others may wear a similar pair that cost S$4 (for all you know, they came from the same factory). Could be the same item just with a different external label. ha Ha Ha.

3. Life unfair but God is just. - While God had put the flaming sword and cherubim on the East side of the Garden preventing us from going back, He still wanted to provide a way back for us to the Garden again. But how? Well, this is the month of the Christmas celebration. A baby was born in a manger, not at the KK Hospital. God sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to die for our sins. It cost Him his precious life as He died on the cross so that we may live. It is a paradox. Whoever believe in Him for what He has done will gain the eternal life. Our names can be written in the Book of life. It is just a question of choice. We cannot choose where we are born and into what kind of family. But whatever it is wherever we are, in poverty or in wealth, we can choose.

4. What am I here on earth for? Or what on earth I am doing?? - One may be so privileged to receive the education whilst the other may have to slog it out by working in the shoe factory at a tender age. Some may have to work night shifts while some just the normal 8 hour day shift. Some may be lying in the hospital bed while some are still active playing golf. etc etc etc. At the end of the day 1 Thess 5:16 is available to all, not some. "Be joyful always, pray continually; GIVE THANKS in ALL circumstances, for this is God's WILL for you in Christ Jesus"

Needs and wants? Necessity or luxury? The video is entitled "ALL I NEED" What do you need this Christmas? Your two front teeth?

TIS THE SEASON OF APPRECIATION - TO THE GIVER OF LIFE, OUR FAMILY LOVED ONES & FRIENDS. GOD BLESS YOU!

20101119/27 @MBS Ground zero : Hear us from heaven

I have not gained much from this recent exhibition @ MBS. (And seems that this could be the last one to be held here in S'pore as times have changed) But what I gained was being present at the Ground Zero of one of the BIG CASINOes here - to have a real feel of what it was like for the couple of days continuously. I would not pay for the S$100 levy to enter. I am actually surprised to find so many different entrances into the casino! Not just one! The whole MBS shopping mall outside the casino was in fact a facade for the rich and the famous - the world's so called famous brands are lined up one after another. Our S'pore govt now boasts of the economy growing with the recent GDP stats - all merely boosted by the monetary contributions ' of this newly opened casinos. Their contribution to the GDP was lumped together under "other services" classification together with our education and entertainment category!

Today, this Casino is not only milking the rich and famous, but they are also sucking money not only from the ordinary locals as well as those across the Causeway. 7 years ago, many S'poreans here tried to petition against this building of casinos. But who would have thought that we have not only opened one but 2 casinos? 7 years had passed and this year saw the official opening in April. We are beginning to see the woes. Just the beginning tip of the ice-berg.

We believers are urged not to be of the world even thought we are in the world. The material world is so tempting and sucking. Even now 'church' had been 'compromised'. The ecclesia "church' supposedly to be the called out ones are seemingly also 'called into the world systems and values'. It is a different cloud of believers in the breeding? If we are not careful, we will be like the 6 churches in the book of Revelation : Passionless Ephesus, Persecuted Smyrna, Compromising Pergamum, Corrupt Thyatira, Dead Sardis, Lukewarm Laodicea. Can we remain to be like the Faithful Philadelphia to the end? Be an overcomer and standing firm in the faith till we see Him face to face or called home?

A beautiful song below. An expression of a cry from a heart to Yahweh.

20101113_I love S'pore walk & MBS different perspective Gal 5:19-22

13/11/2010 : Celebrating "I Love S'pore 2010 together with World Kindness Day"

It was a 13,000 +/- people big walk from the Padang taking the Esplanade Route to the F1 Start station via Beach Road and back. Our first time walking on foot. Always been fascinated by the MBS building. Never really like it due to the odd 3 -spoke structures and a weird looking spaceshi -like thing on top. Well here are photos captured of this funny building from another vantage point. Enjoy viewing.

Kindness?? Reminded me of Gal5: 22: The 9 fruit of the spirit : LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF-CONTROL. Against such things there is no law.

The recent spate of gangsters killing in S'pore - it is against all the above unfortunately. They belong to the verse Gal 5:19 : The acts of sinful nature. HATRED, DISCORD, JEALOUSY , FITS OF RAGE..DISSENSIONS, FACTIONS , ENYY, DRUNKENESS & THE LIKE. Well well, the bible says that all who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Against the 9 fruit of the spirit, there is no law. But here, the criminal law has to be invoked to prevent lawlessness in our youths who are caught in this mire of gangsterism. Sad.

20101107- Like Incense -sometimes by Step

20101031: Disconnect to Connect : The E-world we live in

Because of the crowding of many distractions now around us, people often find "retreats" going up the mountains or the countryside helpful to "refind" oneself with the Creator. Because busyness had squeezed Him out of our lives. Actually the word "retreat" is both noun and verb. One is taken as a 'camp get away' and the other is "going backwards". Isn't that true that most pp need this kind of break in life once in a while? Hence I think that slogan in that advert "Disconnect to Connect" is so apt and relevant today. The observation of how so many pp were doing the "yellow pages thing - let your fingers do the walking" in the MRT. I had been rather interested in this myself and had been observing all the public places- yes it is 'yellow pages' all around. Funny, it is quite ironical right - years ago , we relied on this paper booklet for info. But today, just like someone wrote a eulogy for Sony Walkman (the in thing in the 80s) yesterday's papers, we can also include the eulogy for Yellow Pages. (Ha Ha - they did not envisage that their little logo is so relevant today and it kind of did not foresee the logo was its eventual demise?) We used to flip sides of that heavy books (encyclos included besides directories) to search. But today, we swipe both left to right and up and down/ tap tap the I-phone or any android phone or the Ipad. And information is almost instantaneous!

I am beginning to comprehend what Daniel (one of the prophets around 530 BC) wrote . In his last chapter 12, he was asked to "close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge". Interesting indeed. do you know that way back in the Sumerian civilisations (at least 3500 bc), earliest evidence of writing was found? Later, it went into the papyrus and scrolls to the ink and paper today. Yes, scolls used. Johan Gutenberg - invented the Heidelberg printing press in AD1450. It was then in 1455 that this man printed his first bible. Since then, the bible remains as the best selling books in the world. No other literature or books ever beat it. Today, this bible too had been E-based. It is not Gutenberg but GOOGLE has taken over! So Daniel was right in his prophesy. Knowledge is running to and fro through the www! Facebook - another paradox. The name should be Faceless Book. It is the virtual world that pp are being sucked in today. The person who wrote in the profile section may not be the actual person who claimed to be! Mummies played the Farm game in Facebook so passionately that they rather strangle their real baby. Was it virtual pets more important than the babies???

King Solomon - the wisest king on earth wrote in Ecclesiates " a time and season for everything on earth" We are the generation indeed that is alive to see this happen in the world of fast technological advancement. I think that it is the babyboomers generation like us who really can sense this big change in our life. At least we went thru the bucket system days. But it is not spiralling downhill. Change is the only constant in life. We just have to embrace it. And people can change. In fact many do change in choices of food especially when one grows older. Chances given repeatedly may cause changes to come about. We need lots of second chances in life. Without it, we are doomed or damned easily. It reminds me of God's character. His grace & mercy: Grace - God giving to us what we do not deserve. Mercy - God not giving us to us what we deserve. (make sense??).

This is the E-world we are in. Electronic or Entangled present world?? But definitely not the Eternal or Everlasting future world yet to be. At least not now. Akang Datang...COMING SOON!

Let's DISCONNECT TO CONNECT to the Giver of life, Yahweh and to the loved ones and friends and relatives around us.

20101027: Heaven and Earth become one - Here in Your Presence

Just realised that Ps14 and 53 are almost identical! Earlier blog was on the heavenly view from the little hand made space aircraft. Looking down the aerial view - from 100,000 ft view and below.

Many times in the bible, the verse says the kingdom of God is here.

What does it mean actually?

Gen28. The record of Jacob's dream of a stairway resting on the earth with its top reaching heaven and angels of God ascending and descending on it. And when he woke up, he declared the place Bethel - house of God, the gate of heaven. Awesome place. And the Lord promised that he is with him and will watch over him wherever he goes, never leave him. That's HIS PRESENCE.

The fool says in his heart "There is no God"

Yet , God looks down from heaven on us to see if any of us understand and seek Him.

Everyone has turned away, become corrupt, no one does good.

When the Lord's presence fall upon us, we are indeed undone.

Our works are like filthy rags.

David was a man after God's heart. Yet he too fell like anyone else.

But what makes him different among others? Guess, the Lord sees his heart. David understood God. He sought after Him. Will we do the same?

Dsus D Dsus D
Found in Your hands, fullness of joy
Em7 D/F# G D
Every fear suddenly wiped away here in Your Presence
Dsus D Dsus D
All of my gains now fade away
Em7 D/F# G D
Every crown no longer on display, here in Your Presence
Bm7 A G2
Heaven is trembling in awe of Your wonders
Bm7 A G2
The kings and their kingdoms are standing amazed

Chorus:
D2 A/C#
Here in Your Presence, we are undone
Bm7 A G2
Here in Your Presence, Heaven and earth become one
D2 A/C#
Here in Your Presence, all things are new
Bm7 A G2
Here in Your Presence, everything bows before You
(1st ending)
D Em7 G D/F# Em7 D

Other: D A/C# Bm7 D2/A G2

Bridge:
Bm Bm/A G D/F#
(Repeat)
Bm Bm/A G D/F#
Wonderful, beautiful, glorious, matchless in every way
Bm Bm/A G D/F#
Wonderful, beautiful, glorious, matchless in every way
(Repeat)
Bm Bm/A G D/F#
Wonderful, beautiful, glorious, matchless in every way
Bm Bm/A G D/F# G2 A
Wonderful, beautiful, glorious, matchless in every way

20101023:Heavenly view from a handmade spacecraft with camera - launched Aug 2010

Ever wondered what heaven is like? The rich and famous would have paid hundreds of thousands just to take a trip to space. Furthermore, national R&D space programs cost a bomb too in the home country.

But today, I read in the papers about a dad who at the request of his 7-year son did the extraordinary. They managed to launch a 'cheap' homemade space craft comprising a video cam, an I-phone (for GPS tracking)& parachute via a big balloon into the stratosphere. The 60 over minute journey from lift off till its landing back to earth was videoed. Quite an amazing educational youtube to watch! Must see!

The bible talks about "Heaven or heavens" many times from Genesis to Revelation. Well, the opposite of heaven is earth. "Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you" Job35:5 We are here in this little planet called Earth.We are fascinated by what is above and spend millions and billions of dollars into the research of outer space.

The opening video showed the view taken from this camera of the beautiful stratosphere. The earth is round. Ps19:6 "It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat."

Ps104:2" He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent" Indeed.

The scene is just awesome. Majestic. Indescribable.Ps8:1O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

Through the lens of this little camera, we gazed the atmosphere above. As the balloons burst and free fall started, the little home-made space craft rocked back to earth. Couldn't help thinking what God thinks as He viewed from above to Earth? Ps102:19"The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth" Ps103:19 "The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all" . Job28:24:" for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens."

Well, I believe He is observing, examining, seeking for men and women on this Earth whom He rules - To see if any understands and seeks Him.

• Ps14:2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
• Ps11:4The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them.
• Ps53:2 God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God

It is an amazing feat that the camera and I-phone remained intact upon its free drop back to earth. It is the laws of gravity. What goes up must come down. Yet, notwithstanding the pressure and wind speed etc, it managed to land just about 30 miles from the launch site. And it landed on a tree - intact for this youtube to be made! Wow!

It is interesting to observe that the dad and son prayed before their launch off. This mini project was a success. The youtube got more than a million hits since Sep2010.

Job38:33Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God's dominion over the earth? v37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens? Job41:11Everything underheaven belongs to me.

To an awesome Creator God - Yahweh!

Is55:6-9 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him and to our God, for he will freely pardon. "For my thought are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts your thoughts."

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

20101004:Ps104:4 Winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants

I thought I found this verse in only Heb1:7. BUT TODAY, I REALISED IT WAS REPEATED IN PS104:4!

"He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants"Ps104:4

"He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire" -Heb1:7

Ps104 is a rather long psalm. 35 verses.

It begins and ends with "Praise the LORD, O my soul"

All throughout this psalm, it speaks of His greatness, splendor, majesty, His creative power in creation - the heavens, the earth and all that is in it..the sea creatures and all the animals and birds. How He looks after us all!

• His Power in creation,
• His Provision for his creation,
• His Purpose in His creation - may the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works (Ps104:31)

As I reviewed this kite video, taken at the Marina Promontory last month Sep 2010, I couldn't help imagining as if the kites were 'angels' flying in the wind!

Have you ever try to start the BBQ fire? Many a times we need to fan the wind into the fire to enable the flame to fire up strongly.

Heb1:6"when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says" Let all God's angels worship him" ..v14"Are not angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"

V23 then man goes out to his work to his labour until evening.

V29 when the LORD take away our breath, we die and return to dust

V30 when the LORD send His Spirit, they are created and He renews the face of the earth.

I thank God for his angels. They stir us up to continue to be the flaming fire servants.

Why? Simply so that our hearts will continue to burn for Him.

V33 I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him as I rejoice in the LORD"

Is the fire in your life dwindling ? Losing sight of your first love?

I pray that the Lord will send his angel right now with a gush of refreshing wind to stir up that dying fire.

Be renewed - Sing. Meditate. Praise - all my soul. Let this be our OBSESSION in life - that we will sing praise to Him as long as we live!

20100927: Ex14:21!Winds parted the Red Sea! It's true!

Exodus 14:21 "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left"

Breaking news!! IT'S TRUE! What men thought it was impossible, today with the help of computer simulations, science has one again proven the bible to be true - at least for this Red Sea parting! Wow!

This is fantastic wind discovery!!! My bible study on wind this month is a blown-away! What a timely scientific discovery unveiled!

The more I seek you, the more I find you! Listen to this song as you read the recent discovery. Shalom!

Researchers link parting of the Red Sea to strong winds

Sunday, 26 September 2010 10:25

Moses might not have parted the Red Sea, but a strong east wind that blew through the night could have pushed the waters back in the way described in biblical writings and the Koran, US researchers reported on Tuesday. Computer simulations, part of a larger study on how winds affect water, show wind could push water back at a point where a river bent to merge with a coastal lagoon, the team at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of Colorado at Boulder said. “The simulations match fairly closely with the account in Exodus,” Carl Drews of NCAR, who led the study, said in a statement. “The parting of the waters can be understood through fluid dynamics. The wind moves the water in a way that’s in accordance with physical laws, creating a safe passage with water on two sides and then abruptly allowing the water to rush back in.” Religious texts differ a little in the tale, but all describe Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt ahead of a pharaoh’s armies around 3 000 years ago. The Red Sea parts to let Moses and his followers pass safely, then crashes back onto the pursuers, drowning them. Drews and colleagues are studying how Pacific Ocean typhoons can drive storm surges and other effects of strong and sustained winds on deep water. His team pinpointed a possible site south of the Mediterranean Sea for the legendary crossing, and modelled different land formations that could have existed then and perhaps led to the accounts of the sea appearing to part. The model requires a U-shaped formation of the Nile River and a shallow lagoon along the shoreline. It shows that a wind of 63 miles per hour, blowing steadily for 12 hours, could have pushed back waters 6 feet deep. “This land bridge is 3-4 km (2 to 2.5 miles) long and 5 km (3 miles) wide, and it remains open for 4 hours,” they wrote in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE. “People have always been fascinated by this Exodus story, wondering if it comes from historical facts,” Drews said. “What this study shows is that the description of the waters parting indeed has a basis in physical laws.”—Reuters

20100926:Heb 1;7 ANGELS WINDS -Harnessing the wind

Heb1:7" He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire"

We heard of agriculture , hydroponics ,animal ,fish , prawn farms etc, but what about wind farms?

Have been pondering over the winds in the wake of the kite-flying. Actually wind farms are nothing new. The first was started in 1980s in the States I think. Man is always energy resource hungry. We tapped the rivers to make hydro-electricity. We dugged into the sea for the oil. We created solar panels to generate power. So harnessing the wind for the same energy is nothing new. But today, the meterological weather has changed. Some of the rivers of the world are dying up while others bursting its seams. Man has short term memory. The recent Deep Horizon Oil spill that happened just a few months back is no longer in our minds.

Renewable alternative energy! Well, few days ago, the world's largest offshore wind farm off England South Coast was officially opened. The Thanet Offshore Wind Farm consists of 100 wind turbines and will generate enough electricity for the equivalent of 200,000 UK households

Each wind turbine at the facility is up to 115 metres high. The wind farm covers an area of 35 square kilometres, around the size of 4,000 soccer fields. The cost of the project, funded in part by the UK Government, was approximately EUR 1 billion.The wind farm took just over two years to construct and will be in operation for at least 25 years.

So much money poured in just to harness the winds! Problem is that the winds blow wherever it pleases! (John 3:8) So whether the positive effects of this energy thing is yet to be really seen.

There is something about WINDS:-

1. It is invisible - John 3:8 Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 that "no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" He is not referring to the physical birth but rather the invisible spirit birth - that awakening of our inner man - the Spirit man.
2. It gives life - Ez 37 . Ezekiel prophesied and commanded the 4 winds to breathe into the slain and the dry bones came to life - a vast army
3. It is angelic - Heb 1:7 God makes his angels winds. His messengers! The beauty of simply embracing yourself in the winds, letting them caress your face especially at the seaside!
4. It is judgment -Rev7:1 4 angels, standing at 4 corners of the earth, holding back the 4 winds of the earth. Here in Rev 7, these 4 angels were given power to harm the land or the sea or the trees. Similar vision given to Daniel in Dan7;2. But they were asked to hold back judgement until another angel from the east with God's seal told them to delay until the seal on the foreheads of the servants of the Lord were put on. I believe this is the Glorious Return of our Lord Jesus as mentioned in Matt24:31and Mark11:27 "He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the 4 winds, from one end of the heavens to the other"

Reflections:

No one can see God. Just like wind. But we can see the effects. God is Love. A small act of kindness can create ripples beyond our imagination. God made angels winds. But He made us to the flames of fire. The energy that never dies so long as we focused on Him. He is the source of our life. Do we know Him? Do we have that seal on our foreheads?

Open your heart to Him - to be born again, to be rejuvenated. God assigns to each of His precious child a guardian angel - to watch and protect us and seal us from the judgement to come.

20100904: Ecclesiates: A Chasing after the Wind - a kite flying experience!

Bought a kite and tried flying it on 4/9/2010 for the first time at Marina Barrage (beginning to enjoy this place!)

Then on 10/9/2010, along with a couple of friends, we decided to go kite-flying again! But alas, this time, the wind was rather weak and so we could not really launch it.

It was then we decided to literary 'chase after the wind' by moving from the Marina to Labrador Park and then to the West Coast, then back to MARINA by night fall. As it turned out, there was no wind at all these places too. So we could not launch the kites! Kind of disappointing and anti-climax!

This futile effort brought to my mind of King Soloman's search of the meaning of life. Wisdom, pleasures, toil, achievements, advancement, riches, wealth, possessions, honour, appetites -all are but " a chasing of the wind"

Ecclesiates is only a 12-chapter book. But the verse "a chasing after the wind ' is repeated 8 times! V1:14, 17, 2:11, 17 & 26, 4:4, 16 & 6:9!

What did the kite-flying lesson teach me?

1. We are like kites who needs the wind of the Holy Spirit at all times

A kite can easily take off when the wind conditions are right effortlessly. John 3:8 "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Apart from the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing indeed. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, life is never the same as we can soar like an eagle and not waddle on the ground like the chick.

2. It is a meaningless act to chase after the wind.

There will be times where we are meant to be grounded - no kite flying! Times to just simply relax and be laid back and enjoy the blue sky and clouds or the stars at night. There is no point for us to run in the open pulling the kite along for a lift off. It is a draining & tedious effort!

Conclusion of the matter? Eccl12:13 -14

"Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil"