20110719 Cameron : Ginger flowers? Col 2:7

This awesome looking ginger flowers reminded my of this verse , Col 2:7

" So then , just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were thought, overflowing with thankfulness"

Just look at those pretty little "cups"! So symetrical, so orderly. so tall and upright!

But it is the root - the gingers we eat all the time that gives the extra taste to our taste buds. Gingers are known to have several reports on health and well being of the person consuming them!

Be strengthened indeed!

20110718 Cameron, KL, Seremban & Malacca

Ecclesiastes 1:5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.

Had a chance to be on the road trip with ten pax in a rented mini bus from S'pore - Seremban - KL - Cameron Highlands - Malacca in July 2011.

Above balcony photo taken in the Equatorial Hotel , highest hotel on the Cameron : Afternoon evening and morning misty surrounding.

So says King Solomon in his quest for meaning of life.

Well, the Lord brought us back 30 years when most of us came to this highland. And what an amazing God we serve - He also reunited my long last cousin in Malacca. He was in search of the story of the Jews! So, it is all about timing.

There is a time for everything under the sun.

20110715: DOG or GOD? Phi 1:21 To live is Christ

You' ve been working like a dog?

Why do people say 'you ve been working like a dog' when all dogs do is sit around all day and only get up to do one thing?

Its an old saying, old sayin because.. back in the day dogs were mainly used as working/guard dogs etc.

You didn't get as many dogs being pets they where used as workers, and worked for hours and hours doing things such as guarding, herding or killing. But the dogs of the present Singapore are different. They have good life - their personal grooming cost more than my hair cut ! (applies to 'high-class' dogs...and different kinds of dogs too lead different life, some are bought with a high price tag while others are born 'free')

So speaks of this photo taken only yesterday morning on the way to work along Alexandra road. I envied that golden retriever which was sitting and enjoying the car breeze in the red sporty topless car! I suddenly thought "How nice it was me instead!"

That led me to think what I was living for....rather be a dog than a human being? Guess this song says it all.

I love dogs. I used to talk to my late dog, a beautiful white Samoyed, in my teens. She was my pet companion who never slacked in giving me a morning call at my bedside for years. But back then I did not know God. But now, I talk not to dog but to God!

I make a vow

My life will always honour you

Whether I live or die

I belong to Him

He bore my sin

I owe this life to my saviour King

Hallelujah, I am not my own

You are in control

Hallelujah

For me to live is christ

And to die is gain

No matter what price i pay

I choose to give this life away

Only by the cross I am saved

20110707: Mal3:16 Book of Remembrance

^{Mal 3: 16}Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

¹⁷And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

¹⁸Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Malachi 4:1 Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace

Heb10:24 -25 talks about a time all the more when we see the Day coming - what we needed to do ie To spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Not to give up meeting one another, but to encourage on another.

So indeed as in Mal3:16: Do we fear the Lord? Do we talk to our fellow brothers and sisters in fearing and honouring Him?

Can you imagine that once we do that:-

1. We will be remembered in His scroll of remembrance

2. We will be His possession

3. We will be spared

In this darkened days of our society, we may see the unleashing of the devilish things around us. They are coming at us in ferociously with great intensity. Even S'pore NDP committee endorsed and adapted Lady Gaga Bad Romance for the NDP 2011 song. So what more can we say about the spiritual climate over our nation?

We see a distinction between the righteous and the wicked. Those who serve God and those who do not.

Heb10:23 exhorts us to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Yes He is faithful

Take heart all the arrogant and every doer will be stubbled, set on fire. But for thsoe who revere His name , the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And we will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then we will trample down the wicked. and they will be ashes under the soles of our feet.

Persevere. Pray unceasingly. Pass out not.

20110704-"Prayers need faith ,otherwise no effect?"

Yesterday, my sister sent me a sms which says "Payers need faith, otherwise no effect". Many years ago, she challenged that unless God appears to her in front , she will never believe.

That sms was in response to my earlier sms regarding a prayer for her arthritic painful hands.

It left me in deep thoughts.

Didn't the scripture in Matt 17:20 say " And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you" I prefer the KJV to the NIV. The latter " because you have so little faith..."

Didn't Heb 11:6 say "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." ?

In the book "Growing Deep in Faith" By Edmund Chan: Quote" A strong faith is not the domain of super Christians, but is simple and accessible to everyone - BECAUSE FAITH IS NOT ABOUT US, FAITH IS ALL ABOUT GOD! (Italics mine) . Such faith looks up to God and seeing Him for who He is, rises above the trials and vicissitudes ( this chim word means 'changes") of life.

NOT DIMINUTIVENESS BUT DEFECTIVENESS OF FAITH:

He added on the point out something that many believers had it all wrong, not just my sister who does not know Him yet. Unbelief or so little faith? Many of us would have similar thoughts " Oh yes the issue is that we did not have enough faith. If only we had more faith!" Paraphrased of Matt 17:20... " You totally missed it guys. It is not about the size of your faith. Truly I say to you, if you had real, God-inspired faith - even if it were as small a a mustard seed- you could move mountains!"

The central issue was faith. Faith is the currency of heaven. Faith taps into the power of God. Faith pleases God. Heb 11:6. So my sister is partly right in her saying so.

But she also had it half wrong.

OUR FOCUS: BIG MOUNTAIN OR THE MIGHTY GOD?

Size isn't everything. It is not about the size of our faith. Nor was it about the size of the mountain (whatever your problem is). Why? Because God outsized it all!

My sister was half right only. Even for us who are believers, we often inclined to operate on a faith that depends on our feelings - feelings about how 'strong' or how 'weak' our faith is -rather than based on a child-like faith dependent upon how might and how faithful God is. It is not about the greatness of our faith but the greatness of our God that ultimately matters.

Conclusion?

Bid God small problems. Small God BIG PROBLEMS! What kind of God do we truly worship? A BIG BIG GOD!, so what's the problem?

Faith is RISK. Yes, to my dear sister - plunge in and take that step of risk or faith. It is definitely worth it. Turn from fear to faith. To learn to swim one has to jump into the water. Without water, you cannot swim. Just like faith - without faith , we cannot please Him. That sms - half correct...need another 50% to complete it...almost got it! F-A-I-T-H - Forsaken All I Trust Him - it is whom we trust not how we trust.

Beautiful song" There is no problem too big God cannot solve it"

http://youtu.be/BOZKc8CyaaQ

Quotes: extracted from "Growing deeper in faith". A book worth reading. (Available at Covenant Evangelical Free Church, Singapore)

20110701 Awesome ladder rainbow (Australia) Amazing sunset (UK)

Both photos taken in June 2011! One sunset in SW England, UK and the other sunrise with a ladder-like rainbow in Perth, Australia! Compliments from 2 friends who shared these awesome SPLENDID pictures!

Psalm 148:13

"LET THEM PRAISE THE NAME OF THE LORD, FOR HIS NAME ALONE IS EXALTED; HIS SPLENDOR IS ABOVE THE EARTH AND THE HEAVENS."

Breathtaking , isn't it?

Psalm 150:

"LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD"

HALLELUJAH! PTL!