20170218 : What can I do but praise You! 1 Cor 2 : 9-10

1 Cor 2: 9-10 " No one has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those whose love him" But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

What can I do but praise you Lord!

20170216_The light of Dark Matter and Dark Energy ? Dan 2:22

Dan 2:22 " He reveals the deep and secret things, he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells in him"

Background
Last week my revelation of light being not a matter but just energy , which cast no shadow led me to a research on Matters and Energy!

Not just matter and energy - BUT DARK ones....ha ha

Perhaps one of the reasons why there was no shadow being casted against the flame was that "Light is a form of energy, not matter.  Matter is made up of atoms.  Light is actually electromagnetic radiation.  Moving charge or moving electrons (electric current) cause a magnetic field, and a changing magnetic field creates an electric current of field"

One of the intriguing questions posed by many is "Can we see God?" We cannot directly of course.  But we can see its effects. Like the electric current, we cannot see it but we know it is there when the bulb lights up.

I just finished reading this book written by a scientist physicist Lawrence Krauss " A Universe from Nothing" A non-fiction book (2012) which discusses modern cosmogony and its implication for the debate about the existence of God. His main theme of a paradigm shift " discovery that all signs suggest a universe that could and plausibly did arise from a deeper nothing - involving the absence of space itself- and which may one day return to nothing via processes that may not only be comprehensible but also processes that do not require any external control or direction" So basically he denounces the existence of God.

So in the light of the research on this topic , I just found out:-

• Dark Matter was just discovered in 1929 
• Dark Energy discovered in 1990s
• Actual matter formed a minute part of the whole universe, with dark matter taking up 23% and Dark Energy 73%!
• And the universe is actually expanding and not contracting!
• And that many physicists scientists , cosmologists etc are still doing the R&D in this big dark and mysterious matter!

What is the difference between space and nothing?

"The vacuum state, filled with DARK ENERGY, even in the absence of matter" - By Stephen Perronod [Physics degree from MIT & Astrophysics from Harvard defined.

REFLECTING......

My search in some scriptures revealed:-

1. Dan 2:22 " He reveals the deep and secret things, he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells in him" 

REALLY He knows what is in the darkness!

2. Is 45:3 "And I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places , which you may know that I, the LORD, which call you by name, am the God of Israel"
Is 45:7 "I form the light and create darkness; I make peace and create evil; I , the LORD do all these things"

1 Cor 4 :5 "Therefore judge nothing before time, until the Lord comes, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels if the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of God."

Is that REALLY why only in this 20st century that scientists  discovered dark matter and dark energy formed the bulk of the whole universe we now know? And the reason for its expansion rather than contraction? This is by far the most advanced theory of physics!

3. Job 38 God questions Job from the Realm of Creation

Job 38: 18 "Have you perceived the breadth of the earth?" declare if you know all

Job 38: 19 " Where is the way where light dwells? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof?"

REALLY ! We cannot declare we know it all! All these latest revelation of the existence of dark matter and energy - they are just mind boggling! Its revelation today simply showed that we , man and earth, is just too minute in comparison with the whole universe He had created!

Final Thoughts
Lemuria Renaissance wrote about "Dark Energy is God Itself - The Universe is Expanding by God's Will" Have a good read. Interesting . And I too agree somewhat...

http://eng.lmr.cc/m_A_Natural_Disaster_04.html

Since man cannot find anything about it, it was named Dark Energy or the Dark Matter.  In detail, the energy residing over all the universe is called the Dark Energy and the energy surrounding the galaxy is called Dark Matter.  The majority of this energy in the universe remains a mystery.

Aha, hence we indeed serve and worship a most advanced Creator of the universe.  He is mysterious.  He is -- omnipresent. Omnipotent.  Omniscient. Why?  He is the Light Source.  He is the what he said he is.

Col 1:16-18 " For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or powers; all things were created by him and for him, And he is before all things; and by him all things consists.  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning of the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence"

Love this song "WHO AM I?" - Cassting Crowns.....

20170210 - Hmmm LIGHT & Shadows : 1, 2 & 3 John

1 John 1: 5 " God is light, and in him is no darkness at all"

Recently, a friend sent me a little photo (green background) with the little caption "Never thought about it until now" .  It depicted a matchstick lit up against a light shining over it.  Casting a shadow only on the match but not the light!

So as curious as always, I managed to put this experiment with my candle to the test only tonight - 10/2/2017! Hey presto! It is true! Light has no shadow!  And it brought up the revelation on 1 John 1: 5 " God is light, and in him is no darkness at all"

1 John is a letter written by John in his old age. It contained only 5 chapters.

Followed by 2 JOhn and 3 John with only 1 simple chapter. The one similar theme that came through these 3 letters is that about Truth, Light and Darkness, walking in obedience and the ability to test and discern what is not the truth or the counterfeit.

Some Reflections...post USA Presidential election....

Indeed, in the modern technologically advanced world and society that we are now living in - we are constantly fed with social media instantaneous news - some true news while others are fake.  Videos that were uploaded on the Youtube can be real or can also be doctored with the latest software.

And we too often are triggered happy! We re-forward or forward even without authenticating the source of news.  And it went on a viral spree!  This, in modern society, brings about a different viral infection of a different kind.  One cannot cure it with an antibiotics jab or medication.  The virus can spread like a wild fire! No amount of containment program or antibodies can actually prevent its spread. 

Reflections of My life

What is truth ? Is there such a thing as absolute truth?

If there is such a thing as Light, surely there is Darkness too? So as the existence of couplets ie Heaven vs Hell, Truth vs Lies, Good vs Bad, Love vs Hatred,  Peace vs War, White vs Black and the many shades of grey....Christ vs anti-christ...God vs Devil or satan....

Reflections of My life is a song by Marmalade.  It is quite melancholy song.  The opening verse "The changing of sunlight to moonlight, reflections of my life, Oh how the fill my eyes...all my sorrow, sad tomorrow, take me back to my old home...the world is a bad place, a bad place, a terrible place to live, oh but i don't wanna die..."

This was a hit song in 1970 thereabouts.  Fast forward 47 years later, many of this generation of people are now feeling that 'pinch' "ouch" "What on earth is happening on earth" reactions to the news feed that we receive daily.  More blues than bright news. News that we really now aren't aint to sure to believe wholeheartedly, halfhearted or even to throw them off our simple brains.

Conclusion

I was glad to do the candle light and shadow experiment to satisfy my curious mind.  And seeing is believing.  The Word of God that was declared " God is light, in him there is no darkness at all" is absolute truth. 

In a world where there is so much deception and falsehoods, it is no wonder why the older John decided to pen his thought of warning in 1 John 4 and 2 & 3 JOhn.  Just as he warned "do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world" - Likewise we should also apply this same principle to the newsfeeds we receive .

As in  in Acts 17:11 " the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message.  They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth" - Likewise we should also apply this same principle to any pulpit teachings in the church or podcast messages on the internet.  Just got to go back to the absolute Truth - the guiding Word of God.  Going back to Jesus - He is the Word.  Abiding in the fellowship with Him - simple obedience to His commands and be the doers accordingly.

May we be reminded indeed that God is light & in Him there is no darkness at all.  Even when there will be times of shadows of doubt casted on this decaying world, we shall remember this experiment of a lighted candle - there is no shadow for the light. No doubts. Focus . Focus. AMen!

Where there is pain encountered on this earthly pilgrimage, may we lift our hands up high to continue to worship - come what may, not about our feelings...but to the One who deserves all praise and worship, the Light of the world.

20170128-The miracle of the 6-in-a row ping pong chicken egg game

28/1/2017 :CNY Day 1 Year of the Rooster

A ping pong game!

We just entered into the year of a fiery rooster.  The cockerel crows and a new dawn awakens.  

Having just witnessed a little miracle on CNY Day 1 over the getting of a 6 ping pong balls (eggs) game in a straight row for a bag of 20 balls game close to midnite was amazing! So unexpected! But with God all things are possible. The creator of this “egg’ game was none other than my brother who least expected that anyone could win this game.  Like Samson, he lost his hair/ goatee in this unique answered prayers by many of his siblings.  For so long we wanted his unkempt hair and beard to be trimmed but of no avail.  It took a game like this to claim its victory.  Impossible to many that nite. But it was done with a stroke of a hand of my nephew in law- perhaps assisted by our guardian angels ? Yet with 5 extra balls unused ! 

Before the game, this brother of mine taunted me “whose prayer will God answer?” His or mine? He grinned so hard. I was not of full faith actually as having played the game earlier - i knew it was in fact tough to get a 6 straight in a row. Random ok but not 6 in straight row.  But yet I took up his game. I lost the first $50.(After S$10 for 10 balls - I negotiated for S$20 for 20 balls at least for a try to get 6! LOL)   In the last attempt - I paid S$20 for the next 20 balls to let my nephew in law to try instead. After all, I thought well S$70 well spent to try that luck anyway.  I felt generous to give away that money to my beloved brother anyway - after all it is CNY. But I prayed.  Never mind if we lost.  At least we tried. So we laughed and even said aloud “ With God all things are possible!” (But in the heart…ha ha ha…no confidence..LOL.) So when we achieved 5 in a row- oh my, how the rest of us ‘woke up!” Got chance mah! With 6 balls in hand! Lol. And victory was so so sweet!

The ABC Story of Elijah @ Mt Carmel

Smiling thinking of that momentous CNY  nite captured in video too by another brother of mine.  I recalled the ABC story of Elijah at Mt Carmel.  Ahab went to meet Elijah. Baal was the 450 prophets so called god  to be followed.  Carmel was the mount of the Challenge and bet.  

Elijah was the only sole prophet left to challenge the unthinkable.  Two groups of people to call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers the fire —He is God. Elijah did the unthinkable! He taunted the Baal group about their sleeping god.  And he did more unthinkable stuff by even pouring water on the offering and the wood!

And history recorded “ the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil and also licked up the water in the trench.”

But I guess the most important part of the story in 1 Kings 18 is found in V36-37. 

It is about reprieve.  It is about a window of time for those whose hearts are hardened to be soften again and to be returned to Him.  Just like the recent USA presidential election.  Against all odds.  A last ‘Trumpet” call. What was that E prayer ? “ O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known TODAY THAT YOU ARE GOD IN ISRAEL, AND THAT I AM YOUR SERVANT, and have done all things at your command.  Answer me , O LORD, SO THESE PEOPLE WILL KNOW THAT YOU , O LORDM ARE GOD, AND THAT YOU ARE TURNING THEIR HEARTS BACK AGAIN”.  (CAPS my own emphasis).

Yes, and like those on Mt Carmel who witnessed this unthinkable event of the fire upon the call by Elijah, they fell prostrate and cried.  So did I on that nite when I fell prostrate too in the moment of awe of what had happened!

 I pray that such events like this would continue to draw the hearts of those unbelieving ones to that of belief in the One and only true Lord of the Heaven and Earth.  In this we rejoice. Amen.

So here is to the Awakening . Arise and shine for the Lord has come! Welcome year of the fiery cockerel, rooster? 

TRANSFORMATION

So on 29/1/2017, the goatie and hair trimming took place for the brother who lost the challenge of the ping pong ball game.

This was the transformation - BEFORE & AFTER! PTL!

20170128-The miracle of the 6-in-a row ping pong chicken egg game!

A Bombastic Dance for a dear sister G who was born in the year of this rooster!

A raincoat used back in 1998 in Yangon during the first mission trip...with modified feathers and cloth bought from People's Park @ $8-50 to provide cheap fun to the family!

(Inspired by the youtube of this Park Go Bum of Love in the Moonlight)

The salted eggs blessings - A reminder of being the salt of this world!

A night of rejoicing of fun and laughter over a silly game and dance!

THERE CAN BE MIRACLES...WHEN U BELIEVE!