22/6/18 : Bought a green net to cast and narrow the catch of the fish!
Together with this orange net...finally...all the 7 fishes were caught in a jiffy!
The idea of buying this big piece of green net came from one of the guys who loves fishing. After last week's attempts to 'catch' those quick witted fish with that orange net with the pole unsuccessfully, today the cast of the net reaped its rewards!
So finally those fish were moved to its new temp home in a fish shop!
Oops..we forgotten about that scavenger fish though!
Reflections
This newly purchased green- look a like fishing net reminded me of the parable of the net in the bible!
It was dragged along in this pool to 'corner' those fishes so that they could not run away easily!
Unlike the previous Koi fishing blog experience where I observed that the fish were smart and avoided being caught, this afternoon net casting experience reminded me about the kingdom of heaven liken to the net let down into the lake. The only difference here?
The net caught ALL KINDS Of fish!
Not only that, when the net was full, the net was pulled up and the fish were sorted out - GOOD & BAD. Good ones were kept whereas the bad ones were thrown away :(
This was how it would be in the end of age. The angels will come and separated the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Oh My!
Like the Hawaii Kilaue Volcano eruption and fiery lava flow.
Where is the Koi gospel is preached and many hearers would prefer to run away.
But nevertheless, at the end of the time, the net will still be CAST.
Both good and bad will be caught.
Men just cannot run away from the Judge who sat on the big white throne.
Food for thots
Am I that good fish or the bad one? Huh????
(better be the good one, tio bo?...else into the fiery furnace the bad will go...sigh!)
Am I going to be fisher of men, like the disciples, who were called out by Jesus ?
(Photo: the 7 cute koi in the pond - 4 orange and 3 white)
Mark 1:16-18 : Come, follow me " Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men"
Today , 18/6/2018 , was a REEL FISHING experience for us!
We tried to move our 7 koi out of the pond temporary before the house painting start this week. Using one big net and another small one - we managed only to catch one of the 7! After more than 1.5 hours - we decided to give up and released the caught one back to the pond!
Imagine 3 older men, 1 young man and myself running from end to end, chasing, using all kinds of sticks and boards - just trying to catch them into the fishing net! Oh My! It was a tough going process!
What I observed during this catching time?
The Koi fish is really intelligent! They could sense us and avoided all our nets by swimming extraordinary fast in split seconds!
They are able to duck well!
We were ill- experienced 'fishermen" LOL!!!
Reflections
As we left the pond, I was reminded of this verse when Jesus first called the 2 disciples, Simon Peter and Andrew out from their fishing profession.
They were fishermen, casting their net into the sea on a normal day.
But when Jesus called them, they straightaway forsook their nets and followed Jesus.
After this afternoon's adventure, I realised that it is NOT EASY to fish or draw the net to catch a fish! Even in a pond! Not to mention the sea where the waters is vast!
I guess fishing requires lots of skill and help from the Lord!
Nothing is too difficult for the Lord as I remember how he performed his miracle of that coin in the fish mouth in Mat 17:24-27 Peter was asked to cast a fish hook and "the first fish that came up -open its mouth and you will find a shekel" Exact amount enough to pay the temple tax!
The there was the second miraculous catch of 153 fish in last chapter of John 21:11. Why 153? That is another interesting discussion. But imagine the whole night the disciples were fishing empty handed, Discouraged. Until Jesus came to the rescue.
Some thoughts
In today's context, the fishes in the world are also smart like the koi.
They ducked and avoided the gospel or good news when approached by fishermen.
Unless the Lord builds the house, we labour in vain.
Just like the futile 1.5 hours over chasing the koi in vain.
After that exhausting chase, guess we need to learn to be still again.
Let the waters rest.
And the Koi catch their breath.
Ha Ha ha.
We failed in first attempt... Well, well....next time mate! you bet you will be caught next in the net!
(CNN)Steam billowed up from Hawaii's largest freshwater lake as lava flow evaporated its placid waters within a few hours and made it the latest casualty from the Big Island's Kilauea volcano.
A steam plume first appeared around 10 a.m. Saturday as lava poured into Green Lake in Kapoho, but by 3 p.m. a Hawaii County Fire Department overflight confirmed to the US Geological Survey that the lake had filled with lava and the body of water was no more.
A Hawaii County Fire Department photo shows how lava flows evaporated the waters of Green Lake.
Green Lake -- a popular swimming spot -- once reached about 200 feet deep, according to CNN affiliate KHNL/KGMB.
"I couldn't believe it," Hawaii Community College geography instructor Drew Kapp told the TV station. "I've never even heard of anything like that happening before."
It's been more than a month since lava began its slow, destructive path after Kilauea erupted. About 7.7 square miles of land have been covered by lava.
Green Lake isn't the only part of the Big Island that the recent volcanic activity has transformed. Kapoho Bay, famous for its tide pools, was completely filled by lava Tuesday.
I have read Revelation last chapters on the lake of fire .
On 4 occasions this term was mentioned. Back then , I was not really able to fathom the actual appearance of such lake of fire.
However, ever since Kilauae volcano eruption last month 3/5/18, I have been watching in shock and awe of the lava flow and the fires that were spit out from the earth!
Only now, a month past, I am beginning to appreciate and envision those 4 verses in Revelation on "the lake of fire"
These 4 verses mentioned the people that were cast into the lake of fire:-
Rev 19:20 - the beast and the false prophet
Rev 20:10 - the devil that deceived people
Rev 20 14 - death and hell (not sure if these terms were personified?) - second death !
Rev 20:15 - whoever was not found written in the book of life
Reflections
Does the photos of Hawaii fires and the verses scare the hell out of you?
I wont't like to be the one who is going to be cast into that kind of fire :(
And let us think for a moment - if there is such a horrible hell like place as in a lake of fire, surely the opposite is true of the existence of a heavenly place that is beautiful?
What is this book of life about? How do we get our names into this book?
If Singaporean parents take great effort by moving from place to place to ensure that their children names can be registered in the school of their choice, or do 'parental services FOC in school etc to ensure a place - how much more should we not thinking of getting ourselves secured in a heavenly dwelling? No one in the right frame of mind would want to go to the lake of fire? Tio Boh? Right???
Just as Lake of fires are mentioned, so are book of life and names written in the book of life. God is fair. But the choice is ours to make.
The names in the book of life:-
Paul wrote in Phi 4:3 there were fellow laborers like him whose names are in the book of life.
Rev 3:5 those that overcomes, the Lord will not blot our his name in the book of life
How to get our names into the book of life?
Simply ABC - Admit we are sinner. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins - and rose again alive 3 days later. Confess that He is the Lord of our life and allow Him to take control of our life.
And always remember Luke 10:20. The 70 who returned with joy when they witnessed the power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, spirits being subject to them. We rejoice not in the works that we perform . More importantly, we rejoice that our names are written in heaven.
Never about the works of the Lord. But the Lord of the work. His death on the cross for us all. It is finished. Done. GRACE! Only by His grace that we can secure our names in the book of life by acknowledging Him alone as the Lamb who has taken away our sins. Our Master. Our Saviour. Our King. Our Ruler. Our Abba Father.
A personal decision. An important one.
If after seeing those fires and fissures now sprouting out in Hawaii Big Island, would you still like to be cast into that lake of fire? Ummmmmmm
