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!