20180821- Lion City's Head hunting by another "Pride" -A King Uzziah reflection of Pride

2/8/2018 Quote by ESM in uniquely Lion City "Salaries is not our starting point in looking for ministers. CHARACTER, MOTIVATION, COMMITTMENT, SELFLESSNESS, practical abilities, competence and proven performance are the main attributes we look for.   The first Four attributes are veto factors.  When we look at abilities, competence and performance are REFLECTED in a PERSON's COMPENSATION"

"From people who earn ONLY S$500,000 a year, whose capacity is S$500,000 a year? So when I LOOK for ministers, ANYONE who wants to be paid more than half a million, I WON'T TAKE him.  You are going to end up with very MEDIOCRE people, who CAN'T even earn a million dollars outside to be our minister"

"I am telling you the ministers are NOT PAID ENOUGH, and down the road we are going to get a problem with getting people to join the Government, because CIVIL SERVANTS now EARN MORE THAN MINISTERS.  Are you aware of that??"

.... Musings.....
I am now very aware that our nation Singapura is being head hunted by another PRIDE alright :(
Our self worth unfortunately is degraded to our value in 'working compensation"?
Mediocre - this term has now gotten a new relative meaning?
Civil servants are now a reverse of civil masters?

So when did the devil became the devil? 

“It was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind . . . As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you” C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).

I am reminded of this Prov 21 "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD as the rivers of waters: he turns it withersoever he will.  Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord ponders the heart.  To do justice and judgement is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.  An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin......The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them, because they refuse to do judgement....Whosoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he shall also cry himself and not be heard....Proud and haughty scorner is his name , who deals in proud wrath.....He covets greedily all day long, but the righteous gives and spares not"

King Uzziah was such a king.  He began well like his father.  But he was cut off later with a very sad epitaph " He was a leper" to his name.  Sorry and sad case of a leader. Imagine him taking the throne at age 16 and ruled for 52 years!

May the Lord help us not to fall behind as a beloved Lion City , sinning to another pride of a Sin City.  Help us Lord.

****************************************************************************

Question: "Who was King Uzziah in the Bible?" (from Gotquestions)

Answer: King Uzziah in the Bible was one of the good kings of Judah. His father was King Amaziah, and his mother was a woman named Jecoliah, from Jerusalem. Uzziah was the father of King Jotham. Ministering during Uzziah’s reign were the prophets Hosea, Isaiah, Amos, and Jonah. The kings in the northern kingdom of Israel during his time were Jeroboam II, Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea. Uzziah is also called Azariah in 2 Kings 14:21.

King Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 52 years in Judah from approximately 790 to 739 BC. He “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” as his father Amaziah had done (2 Chronicles 26:4). King Uzziah sought the Lord “during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God.” This Zechariah is most likely a godly prophet to whom Uzziah listened. As long as Uzziah made a point to seek God, God made him prosperous (2 Chronicles 26:5). Unfortunately, after Zechariah died, Uzziah made some mistakes later in his life.

King Uzziah in the Bible is shown as a wonderfully intelligent and innovative king, under whom the state of Judah prospered (2 Chronicles 26:6–15). He was used by God to defeat the Philistines and Arabs (verse 7), he built fortified towers and strengthened the armies of Judah (verses 9 and 14), and he commissioned skilled men to create devices that could shoot arrows and large stones at enemies from the city walls (verse 15). He also built up the land, and the Bible says he “loved the soil” (verse 10). The Ammonites paid tribute to King Uzziah, and his fame spread all over the ancient world, as far as the border of Egypt (verses 8 and 15).

Unfortunately, King Uzziah’s fame and strength led him to become proud, and this led to his downfall (2 Chronicles 26:16). He committed an unfaithful act by entering the temple of God to burn incense on the altar. Burning incense on the altar was something only the priests could do. By attempting to do this himself, Uzziah was basically saying he was above following the Law. It was not a humble thing to do. Eighty courageous priests, led by Azariah, tried to stop the king: “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God” (2 Chronicles 26:18). Uzziah became angry with the priests who dared confront him. But, “while he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead” (verse 19). Uzziah ran from the temple in fear, because God had struck him (verse 20). From that day to the day of his death, King Uzziah was a leper. He lived in a separate palace and was not allowed to enter the temple of the Lord. His son, Jotham, governed the people in his place.

King Uzziah is also mentioned in the book of Matthew as one of the ancestors of Joseph, Jesus’ legal father (Matthew 1:8–9).

20180701-TioMAN! Matt 17:27 Go to Sea, cast a hook : Rod & Reel vs Net

Rod & Reel!

In previous blog, I had a little laugh over the 'net' to catch the 7 kois in a small pond in June 2018.  On 28/6/18, a group of 7 of us went to Tioman for some snorkel, trek and fishing at sea!

It was for many of us , a FIRST experience at rod fishing at sea. Thanks a an avid angler friend who organised this trip for us. His surname was Tio. And boy , what a passionate Man he was into fishing!  He brought along 3 fishing rods and 2 ring reels.  He was indeed the "TIOMAN" man in this trip!

What I learnt:-

• The bait is important - we used cut sotong
• The fishing line hooks - size and colours matter too
• The purpose of the weight at the fishing line!
• Why that weight needs to land at the sea bed (which could be more than 20 feet down under) - the fishes swim at the sea bed mainly..
• The release and tightening of the reel - taut line to feel the catch.
• How to tease the fish by pulling the line on and off
• The importance of reeling in fast before the fish gets away
• How to remove the hook from the fish
• How to balance oneself in a rolling moving boat at sea!

When I first observed YN remove the hook from the fish above, I immediately remembered Jesus replying to Peter in Capernaum regarding paying tribute. 

Jesus honoured tax paying.  But what is more amazing is the way the money was collected via casting a hook into the sea!

Our fishing trip was only half a day. We had to sail to the deeper part of the ocean.  And it took some of us much waiting to get a fish to bait! John had the best catch of 8 and some of us even zero at the end of the day!

So what was amazing was that Jesus told Peter to take up the fish that FIRST come up and opened his mouth! And they shall find the a piece of money! Take and pay tribute!

Reflections

What is the image that comes to mind when you think of fishing?

Some may come up with an angler with a rod and reel while others may envision a group of fishermen with a big casting net over the sea.

I am blessed to be able to appreciate the catching of fish by both methods in this month of June. 

However, whatever the method is - the same goes for evangelism in the catching of men.  Apollos watered. Paul planted.  It is still the LORD who gave the increase.

Never had to eat 14 fish at one go at the restaurant . Tucking into our own catch.  Not a cheap catch - spending RM70 per pax for the half day fishing trip.  The restaurant charged us RM35 per kilo for doing the cooking.  We had about 2.5kg worth of catch that day .  All in 18 fish. But it was worth the experience of fishing!

Here's our catch ! 2 types of cooking : 

Ginger steam and assam fish!

Yummy!

20180622 : Matt 13:47 Parable of the Net - Casting net / Fish Moving!

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 ? 

(and follow Jesus wholeheartedly?...)

20180618: A koi catching experience [Mark 1:16-18]

(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!

20180606- Rev 19&20 Lake of Fire - Hawaii live lake of fires

Photo : Hawaii Big Island : Fissures . Erupted since 3/5/2018

Rev20:10,14 & 15 "...cast into the lake of fire"

Photo : 6/6/2018 . A month after the eruption, the lava flows into Kapoho Bay

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/06/us/green-lake-lava-evaporates-hawaii-trnd/index.html

(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.

Residents also have had to contend with poisonous gases given off by the lava, which can include laze -- hydrochloric acid and volcanic glass particles.

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.

CNN's Hollie Silverman contributed to this report.

*********************************************************************************

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:-

1. Paul wrote in Phi 4:3 there were fellow laborers like him whose names are in the book of life.
2. 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

20180528- The Love of $

1 Tim 6 :10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through many sorrows"

A Birkin bag that cost more than USD28,000 - a collector's investment bag! Something that I only learnt recently over the 1MDB scandal! Just a bag!

This guru Guar Gopal Das once said : It is amazing how $ is known as so many ways!

• It is called DONATION when given to charity
• A TITHE/ OFFERING when given to a church
• A FEE when one pays to a school
• A DOWRY in a marriage
• A ALIMONY in a divorce
• A DEBT when owed to someone
• A TAX when paid to the government
• A FINE when crosses the law
• A PENSION when one receives after retirement
• A SALARY/ WAGE from an employer for work done
• An ALLOWANCE for a child from the parents
• A LOAN when taken from a bank
• A RANSOM when paying to kidnappers
• A BRIBE in exchange of special favours

There is nothing wrong with money itself.  Money itself is NEVER the root of all evils.  Money is the currency of exchange of goods and services.  Barter trade had evolved through the use of currency.  However, it is the LOVE of money that is the root of all evils.

The question we asked ourselves is this "Do we possess money or does the money possesses us?"

Do we covet after them?

Or do we learn to be content once we have food and clothing?

What is the value of money to the following:-

• A new born baby ? It means nothing to the crying babe
• A 2 year old toddler ? It perhaps may seem like a scape piece of paper
• A teenager ? It begins to provide some revelation of its use
• A working adult ? The realisation of its usefulness for the material pursuit of life
• A past 50 year old? The sudden calculation of its long term value and retirement planning of funds
• A sick person ? The importance of it to fund medical needs but not a guarantee of good health in return
• A nonagenarian (past 80,90s)? A sudden awakening on the fact that we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out (1 Tim 6:7)

So like what Shakespeare once wrote " The world is a stage ..." From the babe to the aged, the meaning of value of money comes a full circle.  Nothingness.

Reflections

In fact there are many things in life that money cannot or may not buy.

• It cannot buy good health. But may only perhaps sustain or prolong life for a while.  Better medical treatment and the ability to buy better food and vitamins!

• It cannot buy us the Holy Spirit. (Rem the story of Simon in Acts 8:19 where he offered the disciples money for the exchange of the power of the Holy Spirit in the laying of hands)

• It cannot buy us the eternal life (The Rich young man parable in Mat19:16-22.  Selling away the great possessions of his wealthy life to give to the poor was too much to swallow for the rich young man)

• Finally , money may not necessary buy happiness.Some people give much to charity or to the poor, but yet do it with a grudging heart. Some did it out of guilt, not out of love.

Happiness and joy have subtle differences in meaning.

Happiness is external dependent - which can be fulfilled by money possessions

But - Joy is an internal expression - never dependent on the money sufficiency.

So at the end of the day, our joy comes from knowing in the person of Jesus Christ.  He is all sufficient one.  He is the owner of all that we have.  The debate of so called offering or tithing the so called 10% is not the issue when we understand who we are and what we have on this earth.  We are merely stewards of Him. It is not about the percentage we give, but rather whether we give with a cheerful or grudging heart.  

The principle of giving - is universal.  The Lord simply does not want us to be covetous in our money management.  Freely received - freely give. Being selfish vs being generous. Being good or bad stewards of His endowment. 

Never let the money possess us.  Greed - Coveting.  It is a pitfall than we should avoid falling into!  Err not. Be sorrowful not! Rem 1 Tim 6:10

Finally, godliness with contentment is great gain. KNOW HIM? or NO HIM?

Short Egyptian 1 min film that won an award at Luxor Film Festival .  The film maker is only 20 years old.  Greed can swallow us it the theme.

20180509 :ANTICIPATION -HOPE : Bul-Green Cheeked Conure & Rainbows!

April 2018 : Capture of this awesome Mother Bul and her birdlings at sister's tree in YCK.

Rom12:12 Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

Background:

Recently, the Lord once again revealed His wonderful creations through the feathery birds and the 7 coloured rainbows in this season.

In a short span of 10 days, perhaps from 21/4 till 2/5, Mother Bul's feeding of her young was caught on video.  Then came a lost Green cheeked conure which flew into my brother's house.(we named her Rainbow due to her colourful underside)  And the capturing of real rainbows on 28/4 by my niece and some friends.  The finale big double one captured by me on 2/5/18!

Feathery Rainbow Reflections..............

Perhaps been feeling a little blue. (having seen friends punctured with the 'work' of the Lord?, others jaded with 'ministry' of the lord ? the various 'happenings' politically and geographically around the globe?) Well, it was blue for a moment as God sent Bul to cheer me up. A cute conure called green cheeked with bust clothed in rainbow colours to make me laugh. And His constant gifts of moments of joy of beholding the awesome covenantal rainbows - a reminder of His great love for mankind.

Generally, I am more of a positive upbeat kind of person.  Loves good laughs.  But once in a while, do still get some blues.  Human as anybody.

On 2/5/18, at about 6:30pm, I popped my head out of the window to try to secure a rainbow sighting. But I couldn't catch one.  That anticipation or hope did not disappoint after all.  Because shortly half hour later, while i was relaxing in the recliner chair with the mobile massager after my salmon dinner, lo and behold I caught a direct glimpse of the rainbow glow right in front of me.  Massage was my love but yet i had to press the stop button to run out to catch the moment of thrill of joy of beholding a rainbow instead.

Afterall, massages can be done anytime. But rainbows are fleeting paintings of the sky.

My Reflections over Rom 12:12

1.Rejoicing in Hope

This is certainly true. Like my curious anticipation on that unique 2nd day of May 2018.  One can imagine my glee in rejoicing! Thanks perhaps to my guardian angel who painted it for me.  Hope is one of the 3 key components in 1 Cor13:13.  Hope is sandwiched between Faith and Love.  It is the buffer for those who are feeling the blues in a season. And like Rainbow the green-cheeked conure - it literally brought thrills of joy too to the family.  Welcoming a new member to the family!

2. Patient in Tribulation

This is also true.  Patience means more than simply holding on and enduring until the end.  Many a times we are impatient people.  Oswald Chambers" A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer.  God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, but our Lord continues to stretch and strain, and every once in a while the saint says ' I can't take anymore' yet God pays no attention.  He goes on stretching until His purpose is in sight and then he lets the arrow fly.  Entrust yourself to God's hands. Maintain your intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the perseverance of faith."  Hope is the sandwich buffer in 1 Cor 13:13.  Now remember the first layer of the sandwich - FAITH. As Oswald said " Faith is not some weak and pitiful emotion, but is strong and vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love.  And even though you cannot see Him right now and cannot understand what He is doing, you KNOW HIM" 

3. Continuing instant in Prayer

This is an interesting choice.  According to Oswald " Faith is the supreme effort of our life - throwing yourself with abandon and total confidence in God.  God ventured in His all in Jesus Christ to save us, and now He wants us to venture all our all with total abandoned confidence in Him.  There are areas in our lives where faith has not worked in us as yet.  Places still untouched by the life of God."  So we are reminded of our very base of the sandwich.  That bottom last layer of sandwich - Love.  1 Cor 13:13 There are three things that remain - faith, hope and love - and the greatest of these is love.
God send His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.  But Jesus as He left this earthly world some 2018 years ago had given to us His Holy Spirit to guide us.  That instantaneous call of our hearts in prayer - be it in praise or adoration or for help in times of need, is always available to us now. Ps 71:14 But I will hope continually and yet will praise you more and more.

What a beautiful name it is the name of Jesus