looking out on the world

Sacrifices You do not delight in

2012-01-21T22:16:00.003+08:00

Malachi 3:13-15 was a fearful reminder that as the Israelites mechanically served God by following the rituals of the Mosaic Law and lacked faith and the heart for God, we today could have been serving Him by sacrificing lame lambs as well. It struck me that the blood of Christ must be too precious to be shed for such a sin as this.

Where does wisdom come from?

2012-01-06T00:06:00.003+08:00

"From where then does wisdom come?

And where is the place of understanding?

It is hidden from the eyes of all living,

And concealed from the birds of the air.

...

God understands its way,

And He knows its place.

For He looks to the ends of the earth,

And sees under the whole heavens,

To establish a weight for the wind,

And apportion the waters by measure.

When He made a law for the rain,

And a path for the thunderbolt,

Then He saw wisdom and declared it;

He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.

And to man He said,

'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is

wisdom,

And to depart from evil is

understanding.'"

Job 28:20-28

Job's comprehension of the fear of the Lord as wisdom must only come from God alone.

A Rwandan Man's Confession

2011-12-29T23:52:00.002+08:00

'A Rwandan Man's Confession' by Dr. Bob Moorehead

In 1980 a young man from Rwanda was forced by his tribe to either renounce Christ or face certain death. He refused to renounce Christ, and he was killed on the spot. The night before he had written the following commitment which was found in his room:

“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made- I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, worldly talking, cheap giving & dwarfed goals.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.

I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows, work till He stops me & when He comes for His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear.”

180 movie

2011-12-29T22:38:00.003+08:00

Oh reader please watch this movie now and think about your life, which God says to be as vapor (James 4:14)

An impossible comparison

2011-12-28T22:50:00.002+08:00

For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods.

And then the next 2 lines struck me:

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the LORD made the heavens.

What are the objects of comparison? - people made gods their idols BUT God made the heavens? Incomparable! What a great God we worship!

Resolved 2012

2011-12-25T23:16:00.001+08:00

Made up my resolve for 2012 in advance. Starting now...

The moon hung by God

2011-12-11T18:30:00.005+08:00

As I looked through the photos which I took last night of the lunar eclipse, my mind came to Psalm 8:3-4:

When I observe Your heavens,

the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars,

which You set in place,

what is man that You remember him,

the son of man that You look after him?

The Keeper of my soul

2011-12-02T22:12:00.002+08:00

Unless the LORD had been my help,

My soul would soon have settled in silence.

If I say, "My foot slips",

Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.

In the multitude of my anxieties within me,

Your comforts delight my soul.

Psalm 94:18-19

In Christ Alone

2011-11-26T23:29:00.001+08:00

I know i shared this somewhere before but I can't help but want to share it again

A song of thanksgiving

2011-11-22T23:53:00.003+08:00

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,

And to sing praises to Your name,

O Most High;

To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,

And Your faithfulness every night,

On an instrument of ten strings,

On the lute,

And on the harp,

With harmonious sound.

For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work;

I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

Psalm 92:1-4

Rekindling the Gratitude

2011-11-21T15:09:00.001+08:00

Taken from Grace to You

John MacArthur

The Thanksgiving season is a wonderful time to heighten your sensitivity to the blessings bestowed by God. Thanksgiving grabs your attention, shakes the cobwebs loose, and reminds you of all God's most precious gifts. That's one reason Thanksgiving has always held such a special place in my heart. It rekindles in me the kind of God-centered gratitude that our Lord demands and deserves—the kind that should readily be on our lips year round.

To help stimulate that kind of deeper gratitude, my family has adopted a Thanksgiving tradition we've found extremely helpful. Each year after our Thanksgiving meal we gather in our living room and simply recite the blessings of God that have touched our lives. One by one we circle the room, each one of us expressing our gratitude to God for His many physical and spiritual blessings.

Allow me to share with you just five blessings that deeply touch me every year and prompt me to thank God. Perhaps it'll catch and you'll be able to rekindle your gratitude!

You're Saved and You Know It

No work of God's is more beyond my comprehension yet closer to my heart and more worthy of gratitude than salvation. Before coming to know Christ, each of us lived in a self-imposed prison. Guilty, condemned, spiritually blind, and with no means to pay our debt, our destiny was one of eternal separation from God.

But Christ not only rescued us from the power and penalty of our sins, He also lifted us to a place of blessing. He delivered us from punishment and brought glory. He took away the threat of hell and gave us the hope of heaven. He dismissed us from divine wrath and brought us a divine benediction. One hymn writer put that unfathomable transaction like this:

In wonder lost, with trembling joy, We take the pardon of our God; Pardon for crimes of deepest dye, A pardon bought with Jesus' blood, Who is a pard'ning God like Thee? Or who has grace so rich and free?

We sing of salvation. We talk of salvation. Salvation is the essence of Christianity. Thanking God for saving us should be the unceasing occupation of our lips—only a stone-cold heart could offer anything less.

The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth

Watch a half hour of news and tell me if the word chaos doesn't come to mind. The world is gripped by it. Conflict abounds as religious, philosophical, and political systems collide. Moral, social, and economic problems proliferate but solutions are scarce. The political process is drifting rudderless on a sea of confusion. Life is all questions and no answers. There is no concrete guideline or standard by which to judge good and bad, right and wrong. The suppression of truth exacts a tremendous price.

But thanks to God, you and I have an eternal, objective, incontestable, irrevocable standard we can depend on for all matters of life. From the truth of Scripture we can understand the ebb and flow of life better than all the educators, philosophers, politicians, and social pundits combined. God's Word offers us a window on the real issues people battle. We know how to be good employees, to love our spouses, to raise our families, to truly love our neighbors. Meaning in life is not a question, it's a fact. I thank God for revealing His truth to us and for allowing me the privilege of studying and teaching it.

Life's Storms

Perhaps the most difficult time to be thankful is when we're in the midst of a setback, a challenge, or a trial. When the storm comes, giving thanks is rarely our first reaction. Being thankful for adversity is never easy, but it is always right. From experience I know the difficult times are the ones in which God seems to be most at work in our lives, strengthening our weak spots, comforting our hurts, and drawing us to greater dependence. A well-known businessman offered this perspective: "Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees." Let's not neglect to thank God for the strong winds He allows to blow our direction.

Faithful Churches

I'm sad to say there are some congregations today that seem to be wrestling with who they are and what their mission is—a spiritual identity crisis of sorts. Relentlessly assaulted by doctrinal fads, scandals, divisions, internal and external criticism, and worldly thinking, they've buckled under the pressure. The chain reaction that creates is heartbreaking. Doctrine is compromised, effectiveness is forfeited, biblical ministry is abandoned, and God's blessing is withdrawn. That grieves me, and I know it grieves you as well.

However, we can thank the Lord for the many churches that have stayed the course in spite of pressure, and the many others that struggle but have not given up the fight. Large or small, the congregations that remain faithful to God's Word are the ones that are alive, vital, flourishing, reaching their communities with great effectiveness, and advancing the kingdom of God. They've resisted the fads, remained true to God's calling, and are now seeing His blessing. I'm grateful to Him for those churches, and for the encouragement they are to me and to the Body of Christ.

The People Who Make a Difference

Someone once made this wise observation: "Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold you up, and sometimes they lean on you. Sometimes it's just enough to know they’re standing by."

That's certainly been true in my life. I thank God daily for the many people who add so much color and warmth to my life. My best friend and wife, Patricia. Loving children and grandchildren. All who labor with me for the sake of the gospel. Each one enriches me greatly and is a very personal gift directly from the hand of God. I'm grateful for the friends—seen and unseen—whom I’ve been able to lean on, and who, to some small degree, have been able to lean on me.

Let me encourage you not to allow this Thanksgiving to come and go without taking inventory. Biblical gratitude isn't something that should pass from our minds with the passing of a season. It's an attitude, a God-focused response to circumstances that should pervade each moment of each day of each year.

May you, your family, and friends enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving season...all year!

God of the disabled

2011-11-18T20:13:00.004+08:00

God is only the God of the disabled - words of Trevor, father of Karis Almy. Little Karis is suffering from a debilitating illness called krabbe disease. It is humbling to learn from her God-fearing parents how to pray and see the world from God's point of view through His Word alone.

http://karisalmy.com/2011/11/15/thank-you-bob-kauflin/

Bob Kauflin (from Sovereign Grace ministries) wrote a beautiful song for disabled children and dedicated it to Karis. Do listen to the song and the words of God's salvation and grace for broken people like us.

citizenship

2011-11-12T20:45:00.003+08:00

Which nationality do I belong to?

I learnt last night that I am not a Singaporean first. I am a Christian by nationality and for eternity...

Unashamed

2011-10-29T22:31:00.001+08:00

I'm not ashamed of the gospel

I'm not ashamed of the One I love

Resolve.

Sin at its worst

2011-10-14T18:56:00.003+08:00

"How hard a thing it is to purify and make meet for glory, a spirit born in sin and conceived in iniquity, prone to evil as the sparks fly upward, but to all good unwilling. A soil that bears indigenous every bitter and unwholesome weed, but will only be cultured into fruitfulness by toil and care, favoured by the dews of heaven, and the sunbeams of celestial grace"

Taken from 'The Pastor's daughter" by E. Payson

[I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. Romans 7:21]

work

2011-10-07T22:59:00.005+08:00

may my reason for working and my source of strength lie solely in Christ alone

inspired by Nehemiah as he built the city wall of Jerusalem in the OT

A heart like Ezra

2011-10-04T23:21:00.002+08:00

Dear Lord, help me to be like Ezra the scribe - to seek You before doing, to do before I teach and to acknowledge that I can do all these things only because 'the good hand of the Lord is upon me' and not otherwise lest I fall.

'For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel' (Ezra 7:10)

blind to God

2011-09-19T23:27:00.001+08:00

Our actual sight very often distracts our hearts from looking heavenward.

look at the ant

2011-09-15T22:50:00.002+08:00

Training has ended. Work has begun for real. Reminded to look at the ant and work solely for the Lord: 'Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise' Proverbs 6:6.

share Christ, not just the passage

2011-08-22T22:06:00.005+08:00

When the eunuch asked Philip about what he was reading, Philip did not teach him more knowledge nor more head wisdom. He 'preached Jesus to him' - the Person. That ought to be my goal whenever I meet anyone who has not yet known Christ or is curious about the bible. (Acts 8:26-40)

the Artist

2011-08-21T23:24:00.000+08:00

View from the window on Sunday dawn

the substitutory atonement

2011-08-15T22:48:00.003+08:00

the beauty of the Passover symbolism resonates. i have come to appreciate the hymn 'when I see the blood' - when God sees the blood of Christ, He will pass over me. Pass over my sins? Not impute sin into my account but the perfect righteousness of Christ? Why Lord?

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

I cannot agree more.

Forrest Gump suite

2011-08-14T23:24:00.001+08:00

One of my favourites: Forrest Gump OST on the piano. sehr toll!

Move.

2011-08-07T16:53:00.003+08:00

'Make a move and don't just sit down doing nothing!' is what this video is all about. I love it for the multiple scenes combined into one and just the immense travelling took to complete the clip. Enjoy.

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

O for a malleable heart

2011-07-24T17:19:00.006+08:00

Just when I thought that I had successfully conquered my sin of pride, it resurfaced in a totally different fashion and which was all along hidden from me by my sin-clouded heart. I am indeed the worst sinner I have ever known. That statement I wrote in 2009 in my diary and is still so applicable. I am my worst enemy in this fight of sin. Help me then O Lord to soften to your chastening, be it spoken directly from your Word or through someone else's correction.

love.

2011-07-23T11:00:00.000+08:00

love.

Fill me o God

2011-07-14T21:08:00.002+08:00

Fill my eyes, O my God

With a vision of the cross

Fill my heart with love for Jesus the Nazarene

Fill my mouth with Thy praise

Let me sing through endless days

Take my will, let my life be wholly Thine

On hindsight

2011-07-11T16:45:00.003+08:00

California and Arizona were a blast. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with my beloved travel buds and with the people I met in the trip there, the Harrys, Sans, the Powells, Verdi, Rick, Ted, the Chius, CBF people. People ask why would I spend that amount again to travel to the same place again just after 2 years. Well, the scenery definitely changed from winter 2 years ago to the start of summer now. However, what mattered most were the people. Resolved was also a great time of concentrated bible feeding. I would never trade this trip for any other cheaper place, however inexpensive or exotic. This is exotic enough for me, breathtaking enough for me, restful enough for me.

A lesson from Tsukiji

2011-06-03T00:02:00.005+08:00

Just watched a documentary on the history and culture of the Tsukiji market in Tokyo, Japan, known as the world's largest wholesale fish and seafood market. Speaking of one of the long-time fish mongers sharpening his knife, the commentator said something that went like this: 'the skill has become the man, and the man has become the skill - this captures the very spirit of the Tsukiji market'. The art of sharpening even the tools of the trade require such accuracy, precision and dedication that the fish monger would risk his hands getting cut by the knife as a small cost for his job.

Though it might sound slightly far-fetched, such dedication reminded me of sacrifice a slave of Christ has to make for his/her Master. Am I willing to face conflict, persecution or even death for Him? Can I say that I have manifested my life in Christ just as He has in me? A timely thought and reminder.

the life road

2011-06-01T15:33:00.001+08:00

Now, at the supposed crossroads of life, one often stops to ponder as I do - what does the road of non-school life look like now that academia ceases? How about work, relationships, health, plans for the future? All these are definitely unknown as of now. It just seems like a fog from where I am standing at the 20-something year old step of my life road. All I know is that one has to choose the right perspective to take the next step and the next and whatever other steps life entails. That perspective can only come from God and what other demand that He requires except that one takes up his own cross and follows Christ (Luke 14:26-33). There is none. Therefore, I pray the same prayer as Betty Stam, inscribed in her bible and found after she and her husband John Stam were killed in China while serving as missionaries in 1934:

Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all, utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt, work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever.

Final Grade

2011-05-30T17:05:00.003+08:00

Receiving results at 7am in the morning via sms is no joke but once I saw it lying down on my bed, I was immediately overwhelmed by God's grace upon my life, especially my college life. How I ever received those unexpected results had to be God's work and that in itself is mind-boggling. Me Lord? Why? There is no answer except for this: Hallelujah what a Saviour I worship.

[Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Psalm 68:20]

natural water colour

2011-05-24T20:46:00.002+08:00

God paints the evening sky like a water colour canvas 22.05.11

what do you treasure

2011-05-16T23:51:00.003+08:00

O Lord, forgive me for thinking that prayer is a waste of time, and help me to see that without prayer, work is a waste of time

Overseas prep

2011-05-12T16:16:00.000+08:00

California is just around the corner. Prepare my heart Lord as I worship you there, meet my beloved friends and brethren there, enjoy Your creation and grow together with my travel buddies there.

true worship

2011-05-08T23:57:00.002+08:00

A lesson of worshiping God in spirit and in truth this morning. Without both or either, i am not acceptable to God in worship. How often i must check my heart in this respect for i just keep falling away with all the distractions in the world.

The end of a phase

2011-05-04T22:50:00.002+08:00

4 years have passed and I have taken my final paper of college life. After the exhilaration, I am reminded of one thing: God's faithfulness. Without His grace, I am unsustainable in my study efforts.

[The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1]

This is the day

2011-04-30T20:02:00.001+08:00

Beautiful song composed by John Rutter 'This is the Day' for William and Kate's royal wedding on 29 April 2011

Grace upon grace

2011-04-22T00:20:00.004+08:00

I loved this song from the start by Sandra McCracken. Esp. the lyrics. So below are the lyrics:

In every station, new trials and new troubles
Call for more grace than I can afford
Where can I go but to my dear Savior
For mercy that pours from boundless stores.

CHORUS:
Grace upon grace, every sin repaired
Every void restored, you will find Him there
In every turning He will prepare you
With grace upon grace.

He made a way for the fallen to rise
Perfect in glory and sacrifice
In sweet communion my need He supplies
He saves and keeps and guards my life

To Thee I run now with great expectation
To honor You with trust like a child
My hopes and desires seek a new destination
and all that You ask Your grace will provide.

If you would like to hear the song, click on this link

Pitagora Switch love

2011-04-19T23:22:00.003+08:00

My friend posted this link and oh how i love pitagora switch and mechanisms such as those. If you would click on this link, you'd be amazed at how many mechanisms are in place for this lego one! If you have the time, watch the below too of the same pitagora type thing by the band OkGo.

Rejection

2011-04-07T23:47:00.004+08:00

An earthquake just shook an hour ago 7.4 on the Richter scale off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture in Japan and a tsunami is predicted to ensue. What was interesting was the comments observed from the news alert on yahoo.sg. Out of the 15 comments so far, 11 of them mentioned either God, pray or bless. This reference to God tells us one thing: we are spiritual creatures and we know there is a Higher Being who governs this world. Sadly, as Romans 1:21 says, not everyone will glorify nor give thanks to Him but reject Him with all their hearts (Rom 1:25). May this grow a greater burden in me for the lost.

loved beyond the dawn of time

2011-04-02T13:04:00.003+08:00

can't get over this song...loved beyond the dawn of time by my Saviour? irreconcilable but all the more leaving me speechless

Dependence

2011-03-25T21:51:00.004+08:00

Dependence on God for my every single need. How hard can that be? Hmm..i am thinking maybe i can depend on myself to get myself all rapped up for this dependence on God stuff.. and then.. maybe that is the start of non-dependence?

O Lord of my life, that you would have pre-eminence in all my life, not just church life, but all my life.

[And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] He might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18]

Pranked

2011-03-19T01:05:00.001+08:00

Hilarious

work over = holiday

2011-03-18T17:05:00.003+08:00

Doing this state essay due in 5 days time speeds up my thinking process with regards to california and grad trip 10 times more.

Come to think about it, work does make everything around seem sweeter... as per the German saying: Arbeit macht das Leben süss

Resolved

2011-03-18T00:02:00.000+08:00

can't wait

2011 Resolved Trailer from Resolved on Vimeo.

Laser weapon

2011-03-17T14:18:00.002+08:00

Noisy neighbours laughing their heads off without a care in the world detected directly opposite and one floor down from my apartment at 1.30am.

Solutions:

1) ignore

2) aim nerf gun laser

3) aim laser pointer

The first 2 didn't work. The 3rd worked perfectly, incurring a full blast return of vulgarities across the block which echoed loudly as it bounced off walls in the otherwise dead-silent neighbourhood. Laser-point a little more. Aim at all 3 guys so as to make a point. Well, at least they turned completely silent and shut off their lights after that. Conclusion: laser pointers are the new weapons of silent warfare. Not a single word of complain needed.

Death dream

2011-03-05T00:27:00.002+08:00

Last night, I dreamt a strange dream of being about to be massacred and having to grab only 1 item for keepsake in captivity before being killed (it was cloudy with regards to the mode of death - i only knew that I was about to die). And so, I remember grabbing a book. It was 'The Complete Sherlock Holmes' - the entire collection of the classics. I also recalled in my dream the fleeting nature of life and how sudden I can end up in a situation of death - dying. Somehow I got up when the alarm rang, which was before I was slaughtered. Aside from heaving a sigh of big relief that I was still alive and well, I looked back on the dream and recalled a question I ask myself sometimes in different ways - do I place such great importance on the world that it will be so hard to let go on the day that I die and meet my Lord?

This reminds me of the hymn 'I'd rather have Jesus'. It is not the day that I die that I will be prepared for death and heaven. I'd only be prepared for death and heaven if I start preparing now by thinking and believing biblically.

The Levite

2011-02-21T22:52:00.004+08:00

A Levite came from the tribe of Levi in biblical times. During the Exodus from Egypt, God redeemed every individual firstborn son in Israel (22,273 of them in total) with a Levite male (22,000). What about the 273? God required 5 shekels (ransom money or simply in Hebrew: ransom/redemption) each for every remaining firstborn Israelite male to be paid as ransom. This was the picture God wanted to paint - that the redemption of every Israelite male was definite and particular.

In the same way, God sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for a particular and definite number of people. How can I go away knowing this without a single ounce of gratitude in my heart? Give me this gratitude Lord and manifest it in my thoughts and words and actions.

For more about this glorious picture of redemption painted by God, read Numbers 3

Heaven

2011-02-17T20:36:00.005+08:00

Just started reading Randy Alcorn's book on 'Heaven' and am slowly understanding why I have a wrong perception that Heaven is of angels and us singing our whole eternity filled lives away to God. The simple reason: my information lacks a biblical source. I have turned instead to what the world in its news and ideas tells me. Here's what Alcorn wrote about the urgency of us knowing about Heaven and Hell:

[As human beings, we have a terminal disease called mortality. The current death rate is 100 percent. Unless Christ returns soon, we're all going to die. We don't like to think about death; yet, worldwide, 3 people die every second, 180 every minute, and nearly 11,000 every hour. If the Bible is right about what happens to us after death, it means that more than 250,000 people every day go to either Heaven or Hell... Jesus came to deliver us from the fear of death, "so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death" (Hebrews 2:14-15)... What delivers us from the fear of death? What takes away death's sting? Only a relationship with the person who died on our behalf, the One who has gone ahead to make a place for us to live with Him (John 14:1-3). If we don't know Jesus, we will fear death and its sting - and we should.]

Who is your Mediator who can save you from death's sting? It can't be yourself. The Bible says so. So think more about after death my friends... it is not an eternity away as we think...

Winter in Sg

2011-01-30T17:46:00.003+08:00

A cold and wintery afternoon of 24.3 degrees Celsius indoors in Singapore. Looks like I'm above the clouds on the 28th floor

Standing up in the face of hitler

2011-01-29T19:41:00.004+08:00

A man convicted to do the will of God even till death in Hitler's time, Bonhoefferr's testimony is one which I'd pay close attention to imitate

Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The indescribable sovereignty of God

2011-01-27T23:37:00.004+08:00

The sovereignty of God just spins our human minds.. but Joseph in bible times, understood and trusted fully in God's wisdom and promise even before the verse Romans 8:28 was written by Paul. Before his fearful brothers, who sought to destroy and kill him by selling him off to merchants, Joseph dismissed their fears of him taking revenge on them, saying:

'Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive'.

Genesis 50:19-20

May we strive to be like Joseph, trusting in God's sovereignty in life's ups and downs, especially the downs.

Sin in black

2011-01-13T01:21:00.004+08:00

The Tuskegee syphilis study by the Public Health Service of the United States for a long drawn period of 40 years (1932-1972) is highly disturbing and simply confirms what the bible says of man as sinful and morally depraved since the Fall:

Romans 1:28-32

'And because they did not think it worthwhile to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, disputes, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Although they know full well God's just sentence - that those who practice such things deserve to die - they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.'

For more information on the Tuskegee study on poor black men in Macon county, Alabama, watch this video or read this article

In case you were wondering why a black square for a picture, I chose black intentionally to represent sin

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

2011-01-08T23:12:00.003+08:00

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies - Psalm 103:1-4

King David learned the powerful habit of telling himself the truth. "Bless the LORD, O my soul." That's a good thing to tell yourself, isn't it? "And all that is within me, bless His holy name." That's a habit worth practicing. Train your soul to bless God. And how do you do that? By not forgetting His benefits. (Adapted from The MacArthur Daily Bible)

This is an excellent reminder that I shouldn't be following my heart but telling my heart/soul what to do.

Singing unto the Lord

2011-01-04T22:02:00.004+08:00

When one of the kids in sunday school had sore throat last sunday, I wondered how to encourage him to sing hymns to God. Then it struck me that it's not the loudness of one's singing nor the most perfect pitch, but the singing of the heart. The phrase 'then sings my soul' in the hymn 'How Great Thou Art' best describes this thought I had. It is the soul/heart that sings that pleases God.

I bent over and told the kid that even the mute can sing praises to God with their hearts and so can he with a sore throat.

O Holy Night

2010-12-26T23:38:00.002+08:00

Philip Webb singing 'O Holy Night' at Grace Church in Sunvalley, CA in Dec 2010

While the world celebrates Christmas commercially, one who is in the Lord must remember the root reason for celebrating. One is only celebrating Christmas if he or she is celebrating Christ. O Holy Night is a hymn which speaks this truth clearly. Long lay the world in sin and error pining till Christ appears before the sinner and he falls in repentance and joy. The shepherds and magi knew Whom they were worshiping in Bethlehem and fell to their knees. I pray to be like them even before I see Christ face to face.

He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,

Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!

My year in status

2010-12-16T22:10:00.002+08:00

Facebook has this interesting application that allows me to collate all my statuses of the year and here they are. It's a reflection of what I've written and a good reminder for me to think before writing or saying anything.

Smoke

2010-12-14T16:53:00.002+08:00

While gazing out of the window of a bus yesterday, I saw a smoker and realized something interesting. They say that a 2nd hand smoker breathes in more unhealthy smoke than a 1st hand smoker. But guess what, a 1st hand smoker is also a 2nd hand smoker cos he breathes in his own smoke. This means that he has an even higher chance of contracting lung cancer than a 2nd hand smoker! Just food for thought.

The Revelation

2010-12-13T11:57:00.002+08:00

I don't know whether you do read the last book of the Bible that is Revelation. For me, I haven touched that book in a long long while, partly because I have failed in my many attempts at finishing the Bible in a year. That'll have to wait a little longer... but in the mean time, I did manage to read the last chapter of Revelation. My quiet time took me to that passage as a reflection, in particular Revelation 22:1-5.

Yet, I couldn't help reading till the end (I was this close to reading the end of the Bible!). And so, I came to verse 8 and 9: 'I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, "Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. WORSHIP GOD."' I was reminded that so often, we read the Bible, especially the most interesting parts like the battles, parables, stories of Jesus' miracles and prophecies of Him that we forget what we ought to do after reading all that. Worship God. It was just a two-word sentence but it struck me that I haven been doing that very often. Now's the time to practice what I read.

Mind of a child

2010-12-04T21:56:00.003+08:00

[Do you think to come to Jesus up the ladder of knowledge? Come down; you will meet Him at the foot. Do you think to reach Jesus up the steep hill of experience? Come down, dear climber; He stands in the plain. "Oh! but when I am old, I shall then be prepared for Christ." Stay where thou art, young man; Jesus meets thee at the door of life; you were never more fit to meet Him than just now. He asks nothing of you but that you will be nothing, and that He may be all in all to you.]

C.H. Spurgeon from his book 'Come Ye Children - practical help telling children about Jesus'

Teach me to come to You as a child always, dear Lord.

Little by little

2010-11-27T22:45:00.003+08:00

Little by little, everyday

Little by little, in every way

Jesus is changing me (He's changing me)

Since I've made a turnabout faith

I've been growing in His grace

Jesus is changing me

Chorus:

He's changing me, my precious Saviour

I'm not the same person that I used to be

Sometimes it's slow going,

But there's a knowing,

That one day, perfect I will be

Little by little, day by day

Little by little, in every way

I'm growing more like my Lord (more like my Lord)

As I'm learning about His ways

And obeying what He says

My Jesus is changing me

Thought i'll share this christian song which I used to sing when little. The tune can be 'koped' from this guy though he admits that his voice isn't the best soloist one on earth:

Eternal Death Penalty

2010-11-19T21:54:00.008+08:00

Looking out into the night sky last evening before bed singing How Great Thou Art, I reflected on why I was recently confused by the death penalty debate that had been going around in school, talked about in my human rights and law & justice modules and sparked off by the slashings that have happened in Singapore. Do I support capital punishment for those youths who recently chopped a guy to death? If I were the judge, would I choose to grant them a one-in-a-millionth (in Singapore's case, one-in-a-gazillionth) chance to do reformation and rehabilitation instead of sending them to the gallows? While I was looking out of the window, I realized that perhaps it is God's way of telling me to get out and above this debate. Isn't this why God placed governments over us? (Romans 13:1-5 and 1 Peter 2:13-17 - to submit myself to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, including my governor). Instead, I should be more concerned for those who have not yet known Christ who are debating about earthly death penalty when all of us as sinners, have already been sentenced to an eternal death penalty when we leave this earth if we have not received Christ as our personal Savior. Doesn't the latter sound more important and weighty when you juxtapose earthly and eternal spiritual death penalty? What a good reminder for me to focus only on glorifying God in my testimony for Him.

Death

2010-11-17T00:51:00.005+08:00

Check this out: http://www.lifebeforedeath.com/

It's Death speaking to you and asking you to have your last say (with no regrets before dying), suggestions of death flicks??!!, design your own 'happy coffin' and have your last playlist. They even have a page to teach you how to write your obituary... sounds like writing your resume, just that this time it's something you won't see as an end product in the newspaper. Well, this website does break the taboo of the death topic and is an initiative by Lien foundation, a centre dedicated in research and training in palliative care in Singapore. Here are my thoughts:

This website tells me that Death is a metaphor and is going to come get me when I die and fullstop. There's no life after death talk. It's just life before death and tells me that I can make the best out of it and take control of my death. Hooray. But wait a minute... that voice coming out of the speaker is not Death talking to me... it's just a man's voice. And hey... I really don't know when I'm going to die. But, a few things are certain based on the Bible:

(1) Everyone dies once in their lifetime (Hebrews 9:27)

(2) Man's life is but a vapor (James 4:14)

(3) There is life after death, where man either goes to hell or heaven (Matthew 7:13-14, Revelations 20:15)

(4) While on this earth, my chief end is to glorify God and share Christ with those who do not yet know Him (Matthew 28:19-20)

Son of Hamas

2010-11-08T16:57:00.004+08:00

A peek into Lois' diary:

Ok. I have not typed out anything that has been written in my physical wire-bound diary before but it's something not exactly personal and is something more like a book review cum reflection. So I'll just place it here for some sharing:

8/11/2010 at 1.25am

Not many books nowadays draw my attention like real-life stories (aka autobiographies). I appreciate the styles of writing that 'the Time Traveller's Wife' bring about but nothing beats real life accounts, especially those containing the testimonies of those who have been saved by the blood of Christ. One of those books is called 'Son of Hamas' (which i just finished reading in 3 consecutive days.. man my eyes are tired). I never knew what exactly was this Palestinian/Israeli conflict all about. I thought of Palestinians as encroaching on the land that God gave to Israel as the Promised Land quite some time ago in the Bible and never gave second thought to understand that such a conflict cannot be solved at all (by human means), not only because it is a multi-layered and corrupted one but because the source of all this conflict and any other conflict (for that matter), is not the organizations or the armies per se. It is the sinfulness of man's hearts. And Mosab Hassan Yousef drives this home through his story. It was so poignant at the part where God saved him. Mosab's salvation, like my salvation, is as unthinkable an act of man as it is every inch possible as an act of God.

Now, I pity those students all the more in UCIrvine, protesting for their brothers and sisters in Palestine because half or many even 3/4 or more of them do not know what is the root cause of all the conflict happening half a world away. It is sin at work and it is working in the hearts of the protesters in Irvine, people in the Middle East and even in mine. Only Christ is the potion. To know more about Mosab's book, click here

Pop-up society

2010-10-29T20:10:00.001+08:00

I'm in pop-up fanatic mode now

Law and sin

2010-10-27T09:34:00.002+08:00

Up till last night, I had no clue of what John Bunyan's metaphors in Pilgrim's Progress meant. Not this morning! During QT, I learnt one. When Christian was in the Interpretor's house, the Interpretor, holding a broom, brought him into a thickly dusty room. He represents the Law and began sweeping, causing Christian to nearly choke. Bunyan's point was that just as sweeping a dusty room does not remove the dust but only stirs it up, so the law does not restrain sin but merely aggravates it. The law is not meant to save. It is meant to fail to save so that it accomplishes its function of pointing sinners to Christ as the ultimate Savior. Our inability to fulfill the law causes us to recognize the greatest sacrifice on earth, that Christ died on the cross to save sinners

Prisons and sin

2010-10-19T23:33:00.009+08:00

My group for Sociology of Law and Justice presented on the question 'Do prisons work?' this afternoon and the post-discussion led to the conclusion that there is no way out of the fact that the state is the one using prisons for its own agenda and that it is impossible to find the perfect solution to solve the problem of reforming and reintegrating the ex-convict. Scientists say crime is a disease. Sociologists argue that crime is caused by structural inequalities. One soci friend of mine wrote on her FB saying: 'what do you study sociology for? the whole point of sociology is to tell you that it's not your fault' Indeed what she concluded of sociology is very true, which is at the same time eerie and frightening. Sociology is denying the fact that crime, as all other forms of sin (i.e. falling short of God's standard of holiness - Romans 3:23) are sins committed against a holy and just God of the universe. It is not a disease whereby the criminal will pathologically continue to commit crime and neither are structural inequalities to be blamed. It is the sinful heart of the individual that needs to be dealt with.

Give the world away for God in return

2010-10-18T00:39:00.004+08:00

You can have all this world

But give me Jesus

migrant thoughts

2010-10-15T23:56:00.002+08:00

It seems this week that all the seminars collaborated to present on the topic of migrant workers. And it was definitely an eye-opener, especially when the human rights class presenters invited one of them (his name is spelt as Linton i think) to come speak to us. He is from Bangladesh and like countless other fellow workers, he was cheated by his agent and boss into coming to Singapore to work but in the end lost his job and even his right to stay legally in Singapore. It was a heartwarming time talking to him and not seeing him with 'coloured' eyes. He is as human as anyone else in Singapore and not a lesser being as we are often guilty of looking at them as.

Every thought captive

2010-10-09T17:47:00.003+08:00

Haven I been obedient to God today? I didn't talk back to my parents, I managed to read my quiet time and spend that few minutes really reflecting on how I can live a better Christian life, I swept the floor without complaining... yet, my thought life is atrociously in the dumps. Oh Lord, work in my heart for your name, to hold every though captive to the obedience of Christ!

'We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ' 2 Corinthians 10:5

Indescribable

2010-09-25T21:32:00.003+08:00

Meditating on Genesis and the majestic creation of God, this song ('Indescribable' by Chris Tomlin) is just too appropriate and brings tears to my eyes, especially the last line 'You see the depths of my [sinful] heart and You love me the same'. What a great way to prepare for Sunday worship...

Rest

2010-09-20T23:50:00.008+08:00

It's the start of a new week and a recess one in fact. Yet, I do not feel like it is a 100% recess from work. That is good by the way. Because my work on earth will never be done until God takes me home. Till then, I love what one of my dear sis in Christ wrote: "because before you reap, you must first sow, even if it is recess week." God says in Galatians 6:7 - Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. I am thus reminded to focus on the former - the sowing part this very week where I have a no-day work-week instead of a 3-day one.

I will resolve this week and the rest of the semester, not to be like the fool in Proverbs 24:30-34. Before I ever enjoy "a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest", I will slap myself awake and start working again for the glory of God.

Teach me Thy way

2010-09-18T00:32:00.003+08:00

When stormy winds against us break

Stablish and reinforce our will;

O hear us for thine own name's sake,

Hold us in strength and hold us still.

Still as the faithful mountains stand

Through the long silent years of stress,

So would we wait at Thy right hand,

In quietness and steadfastness.

But not of us this strength, O Lord,

And not of us this constancy;

Our trust is Thine Eternal Word,

Thy presence our security.

[Taken from Elisabeth Elliot's 'Passion & Purity']

dead but alive

2010-09-11T22:47:00.004+08:00

D.L. Moody once said, "The day will come when you hear that D.L. Moody is dead. Don't you believe it. For at that moment, I will be more alive than I have ever been."

what a true picture of what it'll be like after Christians die!

God's infinite character

2010-09-02T00:23:00.001+08:00

Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20)

Abounding sin is the terror of the world, but abounding grace is the hope of mankind. However sin may abound it still has its limits, for it is the product of finite minds and hearts; but God's "much more" introduces us to infinitude. (A.W Tozer)

Unity of the Bible

2010-08-25T23:24:00.003+08:00

Was recently trying to explain to my friend how the Bible is one whole unified truth and it wasn't till just, when I read Rick Holland's blog, that I began to understand the immensity of this unity. The bible was written across such an extended time and spanned across such great distances that I can't help but praise God for being such a Great Author in sewing together such a mosaic of books. Below is the portion I cut and pasted from Rick's blog and written by W.A Criswell in Why I Preach the Bible is Literally True:

The Bible was written on two continents, in countries hundreds of miles apart. One man wrote one part of the Bible in Syria; another man wrote another part in Arabia; a third man wrote another portion in Italy and in Greece. They wrote in the desert of Sinai, in the wilderness of Judea, in the cave of Adullam, in the public prison of Rome, on the Isle of Patmos, in the palaces of Mount Zion and Shushan, by the rivers of Babylon and on the banks of the Chebar. Such a variety of places and circumstances were the various bits of this strange mosaic created! No literary phenomenon in the world can be compared with it.
The Bible was written in three different languages: namely, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Some writers wrote hundreds of years after or before the others. The first part was written about fifteen hundred years before the man who wrote the last part was born. The authorship of the books of the Bible extends through the slow progress of nearly 16 centuries. When we think that the nation of America is not 200 years old, it is almost unbelievable that the authorship of the Bible covered nearly 16 centuries.
The Bible was written by men upon every level of political and social life, from the king upon his throne, down to the herdsmen, shepherds, fishermen, and petty politicians. Here are words written by princes, by poets, by philosophers, by fishermen, by statesmen, by prophets, by priests, by publicans, by physicians, by men learned in the wisdom of Egypt, by men educated in the school of Babylon, by men trained at the feet of rabbis like Gamaliel. Men of every grade and class are represented in this miraculous Volume. The circumstances under which the Book was written were sometimes most difficult and always most varying. Parts of it were written in tents, deserts, cities, palaces, and dungeons. Some of it was written in times of imminent danger and other portions of it were written in seasons of ecstatic joy.
Not only in background and in circumstances do the authors differ who wrote the word of God, but they also display in their writings every form of literary structure. In the Bible we will find all kinds of poetry such as epic poetry, lyric poetry, didactic poetry, elegiac and rhapsodic poetry. Also we find every kind of prose. There is historic prose, didactic prose, and theological prose. The Bible will be partly in the form of letters, in the form of proverbs, in the form of parable, in the form of allegory, in the form of oration. Every kind of style and type of literature we will find the Word of God.
Is it thinkable that any book written in different places, languages, and literary genre by authors out of varying cultural levels and circumstances could ever come to be one volume, an organic whole: What would we naturally expect from such a background? We would expect whole areas of discord and all of it utterly lacking any basic or organic unity. In point of fact, what do we find? We find the most heavenly and marvelous unity of any book on the earth. Every part of the Bible fits every other part of the Bible. There is one ever-increasing, ever-growing-ever-developing plan pervading the whole (pp. 93-95).

The Cross still stands

2010-08-15T22:27:00.005+08:00

How much I need this reminder that pride is when I aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge my dependence on Him. (adapted from the book 'Humility - True Greatness' by C J Mahaney) This song below embraces this acknowledgement so tightly that it is painful yet humbling to sing, knowing that I have no right at all to rob God of His glory with my pride. Help me Lord for I am weak. If you want to hear the song being sung, click on this link. Above all my pride, the cross of Christ still stands.

These hands that should embrace You, Lord
Instead have drawn a rebel’s sword.
My wayward will has dealt the blow
That pierced Your son so long ago.

My actions, Lord, should build Your name,
Instead they labor for my fame.
While outwardly I bless the Son,
I seek man’s praise for what I’ve done.

Chorus:
Lord, this glory-seeking hunger tries
To pull my heart from You:
Such a dark, unwelcome guest who hides
In everything I do.
But Your grace remains and pleads for me:
“Destroy this enemy!”
For the cross still stands
And meets my deepest need.

This heart should worship You alone;
Instead to trifles it is prone.
My tears are drawn by earthly things
But flee when with the saints I sing.

My words should tell of all the grace
You’ve shown in saving me by faith;
Instead I use my tongue to spin
A web to minimize my sin.

God's holding pattern

2010-08-11T15:37:00.004+08:00

Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26

[Waiting silently is the hardest thing of all... the things that we feel most deeply we ought to learn to be silent about, at least until we have talked them over thoroughly with God.]

["If only God would let me know."...The "holding pattern" seems to describe a very important aspect of waiting on God. Most of us who travel by air have experienced this. The flight is nearly over, the plane has begun its descent toward the city of destination when you feel it pull up again, bank, and begin to circle. An announcement comes over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Due to heavy incoming traffic, the tower has assigned us a holding pattern." People groan. Babies cry. You look out and see the same scenery you saw 15 minutes earlier. You think of the person waiting at the airport for you. You look at your watch and try to figure what will happen if you don't make your connection or appointment. You hope the captain will tell you exactly how long it will be before landing. How long is this circling going to go on?]

Waiting as defined by S.D Gordon as [Steadfastness, that is holding on; patience, that is holding back; expectancy, that is holding the face up; obedience,that is holding one's self in readiness to go or do; listening, that is holding quiet and still so as to hear.]

[How long, Lord, must I wait?

Never mind, child. Trust Me.]

Whatever that has been bracketed has been used by God to speak to me and was taken from Elisabeth Elliot's book 'Passion & Purity'.

Birthday

2010-08-08T21:02:00.005+08:00

some pple commented behind us while we were watching the fireworks at marina bay sands on 24 Jul that the crescent moon fireworks looked like a banana

nathan thought it was a smiley

then the person behind shouted at his friend (cos it was really loud)

'what banana!'

'where got banana in fireworks one!'

then everyone became hysterical and laughed like crazy, mind you, whilst the fireworks were still going on right into our faces (cos we were on the 56th level skypark). that was what it's like to feel high...

If you can't catch the NDP 2010 live, you should seriously watch this. It is 4 minutes worth of fireworks. Happy 45th birthday Singapore! (this particular clip is a little too big for my blog so click on it to go to YouTube and watch it there ;)

Contentment in the Lord

2010-08-06T19:26:00.004+08:00

The 5 principles of good stewardship, reminding me that this world is indeed not my home (gleaned from my quiet time today):

1. Evaluate every purchase as to how it would make your ministry more effective

2. Since God owes you nothing, everything you receive from Him should make you thankful

3. Learn to distinguish wants from needs, and thereby increase the amount of money you have available for the Lord

4. Discipline yourself to spend less than you earn and save the rest for worthwhile causes and needs that arise. Do not amass credit card debt

5. Lastly, learn to give sacrifically to God's kingdom

[For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? Mark 8:36]

A ripple

2010-08-03T12:23:00.004+08:00

Was reading some fb posts and came across this one which my senior in jc shared in a note. How brief a life we have. It's always something I love to talk about cos it's one of the few things that are really important in life - preparing to meet my Maker and while waiting for Christ's coming again, what should I really be doing on this earth - shine for Him and not be stagnant water. Aside from the cheem words, I echo the same sentiments as her:

Today I was sitting by a friend's pool/pond, thinking/stoning/ruminating over life's issues. heh.

And as I was deep in thought/zoning out, a drop fell, from presumably an overhanging tree, into the pool, stirring up a solitary ripple in the placid, still pool of water. The lone ripple radiated out, gradually attenuating and dissipating into oblivion.

I like to think it was an epiphany, heh, really it was one of the most beautiful things that has caught my heart in some time. A solitary drop, the perfect ripple, the stillness of motion. (it helps that the pool was pristinely azure). And so it struck me in that picture perfect moment that often our lives are like tiny, infinitesimal drops, so insignificant relative to the ocean of life and this world. But it only takes that one drop to stir a ripple, a ripple far exceeding the minuteness of the drop, and yet it is what makes all the differences. I think it's the small things that count. That kind word, that smile, the holding of one's tongue, the help offered,that one selfless deed, the simple prayer offered, the one starfish tossed back into the sea. We won't ever live in a perfect world, but i do think little things, little actions can make a difference. Sometimes it's all that makes the difference.

As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him... Psalm103:15-17

The runner

2010-07-19T22:47:00.005+08:00

Help me dear Lord to run with endurance the race set before me, fixing my eyes on the Author and Perfector of faith - Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:1-2), to surrender my all to Him, to be dead to sin and alive to Him (Romans 6:11), to let the things of the world grow dim and fade behind me and to cry out only to God as my help and salvation (Psalm 27:1). Amen.

bobdog smoking things

2010-07-15T08:22:00.002+08:00

old school bob dog candy. didn't know they really market it as cigarettes though i was pretending all the while...

http://cardhouse.com/a/candy/foreign/f20.htm

Paul

2010-07-11T21:25:00.011+08:00

Many know Paul the octopus (which became famous for it's almost accurate prediction of goals for the 2010 world cup) but few ever know it's life story. So for the fun of it and taken liberally from wiki, here's it's biography in a few sentences:

Paul was hatched from an egg at the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth, England, then moved to a tank at one of the chain's centres in Oberhausen, Germany. His name derives from the title of a poem by the German children's writer Boy Lornsen: Der Tintenfisch Paul Oktopus. The animal rights organisation PETA stated it would be cruel to keep Paul in permanent confinement. Sea Life Centres responded that it would be dangerous to release him, because he was born in captivity, and is not accustomed to finding food for himself.

According to DPA, local businessmen in Carballiño, a community in Galicia (Spain) collected about 30.000 Euro "Transfer fee" to get Paul as main attraction of the local Fiesta del Pulpo festival. Manuel Pazo, a fisher and head of the local business club assured that Paul would be presented alive in a tank and not on the menu. Sealife rejected the offer nevertheless.

The species Octopus vulgaris is almost certainly color blind; neither behavioral studies nor electroretinogram experiments show any discrimination of a colour's hue. Nonetheless, individuals can distinguish brightness as well as an object's size, shape, and orientation. Shelagh Malham of Bangor University states that they are drawn to horizontal shapes, and indeed, there are horizontal stripes on the flags he has chosen. The flag of Germany, a bold tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands of black, red and gold, is Paul's usual favorite. But the flag of Spain, with its broad yellow stripe, and the flag of Serbia, with its contrast of blue and white, are more vivid still, possibly explaining why Paul picked those countries over Germany. However Paul correctly chose Germany's flag over Ghana's, Argentina's, and Uruaguay's, whose flags, it should be noted, also contain horizontal stripes. Fey suggested that Paul was confused by the similarities between the German and Spanish flags; this was on July 6, when Fey expressed hope that Paul's latest pick would be wrong...Theories of his behavior could be systematically tested if Paul were to repeat his selection many times, but he only selects one box per game. A scientific experiment would be more vigilant towards sources of bias, including the flag visuals and potential differences in the preparation of the food.

Some other German oracles did not fare so well in the World Cup. The animals at the Chemnitz Zoo were wrong on all of Germany's group-stage games, with Leon the porcupine picking Australia, Petty the pygmy hippopotamus spurning Serbia's apple-topped pile of hay, and Anton the tamarin eating a raisin representing Ghana.

Mani the Parakeet of Singapore became famous for correctly predicting the results of all four quarter-final matches. Mani contradicted Paul by picking the Netherlands to win the final, resulting in some media outlets describing the game as an octopus-versus-parakeet showdown.

I personally find the last paragraph interesting... a parakeet from Singapore famous and not the national team which aimed to reach the world cup in 2010.

A rainbow promise

2010-07-09T00:06:00.004+08:00

Rainbow from my window (double rainbow if you look closely to the bolder rainbow's left)

The rather random but timely rainbow (random cos there wasn't any visible rain in the sky) from my window which grew darker and bolder by the minute, lasting for about 15 min gave me an opportunity to share Noah's ark and the promise of the rainbow from God to my unsaved friend.

[I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. Genesis 9:13-15]

Butterfly Circus

2010-06-30T23:54:00.004+08:00

“If you could only see the beauty that can come from ashes…The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph.”—The Film Butterfly Circus

A short film of 20 min worth every min of your time watching. Taken from the Story of Judson blog is a poignant film of how beauty can come from ashes like a butterfly morphing. Nick Vujicic is the actor playing Will and has a ministry called Life Without Limbs. God has used him powerfully even without the limbs we have. Quoting Nick: “If God can use a man without arms and legs to be His hands and feet, then He will certainly use any willing heart!”

is my all on the altar?

2010-06-12T21:11:00.005+08:00

Everytime I daydream, doze off or lose focus while worshipping God, I have offered defective sacrifices to Him, just like how the people in Malachi 1:6 offered defective animals to God as burnt offerings. These sacrifices are not accepted by my Master. Solution: sleep early!

Romans 12:1 - Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Beautiful dawn

2010-06-05T20:39:00.002+08:00

The intensity of the sunrises which I wake up to on some dawns remind me of what a powerful God and Maker I have. This Almighty Creator of the universe chose to save a sinful sinner like me...

iDisciple

2010-05-29T23:39:00.005+08:00

enriched and edified in the camp this year... what a difference to be ministered to. i feel like i'm Elijah being fed by the ravens that God sent. Rick Holland is such a blessing to us, pointing us back to God and His Word again and again and again throughout the 3 days. One Bible verse which he shared stuck out in particular: Ecclesiastes 12:1 'Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them". Help me Lord!

(the above pic is that of Rick & his wife Kim)

Sin

2010-05-18T22:08:00.002+08:00

I am dealing with my sins ruthlessly with God's help for He dealt with my Sacrificial Lamb mercilessly

Symphony of Triumph

2010-05-03T18:14:00.003+08:00

Taken from a blog by Jeff Kahl, he paints a picture of the church as one body in Christ with a musical analogy:

We are all part of a great Symphony, which the Composer skillfully conceived at the beginning of time:

Some of us are the Melody, our loud voices ringing out with the Message of the Music...

Some are Countermelody, adding movement and variety, and enhancing the Melody with our bold originality...

Some of us are the Bass Line, not outspoken or original but steadfast and supportive, without which the Melody would have no stability...

All of us, playing our respective parts, make the Symphony a triumph.

The Symphony is full of tension and struggle, but in the Composer's wisdom and design, the moments of tension always lead to a resolution of joy, while the most difficult sections are also those which challenge our abilities and make us better musicians.

As we play our parts in the Symphony, there are three things we must always consider:

We must strive to glorify the Composer by adhering faithfully to the Musical Score, and not glorify ourselves by adding prideful improvisation, for the less we deviate from the Score, the more the Audience will be convicted of its meaning...

With the guidance of the Sound Man, we must strive to blend our parts harmoniously, that our performance may be a true reflection of the Composer's art...

Finally, and most importantly, we must fix our eyes on the Conductor, who--with His nail-pierced hands--directs all of us to follow Him.

The Symphony continues, and as we turn the pages to new and increasingly complex movements in the Score, we must be confident in this:

One day, all the members of the Audience--whether they want to or not--will give the Composer a kneeling ovation.

The Conductor will embrace each one of us warmly and say, "Well done!"

And the Composer, sitting in the Balcony, will wipe the tears of joy away from His eyes as He declares once again that His Masterpiece is very good.

There is a hope

2010-05-03T17:00:00.003+08:00

I think I've posted these lyrics somewhere in the past (my memory is failing the rate of Dory the fish) but what an encouragement to be able to read and sing them in my head again. When all is right with Christ, I have nothing to fear. I especially love the last few lines 'When sufferings cease and sorrows die, and every longing satisfied, then joy unspeakable will flood my soul, For I am truly home.' I am truly home when I return to be with Christ. What unspeakable joy!:

THERE IS A HOPE
by Stuart Townend and Mark Edwards
Copyright (c) 2007 Thankyou Music.

There is a hope that burns within my heart,
That gives me strength for ev'ry passing day;
a glimpse of glory now revealed in meager part,
Yet drives all doubt away:
I stand in Christ, with sins forgiv'n;
and Christ in me, the hope of heav'n!
My highest calling and my deepest joy,
to make His will my home.

There is a hope that lifts my weary head,
A consolation strong against despair,
That when the world has plunged me in its deepest pit,
I find the Savior there!
Through present sufferings, future's fear,
He whispers, "Courage!" in my ear.
For I am safe in everlasting arms,
And they will lead me home.

There is a hope that stands the test of time,
That lifts my eyes beyond the beckoning grave,
To see the matchless beauty of a day divine
When I behold His face!
When sufferings cease and sorrows die,
and every longing satisfied,
then joy unspeakable will flood my soul,
For I am truly home.

HOLY SPIRIT, LIVING BREATH OF GOD

2010-05-01T22:26:00.003+08:00

Simply beautiful lyrics upon which I will reflect and pray today:

Holy Spirit, living Breath of God,
Breathe new life into my willing soul.
Bring the presence of the risen Lord
To renew my heart and make me whole.
Cause Your Word to come alive in me;
Give me faith for what I cannot see;
Give me passion for Your purity.
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.

Holy Spirit, come abide within;
May Your joy be seen in all I do—
Love enough to cover ev'ry sin
In each thought and deed and attitude,
Kindness to the greatest and the least,
Gentleness that sows the path of peace.
Turn my striving into works of grace.
Breath of God, show Christ in all I do.

Holy Spirit, from creation's birth,
Giving life to all that God has made,
Show your power once again on earth;
Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways.
Let the fragrance of our prayers arise.
Lead us on the road of sacrifice
That in unity the face of Christ
Will be clear for all the world to see.

toy for a grownup

2010-04-29T22:45:00.003+08:00

A new phone as always is a fresh start... not only are my messages fully wiped out but the contacts are messier than ever. Nevertheless, I love my newfound toy. Am slowly discovering the wonders of WiFi and touch-sensitive screens while all along I have been using phones with screen-sizes that could be mistaken as thumb-print scanners. This new one has a screen so large, it overshadows the iPhone.. gee needs some getting used to and in need of a new pledge: 'I will NEVER drop my phone again ever'

New form of art

2010-04-11T21:51:00.003+08:00

Union Square at Washington D.C

Capitol Building at Washington D.C

If you have never seen this guy's photos, you really should! Jason Powell juxtaposes old photographs of places in the USA with the places in modern time. Amazing work and freshness of idea! For more, click here

Japan and God

2010-04-11T21:40:00.003+08:00

We often watch Japanese dramas, animes and absorb the country's culture in several other ways. But i realized that this nation whom we take so much from, has yet to receive Christ, the most important Person in the whole world. Japan is the largest unreached nation in the world despite being one of the most industrialized. May God open our eyes to see the desperate need this country has and to pray for them to see likewise their spiritual depravity.

Fart Exercise

2010-04-07T22:38:00.002+08:00

This is too adorable and wasted if it weren't put up. From Nodame Cantabile, composed by Nodame as her aspiration is to be a kindergarten teacher.

Lyrics are as follows:

Everyone gather here!
It’s time for fart exercise
fart exercise! Ooh!
Get ready

Let’s emit a good sound, energetically emitted.
Do re mi fa PU PU PU, Waah~
No matter is a big one, or a small one,
They are all the same fart anyway
Let’s put your hand on the waist and here it comes, Hey Hey PUU~.

Let’s emit together with smile on your face,
Do re mi fa PU PU PU, Waah~
No matter is father’s or mother’s,
they are all the same fart anyway.
In sky high and here it comes, Hey Hey PUU~.

what will come out? It’s going to out soon.
Do re mi fa PU PU PU, Waah~
a healthy fart? or a cute one
but what kind of fart will emit this time?
So everyone get ready
Het Hey PU~~~~ Finally it’s out!

Memory to glorify One

2010-03-31T00:34:00.004+08:00

it's so hard to forget things sometimes... we remember things we often don't want to remember. Lord, help me to know You more and more so that when I ask of You things, they come in line with Your will. Help me not to ask my own way, for my ways are more often than not selfish, ugly and sinful

reminder

2010-03-24T10:52:00.001+08:00

It's a pity that Singaporeans need such reminders... it's like asking 'why should I brush my own teeth?'

A little transcultural education in lesson

2010-03-18T22:30:00.001+08:00

My french Prof in her usual accent asked us if we're hybrid as Singaporeans with this question we thought we heard: 'Do you have Maserati (sports car)?' At this, the whole class was confused. Only when she clarified: 'Do you drink Masala tea (Indian beverage)?' that we all understood and burst out laughing. That was fun.