He Is

Old notes taken mostly from my personal time with God. We're moving house again, so, I guess we're back to being, literally, pilgrims on the Rough Roads of Planet Earth. (Photo taken on a road to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, North Auckland, NZ, Dec 2009.)

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Scientists and Christians


Caterpillar of a Monarch Butterfly on a Swan Tree

dated 7 Dec 2006

The conflict is not between Science and Christianity. It is between Scientists who are very definite (I don't want to use the word dogmatic) about their views, though knowledge on our world is still evolving, and Christians who are also very definite about their understanding of the Bible, though the Bible gives only snippets of information on our world. So there. The bad thing is, it's this "mob" that makes it sound like there is conflict between Science and Christianity. The silent majority feel there is no conflict, but the impression the mob gives to the world is that, there is and it's a big one. So, outsiders may have the impression that Christians "don't think," don't believe in Science or are even afraid of Science. A new book by Dr. Vern Poythress, "Redeeming Science," is a voice for us silent majority. (Info on the book can be found here: http://www.gnpcb.org/product/1581347316. Thanks to a friend for this reference.) On the other hand, Science does give us that feeling of awe over God's creation and His character as the Creator God. In fact, the testimony of the awesome creation around us, for the presence of the Creator God, is enough to send a non-believer to Hell. However, Science - the study of creation around us - cannot bring us to a saving knowledge of God. It is for that purpose that besides nature, God had to send a book called the Bible (the Word) and then make that book into flesh (Jesus Christ) as well, that His message of salvation could be effectively transmitted to us. =) Cheers!

Friday, February 19, 2010

Happy Resurrection Sunday to You!

You can read my Resurrection Sunday blog here.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Ten Degrees Here

dated 2 May 2009 "Yeeee-haaaa!"

It's currently 10 deg C here. Well, it's autumn, the leaves' colours are changing, it's getting cold and damp, really damp. It's been raining continuously and humidity is as high as 89% at times. And right now it's ten minutes past 2 a.m., 3rd of May. I have an electric heater on here in our dining room where I'm typing this on our dining table, but I'm wearing two layers of shirts, a cardigan, cargo pants, socks and a raincoat (not a long one, just a body raincoat, but it's still a raincoat). That's how I try to keep warm here. There's no use for me turning up the heater higher because I'm going to sleep soon and am saving electricity. It's not particularly uncomfortable, I just have to keep shifting my legs once in a while to keep warm, though. On the contrary, Jayne is toasting in her room because her room is small and she's fully awake till I don't know when, so, her heater is on full blast.

So, this is autumn here in Auckland and I really am not complaining. Just after one week of praying things are looking up for me. I don't feel so dragged down by disappointing circumstances and scenarios in my younger daughter's school. I just changed my mind-set. God is good.

Psalm 16: 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.

When I focused on God again, I realized I can actually believe His word, such as the one above, which I have always confessed before, since I started consciously putting my trust in Him for everything in my life.

Also, the service in this new church we're attending, was so good last Sunday, I actually felt the presence of God and experienced the Holy Spirit ministering to me once again. Hmmm, hallelujah!

So, praise the Lord, I am sleeping, smiling in my dreams tonight. ;-)

He Rockz

dated 26 april 2009 "God Rules!" ;-)





Jeremiah 9

23 This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,

24 but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD.

I would paraphrase that as:

"Smart guys are nothing, so are the gym hulks, and so are the Gucci-wearing ones. But there's one who stands out before the Lord: The one who knows Him so well that he knows God rules the earth."

I like that. :-)


The next verse is even more interesting:
25 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh- 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the desert in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart."
The funny thing is, we know that generic people residing in those countries now are Jews and Muslims, all descendants of Abraham, the guy who started the practice of circumcising baby boys - because God told him to do so. Abraham had two sons - Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael is the father of the Muslim nations while Isaac is the father of Israel. And now we all know that these people actually, in one way or another, rule the world. The Jews dominate Wall Street while the Muslims own most of the oil-rich deserts. And yet God is saying the time is coming when He will show everyone who Rules, the Muslims and Jews or God.
Hmmm, high time we get to be on God's side. Better be as one who's not-so-smart, not-so-sleek and not-so-rich but one who knows God and how He Rules the world. The time is coming. The time is at hand.

Photo by my older daughter:
A seagull at the beach in Shakespear Park, north of Auckland.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Words of Life

"Phew, Life!" dated 24 April 2009

I have been suffering from depression brought on by prolonged stress. I have been stressed even before we moved here but in those days I always found time to read God's Word, reflect, worship and pray in tongues. Since we moved here, I had been lax. And now I am reaping the fruits of my laziness.

But I know that the Words of God are life and my mind, body and emotions can only be restored again if I keep my time with God and feed on His word.

Today, I read a few chapters from Psalms. I claimed the promises of God in His Word for restoration of my body, soul and spirit:

Psalm 19
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

John 6:63
"...The spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life..."

John 6:68
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life..."

Photo: Shakespear Park, Auckland





How Busyness Can Suck the Life Out of Us

"seeking and reflecting" dated 20 April 2009



I have not spent time with God much since we moved here and
now I am reaping its fruits. I have focused on the work that needs to be done,
the people I need to relate with every day, the nitty-gritty details of life. I
have fallen into the third pitfall that ravages the Christian life and devours
it to death.









Luke 8

14The seed that fell among thorns stands for
those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries,
riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.


I have heard the Word of God, had put it to practice for years, and just a lapse of months in faithfully feeding on the Word has brought illness upon me – physically and psychologically. I have not practiced what I preached.

Today, I say the prayer of repentance:

Psalm 41: 4

4 I said, "O LORD, have mercy on me;

heal me, for I have sinned against you."

















Proverbs 24

30 I went past the field of the sluggard,
past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;

31 thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-
34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.

-------------------------------
Our life is like a garden, too. If we do not tend it with reflection and nourish it with the Word of God, it would become a dead and messy garden. The above picture is my vision for my life, not the sucky garden of the sluggard. >.<

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

My Retreat... God's Retreat

dated 15 April 2009
Too many demands from too many people in this life. I need to step back, retreat and regroup. I need a rest. Life is meaningless when God is not at His throne - my heart.
Alas, the Holy Spirit had been so offended He has left, quietly. How to have the Holy Spirit back dwelling in me?

Isaiah 66

1Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

2For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.









When I am not at rest, God can likewise have no rest in me. "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." (John 15:4 KJV)

I just can't get anywhere without abiding in Him, and He in me. Nothing gets done, no progress in sight. Despite all the activity, striving and tumult - nothing. Everything is in vain. And that puts everything in perspective. Nothing really matters above all but my time with God. God can only dwell among men whose hearts tremble at His word.

Photo: Auckland Autumn
Taken at Coyle Park, Pt. Chevalier, Auckland, 4-5 pm, 10th April 09, Good Friday

------


Dated 5th April 2009 (MySpace date)
Current mood:busy
Life in Auckland









small

We apply lots of sunblock in summer and lots of lotion in
winter.

We carry a jumper in autumn, winter and spring and a cardi in summer.
It’s a perfect sunny day and blue sky one moment and a cloudy day the next.
It is wintry cold weather one moment and bright sunny weather the next.
We put on sunblock every time we get out of the house, even when it's rainy, stormy weather, because it can turn sunny any time.
We spend lots of time and money for putting on sunblock.
Auckland is like a British Honolulu? If you’re black, brown, white or yellow, you’ll easily blend in here.
People around the world would like to live in or see New Zealand. People in New Zealand would like to see or live somewhere else in the world.
It’s clean fresh air, green meadows and UV-laced sunshine paradise in here.
Approximately two hundred people die of skin cancer every year here in New Zealand
Many others only need and get treatment for it.
Auckland is surrounded by lots of water. There are countless beaches and marinas around. You would expect seafood – fresh tuna, blue marlin, salmon, lobsters, prawns, oysters and mussels – would be in abundance. It isn’t. Seafood is costly here.
Minced beef is much cheaper than minced chicken.
Rosemary goes very well with lamb and rosemary grows almost everywhere. I have a hedge of it in my yard and I see it in car parks, too.
There's a beautiful, fragrant lavender plant in my backyard but I realized it's lavender only months later. It's my first time to see a real lavender plant. I realized it was lavender only when I remembered smelling that particular aroma when we had lavender cookies served with Earl Grey Tea in a tea house in Malaysia before.
Photo: Our neighborhood

My Hope

"Sunday Morning" dated 29 March 2009

Despite the discouraging circumstances I seem to be in, I am thankful to God that my hope is in Him. Things may not turn out as I expect and want them to, but I know that the One who is in control of my lot is He who is righteous and just. According to His righteousness and justice things may not be how I think things should be; and they may be long in coming, as per my perspective, but I am at peace, knowing that He is righteous and just and in control.

Isaiah11:3,4
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

Rose pic, another one from the rose nursery near our home. Rose var. Hot Chocolate

Monday, February 8, 2010

Hi! How's Everyone?


"I Wish" dated 28 March 2009

I've been really pissed off, so, had to stay away from here for a while. I can't be seen as fearful or anything like that but life goes on, just as usual. Should I wait till something really bad happens? Or should I do something now to prevent bad things from happening? There's so much at stake and so much work to do if I should decide to change my circumstances.
Life is not really green, as it looks like on the other side of the fence. :-) It has its own side of dry seasons, and rocks and hail, and what not. I feel comforted with the thought that it's just another day, in a life, in a place somewhere. It has its joys, its problems, its hard times, its boredom, its comforts. I want to think God has not forgotten me. Circumstances just sapped me dry and I don't have the energy to seek Him. God is good, all the time. But you can't feel His goodness unless You seek His presence.
I thank God for
family
friends
good health
safety
beautiful surroundings
good food
comfortable home, car
clothes on my back
great company on the net
time with my family
time to see a movie, sometimes
time to sit and reflect, rare times
time to clean my house
time to cook decent food
time to read, write emails
for being alive - some people my age have died many years ago
great friends, good friends, praying friends
new friends, old, faithful friends
strangers who do their job
strangers who care
being able to feel, smell, see, etc
being able to appreciate
being able to read, write, think, reflect
etc.

I wish that I have a longer weekend.
I wish I don't have to clean the house that often.
I wish I don't have to take care of trees, bushes and plants in a garden.
I wish I don't have too much laundry.
I wish I can do other things with my time besides cleaning, cooking, gardening and laundry.
I wish I don't have to relate with so many people and put on so many masks.
I wish I can have time alone.
I wish I can have some silence.
:-)
I wish...

Photo taken from a rose nursery near our house in Spring 2008.

Stressed Out on the Job?

dated 28 February 2009
Sometimes there's only one thought that goes on in my mind: "I hate this job - I cry over it everyday." Then I know it's time for a good laugh.

















"Just let me off!!! This ain't fair!!!"



















"Woof - Woof! You meanies!! (pant! pant!) Woof - Woof!"


Photos from:
elitechoice.org

ubergizmo.com

Followers

Smile! God loves you and me. ^____^

About Me

My photo
The Many Versions of Love Stories 1. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, kiss and marry. They live happily ever after. 2. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, kiss and marry. The marriage sours, they part, and live happily ever after. 3. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, kiss and marry. Then boy finds out it's more fun to be girl... or girl finds out it's more fun to be boy, they part, change sexes and live happily ever after. 4.Finally, boy or girl meets God. It's love at first sight... The roads went rough, the tides rose high, the strong winds blew and the quake shook the ground... but they truly live happily ever after, forever and ever. 5. Try God's love... it's always happy forever after, and the story never ends. :-D