Fathers and Children Camp @ Kota Tinggi Rainforest Resort

My elder daughter and I just returned from a rainforest adventure camp organized by Royal Rangers from 27 to 29 Nov 2011 at Kota Tinggi Rainforest Resort. We had alot of fun and private time for father-child bonding, and getting to know other fathers and their children.

We went for a spectacular firefly river cruise, mess tin cooking, tin foil cooking, team building activities, telematches, camp fire, waterbomb toss and water bomb games. All fathers were game enough to present skits to all the children at the camp fire.

Pastor Patrick Chew spoke on the need for fathers to spend time with our children, for "LOVE" is spelt "T-I-M-E"! Our children do not wish for our presents but our presence. Indeed, in the end times, God will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children back to the fathers.

I lay claim to Psalm 46:1 that "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble". No matter how our current situations may be, we can overcome them with our eyes fixed upon Christ, the creator and author of our lives.

King Herod --- the visionary builder of the world's first major artificial harbour

King Herod (73 BC - 4 BC), remembered for his brutal slaughter of innocent children in the Bible, was lesser known for his ingenious and visionary masterplan for the ancient city of Judea. It was recorded that he masterminded the building of the great artificial harbour at the ancient city of Caesarea on Israel's north coast (Discovery Channel Magazine, "Herod's Triumph", February/March, Volume 2/2009, pp 74-81). The artist's impressions of the great habour during that era are simply spectacular.

This was an ambitious man born and lived among famous characters such as Mark Anthony, Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. I was intrigued by his engineering feat of such an artificial harbour which at that time, served well in anchoring his control over sea lanes and ultimately securing wealth, power and prosperity during his reign in the kingdom. How brillant and visionary was King Herod! He could have easily won the ancient world's equivalent of the Nobel Prize in Economics!

The Bible also recorded three separate Temples of Jerusalem --- the First Temple built by King Solomon (circa 957 BC), the Second Temple built after the return from exile (515 BC) and Herod's Temple in Jerusalem (26 AD). Herod's Temple was burnt down by the Roman army in 70 AD, as prophesized by Ezekiel (Ez 21:18-19). Interestingly, the destruction of Herod's Temple happened on the exact same day as the destruction of Solomon's Temple by the Babylonians 657 years earlier.

No matter how great King Herod excuted his masterplan for his city, his jealousy drove him in committing murder to any one threatening his reign. This included the murdering of innocent children in the quest to kill Jesus Christ, upon hearing that Jesus would "displace" him as the king of Judea. Tragically, King Herod died with depression and a slew of illnesses.

Perhaps the summary of Herod's life is mirrored in Proverbs 22:1-4, "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all. The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life."

Happy 400th birthday, King James Version (KJV)

I was browsing through the magazine section of the National Library yesterday and found this article dedicated to commemorate the quadricentennial of the King James Bible (Harper's Magazine, June 2011 Edition, pp. 33-40).

The author lamented that the King James Bible is no longer the popular version used by major Christian denominations as their primary scripture reference. How true? I have been a born-again Christian for more than 15 years and I have been faithfully using the New International Version (NIV) ever since it was introduced to me on day one from my church.

I came to notice that in recent years my pastors have been using what Harper's Magazine called the other "accessible" translations. A curious search on the Internet reviewed that the other translations used commonly in churches now are the New King James Version, New American Bible (NAB), New International Version (NIV) and New Living Translation (NLT) for adults and the New International Reader's Version (NIrV) for children.

Some argue that there is no one translation that is the best. Well, I know I will still be sticking to my NIV bible for a while longer.

"It is enough!" and "It is finished!"

It is enough!
Lord, if it pleases You
Unshackle me at last.
My Jesus comes;
I bid the world goodnight.
I travel to the heavenly home.
I surely travel there in peace,
My troubles left below.
It is enough! It is enough!

This is Alban Berg's expression of the death of 18-year-old Manon Gropius in his elegiac composition piece Violin Concerto in 1935. This concerto, dedicated to "the memory of an angel", was his last work at 50 years old.

Perhaps what fancinated me was Alban's resignation to death, when he anguished about death --- "It is enough!". Death is indeed, by no means, an end to life but the beginning of an everlasting life in heaven.

Alban's "It is enough!" augments Jesus' last words "It is finished!" as he died for us on the Cross at Calvary. In God's perspective, our earthly lives are but a race. We can never say "It is enough" until God deems "It is finished!".

Lord Jesus, it is a privilege to know You as our Lord and Saviour. More importantly, it is an honour to serve and co-work with You in accordance to Your will and purposes. Grant us an heavenly perspective and help us to finish the race well... until You deem "It is finished!".