”Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”“ John 11:9-10 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.11.9-10.NIV
My Remarks:
I’ve got an insight during the discussion on this week’s BSF session.
We received enough grace from the God during the daylight such that we should shine to others during the night? Just like a solar powered system?
It’s tough as we are sinners. But the grace we received is worthy. It should let other sinners know as well.
Amazing Grace
We are not the sun. But we can reflect the sunlight like the leaf in the photo. It’s still attractive, right?
The Miracle of 5 loaves and 2 fishes Luke 9:10-17 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.” He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish–unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
My Remarks:
I once thought 5 loaves and 2 fishes was a miracle. However, I was reminded that it can physically be executed, especially in these days of shortage of masks.
Isolation From God
If everyone is stocking masks in his own castle, then the masks is always in shortage. Hence, there’s some people have a lot in hands and some people don’t have any in hands. This kind of imbalance would soon break out into dispute and in worst war’s starting.
Experience God’s Mercy
However, If everyone is keeping what’s needed and shared with each other for the excess, everyone would soon be satisfied and all will be saved. And this is how 5 loaves and 2 fishes exactly worked. This is not a miracle any more. We all can do it. I’m lucky that I’m living in a city where God’s words is executed.
All physical Choir rehearsals had been cancelled for almost a year since the outbreak. As God is leading us, virtual choir becomes a way out.
Hence, I joined a virtual choir project which we sent our own parts for the organiser to post processing.
And this is my part, lots of imperfections but the deadline’s coming. Hence, I chose from all my takes to pick the most satisfying one to submit.
Hope you enjoy my part and I’m also looking forward to the final product as wells.
Updated on 7 November, 2020:
The final version has been released by the organiser. There’s totally 789 people submitted the video to the organiser. What a great echo!! Here’s the link:
11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard
17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me and wanted to release me,because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26 “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” 27 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” 29
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!
Today’s worship we discussed the ending in the Acts.
Why should it be ended like this? It’s because it wanted to stress the judgement can only be made by God. No one can judge the other, even the judiciary.
Then why should there be judiciary system?
As discussed in The Chocies of Judas , We are free to do whatever we wanted with understanding the rule of law.
We followed the law is because we understand why it’s set like this. The laws are for balancing everyone’s rights and responsibilities. So we all can live happily together as a community.
For example, I often saw people skipped the foot cleansing pond at the gate of the swimming pool. They used many ways to escape from that little pond.
I really doubted whether they know why there is a foot cleansing pond at the gate of the swimming pool.
I knew in some rural regions, that foot cleansing pond is the root of infecting skin disease because no one clean the pond.
Hence, the people from the rural regions are getting used to escape from that little pond. The consequences are all the people swam got infected.
At the end, I wanted to express with a photo from a series of photos that fit today’s topics – God’s Tears.
God’s Tears:
It’s also my favourite to shoot on the water drops on the petals.
Imagine that we are the anthocyanin living on the petals Again. Each of us is unique and God’s lessons is like the water drops on the petals. Each lesson is like a droplet. Every people has its own perception on the lessons, but each lessons involves not only one Person. The water drops will be vaporised when the sun shines. The total effect of the water drop is unique for the time and place. That’s what we called life.
¹ On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.
² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?
⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:
⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”
⁸ Then they remembered his words.
⁹ When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.
¹⁰ It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.
¹¹ But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.
¹² Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
¹³ Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.
¹⁴ They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.
¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;
¹⁶ but they were kept from recognizing him.
¹⁷ He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast.
¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
¹⁹ “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.
²⁰ The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;
²¹ but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.
²² In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning
²³ but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.
²⁴ Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”
²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
²⁶ Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”
²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
²⁸ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther.
²⁹ But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.
³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
³² They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
³³ They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together
³⁴ and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”
³⁵ Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
³⁶ While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
³⁷ They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.
³⁸ He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?
³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
⁴⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.
⁴¹ And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish,
⁴³ and he took it and ate it in their presence.
⁴⁴ He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
⁴⁷ and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things.
⁴⁹ I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
⁵⁰ When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.
⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
⁵² Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
⁵³ And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
My Remarks:
We discussed the resurrection in this week’s fellowship. The bible verses was so famous that almost everyone should have known.
But I asked a stupid question, “Why shouldn’t Jesus lead us all to the Holy Kingdom directly?” “Why should He tolerate the torture, laughing, and die on the cross.”
Yes, he can do it directly as in Genesis 1: 3, And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
But He is waiting us to realise and understand Him. Once you understood, you shared your understanding with each other. That’s what He want.
Since each of us is so unique, the realisation of His existence is different for each of us.
I’ve transformed my realisation into a series of photos called “God’s Mercy”.
God’s Mercy:
Imagine that we’re the anthocyanin living on the petals. The stamen is unreachable because it’s on different dimension. But when the sun shines on it, the shadow of the stamen reflected on the petals. That’s the moment for those anthocyanin living on the petals to experience the shadow of the stamen. However, can you realise? That’s my understanding on experiencing God’s Mercy.
Hence, I like to shoot on the shadow of the stamen on the petals.
This is one of the photo in the series that is suited for today’s topic.
With the long exposure as the new toy, I’m now trying to have partial long exposure in one photo.
In this photo, the fishes in the pond was moving while the old ladies in the park were still. The move and the still was In the contrast. It symbolises the motion behind the still.
The composition also used the golden triangle, the moving fishes, the still ladies and the empty pond as staring point by the ladies.
²⁶ As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
²⁷ A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.
²⁸ Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.
²⁹ For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’
³⁰ Then “ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’
³¹ For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
³² Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.
³³ When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals–one on his right, the other on his left.
³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
³⁵ The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”
³⁶ The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar
³⁷ and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
³⁸ There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
³⁹ One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?
⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ”
⁴³ Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
⁴⁴ It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,
⁴⁵ for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
⁴⁶ Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
⁴⁷ The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
⁴⁸ When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.
⁴⁹ But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
My Remarks:
Although the time is harsh nowadays, our fellowship continued. And this week’s discussion was the crucifixion.
I related the crucifixion with the style of leading a meeting which is widely used in the western. The style of a Christian leading a meeting is totally different from the others.
To increase the contradictories, I so-called the others style as Satan’s style for contrast. No personal attack nor discrimination. Only for easy illustration.
In a meeting, Christian will actively involved in the discussion while Satan will observe in silence.
Satan observes people in silence.
Why Satan keeps in silence, it’s because it’s a chess game for him. He observed and bet on the side of the game. If it’s going to lose, he’s got nothing to lose. So he simply gives up the chess and wait for the next game.
Jesus is with us.
However, Christian will actively involved in the meeting. The difficulties in the meeting is the chance to experience God’s mercy and it’s wonderful to experience it with a group of Christians. Hence, conflicts can be resolved peacefully.
22:1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.
The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people.
And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve.
And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them.
They were glad and agreed to give him money.
So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd.
Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.”
They said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare it?”
. And He said to them, “When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters.
. And you shall say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”
And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there.”
And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.
And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;
for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves;
for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.”
And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table.
For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing.
My Remarks
Even though the plague is still affecting our daily routines, but life will find its way out. So we started our fellowship using video conferencing via the Internet.
This week’s discussion is the famous one: the Last Supper.
We discussed about the free will of Judas. Jesus headed up Judas beforehand (Luke 22:22) and gave choices to Judas. So Judas was betrayed Jesus on his free will. Hence, it’s fair for Judas to bare all the consequences. That’s why he is famous about the betray.
It seems far away from us, but indeed this principle is widely used nowadays.
We will set up regulations and black and white all the rights and responsibilities. It’s our free will to follow or not, but we take full responsibility on the consequences.
However, I often heard about asking people to become the hands and feet to the organisation as we are one body.
When I first heard about it, it was packaged in fantasy. I just noted with thanks.
But now, it’s clarified in HIS Words. Choices are always there. It’s you to choose your faith.
Hence, in this photo, the two leaves are the choices of Judas had. It’s to remind us that we will be the next Judas if we are entered by Satan and betray Jesus.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.
My Remarks:
Since the outbreak of the diseases, all my activities are cancelled including the worship to God. Hence, my church started the internet version of the worship as follows:
This week’s worship concentrated on our current affairs – the outbreak of the disease. How to face it? And How to go through these dark days.
The related bible verses is as above. The major discussion is based on whether you had been aware of your faith. And What’s your faith? Or in modern terms what’s your life aim?
My life aim is to broaden my horizon and I set it when I was teenager.
Because of this, I occasionally travelled to different countries leisurely to live this aim up. But actually, I’m a typical IT gal – I’m not outgoing nor talkative. I’ve got my style of communication which not everyone will enjoy.
IT people will speak directly to the points like an arrow to your heart. I knew it for 20 years, but still, I speak to the points.
Now, as a Christian, how to integrate my life aim to reveal HIS Glory?
Magic Moments 