HEAVEN'S OCCUPANTS

Heaven has always been a subject of great interest and fascination. It is a topic that has generated more questions than answers.

I have been asked many times if animals are part of the “new heaven and new earth” (Rev.21:1).  Animals are part of God's original creation. Before the fall, God declared His creation as “good” at the end of each day. Originally, animals were never meant to be eaten. They were originally created to provide fellowship & companionship to man. That is why Adam was told to name the animals (Gen.2:19-20). God did not tell Adam to name the fruits & vegetations, because they were meant to be food for man.

Adam and Eve could communicate with the animals, which is why they didn’t find it strange when the serpent talked to Eve. (Some theologians, however, believed that it was Satan who either masqueraded as a serpent or made use of the serpent to tempt Eve). Subsequently, the serpent became accursed and reduced to a symbol of judgment. It was only after the fall that things no longer remained the same as God had originally intended.

The Bible gives a glimpse of heaven where animals are concerned. Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot pulled by horses (2Kg 2:11). In the new world, the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. Calves and lion cubs will feed together and little children will take care of them. Cows and bears will eat together, and their calves and cubs will lie down in peace. Lions will eat straw as cattle do and snakes will no longer be dangerous (Isa.11:6-7, 65:25). When Jesus returns, He will be riding on a white horse (Rev.19:11).

Personally, I cannot imagine a heaven without trees and flowers, animals and fishes, which God had once created and called "good". When God created the new heaven and new earth, it will surely be no less than the original Eden. God will restore everything back to the original…minus the tree of the knowledge of good & evil!

People have asked me if they will ever see their pets in heaven. They wanted to know what the Bible says.  There is no straight answer from the Scripture.  This is because the Bible was never written for animals, but for people. It was primarily written to address the problem of sin and man's need for salvation and to provide principles for Christian living.

According to the Bible, it was man who sinned against God – not the animals. In that sense, we can infer that animals are “sinless” because they do not have the knowledge of good & evil. Unlike human beings, they do not scheme, plot or commit murder. The fall simply reduced them to function by instinct - they kill for food, for survival and self-preservation. They kill when threatened, not out of vengeance!

Because of its “innocent” state, animals were fit to be used as sacrifice for sin. There was only one man who could take the place of the animals as atonement for man's sin - Jesus, the Lamb of God! Like the rest of creation, animals suffer the consequences of sin caused by man. They became collateral damage. The fall destroyed the perfect fellowship between man and animals, and brought hostility between the two worlds. The effect of sin upon animals can also be seen from the fact that they suffer abuse, hunted down & harvested for food or used as beasts of burden. Animals are part of the creation that groans with pain and looks forward to the Day when they would be set free from decay and corruption caused by sin, and share the glorious freedom of God’s children (Romans 8:19-22)

It is often pointed out that there are no animals in heaven because animals are not made in the image of God and do not have a spirit. The animals didn’t need a spirit to exist in the first Eden before the fall, why would the second Eden be different? Heaven is not a land of spirits. In heaven, we do not float around as spirit or soul without a body. The Bible tells of a new body for the saints. 

In closing, here’s an extract of a poem written by John Piper, entitled “Glorified.”

And as I knelt beside the brook
To drink eternal life, I took

A glance across the golden grass,

And saw my dog, old Blackie,

fast as she could come.

She leaped the stream--

Almost---and what a happy gleam was in her eye.

I knelt to drink, And knew that I was on the brink

Of endless joy…

(http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/poems/glorified)

My babies, Spunky (background) & Cookie (Dated Nov,2010)

Simply Assumptious!

Assumptions can be dangerous...as the following story shows..

On the last day of kindergarten, all the children brought presents for their
teacher. The florist's son handed the teacher a gift. She shook it, held it
up and said, "I bet I know what it is - it's some flowers!"

"That's right!" shouted the little boy.

Then the candy store owner's daughter handed the teacher a gift. She held
it up, shook it and said. "I bet I know what it is - it's a box of candy!"

"That's right!" shouted the little girl.

The next gift was from the liquor store owner's son. The teacher held it up
and saw that it was leaking. She touched a drop with her finger and tasted
it. "Is it wine?" she asked.

"No," the boy answered.

The teacher touched another drop to her tongue. "Is it champagne?", she
asked.

"No," the boy answered.

Finally, the teacher said, "I give up. What is it?"

The boy replied, "A puppy!"

Simply Amazing!

What used to be something from Sci-fi movies, such as Star Wars, is now a reality. It's only a matter of time when such High Definition 3D holographic technology becomes as common as an LCD TV or projector. This will take video conferencing experience to the next level!

Simply 4-tunate!

The number “4” is considered inauspicious by many Chinese because it sounds like “death”, especially in the Cantonese, Hokkien & Teochew dialects. Yet, someone spent a fortune to keep such a number – according to a news article with this heading a few months ago:
Unlucky Number Plate Sells For £65,000!
"A woman from Hong Kong has paid £65,000 for the number plate 4444, despite the fact that in China the number four is considered unlucky. The number plate was sold at a government auction along with a further 270 unusual number plates. "
http://www.prlog.org/10078948-unlucky-number-plate-sells-for-65-000.html

My car registration number not only has two 4’s but also ends with a “C” (sounds like “die” in Hokkien)!

There are many things that come in fours, for example:

The 4 gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
The 4 temperaments (Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, Phlegmatic)
The 4 elements (Air, Fire, Earth, Water)
The 4 seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter)
The 4 regions of the earth (North, South, East, West)
The 4 divisions of the day (Morning, Noon, Evening, Midnight)
The 4 heroes of Marvel Comic (Fantastic Four)

Simply Imperfect!

Years ago, there was a movie called “Minority Report” (starring Tom Cruise), which tells of a future whereby crimes are virtually eliminated by an elite law enforcing squad called “Precrime”. They use three genetically altered humans (called “Pre-Cogs”) with special powers to see into the future and predict crimes beforehand. John Anderton heads Precrime and believes the system is flawless.
However one day the Pre-Cogs predict that Anderton will commit a murder himself in the next 36 hours. Anderton rushes against time to clear his name and to save his life and future.
One of the scenes showed a conversation between the characters, Anderton and Witwer.
Anderton: “There hasn't been a murder in six years. There's nothing wrong with the system. It's perfect!”
Witwer: “I agree. The system is perfect. If there's a flaw, it's human. It always is.”

The RMS Titanic was built to perfection and touted as unsinkable. Yet, history shows otherwise…another imperfect design of imperfect man!

“The Titanic” – drawn by my little friend, Joel Tan, with whom I share a lot in common – particularly drawing & gardening.

Unusual Names

Most parents-to-be would spend a great deal of time and effort thinking of an appropriate name for their kids long before they arrived.

What would you name your child? I've come across children with names like Esther See (sounds like the drug 'ecstasy'), See Li Ann (silly Ann), Galaxy Tan (obvious), and Kah Pak (which sounds like car park).

This is mild in comparison to the names that some parents give their children – as reported yesterday at: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10523288

Names

I’m trying to remember the names of people in my new ministry environment – all 700+ of them. I decided to start with the key people first.
Remembering names has always been one of my weakest points. Putting the face to a name is even more challenging, though I’m better at remembering faces than names.

GPC is in the process of updating its members’ directory – the new directory will have a photo next to the name. That will be a tremendous help for me!

Found this on the website http://www.ehow.com/how_1986_remember-names.html, which
provides simple, yet helpful steps to remembering names (reproduced below):

Step1
Pay attention when you are introduced to someone. A few minutes after you meet the person, say his or her name to yourself again. If you have forgotten it, talk to the person again and ask for the name.
Step2
Write down the new name three times while picturing the person's face; do this as soon as possible after meeting someone.
Step3
Ask how to spell a difficult name, or glance at the spelling on the person's business card, if it's offered. If you know the spelling of a word and can picture it in your mind, you'll remember it better.
Step4
Connect a name to a common word you will remember. For example, the name Salazar could sound like 'salamander,' 'bazaar' or 'sell a jar.'
Step5
Make a connection to the person's hobby or employment. 'Bill the pill' might help you remember the name of your pharmacist, for example.

My First Week

Hey, I survived my first week!

Just minutes of orientation on my first day, I was led right into the action clocking 10 to 12 hours each day ever since (a norm for GPC staff). The truth is, I enjoy every minute of it!

I'm trusting God to keep me for the long haul, and I need every ounce of His sufficient grace. I know He will!

Car Theft

While reading about the rampant carjacking & auto theft taking place across the causeway recently, out of curiosity I decided to find out how some other places perform in terms of such inconvenient & costly crime.

USA
One motor vehicle stolen every 26.4 seconds in 2006.
Quebec (Canada)
In 2006, more than 38,800 vehicles reported stolen (which is 1 vehicle every 14 minutes).
New Zealand
Over 36,000 cars stolen last year (one car every 15 minutes).
Australia
75,115 MVT (motor vehicle theft) reported stolen in 2006 (on average, 1 vehicle every 7 minutes).
Singapore
One car goes missing every 5 days. 543 vehicles (including commercial vehicles & motorcycles) stolen in the first 6 months of 2007.

Interesting that the recent American Idol had the top 8 finalists singing a Christian song. Doubt this will ever happen at the Singapore Idol, Malaysian Idol....

Packing Ordeal

Spent the last few days packing.

Didn't realized how much stuff I have accumulated over the last ten years! Since I'll be moving into a smaller office with very limited working space, some things have to go.

Hopefully, I can clear everything by next Monday. Thanks to Stan, for offering to help me move.

Simply Childlike

Can you remember how life was when you were little? For me, life was much simple and carefree.

As we grow older, we tend to lose many traits or qualities often found in children - childlike faith, innocence and simplicity.

Children normally don't question the things we tell them. As we grow older, we tend to become more skeptical, even cynical! We want to understand everything and have all the answers.

Children are not duly bothered about what others think or say about them. They are not concerned about looking "cool" and sophisticated. They just act the way they are - they are just very much themselves! They are generally inquisitive and eager to learn. They are not afraid to ask - and to them, there's no such thing as a stupid question.

As we grow older, many things get in the way of our learning. We tend to become more set in our thinking, more fixed in our ways and our habits ingrained. Often, we have to unlearn the learnt in order to learn new things. In other words, we may need to let go some of our own perception of things, our sense of security, our fears and prejudices.

When God tells us to become like little children, he's not telling us to be childish - but to be childlike in our attitude.

Hence, whether it's learning new things or simply trusting, it pays to adopt a childlike quality - one that is marked by true humility, submission and plain, simple faith!

Pic: Yong En (god-son) when he was just a few months old.

A Familiar Experience

Here's a comic strip I found in yesterday's Straits Times paper (Life column).

I can certainly identify with this...every day having to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to take my furry babies out to do their things. And they will take their own sweet time strolling, scratching, sniffing around...

Goodbye

Annyong-hee Kaseyo!

How quickly the years have passed, and it's time to return to your home in South Korea.
Thanks...Michael, Esther, Hee Ju & Hee Min for being part of our life and ministry at LPPC!

May God bless you and keep you in His love always!

A Good Sleep

How's your sleep?

Though we spend one third of our life sleeping, such a time does not seem to count. We live in a society that measures life by the amount of activities one can squeeze into one day.

To some people, sleep is such a waste of time. Many try to increase their working hour by reducing their sleeping time.

Once there was this guy who boasted that he could only afford 4 hours of sleep every day, due to his busy schedules and business commitments. He claimed that on some days, he did not even sleep at all. I certainly don't envy him or like to be in his shoes.

God has given us a body that requires adequate rest and sleep. We lie down drained and worn out; we wake up refreshed, regenerated and restored.

Being able to sleep is a blessing.
Being able to wake up refreshed is also a blessing.

Good night and sleep well!

Good Food & Good Companions

Recently, we were invited to Peter & Helena Poon’s house for dinner.

Yong Kuang & I always look forward to such an event. Reason is extremely simple: GOOD FOOD & GOOD COMPANIONS!

I always appreciate Helena’s cooking and Peter’s excellent choice of wines. You could taste their love and concern for the guests that step into their home each time.
But in order to enjoy Helena’s cooking and Peter’s wine, we have to get there first.

However, our car had other ideas. She decided to spring a leak. Yes, a leak in the tyre. Perhaps she was staging a silent protest. After all she did get us to the Poons, time after time. In order to reward her, we got her a pair of brand new Japanese tyres.

When we got there, we had home-made bread, Italian spaghetti with mussels and prawns, lasagna, middle-eastern ‘cool’ cucumber salad, toasted capsicum with garlic salad and Mediterranean salad comprising cheese, avocado, cucumber, olives, etc., etc.
We ended the sumptuous meal with a platter of passion fruit, mangoes, kiwi fruits and oranges.

During the course of the meal, the family mascot made her appearance. A gorgeous cat named Sasha. She sashayed in and she sashayed out.

After the meal, we had a pictorial tour of a South African safari, conducted by the 2nd daughter of the Poons, Johanna. The sights of beauty and the beasts were enough to blow you away, but the sights of poverty also gave you food for thought.

It was a wonderful evening with the Poons and Kay Sing, our other good ‘makan kaki’. Yes, I am looking forward to our next rendevous and I wonder what new gourmet surprises Helena & Peter will let us experience.









(words by zinnia, photos by yk)

Making the days count!

My family used to keep two pet hamsters (named Forrest and Miki) who lived out their natural lives in a nice and comfortable environment (hamster mansion complete with private chambers, two-tier connecting tunnels and a giant ferris wheel!)

Like all good things, a hamster's life has to come to an end...after 1000 days! That's slightly over three years!

A human life is slightly better...an average of 70 years (nowadays, with better medical & health care, more people are living beyond 70 years)

Let's say, if we take 70 years as a benchmark, that would be equivalent to 25,550 days. That means, I have only 8395 days left! Some of you who are reading this may have more; some may have less.

When I was a child, the days seemed to pass very slowly. I couldn't wait to grow up. But as I grow older, the years seem shorter and fleeting. Time passes so quickly that sometimes I wonder where it had gone. This supports what the Bible says of life, which is "like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." (Jas.4:14).

I celebrated my birthday recently. That day, a familiar verse from the Bible came to mind: "Teach us to number our days alright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Ps.90:12).

Instead of letting the days slip away, I should spend each day wisely and make the most out of it.

Personal Prayer: Lord, help me to count the days and to make the remaining days of my life count! Amen.

Welcome to my Garden

I have taken up gardening as a hobby. This recent interest requires time and a great amount of patience.

As an encouragement, Zinnia bought me a few gardening books. I've also gone to the library to read up more about gardening.

Honestly, I find the gardening experience very therapeutic.

Among some of the flowering plants I have tried my hands on growing included the red ixora, the yellow hibiscus and the multicolor lantana.

Someone once said that plants grow best when we pay attention to them. This means watering, touching them and putting them in places where they will receive good light. They need people around them to notice if the leaves are drooping and discolored or looking particularly happy in the sunlight. The more attention a plant receives, the better it will grow!
One of the things that I've learned to do in gardening is pruning the plants. To prune simply means to cut and trim. There is a scissor-like tool used for pruning, called the pruning shear.
I have some Bougainvillea that requires pruning from time to time. Bougainvillea (also known as "bunga kertas" in the Malay language) is one of those strong and hardy plants that can grow all over the place and in any direction if left to themselves.



The first goal of pruning is to control the plant size - to keep the plant to a required height and size. Some plants tend to grow out of proportion with their surroundings and cause the place to look messy.

Secondly, pruning cuts away withered or diseased leaves and broken or dead branches - so that they will not affect the overall health of the plant.

Thirdly, pruning encourages flowering. if I cut away the excess leaves and branches of flowering shrubs, it would not only keep the plant neat, but also encourages flowering.

Pruning is not only done on plants - the Bible speaks of the "pruning" that is needed in one's life. There are some areas in our lives that require pruning - such as bad habits & attitudes, wrong relationships, wrong priorities and anything that is inconsistent with the Christian values.

God is the one who prunes our life; and often He does it through our teachers, mentors, parents and those who genuinely love us and care for us.

Whenever I try my hands on pruning the plant, I can't help wondering if I had actually hurt the plant by cutting off the branches and leaves. I wonder if they feel any pain.

I'm not sure about plants - but I'm sure the pruning process in our lives can be at times painful and uncomfortable. We may have become too comfortable with certain habits that we do not want to let go. Change makes us uncomfortable.

However, just as pruning brings out the best in a plant, the pruning in our lives helps build our character.

Just as pruning produces flowers in a plant, the pruning in our lives makes us fruitful and productive, and helps us to blossom into a better person!

Try This!

The name "cornerstone" is a familiar term used in the Bible to refer to Christ, who is described as the chief cornerstone of the church (Eph.2:20).

Interestingly, there is a Company that uses this term for their wine label.

Whether you are a wine connoisseur or just a novice like me - you should give this particular wine a try. It is meant for the local palate (goes well with fried rice & Cha Kway Teow) and best of all, the Company that produced and marketed it has the following as the first of its 3-fold mission:

1. To God and the community

a) We are committed to seek perfection in our motives, motivation,

words, deeds, and in the value of our products and services to the

glory of God
b) We are committed to bear witness with our good works and to bless

our community
c) We are committed to promote healthy and responsible drinking habits

Maybe our local churches should consider using this particular wine for their Holy Communion!

For more info, visit http://www.cornerstonewines.com/

Farewell!

'Tis the time to hang up the uniform!

It has been a wonderful 10 years with the Companies.

A big salute to Stanley, my fellow-officer and brother in arms, for taking over (either he has no idea what he's getting himself into or he's just plain suicidal...sorry, just kidding!).

Well, Stan, you have my full confidence in taking the Companies to a higher level of discipline, maturity and spirituality!

Wishing you all the best!