Moving on to Kungfu Panda 2, the story opened with the background of Lord Shen (peacock) and Po, the Kungfu Panda's past. Actually did you wonder why there were no other pandas featured in the first movie? I did and I think that's what makes Po so special. In the sequel, a certain soothsayer had foretold that a panda will rise up to destroy the evil Lord Shen. Hence what this Lord Shen did was to exterminate all the pandas so that this prophecy would not come true. It was out of desperation that Po's mother left him in a basket of turnips so that Po could live. We could see that even from his birth, Po was destined to defeat the evil Lord Shen. We are like Po, whom God had set us apart even before we were born. We have a divine destiny and the bloodline of a champion.
However, this truth was not revealed to Po and it bothered him a lot, so much so that it affected his ability to fulfill his destiny. He had glimpses of the past and they were like nightmares to him. He kept thinking that his natural parents abandoned him because they didn't love him. And that thought kept him in bondage. When he finally confronted Lord Shen, the evil peacock told him that his parents left him because they hated him. It caused him to be defeated by the cannon balls. But this did not kill him. He was saved by the soothsayer who then told him the truth that his parents love him but they had to leave him so that he could survive. Po was shaken by his tragic past but the soothsayer told him that he cannot choose his past but he can choose his future. Po had to let his past go and move forward in his destiny. And of course in the end, Po defeated Lord Shen.
In the same way, we may not have a glorious past but our future is not determined by our past. Understand that throughout life, we will always have forces opposing us, trying to keep us from becoming all that God created us to be. And many times, the adversities, the unfair situations are the results of the devil's efforts, trying to discourage us and deceive us into giving up our dreams. There will come a point when God will tell you that you have dwelt long enough on that mountain and you need to move on. In Isaiah 43:18-19, God says 'Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it springs forth: shall you not know it?' Decide to leave the past and keep moving forward, with a hope that God is doing something new in your life.
There was another instant when Po and the Furious Five were running away from the cross fire at the burning pagoda, tigress said something that was of significance to me. They were trying to escape from the bottom of the pagoda but the archers were aiming their bows at them. They seemed to be trapped. Then tigress said 'Hurry up, let's go up. The only way out is up.' For me, I had heard God telling me this before. When I was distracted and pressured by the attacks and the trials, I cried out to God for mercy. God told me in similar terms that the only way out is up. He meant that I needed to look up to Jesus, to look to the finished work on the cross and He will cause my spirit to soar above all these distractions and entanglements. When you find yourself in similar situations, remember your answer is to look up to Jesus.
Kungfu Panda is truly a fantastic movie and it spurs me on to move towards the divine destiny God had prepared for me. What about you?
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Kungfu Panda
I just watched Kungfu Panda 2 with Heng and Joshua. It was a fantastic movie...I felt that it was even better than the first one. Anyway I would not go into details of the movie but I just like to share some revelations from the two Kungfu Panda movies. For those of you who have watched the movies, you would probably identify better with what I am saying.
In the first movie, Po, the Panda woke up from his dream of fighting the bad guys with the Furious Five (tigress, monkey, praying mantis, crane and snake). He always had a desire for the kungfu world but his dad, a goose wanted him to take over his noodle stall. (so guys, if you have a recurring dream, it may be God speaking to you about your divine destiny!)
But he did not give up his dream. He went to participate in the ceremony that was held so that the great Master Oogway (turtle) could choose the Dragon Warrior. This Warrior will be entrusted with the great power found in the Dragon Scroll. And of course, he was chosen as the Dragon Warrior though he was the least likely candidate, comparing with the Furious Five. This is really like God's ways - choosing the foolish things to shame the wise, ha ha! But Master Oogway chose Po because his heart was pure, unlike the ambitious Tai Lung (leopard).
I remember that Master Oogway told Master Shifu the one he chose as the Dragon Warrior will bring peace not only to the valley but also to Master Shifu. At that time, Master Shifu did not understand what he meant but at the end, he really found peace. He was guilty of training and putting too much hope on Tai Lung who in turn coveted the Dragon Scroll and nearly destroyed the village. So Master Shifu had him imprisoned for 20 years but he managed to escape and exact revenge. In the end when the Po destroyed Tai Lung, peace finally prevailed. Master Shifu also found peace. How true is this of God's words to us. Many times we don't understand what God is saying but when we look back, we realise that God is addressing our hearts.
Lastly (and this is the best part) when Master Shifu finally handed over the precious Dragon Scroll to Po, it was an anti-climax because there was simply nothing in the Scroll, no secret manual or power. Nothing except the reflection of Po. Po was disappointed and thought the whole thing was a joke but Master Oogway was far wiser than anyone thought.
Upon coming back home and talking to his goose dad, his dad mentioned that actually the secret recipe to the delicious noodle soup is....no secret ingredient! He said you just have to believe the soup is special! Immediately Po realised that there is no secret manual in the Dragon Scroll. All he had to do is to believe that he is special and he is truly the Dragon Warrior! Master Oogway could see how special Po was and that the potential within him just needed to be unlocked. This is just like how our heavenly Father sees us - special and destined to do great things. However, until and unless we see ourselves special, we could never unlock the God-given potential within us. We simply need to believe what God said about us.
Isn't it amazing? Such a simple story but yet so many deep truths are hidden in the movie! I simply loved the movie and hence, I went for the sequel...(to be continued)
In the first movie, Po, the Panda woke up from his dream of fighting the bad guys with the Furious Five (tigress, monkey, praying mantis, crane and snake). He always had a desire for the kungfu world but his dad, a goose wanted him to take over his noodle stall. (so guys, if you have a recurring dream, it may be God speaking to you about your divine destiny!)
But he did not give up his dream. He went to participate in the ceremony that was held so that the great Master Oogway (turtle) could choose the Dragon Warrior. This Warrior will be entrusted with the great power found in the Dragon Scroll. And of course, he was chosen as the Dragon Warrior though he was the least likely candidate, comparing with the Furious Five. This is really like God's ways - choosing the foolish things to shame the wise, ha ha! But Master Oogway chose Po because his heart was pure, unlike the ambitious Tai Lung (leopard).
I remember that Master Oogway told Master Shifu the one he chose as the Dragon Warrior will bring peace not only to the valley but also to Master Shifu. At that time, Master Shifu did not understand what he meant but at the end, he really found peace. He was guilty of training and putting too much hope on Tai Lung who in turn coveted the Dragon Scroll and nearly destroyed the village. So Master Shifu had him imprisoned for 20 years but he managed to escape and exact revenge. In the end when the Po destroyed Tai Lung, peace finally prevailed. Master Shifu also found peace. How true is this of God's words to us. Many times we don't understand what God is saying but when we look back, we realise that God is addressing our hearts.
Lastly (and this is the best part) when Master Shifu finally handed over the precious Dragon Scroll to Po, it was an anti-climax because there was simply nothing in the Scroll, no secret manual or power. Nothing except the reflection of Po. Po was disappointed and thought the whole thing was a joke but Master Oogway was far wiser than anyone thought.
Upon coming back home and talking to his goose dad, his dad mentioned that actually the secret recipe to the delicious noodle soup is....no secret ingredient! He said you just have to believe the soup is special! Immediately Po realised that there is no secret manual in the Dragon Scroll. All he had to do is to believe that he is special and he is truly the Dragon Warrior! Master Oogway could see how special Po was and that the potential within him just needed to be unlocked. This is just like how our heavenly Father sees us - special and destined to do great things. However, until and unless we see ourselves special, we could never unlock the God-given potential within us. We simply need to believe what God said about us.
Isn't it amazing? Such a simple story but yet so many deep truths are hidden in the movie! I simply loved the movie and hence, I went for the sequel...(to be continued)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
God's Assurance of Answered Prayers
During the holiday on Tuesday, our family went to the beach for a picnic around evening time. This idea was suggested by our dear son. It was really an enjoyable experience. Heng cooked Chinese food and we packed the food there to eat dinner. The evening breeze was cooling and Joshua enjoyed playing by the beach, building sandcastles and collecting seawater in his pail.
At one point I walked out to the sea shore but not near enough to where the waves were splashing on the sand. Suddenly I had a thought. I was believing God for a miracle, for an answered prayer in my life. I knew God could do the impossible. I asked God if I could have His assurance of answered prayer. I said 'God, I know You can do the impossible by making the waves splash my feet though I was a distance away from the shoreline.' And so I waited, believing that God would bring the waves to my feet. Even though it took quite a while, I wasn't about to give up. I enjoyed the sea breeze and looking at the waves while waiting.
Even though it might be low tide now, I knew that high tide would come. It would surely come. All I needed was for God to create a huge wave to bring the seawater to my feet. I got excited when I saw a big ship moving away from the port in the far horizon. I knew the ship would create ripples large enough for the waves to come near me. Though it stiill took a little while more, the waves really did get bigger.
There was one time that the waves actually came so close like 1cm away. I got even more excited because I knew that it was a sign that the waves were coming to me very soon. True enough, just one or two more minutes later, the waves were huge enough and splashed all over my feet! It was such a wonderful experience and I praised the Lord with a loud voice! And God is so good. He brought the waves to my feet not once but three times!
God knew what was the question in my heart earlier and not only answered it with His Word, He also gave me this simple experience by the beach to confirm that He is a God who can do the impossible! Hence this time round, I am going to stand firm on His Word because He has spoken so clearly. His Word in my life will always cause the circumstances to line up with His promises. Praise the Lord!
At one point I walked out to the sea shore but not near enough to where the waves were splashing on the sand. Suddenly I had a thought. I was believing God for a miracle, for an answered prayer in my life. I knew God could do the impossible. I asked God if I could have His assurance of answered prayer. I said 'God, I know You can do the impossible by making the waves splash my feet though I was a distance away from the shoreline.' And so I waited, believing that God would bring the waves to my feet. Even though it took quite a while, I wasn't about to give up. I enjoyed the sea breeze and looking at the waves while waiting.
Even though it might be low tide now, I knew that high tide would come. It would surely come. All I needed was for God to create a huge wave to bring the seawater to my feet. I got excited when I saw a big ship moving away from the port in the far horizon. I knew the ship would create ripples large enough for the waves to come near me. Though it stiill took a little while more, the waves really did get bigger.
There was one time that the waves actually came so close like 1cm away. I got even more excited because I knew that it was a sign that the waves were coming to me very soon. True enough, just one or two more minutes later, the waves were huge enough and splashed all over my feet! It was such a wonderful experience and I praised the Lord with a loud voice! And God is so good. He brought the waves to my feet not once but three times!
God knew what was the question in my heart earlier and not only answered it with His Word, He also gave me this simple experience by the beach to confirm that He is a God who can do the impossible! Hence this time round, I am going to stand firm on His Word because He has spoken so clearly. His Word in my life will always cause the circumstances to line up with His promises. Praise the Lord!
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