till then
hui cia.. (hmn, i ought learning speaking mandarin from my brother).
i'm leaving for a month. have a blessed christmas!
Friday, December 22, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
media watch #211206
i wonder if it's even worthed of your time to read the article below :)
Glad tidings: the mystery of Christmas is reproduced everyday
may be not, you'd better think of something more important to do! (read: you've been warned!)
to me, it seems to suggest the idea that you only associate with God when you can gain any logical benefits. then, having got what you wanted, you baulk at Him by bragging on your personal glory, in the name of science. bad thing to start off with the first paragraph per quoted below, so much for someone who thinks they know anything about church history, if any.
"For weeks now the Christian world has been in festive lock-down, enslaved to the demands of Christmas drinks, Christmas parties, Christmas lunches, Christmas catch-ups. During 2000 years of schism and dissent in the Christian church, unanimity has been reached on one subject only: the celebration of Christ's nativity requires the constant and copious ingestion of alcohol and pork."
Sunday, December 10, 2006
rendezvous
i had a catch up with two of my junior high school friends on saturday night. it was a good 7 years ago that we sort of parted ways, and in-betweens, there had only been a couple of updates without any proper intentions to hear from each others. and these days, four of us somehow make it here (one in melbourne, three in sydney, plus another one will be arriving shortly). again, we never thought that we would again this time, cross-path each other's life after all those years.
what's so exiciting to hear is that two of them became cns over the time! we attended a cn school back then, but each had confessed to have never really quite understood what it means to be a cn. simply speaking, we were just a bunch of naive youngsters who were either too innocent to ever make such a decision to truly follow Christ (happy-go-lucky) or stuck-there kind of uncommitted 'cn' due to a cn education. either way, none of us were a cn really (though it is still a link in a chain of knowing God process).
one thing is common among us, that is, it's when we are here, on our own, away from our home country, that God's mercy has been kept on being shown to us. who would have thought of, God does it, He just. and i can say, this time now, our decisions are sincere in following Christ. and i am thankful for that.
and so, we hope that another friend of us will also consider Christ, though it seems like a long way to go. but hey, she has made it here.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
honey
i had a late lunch today. i felt hungry at one point, but persisted on working for an odd little while. and when i was about to heat my lunch in the microwave, the whole container, unexpectedly, just flipped out of my hand, and landed upsite-down on to the kitchen bench. huh! i suppose i was hungry enough not to be any less clumsy than i am at times.
so i cleaned up, threw off half of my meal (including all the dishes), and then went upstairs to get a pre-packed lunch for $5 on salary sacrifice. i had no idea which one to try, so i just picked one. they tasted great and were fulfilling, even though i haven't finished them. there were two types in a container. half side was brocolli, sweet potato with tahini. the other half was parsnip, spinach, honey roasted walnut and cashew.
i just love honey. last night, i drank three-quarters of a cup of warm milk (i'm lactose intolerance) with honey. and the taste just stuck in my mind. that's it, i'm going to buy more money (i mean honey, i swear it was honey that i intended to type, but it turned out to be money, gah!) at aldi.. now.
a question from the bible study of Ephesians
dave sent the email below. it was my question as i remember from our discussions with others. if you have ever thought about it, feel free to throw in your two-cents worth. i once read from a commentary, but vaguely remember how it's explained. even when you think you know as much, there are always things that you will learn more of from the Bible.
Ephesians 3:1-13
Hi Vy,
remember last time we were discussing study 4 in the leaders meeting when we read Eph 3:5, and it mentioned that the mysteries were made known to the apostles and prophets. We then ask how is it that the prophets knew about the mysteries. However, it just occured to me that Paul wrote that sentence in this way:
"which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit."
The first underline suggest that people before the time of Christ did not know about the mystery, therefore I dont think the prophets of the old testament knew about it either, and I dont think we could find references of the mystery being made known to the prophets of OT.
The second underline suggests that the revelation was made "NOW" by the spirit, which I think meant that only after the time of Christ the mystery was then revealed. The problem is then why is it necessary for Paul to write that the mystery was revealed to the "prophets" since there are no prophets after the time of Christ.
I think there may be 2 interpretations that can be drawn from the word prophets.
1. It may refer to the prophets of the OT, and that the spirit reveal to them the mystery of Christ, even after they are dead.
2. or it may refer to the prophets of the New Testament which as mentioned by Peter in the day of Pentacost; interpreting the word prophet as one who foretell the future ie: the second coming of Christ.
Ok so, what do u think?
Friday, November 17, 2006
note to self #171106
this morning, i had to catch a bus. i had 10 mins left for the earliest one, and the next one would be another 30 mins. i need at least 8 mins to reach the bus stop. i didn't feel like having my breakfast, not until i reached the office later. i remembered i haven't much cereal left at the office (my vegemite run out :). therefore, i needed to fill in yet another jar to bring. and by the time i put on my shoes, i had spent 4 mins at least. but i moved on. i ran intermittenly throughout, hoping to get on the bus just in time.
i missed the bus. i had to wait at the bus stop for another 25 mins. it was cold, but i had my overcoat on. so i read my book. fine. and waited. freezed.
there's just something that i learnt about myself. i think i prefer to 'stuff up', taking the troubles of running out of my breath while having clearly known that the chance to overcome is less than one in two THAN to let thing be, it's a non-crucial one somehow, and therefore give myself a break. crikey, when i can't stop myself, the only thing to stop me is reality (and off course God is behind all things). don't i just like a bit of challenge many times.. (better still if this helps me to not be in for a challenge with others, not easily understood perhaps).
simply, which one are you, run or wait?
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
B. What is the importance of John the Baptist in the story of Jesus (using all three Synoptic Gospels)?
The Gospels are the story of Jesus in the written form, bringing forth the proclamation of God’s Kingdom through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Messiah or God’s Anointed One, is the climax of God’s plan in the salvation history. All things were created by Him and for Him[1]. All four Gospels accounts agree that ever since the point of time of Jesus’ life on Earth, the Kingdom of God has come to men[2]. Long before the coming of God’s Messiah, God’s prophets in the Old Testament had also been prophesying about the coming of God’s Kingdom through a Servant whom God loved and who would restore the Kingdom of God[3].
John the Baptist was one important figure in the New Testament who was referred to as the beginning of the gospel (Jesus’ life). He fulfilled the prophecy of the prophets Isaiah and Malachi[4]. As the “voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him”[5], he ministered at the side of the Jordan river, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins because “the kingdom of heaven is near”[6]. Later on as John was put into a prison, we also found Jesus preaching on a similar message as John’s that demands a repentance of the heart and believing in the good news[7]. Jesus Himself was the good news and by believing in Him who would later die on the Cross, forgiveness of sins is made possible. Here we see that John the Baptist was a pre-cursor to the Lord’s mission, preparing the people to look forward to the real forgiveness from God.
As the Lord’s messenger, John the Baptist was not the Messiah. The Jews, including the priests and the Levites seemed to have mistaken John as the Messiah. However, John denied that identification and made it clear that the One who would come after him was a more powerful man than he was and that the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit[8]. Despite this, Matthew recorded that Jesus submitted to John’s baptism to “fulfill all righteousness”[9], meaning to be obedient to God’s plan and to identify with the needs of God’s people [Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, pg. 387]. The Spirit descended on Jesus upon His baptism, preparing for His ministry following the temptations in the wilderness. The gospel took on its toll.
The teacher of the Law at the time of John and Jesus taught that Elijah must come first “before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes”[10]. Jesus here interpreted John the Baptist as the Elijah figure[11]. As a forerunner for Jesus, John had suffered under the hands of Herod Antipas and Herodias (and later on was executed). Despite the pressures, John faithfully preached on the coming Kingdom of God. This is all too clear an indication that the Son of Man would also suffer under the hands of men. As John had prepared the repentant people for the coming of Jesus, so it was said that Elijah would restore all things [Barnett, 1991].
On another occasion, Jesus also claimed that John the Baptist was more than a prophet, and from a human perspective, the greatest human being[12]. As a prophet, John the Baptist inaugurated the coming of God’s Kingdom. When he came into the scene, John the Baptist ended the era of the Law and the prophets [Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, pg. 388].
References:
- Barnett, Paul. 1991. Mark – The Servant King. Aquila Press, Reprinted 2006.
- Green, Joel B.; McKnight, Scot (Editors). 1992. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Intervarsity Press, Reprinted 2001.
[1] Col. 1:16; Jn. 1:3
[2] Mt. 4:17; Mk. 1:15; Lk. 4:21(v.18-21 are quoting from Is. 61:1-2); Jn. 1:9
[3] Is. 42-53 and many other OT passages.
[4] Is. 40:3; Mal. 3:1
[5] Mt. 3:3; Mk. 1:2-3; Lk.3:4-6
[6] Mt. 3:2; Mk. 1:4; Lk. 3:3
[7] Mt. 4:17; Mk. 1:14-15
[8] Mt. 3:11; Mk 1:7-8; Lk. 3:15-16; Jn. 1:19, 26-27
[9] Mt. 3:15
[10] Mal. 4:5; Mt. 17:10; Mk. 9:11
[11] Mt. 17:11-13; Mk. 9:12-13; also Mt. 11:13-14
[12] Mt. 11:10-11; Lk. 7:26-28
Friday, November 03, 2006
is it really equal but different?
i thought i'm not going to post this entry at all. but later on, decided to post not in too much details. i had a long discussion with a friend over the phone last night. it lasted more than an hour. we didn't plan it. it didn't surprise me that things will be a bit messy when two different points of view are thrown on the subject of submission (or rather the ordination for women priests). i suppose the word 'submission' has carried a different meaning the day feminism was born. i was rather surprised however at myself for thinking that everything was fine, until i have to conclude that i don't really know my friend quite well right from the beginning. by the end of the discussion, things are very much floating around the circles. nobody seems to have been able to 'convert' anyone. humanly speaking, this is rather disappointing for me, but i think it is for this reason that opportunities may exist for future follow-ups. one step at a time, i don't expect for my friend to change her point of view over one course of convos.
this afternoon, i can't help but posting having read this article. i won't say too much about it, but it is quite a well-known tactic that the liberals as well as the media have always used to lay their hands on the evangelicals on issues like women ordination and homosexual priests.
what are your thoughts?
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
my first pilates crash course
so, i went to this community library in north sydney yesterday and borrowed myself a video of pilates for the beginners. the dvd ones were mostly checked out. and this morning, i got some time to try things out. i like the simplicity involved in the exercises, meaning, the slower phase yet they 'ouch'. i think pilates is my thing.
the video is really only 35 mins, the joy of not having to overkill yourself with what you're trying to do. however, i suppose the crash course is probably more like a DIY one this time, despite the simple instructions. i found it difficult to control my breathing and kept remembering how to breathe properly while moving a pile of dead-wood (read: my body). and so, a couple of aches were expected. and how do i fix them? there's a 5 minutes free massage at shopping world in north sydney today. again, they 'ouch'.
ps. 'ouch' for banging my left elbow at the toilet this afternoon.
note to self #311016
there is an offer of a mobile phone, plus other deals, from a company. and because i'm a customer of the company's subsidiaries, they make it sounds like i got a first-class treatment. it really isn't like that, since later on as i checked, this is how they can afford to give you $100 supermarket voucher. upon checking, you actually need only paying $15 * 24. however, the one that comes with $100 voucher, you've got to pay $20 * 24. so there you go, you actually pay $5 * 24 = $120. and they still win your $20 after giving you a voucher of $100. street smart but my math is not that rotten either. i'm losing the appetite to change my mobile phone for the moment. i'm using one of those really old nokia model, and it hasn't let me down so far. so, i won't worry if one day, it get thrown at a croc!
on a side note, generally, i think i have the tendency to take on risks. maybe this is a sign that i'm getting old now.
Monday, October 23, 2006
rant #231006
it rather touched me to attend the sunday service yesterday. i think om joni spoke powerfully (sternly) from the Bible passage in 1 Kings 22:1-28. i can't help but thinking that the message was meant to hit hard at our slowness as a church to regard God's word as having an authority over the church (people). i'm talking about the application of God's word rather than the inability to claim that the Bible is the word of God. it's appaling what some are capable of thinking of themselves so highly that what's acted out is no more than denying what's believed at the first place. it sounds rather harsh to put it this way, however, having been a member of the church for the past seven years, somehow you can't afford to be so ignorant toward things that happen in surrounding.
at some point throughout the service, i can't seem to contain myself, and the whole service just made me all weepy once a song was sung after the talk. i have to admit that i am on my soft side lately. i felt overwhelmed at times, and wonder if this has become more of a weakness of my emotional side than meekness. i know that i am never a tough person nor overly unreasonable, but i hardly feel to be able to overcome it lately.
'People Needs the Lord' - jenny and andrew ho sang it beautifully, but what sadness it is that many times the much needed efforts to reach out was much diverted into mending the un-ending internal issues among the members. people just can't help to express their old sinful behaviours despite the warnings in the Bible that Jesus died for the church and it matters how we are supposed to treat the church with care and dignity as a result. can only throw this at the mercy of God's hand.
what do you usually do when you're feeling overwhelmed?
Sunday, October 15, 2006
hot saturday literally *
spent a couple of hours last sat at the berkelouw bookshop in paddington. i think so far i've been able to compile places that i love visiting if any time to spare. i love visiting an art gallery, a library, a museum, a park, a bookshop..
guess who are in the pic above?
* 37 degrees in sydney
the girls meet on saturdays to study the Bible together (jesslyn's missing in action :)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
their says
love thy neighbours
reading through a quarter of all, to me, some negative comments did appear to be insipid and closed-minded. glad that the majority spelt out the same tone that dictates facts closer to reality than those influenced by the media derogatory.
love or hate the media, possibly this could be the next interesting topic for discussions of this kind..
slow down, listen, revive..
azar sent me this link kidung. every now and then i can listen to some indo songs by clicking on a song title (under 'Daftar lagu yang dapat anda dengarkan').
having listened to the samples, i'm thinking of getting this cd Songs for the Cross Centred Life. i think all the songs are great ones.
Friday, October 06, 2006
"pilates is really good for you.."
i've been paying a couple of visits to the student to-be-chiropractors at mq uni. and having your body cracked and stretched exceeding their normal behaviour sounds a bit revolting at the first place. nevertheless, it makes my body feel really light and loose for a time. what's left is up to me taking it from now on, correcting those bad positions while sitting and standing, having more awareness of how the movement will in turn affect my posture, and the like, and ta-dar, i was told to exercise! of course.. (head: big deal! i've got to sort out my schedule, how often have i thought so, but the thought of it only is simply not enough, something needs doing practically..)
overall, i thought this is a bit like small things that lead to a bigger problem. and correcting the bigger problem will require small steps to be realistic. so, small is big, i had better be careful next time. it does imply that having consistency in small things is what counts after all, as simple as that, but as complex as finding it to be true after all the pains are giving me a shout!
a bit like our walk with the Lord, i digress..
the small decisions made, the consistently putting an effort to be godly, hopefully we're on the same page..
pilates, anyone?
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
the Gospel bites
found myself reading the gospel of mark again for some reasons, although more toward just any of the four gospels than a particular one, needing the encouragement and re-assurance from God's word at times. just how powerful the gospel is, that the good news continues to turn people to the one and only living God.
thank God that over the past few months, the gospel theme keeps recurring through talks at different cn gatherings. never for once that i found the story of Jesus really is that interesting. moreover, it's marvellous to ponder on just how much authority Jesus has over all things because He truly is the Son of God.
just a snippet, it's for this reason, the powerful words of the gospel, that i found the talks of jenny salt (wkc 2006 - Jesus Uncut) particularly challenging. i hope to be able to find some times summarising on the talks and other things learnt.
also looking forward to the next subject offered at the pennant hills' centre, Jesus and the synoptic Gospels.
Friday, September 29, 2006
one step at a time
this pic was taken by hansen (brother). he's back to sydney for a longer term having been in shanghai for the past two years. please pray that he may come to know God, and for opportunities to share Christ with him as he's staying with us in the meantime. he'll be back to indo by the end of december for his wedding in jan 07, then fly back here with wife to settle in sydney. it says a lot, getting a job, getting married, settling down. life is a journey, we don't get to see the whole plane (even only half of a wing), but there's a destination to get by at the end of the day. where to?
ps. did i appear to be sentimental these days? blame it on triana, she gives me too much inspiration to start with :)
Read more...Monday, September 25, 2006
rock.of.ages
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
[this song says a lot, that i'm only a temp here, and Christ is my Rock of Ages! - thanks for messages and phone calls. God Bless.]
Sunday, September 24, 2006
these for free..
as of late, i think there are a few of things that i'd love to post. they've all been compressed in my tiny little short term memory, however. i hope i won't lose them for sometime. i will.
last-in, first-out, i had an enjoyable yet therapeutic chats with mar over lunch this afternoon. i guess what's theraupetic lies in the fact that there was an active listening involved throughout. it made the convos wired right the start. more to that, there's a degree of trust to depend on, therefore the openness. so, there were some frustrations, some revelling, some constructive ones all mixed together like a roller-coaster of hi-lo lights of reflections and looking-forwards. thank God for time, friend and a god-talk!
..when you're a cn anyway
ps. i received my early birthday present today before we parted (see the pic above, minus the guitar off course, and a free-lunch ;).
Sunday, September 17, 2006
holy smorgasbord..
short answers:
- what is apologetics?
- how do the three frameworks in apologetics work together?
- how important are experiences in apologetics?
- if personal approach is so important, why bother with all the theories?
- what is truth?
- how helpful is the traditional approach to knowing the existence of God?
- what is the place of Jesus in apologetics?
- [can't remember another question]
essays:
- discuss the challenges and opportunities for christianity as a result of post-modernism.
- pick a person whom you have been trying to reach out to. discuss where they are in term of spiritual life and outline your next steps to introduce God to the person.
*
well, it's a relieve that the exam was over on paper :)
a couple of things learnt from the subject are:
- apolegetics can't be replacing evangelism. it doesn't get people closer to God. in fact, the ironic goal is to do apolegetics as soon as possible and to move on to evangelism having removed the barriers to faith.
- best apologetics pratice is to be as mature cn as possible. it implies studying God's word and knowing the worldviews that people are holding on to in order to offer the cn alternative.
- apologetics has its place in defending the christian faith, but intelligence is not an end issue in itself, rather spiritual blindness cultivated by sin (i.e. rejecting God thus suppresing truth). therefore, prayer is so important and winning an argument is not so important.
- a good balance in term of approaches integrates three main frameworks name pre-supposionalist, evidentialist, and experientialist to arrive at a comprehensive truth on christianity.
- pre-suppositionalist challenges the wrong pre-suppositions (i.e. known assumptions) as barriers to faith. it starts with faith in order to believe (faith over reason or faith that).
- evidentialist accumulates known facts to give content to faith. it holds non-cn to be accountable, to understand in order to believe (reason over faith) .
- experientialist brings truth to person that leads to personal commitment starting from a genuine conversion (faith in).
- three layers of consideration in apologetics include theological, contextual and personal layers.
- theological layer includes knowing God's view and your view.
- contextual layer includes knowing the broader worldviews.
- personal layer includes knowing particular views held by a person (what and why).
Thursday, September 07, 2006
there's more to it than just an exam *
i realised yesterday that it would be an exam next wednesday instead of the next two weeks. that's because there was a class when it used to be one week off had the rule been followed. it means i won't have much time to review since wkc will be on this weekends. he.tehehe. but i guess, my exam mentality has been changed compared to during high school. i still hate exam though. it's just that it has now been becoming a bit more enjoyable than sickening as was the past. may be i'll have a peak on the notes during the convention free time. boo!
* i suppose i'd like to say more later.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
apologetics
A Call for a New Reformation
spong is a passionate retired US 'anglican' bishop (read: liberal) whose views attack mainstream christianity. the task is looking at considerations and steps in developing a framework of an apology toward a colleague who thinks that his views are better than the Bible.
ps. cheat-sheet (framework) was given after the assignment was due. again, it's an eye opener! a massive framework, touching different aspects of apologetics.
------------------------------------
Considerations:
Spong’s views are a theology that goes against the very teachings of the Bible. He defies the biblical accounts of creation, Jesus’ incarnation through the virgin birth, and His saving work on the Cross, miracles performed, resurrection, ascension as well as a loose interpretation that the Bible is not to be taken on literally among the others. His is a view that places a whole lot of emphasis on the rationale of human reasoning and intellectual over the revelation of the truth by the Holy Spirit.
Colleague X who thinks that Spong’s views are better may not be necessarily interested in seeking the truth itself, rather, is just trying to impose ‘another’ standard truer to his mind on Christianity. Obviously, his presuppositions are inverted, mainly on what he believes about the Bible not being a source of objective truth.
Like Spong, Colleague X may be too heavily relying on scientific data in forming his concepts which can’t be conclusive when used as the only yard-stick in understanding biblical truth that is both historical and revealed. Scientific method is inadequate if historical facts are to be proven under it. Moreover, once historical data is not taken into consideration, faith remains a giant blind leap to trust in an unknown object (or facts about the object), regardless of what Calvin concludes, that faith and reason are to confirm one another if we are to arrive at a comprehensive biblical truth.
Based on what I assume on Colleague X, it is reasonable to say that Colleague X has not placed a personal trust in Jesus as the only way to God or alternatively it is a consequence of his corrupted belief in the Bible itself that testified about Jesus as God, and therefore, apology steps involving all the three schools below could be developed.
Steps:
Using the presuppositionalist school, Colleague X has to be challenged that the Bible is enough as the only source of truth to offer explanations even on supernatural things which modern mind tend to disregard. Therefore, “Christology of the ages” (quoting Spong) that defines Christianity still hold true as literally revealed in the Bible. At the same time, distinction has to be made between descriptive and prescriptive accounts in the Bible, though on issues of Christology, truth can’t be discounted. To know God, one has to believe in the biblical truth that speaks of Jesus, the God incarnate Son through whom dead human being can be spiritually revived by trusting in Jesus. Essentially, this is faith over reason.
It remains then of how reliable the Bible is if we are to regard as true the historicity of Jesus as recorded in the Bible. In this case, the evidentialist school can be helpful by inviting Colleague X to investigate further the readily available and voluminous resources on the evidences referring to Jesus which have been confided by both Christian and secular historians. Essentially, this is reason over faith.
Finally, personal testimony can be given to dismiss the notion that being a Christian is solely a matter of being intellectually convinced rather than being in a personal relationship with God. Through this experientialism school, Colleague X could learn that God is indeed good for His initiative in offering forgiveness that comes through a personal faith in Christ.
Monday, August 28, 2006
trilemmas
sccca is coming this sat, and i'm wondering whether to go. by next sat, it's wkc. i also have bible study followed by pemuda on sats. i realise time is precious.
now that mom'll be leaving tomorrow, i suppose i need to be around when possible to give sis a hand. i don't feel like being a single sometimes (both misunderstood and an overstatement). ok, lemme rephrase, it almost doesn't feel like i am a single sometimes (still an overstatement).
do you think there is ever a drawback in attending as many conferences and trainings each year? how do you usually choose which conferences and trainings to go to?
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
media watch #080806
Israel - Lebanon Conflict
read a couple of articles. i suppose it's an exercise to be selective and critical of the things read and heard (not so used to be one!). apart, time is precious and life can be busy, can't possibly percieve all that the media has to offer. the thrust is still that it's naive to ignore at all cost what's happening out there if God's plan is to look out than look in (for His people who are yet to respond).
coming pemuda progrmme
cut and paste
Saturday, 19th August 06
"The Work of Holy Spirit in Evangelism & Discipleship"
by Rev. John Chapman
Saturday, 26th August 06
Outing
(activity: TBA)
Saturday, 02th & 09th September 06
Malam Penginjilan (Evangelistic Night)
by Rev. Peter Wongso
mark, invite, pray..
Thursday, August 03, 2006
random quotes of the week
i've heard the below from people over the past two weeks.
- "well yeah, if it's possible, i'm quite challenged to bring my buddhist friends to the youth group."
- "can we have something simple instead of fancy stuff (i.e. rock climbing) so that we can get to know others better?"
- "i wonder if the church will ever preach (be more sensitive toward) on the issues that affects our current world, like that war between the Israel and Lebanon. it's not impossible that some church-goers could be left disillusioned because they are left with no guidance or comfort from God's word in this matter."
- "read hard stuffs, be enthusiastic to study more, don't just read some easy ones from kooroong."
- "you three pray that he will be calm and not be restless."
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
note to self #250706
- praise the Lord that God's word is powerful and brings about changes in others. on the other hand, it is easy to be complacent as a cn at some stage, i think i am on certain aspects (i.e. inconsistent passion and patience).
- since the past week, i've been feeling sleepy, and ended up sleeping, each time i get on a bus ride to and from workplace. i mustn't be sleeping enough lately. there are more to be done as well in term of house chores, can't complaint!
- i got an HD for my church history 1. whooaA.. awesome!
i swear i will never again repeat it!it almost choked me the other day. i think i've found the explanation for the other day, needless to mention. - lately, i crave sweet stuffs (actually any snacks, even though i'm full) after a meal, that's scary, it could lead to type 2 diabetes! i think my blood sugar is on high, no exercise as well, miserable winter..
- i hate to procrastinate, but at the moment, my schedule is not as fixed as i like to be. i feel like doing many things at once, but it turns out i am outdone by things, helplessly slow..
- [i had better move on, i think i'm held up again this time]
Monday, July 17, 2006
new arrival
the wangsaputra's clan is increasing by one!
caleb was born on last friday night, one week after dad's and the same day as grandma's birthday. his name means brave and faithful, combined with the middle name -emmanual, it says, he's brave because God is with him.
caleb has an older sis, kezia, the daughter of andreas' sister. the day he was born, she muttered, "ma, ntar eca mo telpon ng-kim hanny". then again, "botol susu cici eca ntar di-sterile buat dede caleb ya!", mind you, this girl is only 2.5 years old!
as for grandpa (me dad), two days after, he won a lucky draw of a toilet closet from a friend's birthday party. a toilet closet! how wierd. he had never won anything before.
mom and bub are doing well. dad is too, i guess.
aunty is recovering from birthing 1o1! oh, i'm feeling selfish.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
tip of an iceberg (2)
i have to say, had the subject lasted a little longer, i would have falled in love with it! i know, such a big claim. throughout the seven meetings, the legacy left had always been a big question mark on the significant of the materials taught. mark and jennie baddeley were lovely, for their patience and interests in learning themselves and teaching the subject!
but i was convinced, surely though slowly, of the importance of history (church). first and foremost, as mentioned by the lecturers, history prevents us from suffering from an amnesia, knowing why you are what you are today. besides, when you don't understand much of history, you most probably will have a difficulty in understanding why church seems to side on particular standpoints than the other on certain issues. and since human being is limited to time and locality, history gives us perspectives on what issues that seem to be important at certain time and place in the history. in order words, it provides resources that allow you to break yourself up for a better end having come to an understanding and taking some considerations onboard when facing certain issues. these are good reasons to know a little/much of history.
apparently there's such thing as the perpendicular of possibilities of priorities placed toward in interpreting the Bible.
scripture ----------------- experience
! ignore this. ignore this. ignore*!
! ignore this. ignore this. ignore !
tradition -------------------- reason
i.e:
a charismatic would emphasis on experiences before the others,
a catholic on traditions,
a liberal on reasons,
an evangelical on the scripture itself.
this is barely scratching the surface, yet it's quite an eye opener! perhaps it's right to take time to ponder why (with/without us realising it) we seem to place certain emphasises than the scripture itself when it comes to forming our theology, although it's no doubt that the Holy Spirit Himself is guiding and giving the understanding. due to the limitations mentioned before, certain values are imminent in clouding our understanding as a consequence of one residing in a certain time and locality. such values influence our thinking of God.
* i hope you have an idea of how hard it is to create a perpendicular using this editor! after not-sure-how-many attempts already, i have to let it be per the above.
tip of an iceberg
this is a past-due post. had the exam for church history 1 subject three weeks ago.
thought i skipped quite a chunk of history for my inability to digest what's on the plate. on the exam date, the first 20 seconds, i couldn't stop laughing intensely inside as soon as the exam paper was revealed. i have yet to find an explanation for this.
there were three to attempt out of twelve questions, quite generous, otherwise have no idea how to pass this subject. still forgetting bits and pieces and thinking about the coherency when trying to answer, exactly what i meant by temporal disorientation, yet to grasp of the big picture, before an attempt into the details.
chose these three:
1. what's scholasticm? comment on the implications of the teaching toward the way salvation is understood during the medieval period.
2. explain the significance of Justification by Faith OR Scripture Alone according to the Reformed theology.
3. describe the challenges posed by the Enlightment and Romanticism era, and the usual responses from people as a result of those views.
by all means, i was avoiding the chronological or major events type of questions, yes, you are very right indeed!
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Friday, July 07, 2006
disjointed
- if shopping's an exam after all, surely i'd fail!
- andreas and jesslyn have a birthday today. God bless you, dudy dudes!
- lately, my breaky is a vegimite-on-toasts.an-apple.a-cup-of-tea combo. look forward to them each morning!
- my vegimite contains preservative 220! am so not happy with the least info available on the net re this little beasty that could tarnish the image of a good guy in disguise.
Read more...
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
my bare desk needs a bit more decoration, it's lifeless at work..
on my desk, no pics are tagged on the cubicle wall, only two things, one a dilbert comic strip[1], and the other, a postcard size of city bible forum upcoming list of talks. both are fancy, and somehow their co-existency has proved to be working itself out.
a colleague was looking into a reporting issue, so it was a while, but the two things mentioned caught his attention. he read on, first the comic strip, then the postcard size list.
"ask the bigger questions..[2] city bible forum.. "
"oh, do you know anything about it?"
"nope"
"yeah, it's a Bible talk every wednesday at the greenwood's bar."
"are you christian or catholic?"
"christian."
"where do you go to church?"
"the presbyterian church.. indonesian presbyterian church in kingsford."
"oh, my sister goes to the chinese presbyterian church in surry hills[3]."
"hmn, i think my current minister used to be pastoring that church."
"really? so that's why they are still looking for a minister.."
"do you go to church?"
"yeah, i go to the same one as doug's, the church of christ in ryde[4], still looking however.."
"where did you go usually?"
"i used to go to hillsong, but it's err.."
"too charismatic?[5]"
"err yeah, it lately becomes all about the money.."
"hmn.. why not try the st. andrew in the city?[6] there's a chinese congregation as well there.."
"yeah.. "
[carried on to look at the issue]
[1] I learnt of a quirky technique called the “wally reflector” from this comic strip. It’s not all good, but a bit of twist on it seems to be beneficial. I think I should scan and post it someday. It a ‘haha’ funny stuff. To understand in this context, put it this way, when a person is asking for some helps, get something back from them. It all sounds a bit negative, I know, but the point is that get them to help you to help them. It works, besides you could end up getting in contacts more with them, than just cleaning their ‘dirty laundry’ for them.
[2] The overall theme for the talks is “Do you feel life’s become a Trivial Pursuit? Ask the bigger questions.”
[3] I think om Joe used to pastor this church. Their surname is Theng.
[4] Doug is another colleague. Later on, I realized that the church is the one on kent rd. close to my residence. There are quite a few of cns here. My manager who is also an associate director is one. I sometimes am too afraid to find out more. It’s both encouraging and challenging.
[5] I did feel a bit stupid, off course they are. I should be listening more first.
[6] I can’t think of another church that would suit him best. He’s an Indo, but don’t speak the language, spent his childhood in hongkong.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
one valid reason to be scared of me!
a message that i wrote read like this, unusually in CAPS:
CYN, BS AT VERA'S 1 PM @ [ADDRESS DETAILS] . C YA!
not so much about the message, but how it's delivered and then received. the response that i got:
Ok! ok! I get it! The capital letters u've used are screaming at me. It's scary.
as a matter of urgency, i got the reply at 5 am the day we were to meet.
there you go ;)
not enough time
quoting below from John Chapman's book of Know and Tell the Gospel [p126] - published 1998:
"Research done recently in the church growth movement has highlighted the fact that the average Christian has 'lost' most of his non-Christian friends within five years of becoming a Christian. There are some very good reasons why this takes place, but often we exclude our old friends by our new 'exclusiveness'. Since we know this is so, we must take positive steps to find ways to reverse the trend. To take steps to join non-church organized groups will not only give us contact with new non-church members, but will also give us new insights into the way non-churchgoers think about life. Without firsthand knowledge we tend to make assumptions, which are often wide of the mark. Such activities will take up a considerable amount of time and we may need to review our program to allow the time for it. Often we have been so busy at church activities that we have allowed no time to be with people. "
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
lacking sleep. coughing. drowsy. bloated. constipated. temporal disorientation. hardly concentrating. ..an exam!
thank God for challenges. literally, there is a better tomorrow to hope for!
Friday, June 16, 2006
note to self #160606
recalling from memory, there was an article published recently, listing the most hit website, and one of them is the http://www.4wisemonkeys.com/ . plus, a while ago, a missed-call with an ID registered, an unknown one however, got into my mobile. so, here is the missing link. eh? read on..
actually darn, the potentially 'missed-call scam' must have cost me approx. $3!
usually, i return miss-calls. so, it got me this time, but not for long. since it sounded fishy, i ended it just as quick.
that's not to say that i have anything to do with gambling, porn, nite clubs, where details are sourced, then sold to another company, and finally ended up in the hands of scammers, apart from the dvd rental companies. think twice next time before giving out personal details easily, it may bite in the future. the golden rule is, there is no such thing as free lunch..
something is being done fortunately. just to amuse myself, could it be that telemarking these days is just as much hated as the pratices of witchcraft back those days?
p.s. reflecting further, many cases just confirm that human just can't possibly rely on themselves to survive. we try to rule society according to our ways, but laws always have loop-holes to be abused by others who are just as imperfect as us. besides, who could you trust these days?
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
the daily truth (?)
not really.. just because today is 06.06.06
haven't read it. perhaps later today.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
over the coffee..
below is a reply from a friend having read a short article from christianitytoday re the Da Vinci Code.
it was a while ago. before, the whole thing developed over the coffee conversations. last resort, keep praying for the person and be open (word and action). in reply, i wrote a short summary of the gospel.
I personally think that the answer to lifes questions regarding this and other related matters will only be answered at the end of life. It should not be possible for man to know the absolute truth of all these issues but instead, play on the ideas of the faith that they believe due to the flaws of mankind such as deception and gullability that exists in humans. That is not to say that the da vinci code IS correct, but more of the realization that there can be a small and remote possibilty of it happening due to the lack of current and credible evidence and the deficiencies of humans. But in the end, I think you should do what you believe is best.
But What man kind should worry about is not on what or who might be waiting on the otherside, but what can be done to ensure the survival of current existance of mankind and for the generations that follow.
Friday, May 26, 2006
love languages
we started bible study for this term on last saturday. further on, since each member is assigned a bible reading partner, as suggested by the book, whom they can encourage on a personal level, thought it would be an idea to let each of us identifying their own love languages, in term of receiving and giving.
and here are the results:
elvina :
(G) - Quality time
(R) - Act of service
jesse:
(G) - Act of service, Quality time
(R) - Quality time
mar:
(G) - Act of service
(R) - Quality time
nat:
(G) - Act of service
(R) - Quality time
vera:
(G) - Act of service
(R) - Word of affirmation
moi:
(G) - Word of affirmation
(R) - Word of affirmation
interestingly, nobody claims 'physical touch' as their love language :) no 'gift' as well.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
on grace and sin
Saint Augustine
Aurelius Augustine was born in Tagaste (modern day Algeria, Africa) on 13 November, 354 A.D. and died in 430. His parents sent him to be educated in Madaura, before he made it to Carthage, a university town. His Latin style was greatly influenced by Cicero, a philosopher, before his conversion, from whom his moral ideals were crystallized.
Not long in Carthage, He succumbed to sexual temptations that he ended up staying with a concubine, and a son was born to him. On many occasions, he was torn between the ideals that he was supposed to live up to as a learnt man and the worldly pleasure that can’t seem to get enough of him looming throughout his adolescent years. He then consorted himself to the teaching of a religious cult, Manicheism[1]. But Augustine didn’t feel to have found an answer for his own devastation in this matter.
From Carthage to Milan, at the age of 30, he took up a position as a young professor for an imperial court. His public life coupled with her mother (a devout Catholic) joining him in Milan, had him introduced to Bishop Amrose. He was slowly convinced of the truth through the sermons, and finally baptized by Amrose in 387 during the Easter service. Leading up to his conversion was an occasion where he despaired himself of any wills to overcome his major sexual weakness. Under a fig tree, as he heard the singsong of a boy, tolle lege (take it and read it), he picked up the Scripture and his eyes landed on the passage of Romans 13:13-14. He was determined to change.
In 388, Augustine came back to Tagaste because Rome had lost its glory. He stayed there for three years before his visit to the Hippo Regius, where he found himself ordained as a priest against his will, working alongside Bishop Valerius. He then assumed responsibility as soon as Valerius died in 395, a position he had held toward the end of his life.
During his Episcopal years, Augustine fought against the teachings of Manicheism, the Donatist[2], as well as the Pelagianism[3]. His work on The City of God is a masterpiece that has influenced the thought of many Christians after him.
Augustine was against the Donatist’s view of a pure church. Until the judgment day, the church must be a mixture of bad and good people in it. He also rejected the view that sacraments belong to the ministers than to Christ. In his view, the ministers are only God’s means whom He had ordained Himself to administer the sacraments. Therefore, God’s grace is independent from the means He chooses to deliver it.
Against Pelagianism, Augustine believed that Adam’s sin had enormous consequences. By himself, man is incapable of anything good, because his share in Adam’s fall has ripped off his ability to not to sin. If anything, it’s purely God’s grace that could have saved man from his sin, as only true to Augustine’s own experience. Out of the fallen race, God chooses some to receive His grace, thus, salvation is a matter between God and an individual, and nothing could come in between, even the church, which serves later as the basis for Protestant Reformation.
In The City of God, Augustine wrote that humanity either belongs to the Worldly City or the Heavenly City of God. The former is temporal, but the later is eternal, as such, the present one might be bad, but the coming one is far better, which if compared, Rome would come to nothing. It also deals with issues such as what Christians owed to God and what to Ceasar.
Bibliographies:
Shelley, Bruce L. 1995 (Updated 2nd Edition). Church History in Plain Language.
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/augustine.html , cited on 21.05.2006.
[1] The basic teaching of Manicheism is, if any wicked things are committed, human being is not at fault, because he is a by-product of the two natures (the good spiritual aspect and the evil physical body) within him that wage war to claim mastery over his life, like a cosmic battle between a good creator and an evil destroyer. However, a man is to abstain from all enjoyments (i.e. riches, lust, wine, etc) of life, if he is to free the good in him from the evil.
[2] The Donatist name arose from Donatus, an early bishop of Carthage (313-355), who led the protest against the Catholic practices. Along with his followers, they insisted that church leaders (pastors) ordained by certain bishops who had committed a sin of apostasy (because they handed over the Scriptures to be burned while persecuted by Diocletian) were not fit to be counted as the true churches. Also, they argued that sacraments were to be ministered by morally faultless pastors in order to be valid.
[3] The Pelagianism is a teaching of Pelagius, a British monk who came to North Africa from Rome. Pelagius denied that Adam had anything to do with the moral condition of mankind, and that death was not a consequence of Adam’s sin. By himself, a man is able not to sin. However, almost all men have committed sins, but once forgiven by having “faith alone”, man can live a life that pleases God by himself. He also insisted that God doesn’t predestinate, but only foresees who will accept or reject His grace.
Monday, May 22, 2006
memory lapse
in the light of the previous two posts, i guess i'm kinda stressed out at the moment. i feel like having been deprived of enough time to sort out what's in my mind lately ;)
Read more...| Your Stress Level is: 39% |
 You are slightly prone to stress, but generally you keep it under control. You know how to relax and take things as they come, even when your worlds seems to be falling apart. Occasionally, you do let yourself get stressed out, but you snap out of it pretty quickly. |
| You Should Be A Poet |
 You craft words well, in creative and unexpected ways. And you have a great talent for evoking beautiful imagery... Or describing the most intense heartbreak ever. You're already naturally a poet, even if you've never written a poem. |
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
google trend
they've taken it this far (yet..)
you might try something like: da vinci, bible :) but i still wonder whether time frame is a factor into the computation. not interested in finding out though.
church history 1
i'm wondering whether i can make it for the church history 1 subject this term. for a start, each time the class is over, some of my nuerons probably don't make it, they die down due to information overload. you're talking about the 2000 years of church history being cramped into eight sessions of two-hour class! geek to the core, must i say :)
on a brighter side, it's interesting that thing couldn't be timelier, surely you've heard of the fuss with the da vinci. if you can't beat it, you can always join in, off course, for a greater good..
i hope i'm in good spirit to learn. it sure takes quite a motivation to join in the band.
here is another chance to crack the code and be even more convinced of the truth, greg clarke and john dickson will be giving an evening lecture and discussion on the claims of da vinci - the book.
The Da Vinci Code - How do we seek the truth?
Tuesday, 30th May, 5.30 - 8 pm
Scots Church, 44 Margareth St. Sydney.
for goodness sake!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
a trespass
i was waiting for a bus the other day. it was anzac day. i finished having lunch with a friend. so, i planned to go home straight.
a couple of elderly men were just arriving, plus two adults, in uniforms. one was rather drunk, not too bad, but enough to know that he just engaged with alcohol through his breath. he needed a seat, so i moved a bit, and there he sat beside me. he saw me with a book, lightly appeared to be interested (or just being nosy due to the effect of alcohol) with what i was reading, he asked, "what is that book you're reading?"
a bit hesitant, knowing he might be a bit drunk, i answered, "know and tell the gospel.. (by john chapman)", while showing the cover of the book toward his direction.
"oh, sorry, i'm not interested with that", and carried on, "yeah, i'm not."
"i enjoy today so much, so do you enjoy today?", he carried on.
"yeah, i do."
"what did you do?", he kept asking.
"i just had lunch with a friend."
"so, where do you come from?", he continued.
"... indonesia." [a rather long response, started to feel a bit annoyed..]
"yeah? i was actually in indonesia in 1947, obviously you weren't born yet.. yeah, surabaya.."
"oh, for how long?", i asked.
"hmn, two months..", he said. (my guessing was that he meant to feel a bit proud of his service, not that there's anything wrong with that :)
"oh.."
[then he continued chatting with his buddies..]
poor old man, i suppose he never realised of the trespass he committed toward the God of the universe, who created everything, and still sustains it.
and i suppose the lesson for me is that i needn't feeling so hopeless of the whole situation, realising that i wasn't any better than the elderly, and that God's grace should teach me to be prayful and rely on Him at all time, especially when people harden their hearts.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
easter - message
it remains! but it's good to be reminded..
that Christ suffered and died on the cross, raised to life, and He reigns! that forgiveness is made available through the death and resurrection of Christ and life is offered for those who trust in Him.
aside, the city bible forum in north sydney still runs a series to continue on the message of easter. in fact, it's the clever idea of wrapping the series in the big theme of a wordly-sounding niche as 'easter nest eggs - is Jesus a worthwhile investment?' by looking from the book of 1st peter. simon manchester is running the series. a sneak-peak into his upcoming talks is here.
on 'better inheritance' (1 peter 1:1-12) in minutes:
- the God's elects are strangers in this world, chosen and sanctified for obedience to Christ.
- a better inheritance awaits the elects in the future, one that can never fade.
- behind present sufferings is God's purpose in keeping his people faithful to Him and longing for the better inheritance.
beware that sydney is a 'dangerous' place to live in because people are prone to living comfortably and feeling secure about their shabby 'future' not realising that Christ will come to judge one day.
Read more...easter - wrap
in food! but it's not all..
though it wasn't fancy, i suppose it had to be the people whom you spent with in having those meals that made the whole thing enjoyable, not the maccas, the jap's food, the super-bowl's, the tea-inn's, the take-aways, the bbq * 2, the hot-cross buns, the choc, the dinners at home!
was mostly out the whole four days, pumped till the last drop, early mornings late nites, walked the miles, twice sun-burnt, huffs n puffs, ate the loads, been sporty, watched half a film, sat at church services, while at the same time, missing those quiet moments, which i am looking forward to in this coming anzac's holiday.
looking backward, i'm thankful for all these peeps whom i know, and the chances to get into conversations with some. i guess this time it proves once again, that as i listened to what some had to say, it's refreshing to know the real them. the fact that indeed God always looks after their lives, and safe-guards their thinkings. that they stay true. that beneath, they are searching for more of real stuffs in life!
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
googlism
perhaps google is looking at one day to ambush the world through its empire. oh, if you have time, just read the help of Google Romance (beta).
Read more...Friday, April 07, 2006
random rumination #70406
the cost of traveling by public transports in sydney can well demean a well-intended motive to save up a bit. for a twenty-seconds late to catch my bus this morning, i had to spend $5 for a single ride to workplace. for today, that means the total cost is $11 for a day's travel, including a detour to city. gah!
unusually, i quite enjoyed the journey to workplace this morning, though by bus. could imagine the crowded epping rd., plus the on-going construction of land cove's tunnel. tried to look around throughout, the mobility of things that happened surround. it was a rather morbidly unruly setting, however, life goes on. everyone seemed to bear, some didn't care.
for a reason, i was intending to re-visit the 2WTL in my mind as my eyes wandered to look out the window. i didn't recall fully until the fourth attempts, believed it to have been almost a year since. hippocampus extension, the wonder of long-term memory.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
easter break
apart from a couple of gatherings, i hope to spend sometime reading anything (and i mean anything!).
i googled these keywords 'evangelising commerce' and found this link.
(warning: they contain small-size fonts)
http://www.mcsi.edu.au/content/Research_Art9.htm
i've got heaps of vagued ideas planned in my mind, surely 4 days aren't enough! pumped.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Friday, March 31, 2006
e-mails.
i arrived as early as 7.10 am at the office today. we had a meeting at 8.30 am. so i decided to cyber-bluggde for a little while (still going on..) - while having my breakfast. i was reading my e-mails.
i came across a very quick reply from a friend in s'pore, which i met for the first time three months ago. she was trying to get the contact details regarding the place i was staying in during my short visit to s'pore. nowadays, this kind of things happen to me as often as they get. her question:
"... was it inside bathroom?"
brain: what was inside the bathroom..?
thought it was a rather cheeky question to ask! remember that was having my breakfast, and this girl who has been staying too long in s'pore was inviting me to creatively imagine what was inside the bathroom in the middle of my breakfast?! presto. bloody singlish .
finally realised that she meant to ask whether there was any rooms with a bathroom inside.
anyway, hee, starting to like e-mails again, and trying to find time regularly to reply. averagely, it takes me 1-2 weeks to reply a friend, but judging from the consistency that every e-mail gets a reply, i can be excused for taking some time to get back, especially those long ones (i.e. like the one sent by rose ;). appreciate long sincere e-mails, even so, sometimes got pissed off by the really short ones, one that asks ,"heyya, how are you?" , and there goes my standard reply, "great! how are you?", then no more replies afterward (read: communication breakdown.. what sort of a friend is he? a smiling assassin with yet-unaccounted-for ulterior motive, perhaps.. :)
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
yet another exam
it was the exam last night. and my choices of three questions are below:
(perhaps i'm not allowed to post, ugly, can't help, besides the total questions are eight, and i'm only posting three ;) actually it's more due to the fact of my 3-secs memory, lame, eh?)
- what do christians mean by 'Predestination'? what is the biblical basis for predestination?
- how would you encourage godly living that's in accordance with the teaching of the Bible?
- what's a church? what's its purpose?
he..tehehe (laughing nervously). glad that it's all over. overall, this subject (doctrine 2) is one of my favs, taught by yet another fav lecturer (those fatherly encouraging figure, humble indeed :) oh, as a big picture, this subject is all about the Holy Spirit, christian beginning, christian growth, the church and the last thing (eschatology). anyway, i thought i was cool on the exam (how i hate exam!), nevertheless, a pimple still features on my forehead, gah! women get stressed out easily. my next intake of adrenaline abuse..? getting an L. if you are interested to join for a joyride (i mean, scary-ride), female/male aged between 24-30 (oh wait, may i repeat, aged between 22-32, now you think differently, eh? remember it's only a driving lesson! or, maybe lessons, i know, slow learner..) are welcomed to flag an expression of interest, in the name of safety.
Read more...Sunday, March 26, 2006
my condolences
it's with sadness when we hear the news of someone we know has just had a family member that just passed away. a friend of mine from childhood, a very dear friend, has just had his dad passed away recently. i found it out accidentally, through friendster, with some condolences posted by some friends. i can understand that it must be very hard of her to let me know personally, therefore she didn't. it changes my mood, but reality is always a reality, that death is inevitable! life is short, tomorrow is not mine to foresee. i feel sorry for her.
this reminded me again of the talk from sccca (two weeks ago), taken from ecclesiastes 7:1-7. a common destiny awaits all men, be they good or bad! we dies, ready or not, we will. however, the wise should learn from death, the day of death has more to teach us than than day of life! after all, what is my life all about? if there should be life beyond death (and there's! because Christ died, and he was raised again - 1 Corinthians 15, the very reason for the hope that we have in God for the future), how should this affect the way i live my life in the presence? will i be ready to face it one day, to meet God? what about others, or those close to us? do i have any concerns for them?
i can always laugh today, but the day is coming when i will mourn. may God strenghtens and comforts those in sadness...
Sunday, March 19, 2006
vista beta
classic quote from om joe, "aduh.. sekolah tinggi2 tapi kaga tau cara membuka jendela.."
i mean, literally..! haha, thought that mesa dun go to the universitiet to learn how to open a window.. (but windows operating system.. perhaps i've wasted those four years after all doing computing at uni :)
but again, technically, it makes sense that higher education is supposed to impact the way people think, even over simple task such as opening a window.. think.. use thy brain!
ps. was struggling to open the window at kingsford's during the pemuda fellowship, while in fact, it can all be done with just one simple pull of the rope and tied it. hey, aunty mavis was beside me, but yeah sure it was directed to me.. duh!
Monday, March 13, 2006
random musing #130306
hmn.. hmn..
A right royal rebuke to the Jensen doctrine of female subordination
i thought every 'hole' is on trialed here based on the author's personal view (along with those others being represented on similar standing). it seems clear-cut that the example taken of the queen (i mean Queen or Her Majesty) won't suffice itself to serve as a principle in overriding what the Bible teaches. well.. well, big catch of the day! will the true jensenites please stand up.. (i bet it won't be necessary ;)
what's more, the author does identify herself as an anglican (?) - should I say of a 'liberal' breed.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Tag four (boo. hoo.)
Four jobs I’ve ever had in my life:
- junior programmer - johnson & johnson
- (junior) programmer - north sydney
- [christian by God's choice]
- [part-time amateur observer for artistic things]
Four movies I can watch over and over:
- the incredibles
- phantom of the opera
- spanglish
- french kiss (duh.. it's not what u think..)
Four places I have lived:
- lubuk pakam
- medan
- sydney
- [God's place on earth]
Four places I have been on vacation:
- melbourne
- singapore
- sydney
- [lala-land, take me anywhere.. but!]
Four websites I visit daily:
- nitty gritty (not too obsessed with things, lite browsing)
- smh
- foundation (localhost, i 'love' my job, uhuk!)
- random musing on blogs
Four of my favourite foods:
- fish (and seafood)
- egg
- tofu
- chocolate
Four places I would rather be right now:
- park
- fancy library (i.e. custom house) where geeks live happily ever after!
- my bed
- [places i've never been to]
Four people I am tagging:
> me
> myself
> i
> uh o, the tag's just been broken, hmn.. yah!
Monday, February 27, 2006
Doctrine 2
Assignment: choose one question.
Why should I bother praying when God has already determined what will happen?
A Christian is someone who has God as the Father. As a child of God, a Christian, in his adoption to be one, enjoys the privileges that come as a result of being God’s child. One of these is that through prayers, we can present our requests to Him. Even though God is sovereign, and thus has all things pre-determined according to His foreknowledge, prayer still forms an essential part in the life of a Christian.
As His child, God has His best interests in our life, and therefore through prayer, it teaches that we learn to surrender our life to Him, and be totally dependable on Him. Jesus Himself prayed to God in the Gethsemane that the cup would be taken away from Him, yet, very certainly, Jesus knew that sole His mission was to carry His Cross and do the Father’s will (Mark 14:36). Surely, God had determined that Jesus would be crucified. Jesus’ prayer didn’t change God’s mind, nor did it mean that His prayer had been ignored, since the course of the event that followed told us otherwise. However, we know that the Cross is in fact Jesus’ glory, for through it, goodness comes as a result, as had already been perfectly planned by the Father who loves His Son, and those whom He will bring into the conformity of His Son. Here, we learn that prayer allows ourselves to be changed inwardly, and let God be God and also be glorified by submitting our will to Him and surrendering things into His hand. We can trust God, and our prayers actually confirm our trust in Him.
Daniel was an example of a man who always prayed to God. Even though Daniel knew that His God was indeed powerful to deliver him from time to time, he never slacked in praying to acknowledge of His power, after which he would humbly asked for God’s helps. Daniel in his many prayers to God in the midst of all the difficulties he faced teach us that God is not controlled by men, yet at the same time, he exercised the confidence that God would listen to his pleas and actually deliver him. God could choose that he would be slain instead, along with the other wise men of Babylon, who did not manage to interpret the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:16-18), but God answered his prayers.
Finally, we can rightly say that since we belong to God, His desire is that we seek Him diligently. Not only does He provide us with the guidance that we so need desperately in this fallen world, but also that our fellowship with the Father through Christ, in one way or another, actually finds its realization in the intimacy of the communication that we can have with Him through our prayers. As Jesus was about to leave His disciples, He comforted them of the coming Counselor. He also commanded that they pray to the Father, so as they remain in Jesus and His word, whatever that they wished, would be given them (John 15:7). Many times, the Lord also commanded us to pray to the Father. And as we listen and remain in Him, God’s word will teach us to prayer in accordance to His will, and thus, enable us to engage in the fellowship with our triune God.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
chickened-out
i'm..
having been back to work recently (and although it's been for a little while previously), i haven't got a spare room to breathe any properly. simply because the work is getting more and more demanding, yet i'm still trying to catch up with what i've got on-hands.
putting aside the capability toward any responsibilities, i thought many times i'm only spilling out my guts to reach an extra mile. many times off course (gee, how do you spell this? can't be bothered.. surely at the momet) i grow to be impatient, with others (and myself included) for being such innocent to let things grow beyond normality (hey, i see i'm not very flexible with changes!).
i suppose my personality is being tested. as the melancholy kicks in, i could be more resistant toward things.
God has mercy..
Sunday, January 22, 2006
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