Frens' Frens

it seems that Kian's galfren has the same name as another fren of mine i noe..we had a good laugh about it on Sat nite at Boon Keng Prata shop...n of course he had to say,"if u n ur fren-who's-also-got-the-same-name-as-my-galfren get together then when u introduce her to us...its like who copy who..." yes kian...very perceptive...n no, i'm still single...but its a good laugh..

n today, i acted like i'd never been out of Singapore n staying in Australia for 6-9 months at a time when i was like 3cm from some ang mo guys n their chinese galfrens...n they were talkin bout experiences overseas n the places they've been to including Sydney....n deep down i was smilin very slyli....u're talkin bout Sydney? yes, wat do u noe bout it? the charming chaos of Chinatown? the beauty of Harbour Bridge esp at night? the crazy drunkness of Australian pub culture that realli is taken to extremes? Mrs Macquaries Chair..with the superb Harbour Views? Townhall n Worldsquare? Maybe Epping, Chatswood and Strathfield with all their amazing Korean subcultures? Do u even noe that the red pulsating heart of Australia is almost-socialist Labour that would not have Sydney built the way it was (think Newcastle) if they could?

when i'm back home...i kinda miss the place...both Sydney and Newcastle..when i'm there...i miss Singapore n family...such a strange situation huh?

Shhhh...its a SECRET

Reflections on NTE 2

Now, i'd like to go in2 a bit more detail about the Missions phase of NTE and do a small ad for next year's one..

it was wonderful to serve in an Anglican church in North Sydney..felt a bit familiar after those years in St Andrews School and with the background of Pa being a former Anglican minister and all that..we stayed with the minister in charge of some congregations..Nigel Fortescue and his 4 lovely children..Michelle 11, Megan 9,sweet Brianna 6 and wonderful little Brodie, just 3 and so full of energy and life (reminds mi of Elliot but 3 times as active..hahaha)

the real hero was James..who had never sung a single Christmas carol before in his whole life but joined us in singing to the old folks at the nursing home...and on the first day, he acted in the school play for 11 year olds..such a 'Wiseman'...n thanks Harvey for calling mi 'Evil Herod' thru out the mission after that...oh no, i think its gonna stick with the unichurch pple liao..just like somebody callin mi Jothanan after hearin it from Elliot n spreading it aroun...*ahemmmm*...

Children's ministry, as i said, was wonderful...how do we put 'Christ' back into X'mas?how to teach kids about the birth of Baby Jesus and how special it was? (n yes, Moses, everytime u tell a lie, u make Baby Jesus cry......)the hidden talent was Bec Lee...never knew a fourth year medical student had so much in common with 6 year olds...hmmmm i wonder....but it alwaez amazes mi to see gals become suddenly motherly and warm aroun children...is it innate maternal instinct? watever it is, i think that is the most beautiful aspect of a woman...seeing her kindness and generosity and warmth aroun children..(yes, better learn that galss....besides cookin n cleanin)

n of course...we did Christmas flyer distribution at St Leonards Train Station at 7 am in the mornin (super tirin n super scary)...once again..James was able to shine by distributin his lot of flyers fastest..something about a psychology student allows him to convince pple they need to take one of his flyers i guess..

but the talks with the ministers like Nigel, David Lim (pastor of the Asian congregation) and Rick the senior minister were realli the most rewardin...David told us how he qulified as a Doctor after 5 years studyin and 1 year housemanship den decided to go into full time ministry...n how his Christian family practicalli crucified him and den excommunicated him because of that...makes mi wonder...as Asians, is our Christianity onli skin deep? is it a cover for more selfish agendas?so, its alright to serve God thru practicin medicine (n get rich) but wrong to serve God as a minister (because u can't get rich)..n Rick told us that as Christians,we should hav our priorities right...so, u choose ur church first, den where u live next, and last ur job..unlike the world which has it the other way round (n wrongli)..

the testimony time on Sunday was fantastic..we all gave our testimonies at different services...n we all attended at least 4 services..some 5..the Asian church was where James n i were at mainly n it was interestin...of course got a lot of sam gu lok po (3rd uncles and 6th aunties aka busybody-eat-finish-nothin-better-to-do) as Asian churches alwaez do includin mine here in Singapore (lets hope no one from Charis reads this)...but it was worthwhile seein Christians from other parts of Australia n different subcultures (the Asian community in Australia is still different from Singapore n even the white Australia we know in Newcastle) worshippin the same God n preachin the same Word..very encouragin..

anywae...i think its important international students go...we need to care about our fellow Australian Christians n learn the differences in church work in Australia n back home(wherever that might be)..n i think that we will go back much more confident of our Christian faith n teaching..if even James can go...all of us can...Heres to NTE next year..Cheers!

Reflections on NTE

i enjoyed NTE...the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students puts up a great training event each year that really builds Christians well..

this shd b the first of a 2 part series on some of my reflections on NTE..i enjoyed meeting pple who realli are Christians..In Christ there is no Jew or Greek, Barbarian, Scythian, Slave or Free..but Christ is all and is in all..different languages and cultures, but unity in Jesus Christ..

n the talks were amazing...Greg's exegesis of the book of Hebrews was inspiring..Supremacy of the Son, endurance and running the race..Peter Adams' funny and quirky talks about God's Word...n the missionary-meeting events..the idea of Christ being the centre of the gospel but not the only thing that Christians shd speak about when interpreting the Bible..dat was such a humbling experience..

it was encouraging meeting Christians from other campuses and knowing that we're not alone here...n even FOCUS pple from other campuses...we're not alone truly..the battle for the hearts and minds of university students continues everywhere..i onli wish that it were as dynamic and relevant in Singapore..

i thank God for James man...otherwise i would hav truly felt even more lonely than i was...we're only human and 10 days with pple u barely know does take its toll..no matter how much u care for them in Christ...n i was constantly reminded of certain fundamental truths dat is really hard to remain true to on our own...

i appreciate Nigel, the minister at Naremburn-Cammeray giving us a word in season...how one of the older women at church had gotten married to a nominally christian man and that always held her back in her christian walk n service...n especially in the christian upbringing of her children...n she died without seeing her husband change...well God is gracious and worked in her husband's life after her death such that he realli started living his life for God..But the fact was...God maybe sovereign and gracious...but that does not make right the disobedience and foolishness of His people..I'm not making this up...its a real life ministry story from a real life minister in a real life church..

n i realised that i enjoyed Children's Ministry so much..Phil Jensen always said that Women's and Children's ministries are The Most Important in the body of Christ...n not the least as we are often deceived into thinking..its amazing how much children can be taught using simple tools...simple communication but deep content..if i could make an impact on one kids' life for Christ i'd realli be happy...n if that kid was a Minister's Child that would be worth it...i only wish that when i was growing up as a minister's child i'd had that luxury of good mentoring...mayb i would not hav ended up as screwed up as i am..dats why it means something to me...its worth a god-damn that kids turn out right because Jesus died for these kids..

Love these Ads

Another Classic Philip Tan showed my class...dat stupid idiot!

Final Rant before Canberra

am essentially finished at Newcastle for the year...except for that Eastern Tiger dinner James, Lake, Tim and myself swore to go for on the 10th when i get back...but done...essentially

10 days in Canberra? why? 5 days at a conference where we learn interestin stuff n meet new frens...den 5 days at a church called Naremburn-Cammeray in North Sydney, doin some Children's ministry and helping out with Christmas decorations and evangelising at the local train station(i'm beginnin to fear that one oredi as i write this; just imagine the mud thats gonna fly in our direction)...i could do this for a long time with frens n pple i care about n hav come to treasure..yes, even Harvey..dis is not the kind of Christian ministry i was raised with...dats realli brutal

talk to Shian if u dun believe mi..anyways, this magical 10 days no. kinda reminds mi(there i go again) of Wallaby 04...i remember...not bathing or changing for 10 days..i remember...the REAL Australian bush....i remember...Shoalwater Bay Training Area n Sabina Point where Damien hollan-ded to (not mi...him)...i remember the blood sucking ticks(complete B*st*rds those)...i remember...sleeping under the dusty sky, looking at the stars like Orion the Hunter..i remember..the guys i worked with, the men i'm honoured to have serve under and the boys who i'm privileged to have led (simply the best)...i remember..the loneliness but also the intense peace...(n i'll let u in on my little secret, after those nites, i realised that i could be alone n unloved in life...n whenever i return to that place in my heart n mind...God gives mi the strength to carry on again)

i've been having disturbing dreams for some time...there are times i find myself again surrounded by strange n unfriendly ,even evil creatures that would harm mi...but den...the moon shines thru or somethin...n i find myself changin into somethin else...a wolf or some beast from my deepest, darkest subconsious...a drum beats in my breast..even now i can almost hear it...steady and distant, den louder n louder..closer...more violent..can u hear it as well?..thump thump thump...n i noe one thing...the hunt is afoot...little demons? the creature enjoys crushin the skulls of such animals between its strong , powerful jaws and with those hard, slightly blunt fangs...even demons are prey for certain creatures who in their wakin hours disguise themselves as innocent victims..camouflage!...dis is disturbin indeed..wat dreams are these that full of strive and violence so grip me??

see u guys in Canberra or Singapore...n friends who are not dat small ;) it'll b good to see u back home...very soon

See everyone soon

to my frens whom i will b missin and who r leavin Australia for the last time this year, thanks for all the memories and the wonderful times we've shared..thanks for ur friendship and the care and concern u've shown me..i'll be rememberin u guys..n i will see some of u soon...

n to those of my frens goin home soon...i'll catch ya back home..juz dun play until forget ur aussie frens..farewells are such dreary events sometimes...still..its always good to take n say ur goodbyes whenever u can cos u never noe when u'll hav e opp to meet again..

But i'd much rather say my hullos to frens whom i'll b meetin again after a long time....den say bye-byes to friends i'm not going to see..so, to u guys back home, those who mean somethin to mi, the NWO, Kian n Richard n the armour bros..the SFMS gang, Yve, Leonard, YQ, Zishuang, Serene...the SAS bros, Shian, Dan, the Alvinses...the Scouties, Shamir, VR, Gab, Tsang n the ladies...we're gonna b meetin soon..i'm thankful n expectant..realli

N Labour hav won the elections in Australia...Excellent! New Leadership n change...always a good sign...i wonder wat it says for my own country?

Anti Business?

here's that famous (or infamous) Labour anti-businees unions dominated political video authorized by the Liberal Party in Canberra for the Australian government (as background information, the Liberals and Nationals form the current Coalition government in Australia and the Australian Labour Party or ALP is the opposition)

on the even of the Australian Federal elections it appears that Kevin Rudd, leader of the ALP seems to have lost some ground to John Howard and the Coalition..this of course, is expected before any major election where previousli unsure voters n voters who've previousli decided for Labour suddenli get cold feet and decide to stick with the incumbent government rather than change...thats human nature...inertia and better the devil you know than the devil you don't..

n there is room for concern when one hears the stuff goin aroun about Labour being Union dominated or even controlled and Kevin Rudd being the mere puppet head and poster boy of an anti-business party..dat would mean a reversal of 11 years of growth and progress for the Australians..

do you believe that? i'm not Australian n an outsider, but frankly i think this whole thing reeks of last minute desperation to halt Labour's lead in the polls...as well as trying to use the communist/union/strike bogeyman to scare pple..its looks to mi like bullying tactics..

well, good luck n hav fun tomorrow at the polls my Australian friends and both parties...but u noe which team i prefer..

Written by Jonathan Chua for the Elections 07, Canberra

i may be an international student, but if there's one party i could vote for this Saturday in Australia,u noe clearly who i'd vote for...i'd like to see more dog-eat-dog political campaignin of the type seen over here in Australia back home in Singapore...put the leaders under a grill n turn up the pressure n heat to find out if they are truly worthy...politicians shd not get it so easy if they want my vote...nuff said..

everyday from today onwards i'll giv my 2 cents worth bout the upcomin elections over here n post an interestin campaign vid for both sides though u noe who i'd go for n who i'd feed to the dogs..

My Guys

this is gonna b an emo post...sorry if u're cringin oredi..

when i first came to Australia i prayed for a great group of Christian n other frens to mix aroun with n get to know.. end last year i prayed that even more...

n this year i really met the best group of frens a guy could wish for..not that my other frens i met last year arent good..in fact gettin to noe u better this year has been better than last year...i thank God for u korean guys like Josh, Lake and James..

there are actualli pple in newcastle whom i can relate to so well..guys who realli noe how tuff it is to b a guy...N yess, women n ladies, it IS difficult many times..we cry as well...we hurt as well...we have feelings as well..we are fully human as well..so next time you think about gossipin bout us...think again...words do break our hearts n souls even if not our bones..

Lake, u're one heck of a mature n considerate guy who's sincere n kind...even Darius agrees..n u're the onli one in newcastle whom i can hav a beer with n realli talk bout the issues that mean something to us..am gonna miss u when u head back this december..I wish i'd gotten to noe u earlier n better..n seriousli, this is nasty Jonathan sayin...if any b*tch is gonna reject u..she's just dat...a B*tch who isnt worth it..so tell her in a nice, gentle,forgivin n long-sufferin Christian spirit to piss off n go to hell..

James, you're my man...the glue in the group of guys n the one who's the most sociable, outgoin n fun..wat would we do without u? so much less thats for sure.. you're the guy that helps us laugh at ourselves...more than Paul i'm sad to say(orhhhhhhhhhh) n the one who alwaez puts a serious situation into a funny context that realli throws new light on stuff..wif that heart of gold of urs i understand why ur galfren in Japan loves u so much...hear that gals....its the HEART, not the damn looks or the cheesy lines...

Josh, you're doin well man..its hard sometimes to leave the pple u care about n come to Australia n now, leav the pple u've grown to care n LOVE...n go back home..we'll alwaez remain in ur heart(i hope) as you'll alwaez remain in ours...thanks for the games at Focus camp n the great sportsmanship you've shown n the fun-lovin devil-may-care attitude that we need so much n admire so much..where the heart is concerned, take the memories n leav the pain...why am i so cryptic? i dunno...as i learned from the great American dudes like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman..lets not get too caught up in the details of life n forget the eternity that we are part of..

finally, its not the end of our friendship..or rather Ends are just Beginnings.."Ever inventive nature produces one new form from another. Nothing in the universe ever perishes, believe me, but things vary, and adopt a new form"-Ovid, Metamorphoses

As Found

Peter Reyner Banham, quite a notorious architectural writer, historian and critic, was the author of the 1982 book Scenes in American Deserta, an anthology of images of the American desert with his own running commentary..this was probably a culmination of his life-long taste for rough, as-found textures and materials...which could sometimes be brutal..

I'm much influenced by that ethic or aesthetic(depending on ya point of view)...look at that maintenance shed behind the Newcastle University Fine Arts Studios..storm damage (the same as that which beached the Pasha Bolga on Newcastle Beach) caused that...one can say that ruins look awesome and fantastic if captured well (i, of course, have failed terribly)...its a record of the events in life and that reality is often not manicured and perfect...having said that, they look no less beautiful than perfectly manicured French gardens..

Are the pictures brutal? yes they are..is the condition of the building brutal? of course..but is it attractive and eye-catching? why, yes one admits...is it really because they're ugly or because there is something strangely human about seeing a broken building and goin, "siao liao! simi lan ch***?"

As-found...thats wats lacking in most modern design today...as-found materials, qualities and textures add a human dimension to spaces and places..you touch the rough, coarse texture of a coconut husk and you know that is something intensely human and immensely satisfying..enough of that minimalist Zen sterile laboratory rat living...give us sensuous, warm, rough and hairy spaces! If decoration can help acheive that or amplify that as-found aesthetic, so much the better..

a word about the pictures..i dun think our university is going to get that damage repaired anytime soon..it is, afterall...a case of having to fork out money rather than receive money so understandably...the delay...but i think they stand as good reminders of storms and not always needing to be perfect...and that buildings are immensely strong, such that they'll still being used and i dun think anyone seriousli entertains the thought that the roof is goin to collapse anytime soon..it looks worse than it actualli is..never judge a book by its cover...or rather judge a book by its cover onli if u can understand the idea that went into the design..

ThAt BlackListEd Mastercard Ad

I was recommended to see this when i was a wee 17 years old by a fren of mine...its a bit crude n ReaLLy banned in Singapore but its so funny...both then as much as now..

Guys, do u remember those cool or crappy (depends on yer viewpoint) Citibank or Mastercard ads that used to get played on tv promoting the good life if u used their cards/banks/products? Some things are priceless.. for everything else there's Mastercard..

Car Design

Architects are designers. We love good design and it always thrills us to see design thats good or interesting. Some of my influences include car design. That image above is the Toyota Prius 08 model.

whats so great u ask? its not fast, not visually stunning or sexy, no image of power or even purpose besides looking like an oversized family car...

this raises a few questions..why do car designers design so conservatively nowadays when the technology inside is new and has so much potential? why do we view certain designs like a Mitsubishi Evo VIII or IX like they are so great when all they do is waste petrol and u can't really race them in Singapore? If its because of the 'babe attractin power' den yes i agree..but is that wat the car was designed for? to help upper middle class ah bengs get a chio ah lian galfren to screw with after prata at jalan kayu?

u noe why i like the Prius? because its something Original..its in the Spirit of motoring which is risk and adventure...look beyond the styling...its wats inside..n i sincerely hope that soon, the technology will be so advanced that it can be placed in the kind of GTR bodywork that makes everyone, from a wannabe ah beng to the pretty office lady to the uncle in the street envy it and respect it...

a word about the technology...hybrid cars are inefficient in startin up from rest, cos they use a cold-start electric motor and battery rather than an idling engine..and the system to control the balance of battery power /electric motor versus internal combustion engine is quite complicated and not that reliable yet..but if they used more stuff like flywheels to store energy and improved computer control...hmmm..i wonder where it might go..

finally, the spirit of experimentation is just not found that much in the car market these days...its very stagnant...we need to experiment or else we die...from a design point of view, we need to try new stuff that pushes the technology out further and looks for new corridors to explore..dat is the spirit of motoring and wat the Prius has....now we can do something about the styling...

Cut the Crap n give us Jesus La

As u can see above, i'm puttin on something by The Chasers War on Everything-a fabulous Australian Prime time show that criticises and has a laugh at everything...n in the spirit of taking ourselves lightly, i say we Christians should have a look(if u havent oredi)

My God! look at that self-pious hypocrisy and self-righteous holier-than-thou nonsense man...why can't ministers stick to preaching the gospel and God's Word or else say it as it is: I love money and the world and fame..and you're gonna give it to me...dun mix the two..its disgusting..

and yes, Shaun i'm inspired by your Batman Superhero Hillsongs music video on your blog really..lets just say what we all think but dun dare say for fear of offending our brothers: Stop using Christian faith and the church as a source of personal wealth and gain...and ask ourselves the question: Did Jesus die for this? Really? What kind of a Saviour do you really believe in?Do we have a form of godliness but deny its power? Is our God our belly?

Come on...lets call a spade a spade..

Kevin07-Chinese Propaganda Video

All Hail the Power of an Independent and Skeptical Media

Elections 07 or Kevin and Howard

The Youtube video of the year for Australia would probably have to go to the Howard Government's response to the Rudd 07 Labour campaign..Stock images of the Chinese communist party's Great Leap Forward were shown with Mao's photo erased (via photoshop) and replaced by Kevin Rudd's portrait...and instead of peasant girls and worker boys you had white, blonde Australian nurses and miners holding up a little red book..whatever that's supposed to contain u can be sure its an effigy of Kevin Rudd's thoughts..and in the background one hears a Chinese commentary which sounds like its been lifted from some war propaganda film from the 70s...

to a liberal social democrat like me(read Labour leaning) i'd say its just hogwash by the Conservatives trying to play up Labour's left leaning stance towards industrial relations and healthcare reform..of course, as a Singaporean, i find it discomforting and confrontational...just imagine castigating any of our leaders as spoilt, upper middle class public school tory bullies on Youtube and see what you'll get from the likes of the ISD..but i like it..

there are so many times i wish that Christians in SIngapore could laugh at ourselves a little bit more and drop that holier-than-thou approach to God, life, the gospel and teaching. I mean...its flippin hypocritical that we can be so god-damned concerned about the honour of our church and our own christian reputation without giving a hoot about the honour of God or our fellow Christians...i mean, i knew people growing up who loved to talk about not doing Bible-study in Macdonalds because it was the wrong place and yet when it came to their own christian lives, they couldnt even marry a christian..what a load of baloney..

or for instance, the Christian friend in school who was always so concerned about what you said that he once remarked, it may be the truth, but if its not helpful, don't say it....well my friend, you're mistaken if you think the truth is pretty...its not... the truth is a man bleeding to death on a cross, naked in front of the world and calling people to believe in what-the-world-would-call-a-loser-like-that..thats truth..its brutal...

i got off the topic of taking ourselves lightly...Angels fly because they take themselves lightly...thats what GK Chesterton said..i don't think it contradicts my belief in saying hard things the hard way yet take myself lightly..i think in fact i could only say hard things when i don't take myself seriousli..or else i'd really end up killing myself or fall into the trap of being self-righteous..

so then if you're a Christian or an atheist, i think that we've got to learn to take some jokes in life..or else we'd all end up shooting ourselves..you must know the difference between good clean fun and something meant to hurt or wound..but i think many christians are in the position of taking ourselves too seriously rather than too lightly..but of course Kevin Rudd doesnt care..he relishes the attention...as a good Labour leader should...only Conservatives like John Howard bristle at jokes..Middle Class Conservatism...bahhhh

Some cool dark music!

Everybody's Fool by Evanesence



was listening into this song while helping the architecture year 5s finish their model for final submission yesterday.

Evanesence is the queen of angst pop bands..well the king is Linkin Park of course(not the SISPEC Bravo company OC who i served under for 4 months)..these guys sing! period...

and a word bout the year 5s...i enjoy helpin these guys with their finial graduation all-or-nothing models...the last model of architecture student life is the one u do before submission at 12 noon on Monday to David Stafford.. n den, school's out!

wats my graduation theme song for this years Year 5s? U guessed it...Everybody's Fool by Evanescence...Never was a super student, Never will be saved by archi, somehow we're just everybody's fool (at school)...

Come to NTE

Done!

i finished dis sem...n i'm happy! thank God for helpin me pass! at least the hardest, meanest *** subject dat i failed last yr!

i'm lookin forward to National Training Event dis comin December before i head home.. its not dat i dun wanna come home earlier...but i think i could be more prodcutive here n also...i'm tired of the way pple keep askin mi hows Australia? how long more till graduation? a bit sian realli..

n i realli enjoy bein able to meet Matt on Tuesdays for one-to-one bible study, Tim Lai on Wednesdays, Dene on Thursdays and now Tim Wong dis Fri.. a little slice of heaven is being able to meet pple who love God and His Word and discuss the Bible..n relate it to our lives...

hmmm..wat shd i do wif my spare time between now n NTE? visit frens in Melbourne? possibly... am spending a lot of time watchin movies on You-tube n Crunchy Roll since handing in my last assignment last Thursday..saw the bizarre creature called the Liger and Zorse or hebra...n been watching (rewatching rather) Strawberry on the Shortcake...saw it a long time ago when i was 17..but now i think its quite dumb n the morals/ethics are so questionable.. like the Teenage Textbook it relates to teenage/early adult relationships but it gets stupid as u look at it when older...

but i'm reminded by the angst and bitter sweet emotions involved in first love.. n the tragedy of that first break up for the most stupid of reasons..but lets see wat can i not forget about you? the first time i held your hand on the train... the first time i placed my arm around you...the first time i told you how much i liked you...the first movie we watched together as a couple...

i do miss you even after all this time..n i wish i could take back all my stupidity and foolishness...i 'll never forget you...

Suprematist Art

i like suprematist art...very abstract n transcendin..a bit tortured n violent...unstable is the word...Kazimir Malevich was a revolutionary Soviet artist la...so its quite leftist ah...but if u noe mi, i'm a bit left-inclined....SD inspired n labour all that stuff...

the ultimate paintin (in terms of meaningless, abstract, no-objective) is white on white at the very top..but i like it...when i feel troubled or disturbed, i look at such abstract paintins and it kinda soothes mi...mayb i'm a bit psycho...but den again...aren't we all a little bit weird in our own ways?

dis is art...i like it...nex time shd try doin some of my own...really v sian of the super-representational style taught here in archi man...tree must hav leaves n branches n trunk n be brown n green...damn bloody borin can...cannot stand oredi....

pls gimme some abstract art man...anyway, most buildins pple build also look like 3-d abstract squares wat...dun believe just look at ur HDB flat la...but dat one is super un-original...copy cat also can ah? Design HDB flat here will fail one lei...

Are you a pilgrim, brother?

Brethren of the House of St Andrews, if u are within the diaspora down under Oz,n if u are returnin this year, n assuming u know mi, we should meet...

hav not seen many of u since, forever...wat r u up to now? does all go well with u? how hav the span of these years affected u? good or bad? do let mi noe...

What God wants of the Women

i'm in the mood for some 4 b 2s tonight so lets have some fun...boy am i gonna take great pleasure in this..

they keep sayin What Women Want in that famous Mel Gibson show.. well...i think that like all secular movies...they skew the picture n present relationships and gender differences in a really pathetic way...Phil Jensen would just call it stupid attempts at portraying life as the sum of what you eat and what you drink and what you wear, when all you're doin is invent little games to entertain as we stand in a crematorium queue..

but really, have you ever thought wat God really wants of women? esp if you dare call yourself a christian, do you ever think of wat God wants for you rather than what you want for urself? or are you just bein self-centred?

if you ask mi wat God wants of women, i think i'll need to research it more..but at dis point of time i'll say that Titus instructs the younger women to be self-controlled and pure, kind and loving to husbands and children ( Titus 2:4-5)..

Prov. 31 :30 sums up the key virtue to be "the fear of the Lord"...actually many things seem to apply for guys also...except commands exclusive to wives, mothers and widows..

but i find that some gals expect to be treated in a way that is as if we shd be more kind and carin towards women when they do wrong or dun really live as Christians shd..we're expected to gloss over faults and even wat we really shd call sinfulness just because they're ladies..

so, if a lady acts in a selfish or self-centred manner we should somehow be more acceptin and kind and dun point dat out? i really dun think dats wat Jesus would do..He tells His mother,"who are my father and mother and brothers? Those who do the will of my Father in heaven" Mtt. 12:48-50 and again"Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come" Jn2:4...not very polite or respectful (from an Asian point-of-view)...

in reality, dun mince words..watever gender, nationality, skin colour or culture, Christian truth needs to be told and needs to be brought home with the greatest impact possible..i'd rather it be hard and harsh and painful in order to save from hell den soft or coddlin or wimp-ish and hell-sendin...just too bad if u happen to be more sensitive den others in dis respect..

O Great God

O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven's joys
Then Your Spirit gave me life
Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life
That's dependent on Your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that i face
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me

Bob Kauflin 2006
Sovereign Grace Music: Valley of Vision

Standin By Each Other

Mr Y was tellin mi the other day dat i really shd think bout chasin one of my Japanese frens who's really pretty...i told him that religion came between mi n doin dat n besides, she has a Korean bf alreadi...

den he told mi very matter-of-factly, Korean and Aussie guys are always tryin to chase Japanese gals...F***them! U go on man...i was tempted...realli i was..but without goin in2 that Christian datin non-Christian stuff (which i do believe even though i dun put it so aggressively)..i'll say that since comin to unichurch, i've come to see the cross as above all considerations and priorities...n i think even if i'm screwed (in relationships) because of that inescapable fact, i feel compelled to follow my saviour...its hard i tell ya...so hard...

if i wasn't a Christian, wat might i have done? nothin great actualli...might hav done even worse things then those i've done and am ashamed of....but the thought always lurks at the fringes of my subconsious..and i realli appreciate my non-christian frens who affirm mi n tell mi that i'm not such a loser after all..n i realli want them to come to know Jesus....i reckon many of them would b better Christians than many of the Christian guys i know...i just need to find the courage and words to share the gospel with them...

why dun christians stand by each other the way non-christians often do? i really dun noe...wat i do noe is...many times when i've been at a fix in my christian walk, God has used unbelievers to show mi the way out...frens like Matthew in NS, Yoshia here, a sprinklin of John Paul II no less...

i wish i could have someone to say "i love you to"...n i wish i could say that i've got the best galfren in the whole world...i wish i could say to the guys..."leave mi out of the soccer watchin guys, i'm takin my galfren out for a beautiful romantic dinner"...but really...dat option has not been left open to mi for a long time...every other guy is somehow alwaez better than sad ol' mi...aren't i pathetic?

Watch This

I've embedded the Video i mentioned in the last post on this blog...because i believe it is that important for my Christian friends to see..so scroll down to the bottom of this blog and hav a look...really recommended..

Challenge Conference

I was away last weekend for Challenge Conference 2007...every year, Christians are asked if they would like to go for a conference that challenges them to full-time ministry...and i would say that i was really challenged and humbled by the experience....

Phil Jensen, dean of St Andrews Cathedral, Sydney, challenged Christians as to how we wanted to spend the rest of our lives..and n exposed greatly the lie behind materialism that runs this world..and the reality of the Christian gospel..

our conversations with fellow Christians who likewise were considerin the possiblity of full time Christian ministry sometime in their lives were realli helpful n encouragin...i saw how urgent was the need for ministers for the gospel...anywhere in the world and that the greatest duty of ministers was to train a new generation of ministers to carry on the preachin of the gospel..the scripture thus speaks of Paul trainin Timothy and raisin him like a son who in his turn trained others...the baton needs to be passed on...and i finally began to see the good that Dad had done in raisin mi as a Christian..

even though today i will say there are things i disagree with him from the pentecostal tradition in which i was raised....because i believe (and quote me on this) that the pentecostals are wrong and unbiblical about some things..especially predestination...but that is for another time..

i had a good talk with Greg about ministry on Sunday night also...in which i told him about all the brutal realities of ministry that only minister's children see and which no one tells you...and the pain and sacrifice involved...and he understood fully..finally i saw that neither Dad nor myself were alone..in 1 Corinthians Paul sheds tears over the people he pastored and the pain they caused him..and no one in ministry can be any different..

and now i begin to understand the costs and the suffering inherent...but also the great honour and privilege..and i thank God that there are Christians whom i can relate to in this area..men like Mark Driscoll whose video on You-tube, "A Good Soldier" i recommend highly..he famously said that modern men hav so many issues becomin Christian because they "dun want to worship a wimp they can beat up"..

i like Christians who dun mince words..because people are goin to hell due to the nice words that Christian ministers say..we need to read the Bible carefully...Jesus seldom says nice things...He says hard things that cause many to turn away..."For we did not preach the gospel with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power"...and again, "to what can I compare this generation?..they are like children in the streets who say, we played the flute for you and you did not dance, we sang a dirge and you did not cry"...no, friends, i now realise that Jesus said what was contrary to accepted wisdom and deeply unpopular..and this is integral to Christianity...only the Holy Spirit makes it palettable..

Towards a New (POMO) Architecture

i like Late Modernist Architecture....its just so clear, lucid, rational...unlike deconstructivism or deconstructionism...wilful, self-absorbed, elitist..

but the terrible thing is dat the Late Modernists or High-Techies are still unable to reach the wider audience...they are still unable to communicate with society and pple...pple go in2 say, HongKong Shanghai Bank and though visually impressed, they just feel that they dun belong and that its not somethin they can relate to...

so, dis brings mi to Post-Modernism...or POMO as its derogatorily called...i appreciate the idea that decoration does allow pple to relate to architecture n even appropriate it...of course the great flaw is dat pple often take this to great extremes n come up wif extremeli ugly n meaningless schemes...

i'll alwaez b a modernist at heart...but no more "Ornament is Crime" and with a better understandin dat Form and Function are inseparable...n dat we plannin does not work on a one-to-one basis ie that u plan the room for this does not mean therefore, it will look a certain way..the real world has too many variables..

but i like the way the Modern architects alwaez hav a sense of social purpose n responsiblity...n i think dats wats lackin in our buildings these days...too elitist n with no concern for society...

there...dats part of my Manifesto...

Kick 'Em in the balls

after a hiatus in bloggin, i'm back...National Day was crazy...had a presentation and submission in the afternoon and after dat rushed to Silver Dolphin for the Dinner and celebration..

as i blog to some nice chinese music courtesy of Johnnie Choong (i like moody chi music too man)...i'll recount a few incidents lately dat have concretised the idea that i shd realli shoot from the hip n be more confrontational from now on..

first gettin sponsorships for INS National Day celebrations...i realised it really was too rushed...n my letter format was juz not dat great or professional..but goin to the shops aroun uni n e-mailin S'pore corporations really taught mi a thing or 2 abt humility and why pple studyin in Australia develop accent/slang...the ang mos realli dun understand when we speak in our Singaporean Engrish...What? Huh? Say Again? SOrry?

den of course, go in2 the shops to ask for discount or free vouchers....they think like we are crazy to ask their bizness for freebies...like How Dare You...and when u want things from pple they can be so rude...Wild SURF CO. employees told me they could not understand what i was talking about and acted like i was a retard from China...and many told me rudely and roughly that they were a BIG COMPANY(emphasis) n they could not do anythin for us...

the nicest were the small family owned companies or small-scale biznesses...and the worst were the SIngaporean companies...never even bother to reply...n its those with Newcastle branch of their bizness sommore..n companies/institutions like PSB and PSB Academy...take our money and DARE to set up S'pore branch still dun even care to support S'pore students in Newcastle for National Day....let mi say wat i think of them....Mother-F***in C*nt s! of course u may say thats wat the corporate world is like.....but i will respond that this is also wat i'm like...KNNBCCB...

the other thing was also dat dis week had Outreach Night at uni...to those frens who were offended in any way when i gave out leaflets invitin pple to come for the Christian talk...i'm sorry...i tried v hard to b as respectful as possible...its just dat dis is somethin i believe is good and would like to share with u as my frens...n dats the reason...not becos i'm tryin to convert u..

den there were the groups of very obnoxious pple who were there just to try n make fun of u as a christian or talk rubbish...i've heard all the lousy arguments rehashed again n again...Jesus was a lunatic, Jesus was a liar, Jesus didn't exist, the Roman Empire re-wrote the Bible, Christianity assimilated some persian religions like Mithras worship(i knew a lot about dat one in detail actually, from readin Dad's books on the foundations of early christianity when i was 18)....i respect u but u just dun respect mi...n contrary to popular belief...i would respect it even if someone were to talk to mi abt their religion...n there hav been muslims on this campus who hav talked to mi abt Islam n i was respectful to them...

n now, let mi say this as a Christian...i look up to pple in the Sydney anglican community like Phillip Jensen and John Chapman who can say v hard things for the gospel...n i will say some of my own here...i would like to steal the thunder from these arrogant jerks by startin the conversation in future, "hi, we're from Newcastle Christian Students and we're here to tell u that Jesus was either a lunatic, liar or somethin else. we want to hear ur opinion" i'm not a nice Christian...the word "Nice" is not found anywhere in the Bible...i kick pple in the balls...

u better get used to it..."You fool, tonight your soul shall be required of you...then whose shall all these (nice little treasures u've collected like ur handphone, Skyline or condominium) be?"

Faithfulness

:Mood Todae(on Left)

i've been challenged to think about faith n faithfulness or the lack of lately..a central conclusion i hav is dis...Man is Unfaithful, God is Faithful...

y unfaithful? becos we rebel against wat God wants n everythin good...dat is the essence of sin..well..dis is a tribute to A...

when i broke up with my first, Catholic gf, i had lots of reasons...esp e religious one...but deep down i knew i just was not dat in2 her anymore..so when my fren A had a similar story, i can't help but wonder if its bcoz B is juz not dat in2 him..i agree in principle with B doin wat she believes is the best for them both n wats rite...n i do noe in my brain dat its wats best...but i can't get dat feelin of suspicion out of my heart..i dun side with either party...but i just wish dat godly Christians would not let ourselves get in2 such an ungodly mess...i realli dunno wat 2 think bout both A & B...i won't interfere, but as a fren, how can u not feel for either of ur frens?

n den there is an issue with church back home...pple leavin for the most....haiz...reasons i dun agree with... there are many things i want 2 say...esp since i considered these my frens...i hav seen contempt for a small church b4...n its nothin new to mi..it just hurts when its from some1 u considered a fren...it is at these points dat i wonder wat Jesus Christ felt as he kissed Judas on the cheek...as He said.."everyday i was with u and u did not arrest mi"..Oh wretched, pathetic Judas! wat did it gain u to stab ur Lord n Master in the back? with the gentle kiss u betray...you bring down the One who did u the most good and loved u as disciple n fren...Betray those who are evil to u why dun u...but no...instead, its those who are good you betray....bu zhong bu xiao...ren xing ben er..

wat more can be said? the hearts of men are evil beyond measure...

More Pics

Pics

:The Clarity n Purity

:The Place

Scuba

:The Guys

hav not been bloggin frequentli of late...no excuse realli...but occupied wif stuff from life n church...

i promised stuff bout Scuba Divin...n here it is...Imagine Perfect Sandy Beaches n Crystal Clear Blue Water in which its possible 2 see fish from 5 meters up...dats Pulau Aur for u...SSG(NS) Robin aka Colin Chua brought us there n it was great! so many great photo opportunities if onli i had a better camera...i wonder if can go explore the land side of pulau Aur as well...its beautiful n super good for hikin/ climbing...if onli it were not 2.5 hours from Mersing

we did 5 dives...the first of which was the most scary...but subsequent dives down to 20 m were fascinatin...down there its clean n pure n quiet...v peaceful...of course, i still need to work on dat buoyancy contrl of mine...but seriousli...its amazin how different the choppy surface is from the quiet bottom...still water runs deep they say...coral n sea anemonae, clown fish n shrimp...reef fish...its juz very very beautiful..wish i had a good water resistant camera to 100 m or somethin..

n then of course, there was dat infamous incident where my eye caught sight of a pretty lass while Robin was teachin us bout navigation....i later learnt dat she was a dive instructor or somethin high-level n very taken...den Robin ask mi 2 navigate in her direction...basket!n den Kian n Richard n mi took 2 callin her the "Compass Gal"....NICE tattoo..now guys, u noe my taste in women...can make it or not?hahahhaha...but i must say, dat was a moment i let down my guard...normalli not so easily attracted these days one...

but the best had to be the boatride to Mersing...2 hours of super choppy waves n super wet clothes...gd thing i had my trunks on so i just took off my trunks n soaked in the saltwater...n P. AUr saltwater tastes like Campbells Mushroom Soup BTW...never gonna try dat (the soup) again sia...

Music n Lyrics

:Mood Todae(On Left)

Caught dat show, Music n Lyrics recentli on the flight back from Singapore, through Perth to Sydney...would u believe it, they ran out of headsets n i watched the show without any sound...

as God would have it, i watched the show again at a fren's place tonite, dis time with the sound...i take back wat i said abt Romantic Love Movies in general..it was good..not so romantic that the guys would all just tie a stone aroun our necks n go dive w/o scuba gear...with funny parts n comic scenes...n meaningful enough dat the humour was not lame...

the songs were good...Way Back Into Love impressed me tremendously though i had heard it earlier...n Pop Goes My Heart was realli a combi of the best retro 80s songs mixed for dis movie...could hear Gazebo, Square Rooms, Tears for Fears, Modern Talking, even Forever Young at one point ...if any of u guys n gals missed the 80s, i realli feel dat u missed wat was probabli the golden age of music..whether english or chinese or Tamil music (hmmm Kumu?)...dats our era...rite 80s kids?

the music was realli good overall...i want dat song Hugh Grant aka Alex Fletcher wrote for Drew Barrymore aka Sophie Fisher...if i onli knew the name..."i find it hard stringing words to a melody"...we guys hav our vulnerabilities n insecurities...we're not perfect n we know it...but we just wish we were...dat song expresses it well...

die man...my frens who read dis gonna say i'm gay or something..so here n now i must act b4 them....f**k You! if i'm gay den KNNBCCB...DLLM....NBPCB..just piss off you m*ther-f**kin d*ckheads...ahemmm...ok...SAF vulgarity enough...

its very hard to be a guy...they criticise u for being a blockhead if u just bulldoze ur way thru...no charm at all...they insult u as a gay if u r too nice or soft or kind...weak dats wat they call it...wats to b done? the greatest flaw of those who alwaez treat us guys as non-existent or lower than them (i think i'm talkin abt a certain sex) dun realise dat it says a lot more abt themselves...dat they also r less den perfect yet think they r, so alwaez pick on us guys...if u're realli perfect u wun need to boast abt it n try 2 put us guys down rite?by e wae, i would not love a perfect woman...no one could...dats INHUMAN....i like my women imperfect n very HUMAN...

onli Nazis love perfection...n look where dat got the whole world? all extreme ideas n thinkin including radical feminism are in the same category...cruel, evil, inhuman, pigs, ultimately dead-ends like Hitler....

Class Gathering

I think i will do a post on meeting up with ol' SA classmates b4 one on my recent trip to P.Aur where i got my Open Water Diving License..

wats the difference after several yrs when u meet ol classmates again in a settin dat we prob never had since b4 goin in2 army?

a bit awkward at 1st...but den when we start 2 eat n drink together, the ol frenship comes back..n considerin e fact dat the majority were ex-officers there n i'm the onli ex-specialist...a lot of specialist pride at stake...juz kiddin...but of course talk about the days in army training la...n we agree in principle dat the most dangerous man in the SAF is a YSL(young second lefttenant) with a map...

but now all grow up oredi...a lot of things seen from different perspectives...n some things i guess dun realli see the same way...after u spend time overseas, u do become a bit more careful n try 2 b discerning coz no one to look out for u...n begin 2 plan for future...in sg..watever it is...a lot of things can fall back on family...come back holiday relax a bit but also take up courses n prepare for nex sem...den yr end must find temp job in archi firm liao..on the ball a bit...can't relax at home too much..after ang mo classmate again overtake ...n they can b damn talented in archi dis kinda course one...wif all the drawing n writin...chinese ppls cannot win ang mo writin ang mo essay one i realise...

but i do miss my classmates n days in secondary sch...even Darrell whom i'm not so close to anymore...mayb Leonard (big mayb)...n i'm sad dat some of them went in2 things like MLM n allowed it to shang gan ching...but i'll still treat them as frens...

oh...today an interestin thing happened...some one from 46 called n say 1206 last time never process..so now must go down to cmpb n pay...2 years after ORD...n it was dis new RQ...$13.57...like dat also can ah? SINGAPORE BOH CHENG HU LIAO LOH!! must b now got LRI now dats why need dis kind of bao sua bao hi, bao ka cheng min kia...CCB..KNLBPCB.....ok...need 2 stop...shall relate diving experiences again..

some Startling Realisations

:Mood Todae (left)

u noe...on the eve of the eve i depart for home for the holidays, i make a few startling realisations..

God how i miss my Singlish n Singlish roots n accent...was watchin Just Follow Law after all those horrid submissions yesterday nite n i realised wat a wonderful relief it is to see pple who think like mi n speak like mi n dun look at mi like some weird alien..u noe, just a short while back i was tryin to explain to an australian caucasian classmate of mine wat Singapore was like...n i realised that we're quite unique...capitalist n modern like Hong Kong...yet speakin a rich pseudo-English language called Singlish..like those in the Carribean who hav a tendency to swing left politicalli...

from a purely historical perspective (n listen here Johnnie Choong) we're very much like the satellite kingdoms that flourished in the wake of the collapse of the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine...first there was Niccaea n later Russia, Bulgaria and other Slav states...n were in turn, influenced by other cultures as Byzantine influence faded...juz look at Vietnam n Cambodia...arisin from the decay of traditional China n the rise of communist China...Singapore could also b said to have arisen from the decay of pre-modern China and to some extent, pre-colonial India..n as those traditional influences faded away, we looked to the capitalist West...no class struggle n no money comin in until much later...we are a society in search of direction at heart...its not money dat drives us...but a search for identity...just look at the Spirit of popular Singaporean films..search for meaning n identity? of course...while i hav Socialist tendencies...i am not socialist n i generally reject the traditional socialist view of history n society..

so yeah, we're a hodge-podge of different cultures searchin for a n unique identity...dats wat i told my classmate...pple n ideas meet in Singapore...if u aren't open to new ideas den dun come to Singapore..if u think dat e world is onli as large as ur little World-Vision donation each month..well, think again..juz as we shd b open to Australian humanitarianism n civic responsibility n national pride...u also shd b open to our more 'restrictive' way of doing things n the fact that we do indeed respect our leaders n would never want 2 see them carricatured like John Howard even if we had all the freedom to do so in the world..at least we dun shoot our opposition in Singapore...

i realised howevr, also dat Singaporeans r juz too materialistic n ambition-driven...n i dun agree with dat n all the associated elitism n cronyism..yes, i dare call it dat...CRONYISM..n if some silly blog-reader wants to post some lame messages defendin her world-view like on someone else's blog some time ago n be all rude n insultin...its time to call on certain forces...here are where my Socialist tendencies come in realli handy..when one day, a new, Social Conservative government arises dat protects the interests of the Singaporean man-in-the-street n small business...n works to tear down the structures of elitism in Singapore..which contribute nothin...those dat do might receive some negotiated settlement...dats politics after all..den u shd fear...very much indeed...n dat is a solemn promise n 24 K guarantee...

oh, Guevarra does live...believe it...

How i learnt Confidence

i sometimes hate these assignments...u finish dem n realise dat others alwaez do so much better...n u go away feelin down..but den...i realised thru 1 particularli bad assignment grade dis year dat if u dun reach the bottom n noe wat its realli like...u won't think of gettin better..at the bottom, there's no where to go but up...n dat galvanised mi...

dis reminds mi of one of Jono's grandfather stories...i remember Staff Vincent at AETC sayin to us when he was givin out extra duties to some fellow trainees dat the purpose of extra duty durin trainin is so dat when u become a full-fledged specialist u become numb to it n when a Master Warrant or Senior Warrant Officer like AE's Lao Chek makes u sign 7 for some stupid infraction, u can shout loud loud, Thank You Sir! Staff Vincent was one of those old-timers who was strict yet fun...Engineers got ISO for trainin system but in Armoured Engineers, onli got i A**h*le...wat Welfare for soldiers?! Welfare is tough training..so wartime got to lay minefields under fire not as scary as trainin kena k*n by Instructors...we loved him for it nevertheless..

n also Mr Ng in 46 SAR...who used to share cigarettes wif members of the 'OK' group of specialists which i was part of..kena extra or regimental duty on weekends by CSM? nevermind...join mi in the armskote..after finish we smoke together..n i'll never forget e phrase he shared wif mi dat helped mi decide to study overseas...Jonathan, it doesn't matter where u're from..wat race or language or religion or nationality..if u're a mother-f**ing c*nt or dick, u're a mother-f**ing c*nt or dick regardless..they're everywhere..his gung-ho, devil-may-care-but-i-sure-as f*ck-don't attitude broke many mental barriers n psychological chains for mi..

dats how i learnt confidence..e system alwaez is a mother-f**in c*nt wherever u go..whether in Singapore or Australia..but even as we trust God...we need to fight back ...C*** B**s are there onli to b f*cked as a very knowledgeable officer once said...so start doing ur job...

Isaiah

:Mood Todae (on Left)

Many layered...dats the first lesson i re-learnt as Matt n myself began to go thru the Book of Isaiah...the first time i read dat seminal book was when i was in sec 3...goin thru (not menopause dun worry) O.T familiarisation studies...

a simple chapter can hav an impact on so many different areas of life..judgement n salvation can refer to Israel den, can refer to the World today as it reaches the end of days...can refer to repentance n reconciliation to God thru Christ...n of course unltimately to Jesus Christ...in whom God's ultimate Judgement fell n thru whom is the Ultimate Salvation...n of course..for those of us with socialist tendencies...i dare say it has some bearin on social injustice, privilege n the down-trodden...but onli some n through many degrees of removal..

the image of the Suffering Servant of course, is the highlight of any readin of Isaiah..who is the Suffering Servant? Is it Israel, human society or Jesus? on several levels, one can see that it begins with Israel n den Israel can't fulfill dis n we go on 2 Jesus Christ who is fully God's Servant n n Suffers the most for sins..

a fly-thru of Isaiah is happenin at present n it really is a micro-cosm of the Bible..in whole it shows wat the message of the Bible is about...Judgement n Salvation, Deliverance and the Ultimate Saviour who's dis superhuman figure dats is revealed in the NT to be God's Son Jesus..

e most interestin verse so far has been..Here am i, and the children God has given mi...Isa. 8:18...compare the context n useage of dis wif Heb.2:13...den onli can one undestand the richness, complexity n multi-layerin of the Bible n Isaiah...

A Catalogue of Dark Creatures

:Mood Todae (on Left)

Growing up, i encountered many things as a Pastor's son...such as, the hypocrisy of certain Christian types...the superficiality of Christian frens and the total misunderstandin of Christian leaders n mentors who were supposed to b Understandin...

In my adolescent years...i came across the Christian intellectuals n True Believers...like CS Lewis, Tolstoy, Doestoyevsky, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Ni Toh Shen, Watchman Nee...n some of the radicalisin, dark forces that introduced the Left to mi...i realised wat it was dat many Christians had lacked...a social conscience n a heart..n dark forces impacted my life in JC n the army as well...n it was those same dark forces that God allowed to throw off the yoke of superficial materialism, consumerism n self-servin self-worship...

One of the catch phrases of dis Conservative, Evangelical/Pentecostal Christianity dat was paradoxicalli tempered by Socialist sentiments (n which made such a huge impact on mi) was...Ubi Lenin, Ibi Jerusalem...Where there is Lenin, there lies Jerusalem also....originalli the slogan of Liberation Theology which i dun believe in becos its unscriptural...i interpret it as God, salvation and the social dimension of Christianity dat cares for the sick n seeks to preach the Good News bout Christ 2 the world And performs miracles for the weak are inseparable...

today, the Full Christian Gospel with the Social Dimension n Conscience are a potent safeguard n weapon against the Prosperity Gospel tot by many..Against the love of Money n Power must be arrayed the Care for the Suffering and Lost n the Preachin of the Good Sheperd who is Our Healer...socialism against capitalism is so much more sublime these days...