Friday, May 18, 2007

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...

Saturday, May 12, 2007

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...

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Sorry seems to b the Hardest Word

need to say sorry to a few pple here...first, Kian n Richard, i din tell u guys the exact dates i'll b back..apologies...now u noe..lets plan that short few days getaway on some sunny tropical island far from everythin as brothers...the fellowship needs to b renewed..

to Little Miss BC, sorrie...shd not hav been so kaypo...i am amazed at the quality of ur sharin in cell n the level of maturity that u gals (inc mei mei)are capable of..its just uncommon at least from wat i've seen with other gals ur age i noe..dun b disturbed but let those lessons bring u thru e week k?

n to Melissa (who will never read dis cos we dun keep in touch anymore)...i'm sorry i was such a crap boyfren all those years back...was still not mature enough to understand wat a relationship involves and the committment it takes...n also that its not just emotions but a consious choice to love even inspite of the other's flaws n weaknesses...there were no real reasons why we got together but i had plenty of reasons to justify myself when it came to a slow slow death...n dat too was a sign of immaturity...n now the door has slammed shut...and will not be opened until The Keeper of the Heart who is My Author decrees it be open again...n i'm truly sorry that i gave my heart so easily n recklessli..the onli consolation i can give is that my heart is now under a New Administration...i will always remain sorry babe..

n now, its time to put on the black shroud again like the Gregorian monks...are you a pilgrim, brother?

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Meeting of the Grand Council

The Grand Mohalata Council has met to give some consideration 2 the recent proposal by the Teacher to extend my stay in Australia for a year n spend 6 months doing paid work with the Fellowship...

The Ancients counsel a wait-n-see attitude and a gradual growin in2 the roles 2 b assumed n tasks to perform in such a postion...

The Dark Ones noe dat dis will mean increased fire from the Enemy n warn that the Dark Force dat guides one along the bitter windin road ensures that this task will b more difficult n more profoundli painful den anythin b4..n the full approval of the Master must b sought..Dark days lie ahead..

the Trainers say that dis is part of the trainin dat is neccessary for full equipment n eventual commissionin..n counsel that all prior skills b honed in preparation for active use in dis period..

the Faithful want to noe wat the Master's will n opinion is...n whether the time is finally at hand to right the wrongs done...but great guidance is neccessary..

the Moderns wonder if such an opportunity is a good thing or not...n wonder how is it dat there is such a great change in the Flux of time so suddenly...

the Perspectivites counsel that in the larger scheme of things dis may b a steppin stone but it is not 2 b taken so seriousli as to cause undue worry..

finalli, the Council votes in favour of preparation measures for dis undertakin n for additional fundin n prayer to be sought..the planning for dis eventuality begins...

Friday, May 04, 2007

Reflections on the storm

Storm passes over,
ships pummeled, broken, scattered
desolate scene-destruction,
from depths,
Dark Creatures rise...

God alone knows how i hate submission due times...that terrible last minute rush no matter how early one starts..whether u're a work perfectionist like mi or simpli bochup in life (also like mi)...even though i started my design right from the beginning and settled all concptual issues long before my due date which was more fortunate than some frens who were trying to figure out where goes where and what does what at literally the eleventh hour the night before submissions...n though i started everything for actual presentation drafting one week before..and it usually takes 3 days to draft and 3 to 3.5 days for model making which should have seen mi finish by 12 midnight thursday..stilli took longer than expected and finished at 5 pm yesterday..good thing lecturer gives grace period for those who travel far to get to uni...if not sure late liao...dis year work is worse man than last year's..

and when one looks at other people's submisions, one alwaez sees e amazing presentations they've done compared to one's own...and the great limitations, flaws and inadequacies in my own work...why does my work suck so much even after so much effort...my design really looks so shabby inspite of my placing of external verandahs, indoor courtyards, use of open plan design and lots of glass internally...i'm screwed dis time i feel...gonna get hammered..

n of course, the dudes i work with at studio all non-christian...when together workin they super ungodly one...they better not see dis man...great frens but different lifestyle i guess..n no time to pray n read bible...it realli feels awful man...n had 2 miss weekly mon nite Focus group and tues bible study...sianz..dats architecture for u...no life, no galfren, no money(we are usually poor pple n definitely the poorest professionals aroun), no time, no end...praise God i can say i still have Jesus n He's everything 2 mi n for mi..