chicken rice talk

i've never talked about a good night at Focus Bible study here in Newcastle Uni before..tonight was exceptionally good..n on several layers..

Michael n i cooked up some chicken rice with some help from a jar of chicken rice ingredients..i will same, however, that this was only half the amount needed for the rice..the other half came from steaming a chicken and several drumsticks for the chicken oil and then using that oil, with sliced ginger, to add to the mix we placed in the rice cooker, with the rice..n we also roasted a chicken separately...so we had white steamed chicken, roast chicken and lots of chicken rice..oh yes, also oyster sauce vegetables with some fish sauce and our own self-made chicken sauce..consisting of light soya sauce, sesame oil and sugar..as authentic as we possibly could do it..i think that everybody had a filling meal..Michael is a great cook who came up with the idea n its really interestin to work with him..

then we had Bible study..tonite was a bit small..only like 16 pple around n mostly regulars..i think it turned out well because we really had a great starting introduction discussion on knowing/meeting famous pple..lots of laughter n i feel that many of this year's first year kids have begun bonding with the older batches of students..inc myself..

we're currently going through Mark and tonite we did Mark 9-10..lots of interesting discussions and i was really challenged myself as a helper in Bible study (which is one reason why i consider tonite great)..that no one has exclusive access to Jesus was really challenging..esp in the context of our discussions about responsibility, office and worth..also that greatness in God's currency is servanthood..that was a gd and humbling reminder..finally the hardest lesson of all, and that is, accepting pple in Jesus' name especially when they add nothing to our worth..because thats the meaning of accepting children.. they are nothing and worthless to a king..yet Jesus says accept these because in doing so, you are accepting God and Christ..i struggle with this because i dun like how this passage has been traditionally used by christians to emotionally blackmail others into not opposing pple who come with impure motives.."no, must accept the guy, even if he is actually very wicked and wants to harm u"..its true in one sense..but dat does not mean we shd b foolish..n i dun like the high moralising, legalistic attitude that Christians twist this passage into..so, you must do good to all the children in the world because Jesus said you must love and accept them and thats the end of the christian message fullstop..n u must accept pple from all backgrounds without telling them that Jesus also commands them to change..its not so shallow man..n lastly, i struggle with this because many pple whom i grew up with n stressed this passage in its most literal meaning were the most prejudiced, bigotted and unkind pple i noe..but i realise that Jesus does want me to accept pple and love them, but not just stay there, but move on to the central theme of Jesus Christ showing this loving acceptance in dying on the cross for sinners..alrite..its not always hard doctrines that i need to affirm..

n thanks Sheeana(codename) for answering "male pride" when asked wat made the disciples ashamed to tell Jesus what they were discussing on the road (it was about who was the greatest incidentally)..that really amused mi..always sobering to hear a healthy dose of feminism..even in Bible study..

n it was good to talk to Cyril about wat i term, the Shaun Foo topic...all u guys who were there last yr end in McDonalds near my place after dinner, esp Kumu shd noe wat this refers to..i wish that the church would not make the topic a sin, or rather, a taboo subject..in understanding, be men..therefore, do the right thing n talk!!

n i found Melissa Loh on facebook last nite..added her n am expecting to b given hell for my trouble..who's Mel Loh..well my frens from the NWO n mayb Richard will understand from this: Sesame Street today is brought to u by the letters N, J and C as well as the numbers 2,0 & 3..figure it out..

To th Immature all things are Immature

Dec 2004..it was supposed to be high monsoon season..but it was burning..n humid..n the mozzies were out as normal..n my section under PT Lim n mi were with the other pioneers getting ready to do a little demolitions exercise..i can't tell where or wat types of explosives were being used or else i'd be arrested for breaching the Official Secrets Act but i can say it was a life-changing experience...i sobered up pretty fast to the ever present realities of wat it is we were training for in NS..i mean, the process started why i first set foot on Pulau Tekong on Day 1 of BMT...n SISPEC was like getting exposed to real command stuff..but that day in Dec 2004 was when most of it came together..

i miss Damien's sometimes annoying tone but he was always very realistic n practical...they were all very very mature..n many of the pple i've encountered at uni are not....there is an old saying..to the childish all things are childish...n to the immature, all things are immature..such ppl only view the world thru a narrow minded n small vision..i really really miss that kind of clear, practical, wats next kind of thinkin from the army sometimes...no nonsense, direct, rough n tumble..dun like it ya can blah blah blah blah..n after the job, we'd have a smoke aroun the yellow box..n though those were dark days for my faith, they did refine my character

i'm missin Singaporeans..esp those from a combat background..sometimes, in life, a little clear headed no nonsense is good..even at uni...n especially college..man..i think i need to hang out with some Singaporeans here more...rite Johnnie?;)

den again, it might be better if i found pple that i'm on the same level with...or aroun this age...all due respect to my younger peers n frens...but i do need some frens my age sometimes..i dun feel the need to stick closely to a certain group of frens or hav to form a clique...i will be equally frenli to all but i dun think i need to purposely be close to pple..i think i need to translate that reality into concrete terms in getting a car...haha

Change or Why a Christian should Always be Apolitical

• As Joshua built on the work of Moses, leaders of today – the ‘Joshua Generation’ – must build of the foundation of previous generations to move our nation forward.

“The final thing that I think the Moses generation teaches us is to remind ourselves that we do what we do because God is with us. You know, when Moses was first called to lead people out of the Promised Land…the Lord said I will be with you. Throw down that rod. Pick it back up. I'll show you what to do. The same thing happened with the Joshua generation.
Joshua said, you know, I'm scared. I'm not sure that I am up to the challenge. The Lord said to him, every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given you. Be strong and have courage, for I am with you wherever you go. Be strong and have courage. It's a prayer for a journey. A prayer that kept a woman in her seat when the bus driver told her to get up, a prayer that led nine children through the doors of that Little Rock school, a prayer that carried our brothers and sisters over a bridge right here in Selma, Alabama. Be strong and have courage.”
-Barack Obama's Address to Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, Selma, Alabama, on the Anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

I support Barack Obama as a Southeast Asian because i think he would bring a fresh outlook to government of the world's only superpower..which is wat is needed so desperately and is wat the world, which includes Southeast Asia, definitely wants right now..moderation would be advanced as well as clear-headedness..i think his competitors look tired and worn out, especially Senator John McCain..he would remove a great deal of that evangelical involvement in American politics which gives Jesus Christ such a bad name..more on that in a minute..and he might ensure that the United States is less flippant about foreign military intervention..

However, as a Christian with a Christian conscience, i find that i cannot agree with his attitude towards faith ..while pluralism is a reality of our increasingly pluralistic world, it is against the nature of my Christian faith to compromise and accept, as a given, plurality in any, and every, situation..i would have to tearfully say that Christianity is different from the other religions even as i would continue to fight for tolerance of these same religions in the world..it goes against the grain of everything i have always held fast to, liberte, equalite, fraternite..i always have and always will, support the French Revolution and everything it stood for...Monarchy is evil and Republicanism is the only way of government until Jesus returns..Terror is tyranny without Virtue and Virtue is powerless without Terror..Liberty must be bedded on a mattress of corpses..the tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants..Now is the time when the sun-shine patriot and the turncoat republican will be revealed...yet i cannot turn against my faith..the Christian is different from the world..Christianity is different from 'other religions'...Christianity allows me to tolerate other religions even as i disagree with them..but Christianity is not equal to other religions...neither are all religions one homogenous soup...

As such, i think that Barack Obama has unwittingly, misquoted scripture in applying Joshua to the fight for freedom...it is about God's Providence yes, but it is not an iron-clad guarantee that God approves of what American or Obama is doing..we run the danger of putting words into God's mouth that He never says..the idea that America is the same as God's Promised Land for Israel in the Old Testament is a very bad, and mistaken, assumption..

i think that Christians should not try to 'force-fit' scripture to justify their own ideas and actions...Respect the Bible and please lets not use it as a political tool...which brings me t the crux of wat i want to say...politics is a dirty, very wicked game that manipulates and twists and turns cruelly for a person's own benefit...wat part can a Christian have with this? oh, of course a Christian should be involved and concerned about our world and our nations...oh, it is even possible for a Christian to be a politician..but lets not think for a minute that a Christian politician is any better than a non-Christian politician..the weight of history, from Constantine's Rome, to Calvin's Geneva, to Cromwell's England..and now (supposedly) evangelical and born again George Bush Jr..seems to be on my side...

Viva La Vida! My old Anarchist SPirit Stirs

Hasta La Revolucion Le Siempre!
A Better World Awaits

Death and all His friends

am currently listening to Coldplay's latest album, Viva La Vida Or Death and All His Friends..significant change in style from where they used to be..much edgier, raw-er and darker...still melodic and with all those complex harmonies..but they've definitely matured in a direction i admire and enjoy even more..

i dun really like dis..Wintercon starts tm and i've got some responsibilities yet i'm feeling dark and angry again..not a good sign at all..

watchin the Watoto Children's Choir in action today really was an enriching and rewarding experience..and a gd talk with my fren(u noe who u are) was a pleasant surprise.. reminded mi once again that pentecostal christians do hav a heart and soul..as well as a social conscience..mayb my Disillusionment wif that movement is heal-able after all..i still dun like said movement's false optimism and denial of reality though..

as for Singapore, Grandma still isn't very well but she's really old and has had a good life..wat more can one ask? i onli pray that she does noe the Lord and that when she goes, she'll go in peace without a great deal of pain..n i really miss having good conversations with Kumu..we really need to talk about the last 6 months man..you'll always be my good confidante and bro whom i relate to best..and i wish Kian, Richard and myself had more time together..man, wif u guys beside mi, goin to war would be much more reassuring..haha..i mean that, really..n it does disappoint mi to noe that everytime i head home, i find out how much of everyone's lives i'm missing..

Wintercon is today n i'm lookin fwd to it..even if i've got to take care of some kids who r first-timers..(these noe who they are)..hahahaha..cajoling infants is really not my strongest point..;) mayb i shd try caning instead........

the Grace of God abounds to the chief of sinners...that drives mi on and allows mi to take watever comes my way this sem..not because i'm worthy and deserving, but because i'm evil n sinful yet inspite of this God showed me His unmerited grace and favour..and God's grace lights fires in men that are not easily extinguished...

Holidays

How do i relax and spend a little time regaining my sanity after a long and crazy semester? by travellin for 5 days to Cairns..and doing a little scuba diving, snorkelling and other fun stuff here..like exploring Australian ecotourism...so tranquil and relaxing and refreshin...

at least i get to reconnect wif God, nature and a part of myself i've not seen in a while...getting back on Wed...and hav Wintercon stuff to prepare after dat..gonna be a long haul again...well at least i dun feel like such a loser and all alone in the world and unloved and depressed...at least i noe that there are places where i can hav some peace in the world and pple won't bug mi...and i feel good...and u noe...i regain some self-confidence..dun hav to always feel left out and an outsider when i'm by myself in a peaceful, serene place..at least i dun feel like the whole world hates mi and dislikes mi when i'm on holiday..in Cairns..

Still No. 1

Still no.1 in terms of humour and sheer stupid lyrics plus a darn catchy tune that juz won't go away...give it up for Dragostea Din Tei Numa Numa *applause*

Recommended Reading for the Week

Was gonna recommend John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion but decided against freaking out my Charismatic and Pentecostal peers who might fear i've gone over to the "dark side" ...dun fear...i've seen the light and have come back to haunt all of you..hahahaha...ask wat changed and i'll tell ya...Romans dragged me kicking, screaming and crying out of a complacent belief in free will into the light of the Sovereignty of God...and now, i know what i believe in..be prepared...its gonna be a cool ride..

Some Music Videos

Sometimes its just too late to apologize...friendships breakdown and human beings hurt each other..sometimes the damage is irreparable...forgiveness is a process but damage thats done remains done...this is for a friend and Christian bro whose galfren cheated on him and broke up with him when he found out..but God is still sovereign my bro..and John Calvin and scripture would back mi up on dat..Real Christians are marked by suffering...

Acerbic is how i like it

This is for the list of idiots who think i know nuts about music..maybe i dun...but i dun really care wat u think either...haha..how bout some Acid Jazz? Edgy..

Art Theory

since i am an architecture student who's concerned about art and such stuff, i think i should spend some time talking about art and art theory here on my blog..i should talk about wat influences mi as an architect and artist...

the works of Richard Serra including his large sculptural works that are one half art and one half building move me to think about challenging the system and also to appreciate mass and its interractions with space. I begin to conceive of planes of materiality that intersect each other and blur the boundary between wat is inside and outside a building/art form...

and also, some paintings like that of Jacques Louis David and his Oath of the Horatii (1784) cause me to ponder the moral implications of art and art discourse..the idea of loyalty to higher ideals than regional or family ties is simply stirring..when i look at Oath of the Horatii i think of my higher loyalties to God and His kingdom which transcends my own petty human concerns and human failings...it says, i may be a failed and flawed human being, but some things i make my stand on...some things cause mi to draw a line and say, watever else i maybe, in this i will be defined...

the story of Oath of the Horatii is a long and complicated one and the story of its creation even more so...i'll spend some time dwelling on both..

The story is told by Livy that in the annals of the founding myths of Rome there were 2 rival cities on opposing hills..one was Alba Longa, descended from the loins of lonely Aeneas, who survived the fall of Troy and established the city of Alba Longa on the Alban hills..the other was Rome herself, a young, rising city-state that had been founded a few hundred years before by the twins Remus and Romulus on the Roman hills..now these 2 cities were originally peaceful towards each other..until the growth of Rome threatened Alba Longa..not wanting a long, violent and bloodthirsty war, both cities made an unusual decision..to settle scores by a combat to the death of 3 warriors each..3 for the Romans and 3 for the Albans..now in the city of Rome, no 1 could beat the prowess and strength of the Horatii triplets... and on the Alban side, by some quirk of the 'gods'..no one could overmatch the Curatii triplets..so both sets of triplets were chosen to represent their respective cities..

however, things were complicated by the fact that one of the sisters of the Horatii was engaged to one of the Curatii triplets...and one of the Curatii sisters was married to one of the Horatii triplets and had a son by him...so strong ties of family kinship bound both families on opposing sides...the painting is of the scene where the father of the Horatii holds up the swords of the triplets and they swear allegiance to Rome over their familial ties..they will not rest until either they kill the Curatii and secure Rome's future or the Curatii kill them and destroy Rome..for which there would be no cause to go on living anyway...in the background, one sees the Curatii wife and her fellow sisters-in-law weeping and trying to cover the face of their half Horatii, half Curatii son, who refuses to shy away from the awful destiny that is before him..that his father will kill his uncles..this piece is painted in the neo-classical style and presents the minimal background compared to the prominent foreground in order to show display the importance of the unfolding scene..the chiarascuro (light and shadow) effects are superbly executed, the perspective is shallow but perfectly rendered and there is no hint of brushwork, signifying the lesser importance of the artist in comparison with the image..

in its time, Louis XVI loved it..it gave legitimacy to the French state that was on the eve of the French Revolution (painted in 1784) and recalled imperial glories and harked back to the legacy of Rome..it was commissioned expressly to fulfill a didactic moral role which was to teach the French people to place loyalty to France above their own personal disagreements with the monarchy and their regional loyalties..apparently, the Jacobin revolutionaries loved it as well..since it reinforced the notion of Republican France, even though it was commissioned originally to serve the interests of a monarchical France..the idea of the transcending value of art and its ideals is brought up...context changes, but good art should always ring true with a timeless message..

Dis-Pair

What is man?

Semester Rant

ok this has been a pretty dead space since February when i came over...n God knows its been a long and trying semester where once again my architectural ability is called into question severely.

sometimes i wish that i had more talent and skill in architecture and with draughting.. i hav that burning passion to draw well and design well and on bad days (and God alone knows how many there've been recently) its only the promise i made that i'd someday use these skills for good in God's service designing and building churches and schools that keeps me going and copping watever flak from my lecturers and tutors on the chin..

as i look back dis semester i can't thank God enough for His Grace and mercy...in everything from getting time extensions to assignments to handling certain romantic issues which have proved to be a quagmire that God kept me from blundering into..

Dad was talking to me yesterday night about the direction Charis Full Gospel Church should go in the next couple of years..its been great knowing that John Stott's book , The Living Church has been having such impact amongst the ministers of my home church.. As an independent pentecostal church we truly do have the opportunity to be different and to ReallY preach the Full Gospel according to the Bible..imagine a Bible based church that teaches God's Word fully and fearfully and that equips members with great tools in reading the Bible and doing ministry... Calvinist Reformed and also fully charismatic and tongue speaking. Truly counter-cultural and truly marked by suffering for Christ. The rebellion that started when we pulled out of AG Singapore will be complete. That fundamental questioning of our foundations which began all those years ago will have been answered by God. We will take God and His Word over the shallow theology of a generation of prosperity gospel preaching. Amputation of the diseased limbs has produced a healthier whole.

on another note, it gets damn lonely here man..wish i could spend time with ahemm..Kian and Richard noe who i'm referring to..not a day goes by without mi thinkin about her and praying over her..Y do i as a Christian noe nothing but sufferings and never the joy of having some1 who cares and understands mi? someone once told mi that we all pay a price for that which we desire most..is the price of desiring God a lifetime of pain and loneliness? is the price of becoming an architect (even a Christian one) the cost of sacrificing the best years of my youth and energy? like Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice,"a pound of flesh for your soul"? a price to pay there is, the dark thoughts drone and descend once more..

Showing Care and Concern

my fren was tellin mi of some issues that some members of her family are facin today...n i realised some very important things..

pple r given to us to care for n show concern for...so dat we may grow in such areas...to b fully human n fully Christian..of course, modern society would say no...everythin is economics n dialectical materialism or hedonism..but Christians should b more considerate n concerned n charitable...

we're different after all...so, its wif some disdain n disgust dat i recount the followin story...u see, my church worships in a commercial building...so we rented a floor n use it for services...n there are 2 other churches worshippin in different floors above us..so its realli a very Singaporean thing to have 3 churches worshippin in the same high rise buildin and havin mail sent to the same address..

the issue is dis..the members of each church r not very kind or generous or Christlike to each other...so, we fight over space in the elevator down after our services (unfortuanately, by some strange quirk of God's will...mayb predestination, our services have similar timings)...we fight over carparking space n we mutter curses n unfrenli stuff under our breath..i'm disgusted wif them n myself for such wanton behaviour...

we need to repent coz our actions n behaviour is anything but Christlike...n we are a slur on the name of Jesus Christ n a shame to Him...i recall the famous verse in Isaiah regardin Israel, "Because of you, my name is profaned amongst the nations"...we suck...period..

so there, we all need to grow in Christian care n concern for each other n in charity, longsuffering, grace, care, concern, love and kindness..i'm sorry for my actions n short temper..

Top 10 countdown

Who's really the king of the Universe? Not dis man thankfulli

while searchin for videos that highlight how human beings who try to run their own lives without God or with themselves as king in God's place inevitably screw up...i found the greatest example of a screw up tryin to run the world's most powerful country(n i'm not too sure about God being honoured as the rightful king inspite of all that rhetoric)..Thank God the universe does not come down to dis bloke's rule...

am i missing Australia?

i hav no ans to dat qn i juz posed in the title..i think i do...but i'm dreadin the whole semester startin again n havin to face some of the most dour lookin n poor attitude givin lecturers n tutors aroun...they couldnt even motivate or inspire a koala...wat more a student?

i do look forward to unichurch n Focus n solid bible study again..i dun find much of dat here in sg...honestly...had a talk wif a fren recently whos back from australia as well n who was part of FOCUS there...but not from newcastle...she agrees generalli...churches in sg talk bout lots of stuff but are not sharp n clear about stuff like full time christian ministry n work n life priorities...n even wat ur salvation means in practice on a day to day basis..

n i wanna juz submerge myself in ministry n my studies n juz not think bout the whole gal n relationship issue...y is it so difficult for a guy to hav his feelins reciprocated i wonder? ok nuff philosophical musings..

been tryin to keep track of unichurch sermons via podcast(or rather, Hunter Bible Church)...its been helpful...thank God for good use of modern technology..i would like to make better use of stuff like you-tube videos n Audio-Visual media for emceein in church n in teachin kids church...how can i do so? hmmmm...shall use my blog as a testin ground for such media...

inertia and determination

am filled with a great deal of inertia now in gettin things done...be it my bible study on the book of James that i'm supposed to e-mail to Paul n Lake...or in gettin my research done on housing patterns in Singapore which i promised i would do as part of my so-called personal summer research..

the onli bright spots would b the weekli kids church ministry that Charis church is doin at the local Boon Keng area and of which i'm a teacher...for better or worse..so, actualli puttin in2 practice the skills i've learned at NTE in sharing the gospel with children and presenting God's Word in a fun and excitin manner has been very rewardin and challengin...the stuff we learn at NTE is really like swimmin in a pool...but real ministry is like swimmin in the open sea with all the inherent dangers...but i kinda like the thrill and excitement involved..

lets talk about some of the kids who have been comin to kids church...C, the 9 year old whose father walked out on the family when she was born(n she's never met him)...beautiful and sweet and smart...n W, the 11 year old gal whose mum walked out on their family 3 years ago..very interested but reserved...D n J, the sisters who live nearby and come to our kids church even though they actualli go to another church on Sundays, Pt, the kid whose birth parents sold to his aunt because of financial difficulties...in the gifted programme of his primary school (for students with genius level intelligence)...who said when we first did 2 Ways To Live that he wanted to choose to live with Jesus as his king rather than anyone else..n others like the half thai siblings P&P n the 2 gals we've been tryin to disciple who were saved a while back but whose father is a chinese temple medium(predestination at work)

i realli dun noe wat to teach the kids under my charge after we finish 2 ways to live...which is in 2 weeks...been prayin about it n I do feel that these children need to noe wat the True love of God the Father is realli like...so i believe thats the direction that we'll be goin..

n i dunno wat to do bout another issue: there are some pple in life u wish u'd met earlier...there are some pple whom one could say i'd b happy to just b wif this person for one day n heck about the rest...n when it seems that this person shares many things in common with u...or at least, lots of common discussion topics...n the most important is ur faith...one realli begins to think that mayb i'm gonna get thru life after all...its not all bleak n dark...but it just seems too good to be true n u're alwaez waitin for the other side of the story to come crashin in...thats the dark/bad side...

at the decisive point where one can really say, i don't know wat i'm doin or wat to do...except pray n ask God to be Lord of this situation...its also the most scary....

I sue ya...Crazy Americans..

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..