An Extraordinary Life

Naked God

2011-10-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

Naked God.

To be honest, I was a little alarmed when I first came across the title of Martin Ayers' book. The bold combination of the words "naked" and "God" - surely Martin had good reasons to put them together?

Indeed he has, as he exposes to the reader the truth about God by stripping away false ideas, hence the concept of "nakedness". Divided into 3 parts (Naked Truth, Naked Jesus, Naked You), Martin cleverly navigates the reader to first evaluate and correct the common misconceptions surrounding the origin of life, true freedom, knowledge and morality. By examining propositions put forth by atheists and naturalists, the reader is made to uncover for themselves the existence of God.

The reader is then ushered into the next section to investigate who this God is by taking a closer look at the man Jesus who claims to be the Son of God. The Bible is well-quoted to demonstrate Jesus' true self to the reader. This section also answers with 3 common objections that the reader may have in accepting the implications that Jesus is the Christ He claims to be: Isn't His teaching socially regressive? Don't His followers have a disgraceful track record? Won't He take away my freedom?

In the final section, the reader is prompted to make a choice as Martin takes an evangelistic approach to explain faith and repentance. The assurance of the future for a Christian is also emphasized as the commonly misconstrued concept of heaven and hell is demystified. A prayer is also included for the reader who chooses to live a new life in Christ.

Packed with real evidence, illustrations and metaphors, Martin uses simple language to help the reader relate to his writings and understand the truth about God. An easy yet challenging read, Naked God is particularly helpful for the non-Christian investigating God but also lends a hand to the believer in further strengthening his/her faith.

Looking forward to laying your hands on a copy of Naked God? Order one today (or order more to give away to your friends!) from Matthias Media at http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au/naked-god where you can also sample the first chapter for free.

Genesis 1 ~ The Evolution Confusion

2011-05-22T02:45:00.000-07:00

The age old question on the origin of the universe can sometimes be misconstrued to be a conflict between "modern science" and "outdated Genesis". While the book of Genesis is to be read literally, it should not always be read in a literalistic fashion as it utilizes metaphors as well.

God was right there in the beginning (verse 1) and He made this world from chaos to order. The earth was without form and void (verse 2) and lacked structure. It was empty save for darkness. Yet the Spirit of God (verse 2) was there - where you have the breath of God, the word of God is present as well and so God spoke from verse 3 onwards.

Certain phrases are frequently repeated in the first chapter of this first book in the Old Testament, such as "And God said" (10 times), "Let there be" (8 times), "and there was" or "and it was" (7 times), "And God made" (7 times), "God called" (5 times), "God saw that it was good" after each of the creation day as well as "And there was evening, and there was morning, the _____ day" (after each of the 6 days). Such repetitions show a very structured or orderly account of creation itself.

The pattern of creation is of complementary form and filling: day and night (day 1) and sun and moon (day 4), expanse separating waters (day 2) and birds and sea creatures (day 5), and vegetation (day 3) and beasts and man (day 6). A word can be very powerful if it brings things into existence and such is the power of God's Word and His sovereign design, which is all summed up in verse 31 where God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. This is a personal, purposeful God who made everything, fulfilling His plan. Passages like John 1:1-3, John 1:14, Colossians 1:16-17, and Hebrews 1:1-3 demonstrate that God is personally involved with creation throughout all of time. Jesus is the one who sustains the world and He is in sovereign control of all.

The evolution confusion is that science is in conflict with Genesis. The reality, however, is that evolution does not necessarily contradict Genesis. These are two different fields of studies or disciplines in that science provides the mechanistic explanation while Genesis asks the "bigger questions" of "who made it", "what is it made for", and "where are we going". In fact, it is Genesis 1 that gave rise to modern science for the only way you can do science is if you appreciate orderliness (exemplified in Genesis 1 that proposes the clockwork model). The real conflict lies where people argue for accidental evolution (e.g. the Big Bang theory that hypothesizes that creation happened by accident, purely all out of chance) whereas Genesis has explicitly made it clear that creation is of purposeful design.

How did you get here? Are you a purposeful creation of God or a product of atoms that randomly gathered and interacted by chance and accident?

John 6 ~ Jesus or Who Else?

2011-05-12T03:28:00.000-07:00

Our world today perceives religion in many distorted ways including religious relativism and pluralism. According to religious relativism, truths are relative, depending on different individuals. As for religious pluralism, it proposes that all different religions lead to God anyway.

In John 6, miracles were performed by Jesus that people may believe as they were reminded of events in the Old Testament. For instance, the feeding of the five thousand was a reminder of God’s provision of manna while Jesus walking on water could draw its parallel to the setting apart of the Red Sea. Verses 26-27 implied that the crowds were seeking the wrong kind of food. Jesus showed that He can provide food for a day (i.e. food that spoils) but He can also sustain them with food that does not spoil.

The question on our lips will then be, “What do I need to do to gain eternal life?” Sometimes we make the mistake of telling God, “Well, God, I’ll tell you what I’ll do that will make You happy.” Our self-centredness makes us tell God what He should accept as we set the bar that is high enough for us to jump over. Verse 29 tells us instead that God wants us to believe in the Son that He has sent to die for us. The subsequent verses 30-31 described how the crowd wanted to see a sign as they made the mistake of comparing Jesus with Moses. They should instead compare Him with the bread of life (verse 32).

Jesus is the bread of life that has come down from heaven (verses 33, 38, 46, and 51). John 6 also records seven occurrences of the phrase “I am”, a metaphor of the identity of Jesus and what He has been sent to do. And the purpose He was sent was to give life (verses 40, 44, 47, and 51). Jesus Christ gives eternal life by raising the dead. He offers us the resurrection of life.

What follows next in this passage can be perceived as an offensive imagery, especially to the Jews. Verses 53-54 paint the confronting idea of cannibalism and drinking of blood, which are forbidden in the Old Testament. But if one carefully reads the passage, verse 40 should hint that this imagery is a metaphor for believing in Jesus, as the idea of “eating” and “drinking” can mean to fully take something on board (e.g. “an opinion that is hard to swallow”, “thirst for knowledge”).

Christians also need to beware that John 6 is not describing the Lord’s Supper as it has not yet been instituted till a later time in this chronology of events. Also, thinking this way may potentially pose the dangerous idea that the way to gain eternal life is by partaking in the Lord’s Supper. John 6 is not about the Lord’s Supper but the Lord Supper is to remind us about John 6 that we may come and believe.

Our Saviour may appear offensive and it is easy to see how followers may be lost, as exemplified in verse 66 where many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him. It is tempting for us to lose the bits that are hard to accept and lower the bar to lure people into Christianity. But as verses 67-69 pointed out, where else have we to go if Jesus has the words of eternal life? The offensive thing to people today is that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life (i.e. exclusivity of Jesus) and not any other religion or guru.

Will we love people enough to tell them the hard truth, to say that this is the truth and everything else is a lie?

Ephesians 2:1-10 ~ The Meaning of Life

2011-05-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

The starting point of Ecclesiastes says that all is vanity yet towards the end, we find there is meaning in life for God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14). We know there is judgment because when Jesus died, He didn't remain dead but rose to life - it doesn't all stop at just death. Acts 17:30-31 reminds us that when Jesus rose from the dead, we don't just know that judgment has begun but also that He is the one appointed to judge. Daniel 12:1-3 points out that while the Book of Life exists, not everyone's name will be listed. Some will be judged and raised to life, to everlasting life. The question that should then be asked is what Jesus will think of us. This is all the more so when John 5:21-22 and John 5:26-27 tell us that God the Father has given the Son the authority to decide who gets to enter heaven and who goes to hell.

In line with this, we need to correct our view of sin, heaven and works and this is where the first half of Ephesians 2 comes into the picture. The first 3 verses reveal our identity as being dead, followers of Satan, and children of wrath. It is not whether we sin more or less or how much good we do, it is a matter of who we belong to. If we belong to Jesus, we're on the winning team. The "good" that some may do are not for Jesus, so it is not a matter of how good a player we are but whose team we're playing for. When we belong to Jesus' team, no matter how poorly we play, we're still on Jesus' side. Even if we cannot score or perform up to expectations, we're still on victory's side because Jesus scores and wins. Jesus has victory even over death itself. The questions to then ask ourselves are: Are we followers of Jesus? Which team are we playing for? Are we making decisions that will make our team captain happy?

Verses 4-7 seek to correct our view on heaven. Some people may not want to follow Jesus just yet. They may even see Christianity as an insurance policy for the unforeseeable future where they'll cash in when they start to think they need it. Often, our view of heaven is shaped by our greed and sinful desires. Romans 1:24-32 tells us that it is a judgment from God to allow us to indulge in lusts. Hell is here now and it happens when God gives people over to their sins. We need God's mercy now as a salvation from our slavery to sin, which is hell. The correct view of heaven is to be free from our slavery to sin and to see that the best way to live now is by following Jesus. In heaven, we approach God now as Father for we are fellow heirs with Christ. I Corinthians 15:55-57 assures us that there is certain victory through our Lord Jesus Christ that even death cannot snatch away from ourselves. Our struggle with sin as Christians is an indication that we're alive. We can look forward to a final day judgment that we need not fear but will have life fully instead.

Last but not least, we also need to correct our view of works. Verses 8-10 serve to remind us that salvation has nothing to do with the tally of our good works but it is the gift of God. It is God's grace that saves so we should never boast. Heaven is God's Kingdom, not ours - Jesus is at the centre and at the top of it all. We should avoid reverting back to being slaves of sin when we have been saved from sin. It is instead good to be slaves of God (Romans 6:20-23) because our heavenly Master actually cares for us. It is this Master who has qualified us to be co-heirs with Christ who redeems us from sin (Colossians 1:11-14). God raises Jesus back to life so that we can have a life that worships Him (Philippians 2:8-11). Matthew 7:21 advises us that it is the one who does God's will who will enter heaven. Indeed, passages like Titus 2:11-14 provide us with great encouragement to leave hell and be in heaven now as we renounce ungodliness and worldly passions.

Do you find your meaning of life in Christ?

M.O.N.E.Y. (May Our New-life Exalt Yahweh)

2011-04-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Imagine this: the only grandson of a wealthy tycoon decides to devote himself to full-time Christian ministry and so, forsakes an inheritance of financial riches and luxuries as his family disowns him. How would you respond to this piece of news? Would you think this man crazy or stupid for making such a decision?

Thus began the first main talk delivered by Pastor Joshua (who would rather be addressed more casually as simply Josh) in this year’s FOCUS Easter Conference (i.e. church camp). Talk 1 on “Rich Dad… Rich Kids” served to remind us that whatever family background we may come from, we were first willing children of Satan. The devil is our father from the start and his lies lead us to the ultimate murder: an eternity in hell. God, however, provides us a solution out of this situation. By the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross, we are saved by grace through faith and are so adopted to become sons of God and heirs with Christ. God is now then our heavenly Father who promises us a future inheritance, which is eternal life itself, and He guarantees and seals this promise with the Holy Spirit. Such blessings illustrate the immeasurable riches of our “rich dad” in heaven. God never forsakes us and as He disciplines us, He is gracious towards us without spoiling us. We are then to learn contentment and free ourselves from the love of money as God has already blessed us with an inheritance that far surpasses that of temporary material wealth.

Talk 2 on “Greedidolatry” warns us against idolatry, which is spiritual adultery. Baal tempts us to worship materialism as we pursue material happiness and try to keep up with the Joneses, fooling ourselves into thinking that we are in control of our own future. As Christians, the lies of Baal become more attractive as he seeks to deceive us by dressing up in YHWH’s clothing. Examples of this include the false teachings of “God’s blessing” by those who preach the prosperity gospel, the illusion of God “calling” someone to a particular profession thus propagating the paganistic idea of career, and the half-truth command to “honour parents” by striving to achieve financial success in order to please them. We are to remember that all these are Baal’s lies and he never delivers, unlike God who always keeps His Word.

Talk 3 on “$tipend, $pending, $haring & $aving” teaches us the attitudes to adopt as God’s stewards in balancing out the different ways we use God’s money that He has entrusted us with. Financial income is a monetary reward for our diligent work but we need to be wary of how much we seek to earn, which may result in us dishonouring God’s name when we resort to sins like theft if we earn too little, or which may cause us to puff up with arrogance and confidence in our own self-efforts if we earn more than needed. As we pray “give us today our daily bread”, so then are we to seek to earn just sufficiently to live on. Our spending would first need to focus on our responsibilities. For some, this includes caring for children and using money wisely in furthering their education, especially their Christian education as the Bible teaches us that parents need to train and raise their children up to be godly. On the other hand, repaying our parents would involve us looking out for their needs but not helping them keep or increase their current standard of living. Since we have also received spiritual food, we are then to give material food in return by giving to the church. This should be seen as part of our responsibility and not merely an act of generosity. Spending money on luxuries is neither sinful nor wrong but God’s Word does warn us of the potential consequences of over-indulgence in riches and pleasures, which can choke us out. The value of generosity is emphasized in the virtue of sharing, with the priority for those who are Christians as they are part of our spiritual family. Saving for a rainy day is wise but how does one balance this with being rich towards God? We are called to use money now well so as to gain friends who will welcome us into eternal dwellings. This is in context of gospel ministry, in terms of helping others become and grow as Christians that they will be people in heaven who has benefited from this way that we have used money.

Talk 4 on “Desiring the Good Life” tells us that there are things in life that are far better than wealth, such as faithful and genuine relationships with other people as well as fearing the Lord. A life of true repentance is a life to be envied. It is indeed a blessing to be part of God’s Kingdom, submitting ourselves to God the Maker and having Him as the King who tells us what to do and who rules over our lives. Judgment Day itself gives us the right understanding of what to live for in this present age. As missionary Jim Elliot put it, “he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose”. Following the sound doctrine that the Bible presents to us will help us realize that the world is real but not all there is, and that there is heaven and hell that gives us meaning in life. Our desire should be shaped to first seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. As people for His own possession, we should strive for attachment to God’s wisdom that leads us to the zeal and jealousy to do good works. We are to pursue the shadow of greed for the Kingdom of the one who is our real rich Father, God.

On a more personal note, the long weekend away at camp was indeed a priceless experience to understand what the Bible has to say about money and wealth. Through the four talks, I am challenged by the fact that it is not my money but God’s money that I am using and so, I am called to use it wisely, all for the glory of God. The reminder that there lies an ultimate inheritance of eternal life in the future rings a bell for me to give thanks for God’s providence and to learn contentment with what He blesses me with in this present age. Being assured that God is faithful in His promises, trusting in His goodness subsequently extends to a response to share the goodness found in the gospel of Christ with others as well as to mutually encourage others belonging to this spiritual family to strive after the Kingdom of God, knowing that this is what gives meaning to life.

Luke 5:12 - 6:11 ~ The Maverick Messiah

2011-04-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

What makes a person maverick? He is unorthodox and unconventional, demonstrating independence in his thought and behaviour.

Jesus Christ Himself is a maverick. Instead of saying, "Be healed", He chose to say, "Be clean" in cleansing the leper in Luke 5:12-16. This shows that there is more to the event than just plain healing of a sickness. Cleansing is important in this context as one cannot approach God if he is unclean. Even more maverick was the touching of the leper when the Old Testament laws stated that such an act will cause one to be unclean. But Jesus, being the Son of God, cannot be made unclean - instead, He is able to cleanse others. His command to the cleansed leper to tell no one (Luke 5:14) indicates that He came primarily to preach, not heal.

Jesus' healing of the paralytic in Luke 5:17-26 once again displayed His maverick side as witnesses glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen extraordinary things today." (Luke 5:26). The maverick line of "Man, your sins are forgiven you." (Luke 5:20) shows that Jesus has come to deal with the problem of sin. This is in line with His further claim that He has not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). In the incident where He was questioned about fasting (Luke 5:33-39), Jesus' reply implied Himself to be the bridegroom of the people (i.e. God) in the Messianic banquet foreshadowed in Isaiah 25:6. In a further occasion, Jesus identified Himself to be the Lord of the Sabbath, drawing parallels with King David, when accused of allowing His disciples to pluck grains on a Sabbath (Luke 6:1-5). On another Sabbath when Jesus healed a man with a withered hand (Luke 6:6-11), it is interesting to note the turn of events as the scribes and Pharisees plotted to do harm to Jesus on the day (Sabbath) that they were meant to save and do good.

In summary, the 'outside-the-box' Jesus is a preacher, the Messiah, the ultimate bridegroom, and the Son of Man. He has come to deal with the root of the problem i.e. sin itself. More astounding is the fact that He has come for us who are sick and sinful. His death on the cross, as hinted in Luke 5:35 and Luke 6:11, is indeed a maverick way of rescuing us. Our faith in Christ is then a call to repentance in leaving everything and following Jesus, allowing Him to run our lives instead of our vain self-centred attempt. Indeed, the maverick things we do in following Jesus is simply because we are following a maverick Messiah.

Will you be maverick for His glory's sake?

Luke 4:14 - 5:11 ~ Jesus: The Liberator

2011-04-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

When Jesus professed that "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21), He claimed to be the one sent to proclaim liberty to the captives (Luke 4:18). This then begs the question: what kind of liberator is Jesus?

Jesus brought with Him a complete power revolution. The power of the Spirit was involved as Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14) and it was also reflected in how the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus (Luke 4:18). There was also people power as demonstrated by how people were gathered to follow Him with much love and respect (Luke 4:14-15, 20-22, 37, 40-43). Jesus, however, faced home rejection as He recognized that no prophet is acceptable in his hometown (Luke 4:24). The Old Testament examples of Elijah and Elisha were also quoted, further irking the Jews to the extent of trying to kill Jesus albeit a failed attempt (Luke 4:29-30).

The power revolution continues with Jesus having power over demons (Luke 4:35-36) who acknowledged Him as the Son of God (Luke 4:41). He too had power over sickness as He healed many including Simon's mother-in-law, where interestingly, He rebuked the fever (Luke 4:38-39). His healing boasted a 100% success rate as every one of them on whom He laid His hands were healed (Luke 4:40).

Despite all these various powers, the kind of liberator Jesus is was revealed in Luke 4:43 where Jesus explained that His mission and purpose was to be a preacher of the good news of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43). The fishing miracle He performed in Luke 5 was but a foreshadow of how He exhorted His disciples to be fishers of men (Luke 5:10).

Jesus has come not to bring about a political regime change. Neither was He delivering people out of poverty and hunger. Instead, He confronted the devil himself. In His power to liberate those falling victims to captivity under demons / devil, Babylon or Rome (with ensuing poverty and oppression), and sickness / disease, Jesus echoed the sentiments of Isaiah 59 that ultimately, He is delivering people out of captivity under sin itself.

We live in a world riddled with the problem of sin but we have a powerful liberator in the perfect man, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He has died on the cross that we may be freed from the bondage of sin and have life anew in Him. May the mind of Christ transform the way we think, speak, act and live that we may give God all the honour and glory He truly deserves.

Will you be a fisher of men, calling them to join God's family in His Kingdom?

Luke 4:1-13 ~ The First Temptation of Christ

2011-04-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Temptation seeks to lead one astray from the framework of life. Since God sets the right framework of life itself, temptation has the potential of leading one to sin. That said, temptation itself is not sin for Jesus Himself was tempted but still remained sinless and perfect. And it is here in the first half of Luke 4 that we see the first temptation of Christ right at the start of His ministry.

Essentially, the nature of the temptations can be summarized as: (i) fending for yourself for your physical needs (verses 3-4), (ii) gaining own kingdom through false worship (verses 5-8), and (iii) testing God's protection (verses 9-11). From verse 2, we can see that it is the devil who tempts. What makes it tempting is that his lies are half-truths. Temptation (i) contains the half-truth that it is not wrong to meet our own physical needs but the lie is that it is the be all and end all, and that there is no need to rely on God. Temptation (ii) tells the half-truth that the devil is the prince of the world but the lie that he has the sole authority to give the world to whoever he wants. Temptation (iii) quotes lots of Scriptures but lies in the misuse of the Scriptures, presuming miraculous protection based on our own terms.

It should not surprise then that Jesus would counter the temptations put forth to Him by using Scripture as well. He quoted Deuteronomy 8:2-3 that the Word of God is the word of promise and that we are to trust God's promised word in response to temptation (i). Temptation (ii) was countered using Deuteronomy 6:10-14 in which we are reminded that God is the one who gives us His Kingdom and it is Him and Him alone whom we should worship and serve. As for temptation (iii), Deuteronomy 6:14-16 was quoted to remind us of a past example to not test God where the Israelites questioned if God was really with them despite Him just only providing them with manna. It is thus important for us to know the Scriptures in our hearts so that when temptation arrives, we can rely on God's framework for our life.

The devil has tempted Jesus by first saying "If you are the Son of God" (verses 3 and 9) - the temptation that comes to Jesus is then precisely because of the fact that He is the Son of God. What then is Jesus' role as the Son of God? Luke 3:38 tells us that Adam is the son of God. Jesus is then the representative or second Adam. However, unlike the first Adam, Jesus is not going to fall but is instead the obedient Son who lives by God's Word.

Jesus is also not just the representative Adam but a representation of Israel, with Israel being referred to as the firstborn Son of God in Old Testament (e.g. during the time when Pharaoh refused to let God's people go). Just as how God's people were led to the desert for 40 years during the exodus, Jesus was led to the wilderness for 40 days. He is indeed the true Israelite who does not give in and who will take us into the promised land and salvation. Where Israel failed, Jesus succeeds.

Jesus is also the Messiah described in Psalm 2. He is God's superhero who has to suffer first before attaining victory. The temptation is then to take the shortcut to attain victory without the suffering. Matthew 26:52-54 describes how Jesus has the power to call on all the angels so that He didn't need to be arrested but He didn't. All the temptations were then to lead Jesus away from the cross.

The phrase "until an opportune time" in verse 13 tells us that this is not the last temptation. We see an example of this in the same temptation of having the Kingdom without first going to the cross in Peter's rebuke where Jesus then rebuked back saying, "Get behind me, Satan!" (Matthew 16:21-23). In Luke 22:42-46, we see how Jesus prayed that His disciples would not fall into temptation. Similarly, we need to pray for God's will to be done first and foremost.

In order to understand victory over sin, we need to identify three things: the real enemy, the real temptation, and the real Son. There is a very real spiritual dimension in which Satan himself is the real enemy who wants us to fall - he is a liar and murderer from the very beginning. There is indeed a real temptation that Jesus did go through. Luke 22:44 describes the anguish that He experienced while Hebrews 4:15 describes Him as a high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses for He is one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. In not giving in, He knows the depth and strength of the temptation as well as the pain that comes along after it, especially the temptation to not go to the cross.

Jesus represents us as the real Son of God, not just Adam or Israel but representing all of humanity. He is the Messiah who went through the real temptation but did not give in for us. If He did give in, He will not be perfect and as a consequence, we will be in hell for not being able to overcome the real temptation. Christ is not merely our example but our Saviour.

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

Luke 3:1-37 ~ Clearing the Way

2011-03-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

What does it mean to repent? Is it merely the act of apologizing and saying sorry? Or perhaps changing from bad behaviour to good behaviour?

So when the desert voice of John the Baptist called out for repentance in the wilderness (verses 2 and 4), he recognized that Israel was still a nation in exile. Theologically and spiritually, God's people were still in Babylon and not "home" despite the great physical exodus through the desert. The baptism of repentance (verse 3) is more than just an issue of heritage - it is not merely for the Jews alone, as implied in verse 8. Everyone is called to bear good fruit (verse 9) as the concrete evidence of the change in one's life, through various deeds including the act of sharing and generosity (verses 10-11). Even the tax collectors and soldiers were instructed on how they were to apply this in their profession (verses 12-14).

Question is, what is the motivation for this repentance? The answer lies in God's righteous anger and just condemnation and punishment. Verse 9 warns us that every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Wouldn't you do anything to flee or escape this wrath to come?

While John is the forerunner of Jesus (think of how the bridesmaid marches down the aisle before the bride does - and when she does, all eyes are on her now, not the bridesmaid!), verse 16 explains a different kind of baptism that Jesus will bring: a baptism of Spirit and fire. This paints a picture of judgment itself where the one baptizing will also be the one bringing in the judgment day.

More than just a baptist or a judge, Jesus is also heralded as God's Son in verse 22, when the Holy Spirit descended on Him. Psalm 2 reveals the wisdom of being on Jesus' side, who is the anointed Messiah. He is also the suffering servant (Isaiah 42:1, 52:13, 53:1-6, 53:11-12) who needs to suffer first before attaining victory. The way to kingship is through the people's rejection but He is going to win in the end. The genealogy recorded for us also implies that Jesus was not conceived as a natural conception with the tag "as was supposed" in verse 23. We can tell that He descended from the line of the great King David (verse 31) and father Abraham (verse 34) but Luke, unlike other gospel authors, went back further to point out that Jesus also descended from Adam himself (verse 38), illustrating that salvation is not just for the Jews but for everyone whom Jesus represents.

Genuine repentance is then a change of mind and will that bears fruit in one's life in one's actions. We are called to know the times where both salvation and judgment are certain, to know the Saviour King and change from "self-government" to "Jesus-government", and to know real baptism where baptism is the outward sign of the inward repentance that leads to bearing real fruit.

Who drives your life? Will you let Jesus take the wheel?

Luke 2:1-52 ~ The One

2011-03-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

Many infamous trilogies (e.g. Star Wars, The Matrix) usually have a similar plot where certain oracles are prophesied, looking for 'The One'. What about the oracles of the Bible? 'The One' is one who is filled with righteousness and wisdom (Exodus 13:15, Leviticus 12:7, Proverbs 3:3), bringing peace and light (Isaiah 8:13, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 49:6, Isaiah 52:9), and hailing from Galilee and Bethlehem (Isaiah 9:1, Micah 5:2).

The birth of Jesus was indeed a humble one. Joseph was originally from the city of David (verse 4) and it was there in Bethlehem that Jesus was born and laid in a manger (verse 7) since the family had no place to stay, being 'nobodies'. That said, His birth was celebrated by a multitude of heavenly host praising God (verse 13) and the angels even gave the shepherds the sign of a baby lying in a manger as the Saviour who is born into the world (verses 8-20). Up to this point in Luke 2, here are the oracles fulfilled thus far:

- v4: Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
- v4: Line of David (Isaiah 9:6)
- v10: Good news and joy (Isaiah 52:9)
- v11: Saviour born in city of David (Micah 5:2)
- v14: Peace on earth (Isaiah 9:6)

The rest of Luke 2 (from verse 22 onwards) describes Jesus' childhood. Various customs of the law (verses 22-24, 27, 39, 42) were observed and fulfilled by Jesus. Simeon the devout Jew and Anna the prophetess have both also praised God for Jesus, whom they knew would bring salvation and redemption (verses 25-38). It then comes as no surprise to note how Jesus grew in wisdom and favour, both with God and man (verses 40 and 52). The more significant highlight would be Jesus' own consciousness of being the very Son of God, even at so young an age, when he called the temple "my Father's house" (verse 49). The description of the childhood of Jesus has so far fulfilled the following oracles:

- v22-24: Sacrifice and redemption of firstborn and turtledoves for purification (Exodus 13:15 and Leviticus 12:7)
- v25: Simeon waiting for consolation of Israel (Isaiah 52:9)
- v29-30: Peace / salvation (Isaiah 9:6)
- v32: Light for Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6)
- v34: Fall and rising of many (Isaiah 8:13)
- v38: Redemption of Jerusalem (Isaiah 52:9)
- v39: Galilee their hometown (Isaiah 9:1)

God is indeed so sovereign that He should even control Caesar Augustus to make the decree that caused Jesus' earthly parents to move from one town to another, fulfilling some of the oracles made in the past. His salvation plan for mankind may have caused confusion in the past, experienced by different parties as wondering (verse 18), pondering (verse 19), marvel (verse 33) and the lack of understanding (verse 50). But unlike those living in Jesus' times, we are no longer 'short-sighted' as we now have the complete picture of God's salvation plan through Jesus Christ who fulfilled prophecies of the Scriptures by dying on the cross and resurrecting three days later that He may conquer sin and be ruler of not just Israel but the whole world (Luke 24:44-47).

Jesus Christ is The One.

Luke 1:39-80 ~ Songs of Hope

2011-03-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

The second half of the first chapter of Luke's gospel records two songs of hope: Mary's Magnificat and Zechariah's Benediction. These are songs reflecting the fulfillment of the angel's words. In verse 39, we see Mary rushing to visit Elizabeth to confirm that Elizabeth is pregnant, as informed by the angel. It was at this point that the baby in Elizabeth's womb leaped for joy (verse 44). But more significant of this incident perhaps is Elizabeth's acknowledgment of Mary as mother of my Lord in verse 43. As for Zechariah, the foretelling by the angel that his wife would bear not just a child but specifically a son came to be fulfilled. It is with much wonder that Zechariah was suddenly able to speak after nine months of being mute the moment he indicated that his newborn son should be named John as instructed by the angel. In both cases, we see how Mary and Zechariah praised and glorified God as a God of promise through their songs.

On closer observation, the issue of salvation also surfaced through these songs. People are:

Saved from:
- v52: being 'nobodies'
- v71: our enemies and all who hate us
- v74: hand of our enemies
- v77: sins (forgiven)

Saved for:
- v74: serving God
- v75: living in righteousness
- v79: way of peace

Saved by:
- v47: God my Saviour
- v49: He who is mighty
- v51: He who has shown strength with His arm
- v52: He who brought down the mighty
- v69: He who has raised up a horn of salvation for us

Saved because:
- v54: of remembrance of God's mercy
- v72: to show mercy promised to our fathers
- v78: of God's tender mercy

God acts to fulfill His Word. While nationalistic Israelites may expect the Messiah to politically save their nation (and conversely, materialistic Gentiles may expect Jesus to bless them with physical riches and luxuries), the true way Jesus Christ saves His people is by dying on the cross and rising again three days later in order to forgive their sins (Luke 24:44-47). For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him (2 Corinthians 1:20).

What is your song of hope?

Luke 1:5-38 ~ Impossible is Nothing

2011-03-07T18:55:00.000-08:00

For nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1: 37).

Really? Absolutely "nothing"?! No wonder it is such a common misconception for Christians to think they can ask God for just about anything, expecting Him to fulfill all their prayer requests. Verse 37 essentially applies only to what God has promised. If He hasn't promised it, it is only presumptuous for us to assume that God will do whatever we want Him to. In the context of this passage, verse 37 is a reminder to Mary that since Elizabeth was pregnant, she should take that as a sign when the angel Gabriel foretold her what God has promised.

The miracle of barren women bearing children has happened before, as evidenced in Sarah (Genesis 18:10-14) and Rebekah's (Genesis 25:21) cases. But what is so special about Elizabeth falling pregnant that distinguishes her case from that of Sarah's or Rebekah's? Verses 10 and 13 tell us that both the people and Zechariah himself have been praying. And what would these faithful Jews be praying about? Fast-forwarding to Luke 2:25, we see another devout Jew, Simeon, waiting for the consolation of Israel. Zechariah and the people's prayers would then be one asking for the barrenness of Israel to be taken away, in light of God's former promises to Abraham back in Genesis 12:1-3 (and once again implied in Isaiah 54:1-5).

John the Baptist, who is then this "miracle child", was to be a forerunner, as prophesied in Isaiah 40:1-5. He was to make ready for the Lord a people prepared by turning God's children back to Him, going in the spirit and power of Elijah (verses 16-17), echoing the sentiments of Malachi 3:1, 4:5-6.

That said, greater still is the one who came after John the Baptist and who is born of a virgin. It is the life-generating Holy Spirit that came upon Mary (verse 35) to fulfill the sign of Immanuel as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14. Jesus Christ, who is conceived of a virgin, is then the Son of God who will reign as King, as foretold in 2 Samuel 7:11-16. This is indeed good news borne by the angel as one who gives a message and is a bearer of God's Word.

With God, nothing is impossible and impossible is nothing for He is the one who writes the future. And the future has already come...

His name is Jesus.

I am Number Four

2011-03-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

Had another great night out at the movies recently, watching a free preview of Dreamworks' latest I Am Number Four (once again thanks to Contagious Network). Blessed with extraordinary powers, John is a fugitive on the run. With the first three of his tribe murdered, him being Number Four is the next in line of the hunt. With stunning visuals and a nicely-packaged action-packed plot (with a lil romance thrown in), this film should do the trick in appealing to both genders (perhaps something the guys can suggest as a movie date instead of getting dragged by the girlfriend to sit through another 2 hours of chick flick?). Still not convinced? Check out the trailer below!

Luke 1:1-4 ~ Can We be Certain about Jesus?

2011-03-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

How can we be certain about Jesus?

In the first 4 verses of Luke's gospel, the author tells us that he wrote to most excellent Theophilus, "that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught" (verse 3-4). Luke has previously accompanied Paul on his missionary journey but he was not an eyewitness since he was not present when Jesus was fulfilling His ministry. The question then is how can someone like Luke give us any certainty then?

The answer lies within verses 2-3. Luke has followed all things closely for some time past and has even consulted some of the eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. Cross-referencing from 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, we can see that during Paul's mission, some of these eyewitnesses have died but most were still alive, and hence accessible for Luke to conduct a solid investigation about Christ.

This is real history that Luke has recorded for us, only approximately 30-40 years after Jesus' ministry, which is relatively a very close time frame. It is a real factual account of eyewitnesses, many who died for what they believed in: the truth in Christ. Various figures such as Herod, king of Judea (Luke 1:5), Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1), and Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate and Herod (Luke 3:1-2) are real historical figures that can be found in non-Christian historical texts. Even Josephus' "The Jewish Antiquities" lends veracity by providing a non-Christian historical account about Jesus Christ Himself.

Christianity is a historical faith based and rooted in history and person, not philosophy. The burden of proof on those who do not think the Bible is good history is to show that the Bible is not good history. This is a faith that centres around Jesus of real history. Some may use science to argue about the claims that Christianity puts forth. Science is great but it isn't the only access to the truth. After all, science is founded on repeated experimental truths itself. Christianity is "His-Story" for us, a historical truth. Faith is not a leap in the dark but relying, trusting and depending on something that's reliable, trustworthy and dependable. Historical truth is about what happened back then, not now, and so any excuse for not believing because one has yet to encounter some form of "personal experience with God" is not valid. John writes rightly when he tells us the gospel is written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 21:30). Indeed, Christ's words Himself rings true: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29).

Jesus' life, death and resurrection is a critical turning point, not just in human history, but more importantly in God's history. Verse 1 highlights that the gospel is a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, and who has accomplished or fulfilled this but none other than God Himself! Luke 24:27, 44-49 also illustrates how Jesus Himself uses the Scriptures to interpret the prophesies concerning Himself, a focus on His own death and resurrection. It is not just vital to know these things happened but the meaning and significance of these events.

Are you certain about Jesus? What does this certainty mean to you in light of your eternity?

Wasted on the Young

2011-03-07T13:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Contagious Network, I recently had the opportunity to catch a free exclusive preview of local-made Wasted On The Young with dear Klement. Set in a private high school, this film cleverly focuses on the issues of teenage angst in coping with peer pressure, life's regrets and even the use of modern technology in executing revenge; all barely featuring any adults at all. Both Klem and I agreed that this can be a very dark movie to watch as we sometimes wonder what teenagers today are potentially capable of doing. If this kind of movie genre sounds like something up your alley, check out the trailer below and go catch it in the theatres!

2 Timothy 3:1 - 4:5 ~ All Scripture is All We Need

2011-03-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

In these last days we're living in, Paul predicts difficult times ahead, filled with persecutions and suffering (2 Timothy 3:1, 12). It is a world filled with pagan love where people become lovers of self and have the appearance of godliness but love money and pleasure rather than God (2 Timothy 3:2-5). Already we can see for ourselves the growth of fake religion where people have itching ears and look for the message they want to hear to suit their own passions rather than to hear the truth itself (2 Timothy 4:3-4). But there will come a final judgment when Christ returns as judge and king (2 Timothy 4:1).

Paul charges or commands that the Word be preached with the readiness to reprove, rebuke and exhort, with complete patience and teaching (2 Timothy 4:2). We are encouraged to be sober-minded and to endure suffering as we persist in proclaiming the gospel instead of staggering around (2 Timothy 4:5). We are to continually be convicted in what we have firmly believed, learning from both Paul and ultimately the sacred writings of the Scripture (2 Timothy 3:14-15). All Scripture is breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16), indicating it is God-spirited and continues to be from God Himself. The main profit is to equip the man of God (an OT expression for the preacher; in this case it is Timothy that Paul directs this to) for every good work (which is essentially the job of preaching the gospel) (2 Timothy 3:17).

Depending on the job at hand, we all need the right tool for the job. You may use a screwdriver to disassemble a piece of furniture but you wouldn't get the job done properly (if at all!) if you expect to use the same screwdriver to change a flat tyre instead of using a spanner or a wrench. Similarly, the Bible is the right tool for preaching the Word, so use it!

All Scripture is indeed all we need!

1 Corinthians 9:19 - 11:1 ~ All Things to All Men

2011-03-01T01:15:00.000-08:00

In 1 Corinthians 9:20-22, Paul informed us how he have become all things to all people, being Jew to win the Jews over to Christ and being Gentile to win the Gentiles. Such flexibility to adapt to the crowd he mingled with is not without certain limitations or parameters. Paul acknowledged that he became as one under the law (though not being himself under the law) - he was not subjecting himself to fulfill the Mosaic commandments to gain the right standing before God but rather to win those under the law (1 Corinthians 9:20). Similarly, in verse 21, he was not completely lawless or without rules but still recognized Jesus as Lord.

In matters that do not affect our godliness, we have such freedom. That said, we also have a duty towards others. We are to win people over to Christ, not to cause offense so people can hear the gospel and not causing them to sin so they may join us in heaven. In everything that is not sinful, be like the others that they may be saved. While it may be difficult at times, we are also called to discipline ourselves, exercising self-control (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

From passages like 1 Corinthians 8:4-13 and 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, we can understand that people in the past were instructed to flee from idolatry. Eating food offered to idols in the context of idol worship is considered a sin. Now in current times, 1 Corinthians 10:29 tells us that we are to avoid eating food offered to idols, not for the sake of our own conscience but for that of the unbeliever. We are not to lead them into thinking that we can be both a Christian and a pagan worshiper at the same time. In line with Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, it is not just a matter of knowing but using the knowledge rightly and not stumbling others. Knowledge is good but knowledge with love is what it's all about.

Paul exhorts us that in everything we do, we are to do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). In pleasing people, we are not to do so for our own selfish sake but for the sake of others, that they may be saved (1 Corinthians 10:33). Paul also encourages us to imitate him as he did of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). The example of Jesus Himself is indeed noteworthy: He had all the rights as Son of God and did not have to come down to earth. Yet, He did so for God's glory. In other words, He became all things to all men as He came down as man, dwelling among us as flesh. He, too, had discipline till the point of death on the cross itself. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

Will you yearn to be all things to all men that they may be saved?

1 Timothy 3:14-16 ~ Christianity isn't a Cult

2011-02-14T01:30:00.000-08:00

I had the immense privilege to join the brothers and sisters at FOCUS Mandarin for their first ever Mandarin sermon by Tim Hu this morning. And Tim certainly had a knack for kicking it off with the right foot - a gospel-centred sermon on what distinguishes Christianity from cults and religions, based on just 3 verses from 1 Timothy 3:14-16.

Verse 15 tells us how one ought to behave in the household of God. This bears the connotation that we are not merely guests in God's household but members. This sense of belonging to such a household is further affirmed by the address of God being God the Father in 1 Timothy 1:2. We also need to remember that it is not only when we gather as Christians that we are members of God's household but all the time regardless of the place. That said, it is when we are gathered together as His people that His household is better "visualized".

In this letter, Paul instructed Timothy to charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3) and that prayers be made (1 Timothy 2:1). Men are also told not to quarrel while women are to adorn themselves respectably (1 Timothy 2:8-9). An overseer is also to manage his own household well (1 Timothy 3:2-5) for if he cannot do this, how then can he tend to God's household?

God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). God is a real God who does not take delight in the false. Similarly, He desires a real response from us. As members of God's household, the real response involves being a pillar and buttress of truth (verse 15). The gospel is to be defended and the church's faith will not be shaken but be strengthened instead. It is everyone's responsibility to ensure that the truth is upheld. And this truth is not secret but visible. Truth needs not fear to be compared for only the truth will remain standing in the end.

If Christianity is just a cult or another religion that teaches people to do good, the mystery of godliness mentioned in verse 16 will then be one of strict rules and regulations. This mystery, however, has got nothing to do with such rules and regulations but rather reveals the identity of Christ. He is the Word that was God (John 1:1), who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Romans 1:1-3 tells us that Christ was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God. At the crucifixion, the different parties of crowd present refused to believe that God's King should be crucified, but this is precisely how the Messiah operates: by dying on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice, as proof that He is the Son of God and the promised Messiah.

As such, it is only right that this mystery of godliness be proclaimed among the nations from Israel to the rest of the world, so as to be believed on in the world, taken up in glory since Christ's identity is now revealed (verse 16). A real response is demanded of us who have been saved. And what may this response be? To believe and to live a life reflecting this faith.

Do you have this real response?

Colossians 4:7-18 ~ Paul's Partnerships in Proclamation

2011-02-11T05:15:00.000-08:00

The final greetings in Colossians list several different names of Paul's various gospel partners. Let us first understand the backgrounds of these partners...

Acts 13 and 15 help shine a light on the character or John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. He was one of the partners who followed Paul on his first missionary journey but not being able to withstand the hardship, left for his mother's house in Jerusalem. Yet in Colossians, Paul asked that Mark be welcomed, implying that Mark has proven himself a worthy partner despite his initial act of deserting Paul.

Aristarchus and Jesus called Justus, being men of the circumcision (verse 11), were Jews. Acts 19:29 tells us that during Paul's third missionary journey, Aristarchus was Paul's companion. Being a Thessalonian himself, Aristarchus must have followed Paul when he was in Macedonia, in the region of Thessalonica.

Luke, a physician, would turn out to be the author of one of the four gospels. Being a Gentile himself, his style of writing would be influenced by his non-Jewish background. This was demonstrated by the way he traced Jesus' genealogy all the way beyond Abraham to Adam himself, showing God's plans from the very beginning of mankind and not just starting from the promised Jewish kindred descending from Abraham.

The story of Demas, however, is an unpleasant tale of how he fled Paul and headed towards Thessalonica due to his love with this present world (2 Timothy 4:10). This is sad, considering how Demas was Paul's partner at the times when Colossians and Philemon were written.

Nympha hosted a church in her house while Archippus was also a partner mentioned in Philemon. As Paul never visited Colossae in person, it was Epaphras who brought the Word to the Colossians and who was a fellow prisoner in Christ with Paul (Colossians 1:7, Philemon 23).

Onesimus, on the other hand, ran away as a slave of Philemon to Paul. Paul's letter to Philemon was then to ask him to release and free Onesimus, treating him as a fellow brother-in-Christ. Onesimus would then be the one who traveled with Tychicus, carrying all three letters to the Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon.

Now that we know these ten partners of Paul a little better, how is all these knowledge relevant to us? Firstly, we may emulate Tychicus' example (verses 7-9). Although the proclamation of the gospel may be difficult and challenging, we can be encouraged by Tychicus' fervent passion for the gospel to further encourage and spur others on. We can also take note of Epaphras' struggle and prayers in verse 12. Prayer acknowledges the sovereignty of God and helps us to be united in this gospel partnership. To stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God (verse 12) is to put on the new self (Colossians 3:12-17) in the way we live our lives, opening doors to proclaim the gospel. And just as how Archippus was reminded to fulfill the ministry that he has received in the Lord (verse 17), we need to remind each other of what we are supposed to be doing, that is, to proclaim the gospel. It is not uncommon for us to get distracted from this primary purpose every now and then but this is where such reminders will help bring us back on track.

Last but not least, how wonderful it is for us to have Paul's example to follow: the example of the proclamation of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ through partnership with fellow believers!!

Ps. Blessed birthday to my dearest daddy... =)

Colossians 4:2-6 ~ Our Prayer, Conduct, and Speech

2011-02-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

In this opening of Colossians 4, Paul instructed the Colossians not just to pray but to continue steadfastly in prayer (verse 2). In Colossians 1:9-12, Paul emphasized the importance of prayer and the contents of his prayer, that we may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, amongst other things. Verse 3 reaffirms the stewardship given to Paul to declare the Word (Colossians 1:25) - it is prayer that helped Paul understand that this is what God wanted him to do.

In the process of declaring the mystery of Christ (verse 3), Paul asked the Colossians to pray for him that he may make it clear (verse 4). Such clarity of speech is not to be confused with effective communication. Rather, Ephesians 6:18-20 helps paint the context that this clarity of speech is itself the boldness to preach the gospel without fearing persecution or imprisonment.

One should also be watchful in prayer (verse 2). James 4:3-4 warns us of unanswered prayers stemming from our own selfish desire, which is not God's will for us. Hope that is seen is not hope (Romans 8:24-25) but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). We may not see God's glory physically but should know it is within God's good will (for us as well). Therefore, let us pray according to God's gracious will.

When Paul told the Colossians to conduct themselves wisely (verse 5), a parallel can be drawn to Ephesians 5 (whereby Ephesians was a letter written close at the time when Colossians was written). Walking wisely is not to walk like the Gentiles in darkness, indulging in sexual immorality, lies, thefts or corrupting talk. It is not getting drunk but being filled with the Spirit instead. The phrase "making the best use of time" in verse 5 is not necessarily asking the reader to make the most of opportunities in being evangelistic to outsiders but more likely, it is the framework of Ephesians 5 in asking the reader to walk wisely, different from the outsiders.

1 Peter 3:15 tells us to always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks, setting the context for the gracious speech that is seasoned with salt in verse 6 that we may know how we ought to answer each person in defending the gospel. As such, we need to remember that evangelism is not to be limited to the most opportune time or be reduced merely to wise conduct or gracious speech.

Do we resort to passive evangelism to just merely resort to living rightly to convince others of their sins? Are we removing the less pleasant details when evangelizing (e.g. hell, God's judgment) to reach out to others? Paul did not have to wait for opportunity or favourable condition / time to preach (e.g. he was still actively preaching the gospel while imprisoned in Philippi) and neither should we.

In conclusion, Colossians 4:2-6 gives us 3 main instructions:

Reflect on our own conduct and speech, not merely for evangelism alone. Our speech should be gracious, showing God's common grace for everyone revealed in the gospel, and seasoned with salt, that we may build others up and care for them.
We need to see evangelism as an active task. It is essential for us to constantly read God's Word and reflect upon it while realizing that we are indeed living in these evil last days.
Last but not least, we should continue steadfastly in prayer and understand God's will through His Word. We should pray for Him to change us to become children of light, pleasing Him in the way we live our lives.

How's your prayer, conduct and speech lately?

Colossians 3:1-4 ~ United with Christ

2011-01-12T21:55:00.000-08:00

New year was only less than a fortnight ago. Did you make any new year resolutions? If yes, how likely do you think you can keep them throughout the whole year? Or do you reckon that other priorities and preferences will soon take over like how you never managed to keep last year's resolutions?

Similarly, the Christian life can sometimes be analogous to new year resolutions. One may start out as a strong Christian, totally eager and keen to learn, grow and serve in every single way imaginable. But what may happen over time is a sad picture of declining enthusiasm as one begins to get lazier be it serving in church, reading the Bible, or praying.

The need for Jesus is then highlighted all the more. Colossians 1:21 tells us that we once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds while Colossians 2:13 shows us how we were dead in our trespasses and the uncircumcision of our flesh. We are helpless here because we do not acknowledge God. We sin and reject God instead of giving Him the glory He deserves. As such, it should not surprise that our due punishment is death itself.

Colossians 3:5-7 lists the various sins resulting from our rebellion against God: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. The "miraculous" thing that follows suit, however, is how Christ cancels our record of debt by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:9-15). When we submit our life under Jesus' kingship, we are given a new life under Him as we are made alive together with Him (Colossians 2:13).

With this new-found closeness with Jesus, we are then to seek the things that are above (Colossians 3:2). We are told to put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, as well as forgiveness; all of which can be summed up in one word: love (Colossians 3:12-14). How then do we apply this in our lives? More often than not, the way we use our time reflects our priorities. That said, we should also be careful not to make a show out of it like the Pharisees did but to use our time in a godly manner with a sincere heart that pleases the Lord above all.

Colossians 3:3 also puts forth the idea that our life is hidden with Christ in God. What this essentially means is that a Christian's life is secured in Christ. The word "hidden" is contrasted with the phrase "appear with Him in glory" in Colossians 3:4. This then begs the question as to why our life is "hidden" with Christ now - it is simply because the aforementioned "glory" has yet to appear, so we cannot see it physically face-to-face but it will eventually appear when Christ returns. There is assurance and certainty that our salvation is secure in Christ and Christ alone, not anything else.

With such understanding of our unity with Christ, different challenges are then posed to different groups of people. If you are not a Christian, will you consider acknowledging Christ and submitting your life to Him? If you are a Christian, will you put Christ first in all that you do?

Time to consider these challenges and make a stand...

Double J's? Double Jeopardy!!

2011-01-08T05:25:00.000-08:00

What do you get when you put two J's (Jane and Jin) together? Double Jeopardy!!

Ever since Jin and I first became "friends" (I say "friends", with apostrophes, for we can sometimes be the worst "rivals"!) in Primary 1, life in school was never a dull moment. We would compete to see who received the better grade, sometimes to the embarrassing extent of begging the teacher for just that one extra mark. Each of us would smirk as we casually slipped our grade reports to the other's desk with the thought, "Look who's got more brains!".

And such rivalry is not merely confined to the bounds of academia.

Whenever the teacher announced a contest, we would always be the first two students to volunteer ourselves. Sometimes, we would even compete to see who ended up volunteering first - how kiasu of us eh? Oh, in case you're not familiar with the jargon, kiasu is a Chinese slang meaning "fearful of losing". Or in other words, just plain competitive. From the amateurish story-telling contests in primary school to the more prolific debates and elocution contests in high school, both of us would proudly represent our classes respectively and aimed to defeat the other in a bid to represent our school and earn bragging rights for the year.

I can still clearly remember a time in 2003 when we were seniors in high school. The school was forming a team to compete in an inter-school Scrabble tournament. And like those "mini climaxes" you view in Oscar-worthy movies (cue: *dramatic soundtrack music plays in background*), only one spot was left in the team.

And the contenders left to clinch that final spot? The double J's.

Jin demonstrated his air of confidence as he told me to give it up. Great Scrabblers have always been males and the XX chromosome species never really stood much of a chance. Real-life evidence? The other two spots in the team were both filled by guys.

But I wasn't ready to give up just like that. Jin has clearly forgotten that the female species can be very determined and strong-willed at times (or stubborn, as some may call it). We fought it all out on one final Scrabble match. As we tallied the scores along the way, we could see that it was a neck-to-neck competition. As the tiles in the bag began to run out, Jin exclaimed during his turn, "You're dead this time, Jane."

Much to my horror, Jin tilted his tile rack and all seven tiles came toppling over onto the board. This could only mean one thing: Jin was aiming for a bingo. In Scrabble, a bingo happens when a player uses all seven tiles on his rack in a single play. Not only does the player earn a bonus 50 points and an uplifting ego boost, it is a psychologically crippling moment for the opponent who, ironically, senses a sudden moment of paralysis. And I felt my limbs go stiff as Jin began to form a word on the board.

BEATLES

I stared in disbelief! Beatles?! That's not even a valid word in the Scrabble dictionary!! Somehow, I managed a calm composure and my expression gave nothing away. I must have felt really generous that day as I told Jin that "Beatles" isn't a valid word and suggested if he wanted to remove his tiles and have another go.

Indignantly, he replied, "Of course Beatles is a valid word! It's an insect, you idiot! You're just jealous coz I've scored a bingo!!"

Clearly Jin forgot who won the spelling bee contest in primary school.

"Err, Jin, you're sure that's how you spell 'beetles'?"

"Of course, I'm sure! You can challenge it if you want!"

And so, challenge it I did. The marshal checked up the word and told Jin that he lost his turn for an invalid word. It was then his turn to look horrified as I reminded him that The Beatles is the name of an English band featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, while "beetles" would be the right spelling for the insect.

The game was then downhill for Jin from that moment on. Scarred with the thought of his mistake, Jin could not focus on the game properly. And knowing what tiles he had, I figured the possible words he would play and strategically blocked him by placing my words down first. Needless to say, I became the only girl in the school team and we competed all the way to national finals where all those "mini climaxes" summed up into "one huge final climax": one teammate has won his match while the other has lost his and the game I played would decide which team would walk away with the glorious title of national champions that year. Playing as calmly as I could in a stiffer match than the one I played with Jin, we eventually won the title and became headliners. Smiling continuously for more than 10 minutes for the media was one delightfully "painful" highlight I would never forget.

And Jin never forgave himself for the "Beatles/beetles" mistake he made.

Perhaps such a turn of events was only fair enough to compensate for a most unfortunate incident we both encountered in Primary 6. Our mutual friends decided to play a prank by leaving me a love letter that was supposedly composed by Jin. Though I initially suspected that it was our friends' doing, those young actresses could really put up quite a show and feign their innocence. And so I confronted Jin who was busily singing away on some Disney love ballads (it was a habit of his and I've lost count of the number of times he sang A Whole New World). Jin grabbed the note and proceeded to walk away with it as he finished, denying that he wrote it.

Not knowing why I did so at that time, I asked him to return the note. When he didn't, I began to give chase (up till today, I don't know why I even bothered). Soon, it became a game of catch-me-if-you-can but such childish humour quickly evaporated into more serious business when we bumped into the vice principal and the note that Jin clutched in his palm soon came sailing down onto the ground.

Only to be picked up and read by the vice principal.

It was most excruciating trying to explain to the vice principal what has happened. This is perhaps one of the most embarrassing moments in my life. Here we were, in the vice principal's office, getting ourselves into trouble, while the monsters of our two friends got away scot-free (though they did eventually get a nice long lecture from both Jin and I later on). I never ceased to blame Jin - if only he had returned the note when I asked him to.

I could go on and on to share more stories but it may well be wise to stop here. As we both grew up, we have come to tolerate each other's antics. Our lives are made more "enriched" by such experiences and tales that we would never grow sick of retelling. And though we still try to outdo each other these days as young adults, our competitions take on a more "mature" approach as we learn humility and begin to prioritize God and other more important matters in our Christian walk. For instance, I recently backpacked across Australia alone while he backpacked across Europe. It was hard to argue who really "won" so we both shook on it, agreeing that our days of Double J's for Double Jeopardy have turned into days of Double Joy.

Speaking of all this classic boy vs girl rivalry, Disney (I could almost imagine Jin crooning away on A Whole New World once again, lol!) has recently released Tangled (Australian release date: 6th January, 2011). It's the talk of the town: the fairytale of Rapunzel spun into an animated 3D musical comedy. Will it be a case of Double Jeopardy for Rapunzel and Flynn or will things turn out happily ever after into Double Joy?

Well, go catch it in theatre if you want to find out! Judging from all the great reviews, this is perhaps Disney at its best so far. Here's a trailer for you to start straightening out those to-watch-or-not-to-watch tangled emotions:

If you're anything like me, you will not be sitting still till you've watched Tangled. And watch I will come later this evening. Less than 12 hours to go before a cinema date with some friends - can't wait!!

And if you're like Jin who loves everything Disney (me too, actually, hehe), check out this cool local official website for Disney:

http://home.disney.com.au/movies/

Ok, here's me signing off for the night (day?) - time for me to catch some sleep (gosh, it's past 5AM!!) and reserve some energy for Tangled later... ;)

Ps. Happy birthday, dearest mummy! Thanks for making me your princess... and buying me my very first Disney collection: a colour-illustrated Disney's Aladdin storybook with an accompanying story and song audio cassette (yes, this was way before the time CD's and mp3's became popular)...

PPs. This is my 200th blog post... ^_^

Philippians 1 ~ Partnership

2011-01-03T16:30:00.000-08:00

The first chapter of Paul's letter to the Philippians overflows with the joy in the Philippians' partnership in the gospel (verse 5). Paul responds to this joy he has by praying that the Philippians' love may abound more and more, with knowledge and discernment (verse 9). It is a different love from the concept of "love" that we have come to familiarize ourselves with. This is discerning love, to decide what is right and wrong, that they may be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (verse 11).

From verses 12-26, we can see Paul rejoicing in hardship for this will turn out for his deliverance (verse 19) to honour and proclaim Christ. His desire to be with Christ is profoundly stated in verse 23 yet he realizes that it is far better to remain in the flesh (verse 24) for the sake of his gospel partners. This prompts a question to us Christians: Like Paul, are we willing to forgo the pleasures of this life and even heaven itself to proclaim Christ?

Such rejoicing in our partnership to proclaim Christ should be equally met with the joy in our partnership to live for Christ (verses 27-30). Living for Christ includes afflictions and suffering, which can be dealt with by expecting suffering (verse 29) and being united in the truth (verse 27).

Will you be my partner in the gospel of Christ?

Philippians 2:1-11 ~ Serious Situation Needs Serious Solution

2011-01-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas was only about a week ago and is often an annual highlight for many, be it for the festive joy of carving some turkey and ham with family and friends or listening to soothing carols or opening presents wrapped in red and green underneath the Christmas tree or ... Has Christmas lost its true meaning over the years?

The story of Christmas is not an urban myth of the heartwarming tales of human generosity but a true story of a serious solution to a serious situation. Christmas celebrates the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. What kind of serious situation would require God the creator becoming part of creation where the almighty God transforms into a helpless baby? It is none other than the serious situation of our sin itself where we reject God as our ruler.

Charles Gajus who preached to us the Sunday after Christmas gave us this illustration: Imagine if you've committed a wrongdoing and have been penalized with a fine (be it a library fine, a parking ticket, etc.). If the fine is small enough, we would have no qualms of paying it. If it was a lil burdensome, we may ask family or friends for some financial assistance. But what if the fine is so huge that it is just impossible to pay off? Would you not fall on your knees, acknowledge your mistake and beg for mercy?

Similarly, our sin, deserving of punishment and death, is akin to that of this humongously unpayable fine. But God, in His loving grace, has provided us a way out. The serious solution to this serious situation? A Saviour.

Matthew 1 tells us who this Saviour is. His name is Jesus for he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21) and He is also known as Immanuel, meaning God with us (Matthew 1:23), for that is how Jesus saves us - by being the God who is with us by becoming human and living as a human.

Philippians 2:5-8 should remind us that what follows the actual Christmas day is not Boxing Day sales or a return to selfish lives but Jesus' obedient humility (taking the form of man) to the point of death on a cross for the sake of us sinners. Christmas day is a reminder of God's serious solution for our serious situation of sin. Jesus is therefore the worthy Saviour deserving of the exaltation of the highest glory (verses 9-12).

Will you then take the Christmas truth seriously? All this calls for is submitting to the Saviour and serving one another. Admit that you're a sinner and accept the solution that God provides. Acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Christ and respond by serving one another in love. After all, Christmas day ushers in the gift of a Saviour and the gift of a new life without sin...

1 Thessalonians 1 ~ Joy of the Spirit

2011-01-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

Have you ever experienced the Spirit?

In the Acts of the Apostles as recorded by Luke, the Holy Spirit has been poured down on people, empowering them to speak in tongues, pray, heal and even teleport. The Spirit also provided guidance with visions and enabled exorcism to succeed.

It is then interesting to note that in 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul tells us that the gospel came not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit (verse 5). Not only did the word came in the Holy Spirit, it was equally received with the joy of the Holy Spirit (verse 6), that the Thessalonians may become an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia (verse 7). Verses 2-3 show us three things that made the Thessalonians a good example: their work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Verses 4 and 5 also demonstrate to us the element of predestination where God has chosen His people because He loves them. The Holy Spirit has the power to work in us and in turn convict us of the truth of the gospel and accept it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

The Thessalonians encourage us with their perseverance even as they received the word in much affliction to become imitators of the apostles and of the Lord (verse 6). True repentance is illustrated in the Thessalonians' act of turning to God from idols to serve the living and true God (verse 9). It is a humble acknowledgment that God is the master and we the servants.

How then are we to truly experience the joy of the Spirit? While some believers may wrongly pray to the Holy Spirit, we need to understand that it is to God the Father, and not the Holy Spirit, that we should be praying and giving our thanks to (verses 2 and 3). We pray to God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Also, others may sometimes find themselves confused when they believe that they are starting to "hear" some other voice from God. It is important to realize that the Holy Spirit will and should never contradict with God's Word, as is shown in 1 Thessalonians 1. If it "does", then it isn't the Holy Spirit one is "hearing" but some other spirit (possibly even an evil spirit) or one's own delusions. As for those who think that having the gift of the Spirit will free them from all sorrows and enrich them with all possible blessings, again God's Word tells us to expect suffering and affliction with the gospel that the Holy Spirit convicts us to believe in, so it is not entirely a bed of roses. Even roses have thorns...

Will you let the Spirit dwell in you to convict you of the gospel and live a changed life of faith, love and hope?

Hebrews 5:7-10 & 12:1-13 ~ Instant Joy?

2010-11-21T01:55:00.000-08:00

We are part of this current age's instant generation. From instant noodles to instant emails, we expect everything in life to be, well, instant. But we sometimes fail to see that life on earth is more complicated than that - just as how it is full of joy (perhaps from instant gratification), it is also full of sadness.

And no other sadness is greater that the great sorrow Jesus went through on the cross. It was a time of loud cries and tears (Hebrews 5:7) - his flesh was a picture of belonging to this sorrowful world. Jesus Christ had to be a real human being to understand what man undergoes, including sorrow and death. Luke 22 paints the image of this anguish and agony of Jesus drinking from the cup of God's wrath - He was abandoned by His own Father.

But Jesus was heard because of his reverence (Hebrews 5:7). Jesus prayed, "Not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:42), demonstrating His reverent submission to the Father. His prayer was then heard and answered as He was obediently sent to the cross. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered (Hebrews 5:8). This was no easy obedience but difficult obedience to learn what it was like to suffer - Jesus fully obeyed the Father when never had He had to face God's wrath or die for others' sins.

In this process, Jesus was being made perfect (Hebrews 5:9), not in the sense that He becomes more like God (for He already was God), but in the sense of becoming the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him (Hebrews 5:9). If Jesus did not come to earth as man and died on the cross, He cannot be perfect in saving us wretched sinners. And so, Jesus was made perfect for the task of saving us. This then is not an evil will of the Father but a loving will.

It is no wonder then that Jesus is being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:10). "Mel" means "king" while "zedek" means "righteousness" so "Melchizedek" literally means "king of righteousness" and such is Jesus Himself who represents us to God. He is the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus clearly understood "delayed joy" (as opposed to "instant joy"), which enabled Him to endure the present suffering of the cross.

We may not always understand the reason for our current suffering in this world but God assures us that he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness (Hebrews 12:10). For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).

The Christian life is a marathon of lifting drooping hands, strengthening weak knees, and making straight paths (Hebrews 12:12-13) but we are not alone: we have Christ as our pioneer and it is His example that we can then follow.

Matthew 15 ~ The Greatest Banquet on Earth

2010-11-21T01:11:00.000-08:00

Many of us would have attended some kind of banquet at least once in our lifetime. But how would the greatest banquet on earth look like? Matthew 8:11 illustrates a grand feast when many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. And when Jesus fed the five thousand and the four thousand respectively in Matthew 14 and 15, everyone ate until they were fully satisfied. It is a little foretaste of God's future banquet.

In Matthew 15, the Pharisees and scribes believed they were invited to this "banquet" but lo and behold, Jesus soon pointed out that they would be denied entry. What prompted them to come see Jesus in the first place (verse 1)? Why, nothing else but to accuse Jesus for not following the tradition of the elders (verse 2). What they failed to realize was that such tradition is nothing but man-made laws on top of God's laws. Jesus responded by calling them hypocrites (verse 7) for they broke God's commandment for the sake of their tradition (verse 3). Isaiah rightly prophesied that "this people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (verses 8-9). What makes one unclean then is not the non-washing of hands before eating but the very dark and sinful heart itself.

Being an "invited" guest who is denied entry is one thing but what about an uninvited guest? Verses 21-28 tell us the faith of a Canaanite woman. Here was a Gentile whom God's promises to the Jews did not apply to. When she requested for Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter, He calmly replied her in verse 26 that it is not right to take the children's (referring to God's children i.e. Jews) bread and throw it to the dogs (referring to Gentiles). In saying this, Jesus was not putting her down but asking her to wait her turn. It is not a question of "if you eat" but "when you eat" at this "great banquet".

Does this then make us Gentiles only second-class citizens? Most certainly not! To understand this, we need to analyze the geographical context of the passage. Verse 21 tells us that Jesus was in Tyre and Sidon, and then moved on to the Sea of Galilee in verse 29. A little background info is necessary here. On the west bank of this Sea of Galilee was a populated area where Jews resided while the east bank was a desolate area inhabited by the Gentiles. The disciples' remark on them being in such a desolate place (verse 33) implied that Jesus had chosen to enter the Gentiles' territory where He performed many miracles that saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing (verse 31). This shows us that there is no favouritism, that even the Gentiles are fully included - Jesus' miracles were not partial or second-class healing for the Gentiles were healed completely (verse 31). The earlier mentioned illustration of Jesus feeding the four thousand in this chapter also indicates that both Jews and Gentiles will be dining at the "banquet". We fully participate in God's banquet for it is for all people.

A word of caution here though: Don't miss out on God's banquet! There are two main reasons why people often miss out. First, we may make up our own invitation by playing religion, just like the Pharisees with their human traditions. We need to examine ourselves carefully and ask ourselves if we haven't been playing spiritual charades all along, thinking that playing this game pleases God when it doesn't. Secondly, we may miss out if we think we are not invited. The inner conflict of "surely God doesn't want rubbish like me to be at His banquet" can sometimes plague us when we think of a past that we are ashamed of, a life where we always failed at things, or perhaps getting caught up in a destructive habit (e.g. pornography) and not being able to get out of it. We need to recognize that deep down inside, we are all the same: our hearts are all black inside.

Everyone is invited to the greatest banquet on earth. Will you not emulate the Canaanite woman's faith and not miss out on your invitation by calling out, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David" (verse 22)?

Romans 8:18-30 ~ Joy in Certainty

2010-11-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

In this letter to the Romans, Paul explains the present condition of the world and creation itself. He tells us in verses 19-22 that creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God, being subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, while groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. In other words, creation is subjected to frustration. This is in line with the event in Genesis 3 where God cursed the ground, making it a harsh world and environment. That said, we have hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God (verses 20-21). There will come a day when the sons of God will be revealed. Though frustrated and decayed now, creation has a glorious future - the present time is merely "contraction time" ("childbirth" in verse 22).

As we have come to understand the present condition of the world and creation, it is vital for us to understand the present condition of Christians too. Just like creation, we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly (verse 23). Often more than not, we sometimes make the grave mistake of thinking that if only we have God's Spirit, we will be set free from suffering, but Paul points out that it is the complete opposite - it is precisely because of the Spirit within us that we groan in the first place. It is the Spirit that helps us to yearn for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies (verse 23).

As such, Christians are people of hope with a glorious future. It is in this hope we were saved (verse 24) and so, we wait for it with patience (verse 25). For the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is the be revealed to us (verse 18). In the meanwhile, the Spirit helps us in our weakness (verse 26) - He intercedes for us, the saints, with groaning too deep for words and according to the will of God (verses 27-28). And what is this will of God? God's will is that everyone of us should be conformed to the image of his Son, being made into the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we await the glory He promised, having been predestined, called and justified (verses 28-30).

Dear brothers and sisters, will you then join me in enduring the sufferings of this present time, trusting Him at all times, as we patiently await the glory that is to be revealed to us?

Ps. Dear Kenneth, if you happen to read this blogpost, thanks again for preaching to us this sermon last Sunday... ^_^

Romans 1-5 ~ Faith and Righteousness

2010-10-31T05:15:00.000-07:00

Last Friday marked the end of our Romans Bible studies series for the year. Here is a brief summary of the essentials on faith and righteousness as presented in the first five chapters of Paul's letter to the Romans:

Romans 1 & 2: All people are sinful and without excuse. All will be judged by God.

Romans 3: There is no one righteous. That said, the righteousness of God is manifested through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

Romans 4: The object of faith is Jesus. Faith (and not works) leads to righteousness. It is a promise given, received by faith, for everyone.

Romans 5: Being justified by Christ's blood, we are now reconciled to God. We can rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that it ultimately leads to a hope that does not disappoint. Much more than the hope of salvation, this hope is the hope of the glory of God itself.

How great God's love is for us indeed that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! May we be spurred on to live a life truly pleasing to Him, giving Him all the glory that He deserves...

Haggai 2:10-23 ~ A Lesson on Holiness

2010-10-31T04:30:00.000-07:00

This last talk on Haggai focuses on the problem of an unclean people as exemplified in verses 11-14. It demonstrates how very hard it is to be holy yet so easy to be unclean and hence, be unacceptable. To be holy, one needs to obey God's Word for behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).

Let us rewind a little. Revisiting the previous passages, the context of this passage is in relation to the reconstruction of the temple. What the Israelites have yet to realize was that the temple would be (is now) replaced by 3 groups of people:

Jesus, who is the dwelling place where God dwells among His people and reveals His glory (John 1:14; Titus 2:13)
The individual Christian, whose body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within that person (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)
The community of Christians, who are members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Similarly, God exhorted His people to work on the temple even though the glory was not yet seen. God's people need to ask what it was that lifted the curse up from Israel, which subsequently led to the blessings referred to in verses 18-19. What YHWH wants is the faith (and repentance) of His people, which is expressed in the works prompted by it.

While the illustration in Haggai 2 shows that touching something holy does not purify someone but touching something unclean will defile someone, we see quite the opposite in Jesus. He, the Holy one, was not defiled when He touched unclean things (e.g. the bleeding woman, the leper, the dead boy) but instead, purified what (or in this case, who) He touched. This fulfillment of how the Lord purifies His people is further explained in Hebrews 9:13-14: "For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God."

Friends, it is time for us to "rebuild" the temple, stone upon stone, as we continue to repent of our sin and place our faith in Jesus as we patiently await His promised return with future glory.

Haggai 2:1-9 ~ A Lesson on Patience

2010-10-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

In today's world where "quick, fast and instant" becomes a "good" virtue, what then happens to the virtue of patience? Is that virtue lost? If so, we also lose the virtue of Christian discipline that comes with "long suffering".

How then does this come into context with Haggai? The first lesson here is to not compare. As Ezra 3:10-13 pointed out, the elders who saw the glory of the former temple compared it with the foundation that was being built, leading them to disappointment and despair. Being impatient, they resorted to other "instant" constructions such as the paneled houses mentioned in Haggai 1. Now that they were continuing to construct the temple, God feared that they may start comparing again and experience the fright of failure. As such, God told them that it mattered not in His eyes but encouraged them to continue to "work, for I am with you" (verse 4).

God had to keep reminding them by emphasizing that it is Him who made all the promises. The natural disasters and global financial crisis we face today is nothing when God shakes the world on judgment day. God's people are instructed to then be patient and to keep trusting Him. He will fulfil His promises that "yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens" (Hebrews 12:26) - as it is not yet the time, it is alright for us to keep going with enduring patience...

The lesson for us is then to start small yet finish great, and in order to do so, we need to ask ourselves these questions: Will we wait? Will we work as we wait?

Will you wait patiently just as the Lord is patient?

Haggai 1 ~ A Lesson in Prioritizing

2010-10-17T02:40:00.000-07:00

Haggai 1 kicks off with a date: the second year of Darius the king (of Persia) i.e. 520 BC, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month (approximately 29^th August in today’s terms) (verse 1). The Israelites have been back in the promised land for 15 years by this date. They were formerly in Babylon where they were held captive because they failed to trust God and so, disobeyed Him. The first batch of those who exiled from Babylon had attempted to rebuild the temple. This enthusiasm, however, soon died out for 15 years until this second year of Darius, where the story of Haggai began.

The Israelites claimed that the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord (verse 2). Such an excuse seemed to indicate that the people had other more important and urgent matters to attend to. God pointed out that they have instead busied themselves building and living in their ornate and luxurious paneled houses (verse 4). Closer to home, where do our priorities in life lie? Like the Israelites, do we also sometimes think, “Not yet, God”?

From verses 5 to 11, the people were challenged to consider their ways. They need to deny self-glorification or else, face God’s judgment as has so often happened around them in the past. That said, the Israelites were not left to their own means. The remainder of chapter 1 shows the Lord declaring, “I am with you” (verse 13) and He stirred up the spirit of all the people that they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God (verse 14).

As we would later come to appreciate, Jesus is the one who fulfilled rebuilding the ruined “temple”. In John 2:19, Jesus told the Jews, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”. He was, of course, not referring to the physical temple here but His own body, which He broke for us that He may pay the price of our sin yet later resurrected to ascend to His heavenly glory.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-45)

With the kingdom of heaven being so priceless, what else could possibly compare? Treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, (Matthew 6:19) do not last – we cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24). Neither should we be anxious about our life, food, body nor clothes for God knows we need them and will provide (Matthew 6:25-33). We should instead seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33) – that is where our priorities should lie.

Where do your priorities lie?

Mission Minded Network: Convictions

2010-10-08T02:00:00.000-07:00

Attending the newly launched Mission Minded Network over the long weekend has been a most fruitful experience for me. I have learnt so much; it is hard for me to summarize everything in a single blogpost. Rather than attempting to do so in vain, it may be more helpful for me to list down some of the points that got me thinking further or issues that challenged me:

Our conviction in Christ's saving grace should shape our lives to be Christ-centred and set us apart from this world with its worldly convictions.
It is when we understand who Jesus is and why He comes that we may understand what He requires of us (i.e. die to our lives for Christ) is so appropriate.
One only bears witness in the context of opposition in order to profess the truth in the face of disagreement - witnessing Christ does not come without suffering or persecution (after all, the Greek word for "witness" means "martyr").
The Holy Spirit comes to continue the work of Jesus and not start another work.
While Saul's conversion is the most famous in Acts of the Apostles, Cornelius' conversion may well be the most important as it marks how Gentiles can now receive God's saving grace as well.
Christians are on a journey to enter a world led by God: a glory to head for, a rest to strive after, a city to enter.
Jesus is God's final song that keeps us on our journey to the end as we avoid letting the voices of this world drift us away.
Will we live by the present world that we can see or by the future that we hear about from God? (i.e. Will we live by sight or by faith?)
Life is filled with littered unfulfilled dreams and disappointments; it is a fast march to death - will we be patient for the future world than the world in this life?
If our convictions as Christians are similar to the convictions of a minister (e.g. desiring salvation for others, serving others, being above reproach, thanksgiving, prayer, role-modeling, resisting temptations, etc.), what is stopping us from doing full-time ministry?
Where can one best live for the sake of gospel work instead of comfort or convenience?
Are we willing to put aside our day job for ministry?

Hopefully some of these thoughts will similarly challenge you to reconsider how you can best serve the gospel and perhaps sign up for next year's MMN on the theme of Character... =)

Luke 4:16-30 ~ Israel's Messiah for the Nations

2010-09-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

This semester's CBS Churches Celebrate (used to be known as Unichurches Together) sermon looks at the Nazareth manifesto i.e. Jesus' public declaration of His 'policies' in Luke 4. Jesus was finally at home and was spending the Sabbath in the synagogue (not a temple but a gathering place for Jews who could not get back to the temple to offer their offerings; a place where the Jews gathered to read the Scripture). Jesus was reading Isaiah 61 that prophesied the coming of the Messiah, an event that Jews have put their hope in for over 700 years (from the time Isaiah 61 was written until the reading by Jesus).

Sitting down (this was the mark of the start of teaching), Jesus claimed to be the Messiah that Isaiah prophesied by saying, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (verse 21). He claimed to be Israel's anointed one in being God's chosen one to rule and lead God's people, who are spiritually blind and oppressed and are spiritually lacking a place in God's Kingdom. The Messiah is needed to bring God's people under God's loving kingship and rule.

But just how did the Jews respond to such a huge claim? While all spoke well of him (verse 22), Jesus saw through their 'fake' praise at the sarcastic hint in the form of the question: "Is not this Joseph's son?" (verse 22). Jesus then proceeded to state the obvious, that no prophet is acceptable in his hometown (verse 24). He knew that they would challenge Him to prove Himself (verse 23).

Jesus then quoted two examples of rejected prophets, Elijah and Elisha, who lived during the 3.5-year God-sent drought in the dark days of Israel under evil King Ahab. While there were many Jewish widows and lepers, none were assisted or healed. Instead, Elijah helped sustain a Gentile widow, Zarephath (1 Kings 16), during the great famine while Elisha healed the non-Israelite Syrian army commander, Naaman, of his leprosy (2 Kings 5).

When Israel rejects God's prophets, God shows His grace to other nations instead - Israel has no right to monopolize God's grace. Simeon's prophecy in Luke 2 on how Jesus will be opposed and yet lead to the fall and rise of many in Israel begins to take form here in Luke 4. The Jews' attempt to throw Jesus down the cliff in verse 29 marks the start of the prophesied opposition. Despite their murderous intent, Jesus managed to save Himself and escape from the Jews (verse 30) - it is not yet time to lay down His life.

It is in the cross of Jesus where we see Israel's greatest rejection of the Messiah. The cross is the place where God's grace through God's Messiah overflows to us all over all nations (the Gentiles) because of Israel's rejection. We all need what He is offering: forgiveness by His atoning sacrifice. It is a great privilege indeed that God should extend His salvation to people from all nations - us who are not originally God's chosen people.

While the Messiah's manifesto may be 'grace going out to the nations', what would be our manifesto? What will it reveal about our life and commitment? Do we share the Messiah's manifesto? Indeed, our manifesto should be influenced by the grace that the Messiah has shown us. We are now made God's people as part of Jesus' mission and God's plan right from the very beginning.

Will you proclaim a Christ-centred manifesto in your life?

Ps. Heartiest congratulations to all those who were baptized on Sunday, including dear Xin Hui and Roong Jien - keep on growing in Him!

PPs. Will be away to be challenged about full-time ministry this coming long weekend (1st-4th October) at the October Conference... =)

The Loved Ones

2010-09-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

When I first watched the trailer of The Loved Ones, I figured this film was just another typical "crazy stalker" prom horror that crossed paths with the "zombies" genre. Man was I wrong when I attended the exclusive free preview screening of TLO (thanks to Contagious Network)...

Winner of Midnight Madness Cadillac People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, TLO proves its claim to take the conventions of horror and run them off the rails. The plot centres around Brent (Xavier Samuel) who is haunted by the guilt of causing his father's death in a car crash. He finds solace in his girlfriend, Holly (Victoria Thaine), whom he has promised to take to the school dance. His plans, however, are thwarted when a girl he has rejected, Lola (Robin McLeavy), exacts a revenge so truly demented it is beyond plain simple evil.

Gore-wise, the movie does an average job (the med student inside of me couldn't help but kept analyzing how impossible some "situations" portrayed in the movie are in real life, hehe). That said, the film compensates by delivering a double thumbs-up performance in the "comic psycho" aspect - pure sick and twisted perversion.

Due for release in Australia on 4th November, 2010, here's a trailer you can dance your way into getting psychotically thrilled...

Revelation 22 ~ The Next Attraction

2010-09-25T23:45:00.000-07:00

Do we really desire the return of Jesus?

Last Sunday marked our finale on the Revelation series as we explored the very last chapter of the Bible itself: Revelation 22. This chapter predicts the close arrival of the second coming. It is what must soon take place (verse 6) for the time is near (verse 10). And Jesus repeats three times, saying, "I am coming soon" (verses 7, 10, 20). Some may then question, "How soon is soon?" Mark 13:32-33 tells us that no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father, and so warns us to be on guard and keep awake.

The garden city described in this chapter also illustrates the beauty of heaven itself. Here flows the river of the water of life (verse 1), reminding us of the river described in Genesis 2 and Ezekiel 47. This is a river flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (verse 1), reiterating that the source of life comes from God (as previously alluded to in Revelation 21:6 and repeated in Revelation 22:17).

Also, while man no longer has access to the tree of life in Genesis 3 (also described in Ezekiel 47), it now makes a 'reappearance'. This time, we are told of the fruits that it yields, which will no doubt satisfy us. The leaves are also used for the healing of the nations (verse 2) from the curse of God to start a new heaven and a new earth. Unlike how man is cursed in the garden of Eden, no longer will there be anything accursed (verse 3) for God offers forgiveness. All His worshiping servants will reign forever and ever (verse 5), being kings and rulers together with the Father and Jesus.

Unlike Moses, we will be able to see God face-to-face in heaven, standing forgiven as He provides us with the good things in heaven. It will be far better that the garden of Eden for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which opens up the possibility for the fall of man, will be absent. Man's fall in Genesis 3 will not be repeated. Instead, we will be perfect forever, being led by the new Adam: Jesus Christ. We do not relate to Him as our creator but as our Saviour. It is a garden city of perfection beyond Eden.

The God-given prophecy of Christ's second coming is made to give us the right view on how to interpret the things happening in this world and to also give us a view of the future. It is a certain event that will happen so soon that there is almost no time to repent, as described in verse 11. Contrasted with the events that transpired in Daniel, John is told in verse 10 to not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. And just who exactly is coming again? No one else but Jesus who is judge (verse 12), God (verse 13), the root and the descendant of David (verse 16), and the bridegroom (verse 17).

This prophecy then serves as an encouragement for us to keep staying firm in Jesus even in persecution, suffering and repentance, for He will repay everyone for what he has done (verse 12). It also warns us not to be like the dogs (symbolizing the pagan world) and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood (verse 15) who are outside the city of heaven, or those who deliberately distort the gospel message by adding to it or subtracting from it (verse 18). It is only those who wash their robes in Christ's blood that may have the right to the tree of life and enter the city by the gates (verse 14).

Back to the opening question: Do we really desire the return of Jesus?

Perhaps we are too satisfied for life now seems too good? Maybe we are too complacent with the things of this world to really care? Do we care enough to see Jesus named as Lord? Is God's glory seen to be right by everyone? Is it likely that we want people we love to become Christians and so, secretly hope for His return to be delayed? It is time we shift the way we think. The desire to want God's name to be honoured should far exceed our other desires (including desiring our non-Christian acquaintances to become Christians).

Sometimes we can be a little too short-sighted. We may feel the period of over two millennia since His first coming to be too long to think that His second coming cannot be that soon. What we fail to recognize is that the 'soon' here should be defined theologically in God's perfect timing. If with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Peter 3:8), why should we perceive 2000 years as too long a time? His return is so 'soon' - it is, as one calls it, 'the next big thing'. Nothing else of major theological consequence has to happen before Christ returns.

So just as how we would say the Lord's prayer, praying, "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come." (Luke 11:2), shouldn't we mean what we ask for, that God's name be glorified and that Christ returns? It is time for us to examine our true desires, aligning them with those of God's good will, that we can sincerely echo John's response in verse 20 most jubilantly: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Revelation 21 ~ Heaven: the Revolution

2010-09-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

If heaven was a city, which city would it be? While everyone may come up with a different reply to that question, the Old Testament saw Jerusalem as the great city of God, one that was even visited by the great Queen of the South herself during the reign of King Solomon. In Revelation 21, two visions were recorded regarding the new Jerusalem (i.e. how it will be like when Jesus returns). This creation today will be no more for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away to be replaced by a new heaven and a new earth (verse 1). The sea was no more (verse 1) as well - everything represented by the sea has now vanished: the chaos and wickedness brought on by the beast of Revelation that arose from the sea and the self-centred greed of merchants with their trade. What takes place instead is the comfort offered in verse 4 where there will be no more tears, death, mourning, crying nor pain.

The Babylon and great prostitute described in previous chapters will cease to exist as well. Babylon (the symbol of man's wickedness) was described as the great city but in chapter 21, it is now contrasted with the great city of the new Jerusalem. It is a holy city that is coming down out of heaven from God (verse 2). In the same verse, the great prostitute is also now contrasted with the bride adorned for her husband.

Not only is wickedness and suffering extinct, the construction of this new Jerusalem is nothing short of awesome. It is strategically located on a great, high mountain (verse 10) i.e. Zion, that all nations may see the glory of this city. Verses 12-16 illustrate the majestic structure of this city while verses 18-21 describe the numerous precious materials used to build and adorn the new Jerusalem. It is also a giver of life and light. The spring of water of life in verse 6 should remind us of the living water that Jesus referred to in the four gospels. The city shines with such radiance (verse 11) that there is no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb (verse 23). Such bright glory draws everyone including the nations and kings to it (verse 24). The city is so secure that there is no need to ever shut the gates by day, and there will be no night there either (verse 25).

What matters more though is the very presence of God Himself with His people in this new Jerusalem. Verse 3 tells us that the dwelling place of God is with man. There is no physical temple or tabernacle anymore - that was just a symbol for the reality revealed in God and the Lamb. This same verse also echoes God's new convenant made in Jeremiah 31 where He declared that "I will be their God, and they shall be my people". We belong to Him. We are not just in the city - we ARE the city. Heaven reflects the perfect relationship between God and us. It is by His action and not of our own works. Just as how verse 10 has clearly pointed out that the new Jerusalem is coming down out of heaven from God, it contrasts the story of Babel where the people tried to build their way up to heaven. Everything we do here on earth is "Babel" in the end. We cannot bring heaven into earth - only God can. That is why it is God who will wipe away every tear in verse 4. It is God who declares in verse 5 that "I am making all things new". It is God who rejoices in verse 5 saying, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end".

It is all God.

A word of caution though. While we have been focusing so intently on the city and what is in it, let us not forget what lies outside the city. Verse 27 tells us that nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false. These people are those referred in verse 8: the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars. In other words, none of mankind actually deserves to be in the city, if not for Christ's saving grace. Those who do not turn to Christ will unfortunately face the same ending as Satan himself in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death (verse 8).

Here comes the revolution in the question of heaven itself. If we return to the very first question I posed earlier, did we have the right mindset of what heaven is when we were choosing which city will best resemble it? Just as how Copernicus revolutionized the idea that it was earth that revolves around the sun (and not the other way around), similarly heaven does not revolve around us (what we like or dislike) but around God Himself. Consequentially, where do we see ourselves in eternity? The question is not where we are living here on earth itself but where we will be spending eternity in. Verse 6 explains that we do not pay our way into heaven but access is given to only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life (verse 27).

In conclusion, this view of heaven should shape the way we live our lives now. Look far ahead into the vision of heaven and go into the straight and narrow path. Verse 5 confesses that these words are trustworthy and true and it is high time we heed God's Word as we seek to be the people He has called us to be...

Revelation 19:11-20:15 ~ The Millennium

2010-09-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

The account of Satan's binding for a thousand years recorded in Revelation 20 has created several controversies regarding this millennium. Essentially, Christians believe 1 of 3 different views: pre-millennialism (Christ's second coming before this period of a thousand years), post-millennialism (second coming after the millennium), and amillennialism (the thousand years being a symbolic number and identical with the current church age).

To help us deal with such controversies, the millennium needs to be viewed in context. The two battles described in Revelation 19 and 20 are essentially two visions of the same event i.e. not two different battles but two perspectives of the one same battle. The visions in Revelation are not recorded in a chronological sequence of how the events will eventually play out in reality as we can see how this one same battle has been previously mentioned before in other chapters including Revelation 16 and 17. The thousand years where Satan is bound and saints reign and the time after when Satan is released to deceive the nations happen concurrently now (Christians are still victoriously spreading the gospel while opposition still remains) - it is an overlap of the ages, hence, lending a little more credibility to the amillennialistic view. The rest of Revelation 20 describes the final judgment, which echoes the vision in Daniel 7.

That said, are we sometimes too distracted by the question as to which millennialistic view is the correct one? Perhaps Pastor Joshua's "new" idea of pan-millennialism holds more water - whichever view one believes is of little consequence and what matters more is the bigger picture of judgment itself. The vision of Satan being bound for a thousand years is a symbol of the delay of the judgment to come. In previous talks, we have seen the cosmic battle brought on by the dragon beast, the false prophet and the prostitute. Jesus rides in on a war-horse and brings justice at last. He mops up the mess sinful humans have created: His enemies are destroyed by the fire they deserved while the martyrs are vindicated. Everyone will be held accountable.

But what is the criterion of this judgment? Nothing but the blood of Jesus that saves! His sacrifice on the cross is the basis of our salvation while our faith in Him is merely the instrument...

On that final day, will you be able to stand before God, confident that your name is victoriously written in the Book of Life as you believe in the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice alone?

Revelation 17:1-19:10 ~ The Prostitute, the Beast ... & the Lamb

2010-09-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

With the Leviticus series wrapped up, we resume our series on Revelation. Chapters 17-19 contrast the marriage of the Lamb with the prostitution by the great prostitute. Marriage and prostitution are similar in terms of the union involved being an expression of a sexual relationship. While marriage is a good gift from God, it differs from "cheap" prostitution that is the moral distortion of this good gift.

How does Revelation describe this great prostitute? Revelation 17:4 observes her seduction and passion - this is a prostitute who adorns herself with expensive, attractive dresses. While the golden cup she holds may seem attractive externally, the interior is nothing short of ugly for it is full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. She is seated on many waters (Revelation 17:1) where there are peoples and mutitudes and nations and languages (Revelation 1:15) - this covers an international scope involving both kings of the earth and dwellers on earth (Revelation 17:2), where the dwellers on earth are those whose names have not been written in the book of life (Revelation 17:8). Her clients have become drunk (Revelation 17:2, 18:3), losing all sense of good judgment. Revelation 18:7 also reveals the prostitute's pride as she glorified herself and lived in luxury - she boasts, "I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see". The beast that carries her is a picture of power and authority (Revelation 17:13).

Who then is this great prostitute? Revelation 17:5 identifies a name of mystery: Babylon. Babylon is set on the same land as Babel, which is described more extensively in Genesis 11:1-9. It is a symbol of human power and authority as people want to make a name for themselves and have security by staying put in a single place. By extension, the great prostitute does not just refer to Babylon solely but is a symbol of the love of money and riches as well as power and authority. While she boasts, thinking she would never fall (Revelation 18:7), we have seen God's judgment in her destruction throughout history, from the fall of Babylon to the ruins of the Roman empire and even the September 11th tragedy of USA's World Trade Centre. Passages like Matthew 6:19-24 and 1 John 2:15-17 warn us that we cannot serve God and money at the same time and to not love the world or the things in the world for these will perish and do not last unlike laying up treasures in heaven.

It is then a welcome change as we read about the contrasting marriage of the Lamb. It is a long-awaited event as Paul pointed out how the church is betrothed to Christ and presented as a pure virgin, culminating in the two becoming one flesh (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:31-32). This marriage has finally arrived as the Lamb will conquer the great prostitute and her beast (Revelation 17:14). The Bride has made herself ready and is clothed with fine linen (i.e. the righteous deeds of the saints), bright and pure (as opposed to the prostitute's scarlet linen) (Revelation 19:7-8). Christians are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

Given such significant contrast between the marriage and prostitution, it is high time for everyone to heed the call in Revelation 18:4: "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues". Practical implications of these include using God-given resources such as time, abilities, and assets with 'Jesus and the future' in mind rather than the self-centred approach that focuses on the 'prostitute and now'. Truly we can rejoice at the fall of the prostitute described in Revelation 19:1-2 and desire God's honour and the justice that comes. Let it be known that these are the true words of God (Revelation 19:9) for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).

Will you heed the call in Revelation 18:4?

Easy A

2010-09-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

A rumour that begins innocently enough can easily spin way out of control, especially when the setting is your typical American high school. And that's precisely what Olive faces when she faked losing her virginity to help a gay classmate gain acceptance from his peers. Other male schoolmates soon heard about Olive's "kindness" and begin soliciting her assistance that they too may gain popularity. It isn't long before Olive gets labelled as the school whore and adulterer. What happens next is... well, I shouldn't be spoiling it for you, should I?

Thanks to Contagious Network, I caught the preview screening of Easy A with Evelyn. A light-hearted comedy, Easy A takes on a slightly different plot from your usual romcoms with the added bonus of a popular cast line-up. Just a note though that the supposed "Christian" students portrayed in the movie aren't exactly that "Christian" as they portray the "holier than thou" personality (a common misconstrued stereotype) - Christians, of all people, should understand that they are just as sinful as anyone else and the only way they are supposedly "holier" is solely based on Christ's saving grace which sets them apart for God (the word "holy" simply means "set apart" and not necessarily "being goodie-goodie"). I just pray that the non-Christian viewers wouldn't leave with a negative impression and that those who are Christian will learn to apply from His Wisdom not to act or behave like the "Christian" students in the movie...

Overall, I'll give Easy A a 7/10. Here's the trailer to "seduce" you to an "affair" at the theatres... ;)

Leviticus 23-27 ~ Let's Party!

2010-08-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

This last section in Leviticus looks at the different feasts celebrated by the Israelites such as the Passover (a reminder of the plague in Egypt to rebuke Pharaoh), Feast of Unleavened Bread (to remember the hasty escape from Egypt), Feast of Firstfruits (how God has rescued them to the land of plenty), Feast of Weeks (another agricultural gratitude for the first harvest), Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Booths (an appreciation of God's rescuing them out of Egypt).

Colossians 2:16-17 tells us to let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath for these are a shadow of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Ultimately, Jesus is the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).

But what about the Sabbath? Do we still need to observe it? While Colossians 2:16-17 has made it clear that it is not to be made legalistic, Deuteronomy 5:15 informs us that the Sabbath day serves to remind us of God's rescue work while Exodus 20:10-11 and Exodus 23:12 encourage us to be like God, in taking rest that we may be refreshed.

Feasts and festivals aside, some of the Levitical rules mentioned are still noteworthy. For instance, the act of blaspheming contravenes the Lord's prayer opening line of "hallowed be Your name". The "eye for an eye" rule was in place to minimize retribution and revenge but not a strict order to retaliate. Instead, Matthew 5:38-42 teaches us not to exact revenge but to do good. Leviticus also goes on to teach us to deal kindly with the poor in Leviticus 25:23-28 and Leviticus 25:35-37.

Blessings for obedience are also discussed in Leviticus 26. It is an encouragement in light that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). On the other hand, disobedience deserves punishment. That said, such disciplining serves for our own good that we may share in His holiness as portrayed in Hebrews 12:7-11.

We are also commanded to keep the vows we make, especially those with God, in Leviticus 27. Matthew 5:33-37 discourages us from swearing falsely or even taking an oath at all but simply let our 'yes' be a 'yes' and likewise, a 'no' a 'no'.

At the end of the day, we still have much cause to rejoice in His holiness and in what Christ has accomplished on the cross. Praise the Lord indeed for His goodness!

Ps. Heartiest congratulations go out too to a dear brother David and a dear sister Mandy who exchanged wedding vows today and graciously invited me to share in the joy of witnessing their union before God... ^_^

Leviticus 17-22 ~ Be Holy For I Am Holy

2010-08-22T02:45:00.000-07:00

Leviticus 19:2 spells out the main theme for this section of this book: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. It is this theme that gives us the big picture motivation for our living: translating our faith in God's salvation in Jesus into love, which fulfills all laws. Essentially in principle, there is no need for us to follow the laws that have explicitly been claimed as outdated by the apostles e.g. food laws, priests and sacrifices, etc. but we should still follow those that are still repeatedly instructed by the apostles in the New Testament. Some of the Levitical laws mentioned in chapters 17 to 22 cover the following grounds:

Worshiping other gods: To safeguard the Israelites from sacrificing to the demons, they were instructed to present their offering to the priest instead. Today, we're still instructed to flee from idolatry.
Eating blood: Blood symbolizes life and the atonement for our sin, hence, why the act of eating blood was forbidden.
Forbidden sexual and marriage relations: Having relations with close relatives, committing adultery and practising homosexuality are improper acts for God's holy people.
Parents and children: Children are instructed to honour their parents and not curse them. Parents, on the other hand, are not to offer their child up for prostitution or child sacrifice, and neither are they to exasperate their children.
Love thy neighbour: Love after orphans and widows. Do not withhold wages of hired hands or oppress the disabled nor do injustice in court.
Mixing two kinds: This reinforces the idea of keeping things distinct. 1 Peter 3:3-4 tells us that it's not the outward clothing (e.g. two different types of fibres) but the inner beauty that matters more.
Tattoos etc.: These were prohibited as narratives such as 1 Kings 18:27-28 tell us that these are paganistic rituals performed to gain Baal's protection.
Priest's marriage partner, children and food: Church leaders are to marry women of respect and be able to manage God's church (how can they do so if they can't even manage their own household?). 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 also explains that those who preach the gospel should receive living from the gospel.
Freewill offering: We are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2) and to offer a sacrifice of praise as we do good and share with others (Hebrews 13:11-16)

It is through these Levitical laws that we are reminded to be distinctive and not to mix the holy with the unholy. The call for holiness is not to be compartmentalized (e.g. restricted to just Friday Bible studies or Sunday services) but should be one we heed to all of life. We need to live as how He calls us to live, because He is our God, and not because of anyone else. So brothers and sisters, let us be holy for He is holy...

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

2010-08-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Contagious Network, I've had the privilege to watch an exclusive preview screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World recently with Xin Hui. We had a lovely Spanish tapas dinner complete with full-bodied sangria and churros dessert to make it a fun night out. The movie itself was great fun in terms of the cool video games effect - that aside, both Xin and I rated the movie as average, though adding a little more depth to the movie might have made it better. If you have a free night and just want to catch a movie that doesn't cause you to rack your brains out too much like Inception, then SPVTW might just be the one for you if you're into comedies directed by the same director of Hot Fuzz or Shaun of the Dead. Curious? Here's a trailer as a sneak preview:

Leviticus 16 ~ Total Cleansing

2010-08-21T23:35:00.000-07:00

Leviticus 16 paints a shadow of what the day of atonement signifies. Aaron was instructed not to enter the Holy Place whenever he pleased so that he may not die as God will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat (verse 2). And only he, the high priest, had the authority to perform the sacrifice. This sacrifice was performed so as to make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins (verse 16).

Such a violent death and blood spill are necessary for full atonement: the goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness (verse 22), for on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you (verse 30), that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins (verse 34). And indeed, in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin every year (Hebrews 10:3).

The point that God is holy, that man is sinful, and that sacrifice is needed for atonement shows us that the sacrifices in the Old Testament is an ineffectual shadow that points towards reality in the true sacrifice, for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). And this true sacrifice is none other than the real cleansing provided by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for our sins - we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:10). Hebrews 10:19-22 goes on to tell us that we have confidence by the new and living way paved by the great priest, Christ Himself, who is the reason for our full assurance that we are now clean.

Thank you, Lord, for cleansing us from our sins, once for all...

Leviticus 8-15 ~ Unclean Before God

2010-08-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

This second talk in the Leviticus series discusses some of the ways Israelites could make themselves unclean: by eating unclean animals or food (Leviticus 11), in childbirth (Leviticus 12), with leprosy or skin disease (Leviticus 13 and 14), or with bodily discharges such as semen, menses or ongoing bleeding (Leviticus 15). What is the significance of such uncleanness? Leviticus 11:44 tells us that God is holy. He dwells within the sanctuary, in the middle of the tent. If one is unclean, he or she is to abstain from coming into the sanctuary (Leviticus 12:4) and dwell outside the camp (Leviticus 13:46). Also, Leviticus 15 illustrates the idea of spread and contamination (both first and second degree). It then falls onto the priests to be the ones to pronounce one as "clean" or "unclean" (Leviticus 13), and performing sacrifices on behalf of the "unclean" (Leviticus 14). Clothed in special garments and performing special ceremonies (Leviticus 8), priests were consecrated (considered holier than others), represented God's people to God, and acted as mediators.

Mark 1:40-44 records Jesus cleansing a leper. It demonstrates that cleanliness is about being able to be in relationship with God. Another healing account is also recorded in Mark 5:24-34 where a woman with a blood flow of 12 years was healed when she touched Jesus' garments. Instead of making Jesus unclean, the reverse happened. This illustrates the faith that Jesus can make one clean to approach God.

Mark 7 goes on to show that all foods are clean. All the rules in Old Testament do not matter anymore much less the extra ones created by the Pharisees and Jews. The rules outlined in Leviticus are there to teach us about God's holiness and that an unclean person cannot come before God. Jesus taught in Mark 7 that it is not the external material (e.g. food) that makes one unclean but what comes out of a person is what defiles him (Mark 7:20). The following two verses in Mark 7:21-22 list all the anti-social characteristics originating from our heart that may defile us.

These are sins that go beyond that of Aaron and his sons (the Old Testament priests). Even Nadab and Abihu (two of Aaron's sons) have failed when they offered unauthorized fire in Leviticus 10. Leviticus 9:7 shows that Aaron was not exempt from having to make atonement for himself either - he was not the perfect priest.

That said, we now have the perfect priest in Jesus Christ. Because He lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood and He is also able to save completely (Hebrews 7:23-28). How He has cleansed us that we may no longer be unclean before God!

Leviticus 1-7 ~ Sweet Smell of Sacrifice

2010-08-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday saw the start of Pastor Josh's series on Leviticus. The sin offering, Jewish sacrifices of the Old Testament, were always performed in the same location (i.e. the Tent of Meeting) and involved everyone (including the priest, the whole congregation, and the average Israelite) as a means of atonement for sin, whether unintentionally (e.g. touching an unclean thing in Leviticus 5:2) or intentionally (e.g. deceiving / oppressing neighbour or finding a lost item and lying about it in Leviticus 6:1-3). Such sins have the effect of making one unclean and subsequently defiling the Tent of Meeting, hence, why the sacrifices were performed in the Tent of Meeting. Josh gave the analogy of someone stepping on dog poo (making oneself unclean) and getting into the car following that, subsequently making the car unclean (defiling the Tent of Meeting when the sinner enters it).

The book of Leviticus records many different types of offering including the grain offering (a reminder of the covenant with God with the need of adding salt), peace offering (restoring fellowship and relationship, especially with God), and guilt offering (as reparation for the damage in our relationship with God, caused by our sin). Essentially, all these different types of offering have one common purpose: atonement. Leviticus 16:16 tells us that it deals with out uncleanliness and sin, which separates man from God. Sacrifices make us clean again so that we can come to God as it gives us forgiveness.

There are 4 main elements of sacrifice:

It is costly (e.g. from one's own flock or herd in Leviticus 1:2).
It has to be unblemished (i.e. no fault).
It has to be a sacrifice that identifies with you (e.g. the sacrificer has to lay his hand on the head of the animal before the sacrifice i.e. the sacrifice becomes our representative or association).
It involves a violent, brutal and bloody death (because our sin deserves death).

Leviticus is actually just the "visual aid" for the "real thing": the sacrifice of Jesus. He is an unblemished sacrifice who is "clean" (i.e. no sin or faultless). Ephesians 5:2 tells us that Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. The phrase "for us" emphasizes that Jesus became our substitute and representative and died on our behalf in our place so that God can be pleased to forgive and accept us. 2 Timothy 3:15 goes on to say how from infancy you have known the holy Scripture, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus - this Scripture tells us that God is holy, that man is sinful and unclean, and that the sacrifice is necessary that we may come back to Him. Compared to the offerings of pagan or Asian religions, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is different as this sacrifice is given to us by God, as God doesn't need the food / offering (unlike how some of us Asians may attempt to offer something that we believe our dead ancestors need), and as God is not an unpredictable God. This last point is further evidenced by Romans 3:25 that tells us that God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance, he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.

Thank you, Jesus, for being the perfect sacrifice for our sins...

Psalm 73 ~ God is My Strength and Portion Forever

2010-07-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

This psalm of Asaph (King David's chief musician) initially reflects the psalmist's envy of the prosperous wicked, which nearly stumbled him. The psalmist believes that he has acted righteously in vain as he cannot understand why the wicked are prospering instead. It is only until he went into the sanctuary of God (i.e. God's Word) that he begins to understand that the wicked will eventually be destroyed and perish. The psalmist also comes to realize that he is not as righteous as he first perceived himself to be - he repents of his old ways where he had rebelled against God like a brutish and ignorant beast. Knowing that God is his one true desire who guides him with His counsel and afterward will receive him to glory, the psalmist concludes that it is good to be near God, whom he has made his refuge and the strength of his heart and his portion forever...

Will you make God your strength and portion forever?

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18 ~ Against Idleness

2010-07-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

This last chapter of Paul's second epistle to the Thessalonians begins with Paul asking for prayer as they suffer persecution from the Jews whilst expressing his confidence in them obeying his command (verses 1-4). This is an intelligent lead-in to verse 6 onwards, which describes this command that Paul expects them to obey. He further explains the authority behind this command in the expression of "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (verse 6).

So, what is this command? From verses 6 to 15, we see Paul asking the Thessalonians to keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and let him not eat. These idlers are instead encouraged to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Such an idler is to be taken note of that others may have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. The term "brother" used in verses 6 and 15 shows the identity of this idler as a fellow believer. Idleness is defined as walking not in accord with the tradition received (verse 6), not willing to work (verse 10), or not busy at work, but busybodies (verse 11).

Paul's reasoning behind this command is so that the idler may be ashamed (verse 14). This is to help the idler repent. The idea is similar to that of Paul's instruction to the Corinthians to deliver the sexually immoral to Satan for destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:5). Such excommunication from the church is actually a form of love to help the idlers (or sexually immoral) understand that they have been sinning and so repent. This also serves other purposes such as not destroying others' good works (e.g. feeding the poor rather than financially supporting an idle brother who is not willing to work), discarding a poor example to the rest of the church, removing bad testimony to outsiders, and deterring others from idling.

That said, we need to first examine ourselves first before examining others. As Matthew 7:1-5 points out, we need to first take the log out of our own eye before we take the speck out of our brother's eye. We need to understand that behind our intentions and actions in rebuking others is the underlying great commandment of love and not self-righteousness...

Ps. If you ever see a speck in my eye, will you please show your love towards me by taking it out? ;)

MYC 2010: Holy Spirit - God in Us

2010-07-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

This year's Mid Year Conference (MYC) at Merroo Christian Conference Centre was an absolute blast. We explored God's Word to better understand an often-debated topic: the Holy Spirit. We certainly learnt a lot (and left with more questions!) from Genesis to Revelation over the 5 days of seminars, Bible studies, talks, electives and fellowship with over 500 other brothers and sisters-in-Christ. Here are just a few points learnt over those five amazing days of MYC:

Seminars

The Spirit is the paraclete who works in us and convicts us of our sin and dwells in us when we become Christians i.e. the Spirit and gospel work hand-in-hand
Living by the Spirit involves putting to death things of the flesh and suffering first before sharing in His glory as we become children of God by the Spirit of adoption and co-heirs with Christ
All laws are ultimately fulfilled in one word: love

Bible Studies (Colossians)

Paul expounds the gospel of Christ to the Colossians as a basis for them to renounce self-made religion and earthly things but to instead seek things from above, put on love, and to stand firm in the gospel
Further exploration of Paul's accompanying letter to the Ephesians reveals that the mystery of gospel is that Gentiles are now included as fellow heirs in Christ through the gospel
God's Spirit is in man - we can lead a new life with a new God-centred heart

Talks

Jesus Christ is God's exalted Messiah who is the Spirit-empowered King, prophet and servant - He is how we are to be born of water and Spirit
The Bible has dual authorship: God has written His Scripture through His apostles who are inspired by the Spirit
Subsequently, it is also the Spirit who provides illumination for the understanding of the Scripture, which would otherwise appear as words of folly for we have a spiritual disability (hardness of heart, blind eyes, ears that fail to hear, darkened eyes of the heart), which is both the expression and punishment of our sin
In Christ, we have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places - we need to understand that suffering comes before glory and there is contentment in waiting for the hope to come, hence the need to beware of spiritual experience traps where we may begin to try and manufacture the experience (e.g. speaking in tongues), interpret the experience incorrectly, or give the experience too much authority (when the ultimate authority lies in the Scripture)
By God's grace, He has given us all gifts for the common good - the list of individual gifts is endless and should not be our main focus but rather be the means of unification for His whole church as we ask, "What does the body need?" instead of "What are my gifts?"
Every Christian has been equipped by God to serve so we should not be self-centred in our thinking i.e. "I have nothing/everything to offer..."
The most excellent way to use gifts is love with the goal of edification and building one another up to maturity in Christ
We need to exercise prophetic enthusiasm in communicating the Scripture to others but also prophetic reluctance in claiming to speak God's Word beyond the Scripture
Participation in the Spirit (or fellowship of the Holy Spirit) allows us an intimate connection with both Father and Son as we participate in God's promises because the Servant King fulfilled the promises and now pours out His Spirit on us - we are then encouraged to emulate and glorify Christ (just as how the Spirit glorifies not Himself but Christ)
Suffering comes before glory - we are all united in suffering now but we will also be united with Jesus in glory in the future

As mentioned, this is just a "quick list" of concepts covered (when there is actually so much more than meets the eye). Felt like you've missed out by not attending this year's MYC? Fret not, as MYC will be back again next year with a fresh new other topic from 11th to 15th July, 2011 - mark these dates down in your calendar!! ;)

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 ~ All You Need to Stand Firm

2010-07-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 provides a "toolbox for comfort" for Christians to stand firm. Verses 13-14 give us the four main "tools" in this "toolbox":

The love and election of God: God chose us as the firstfruits to be saved as we are beloved by the Lord
Sanctification by the Holy Spirit: Jesus' blood washes us of our sins; we are set apart from the unbelievers (in terms of relationships, attitudes and responses); we are bound together with other believers for an exclusive relationship with God
Belief in the truth: where God is behind it all
Sharing in the glory of Jesus: as we are called through the gospel

Given such invaluable "tools", it is no wonder Paul urged the Thessalonians (and us!) to stand firm in verse 15 and hold fast to the gospel preached by the apostles. This second chapter is beautifully concluded on a note of prayer for comfort, hope and action as Paul prayed that the readers may be established in every good work and word (verse 17), just as how this section is joyfully opened with a word of thanks to God (verse 13) that we may not forget to be grateful for what God has done and provided us with...

Psalm 51 ~ Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

2010-07-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

Psalm 51 is a psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba - the account of the incident is recorded in 2 Samuel 11-12. It is David's plea to God for mercy and forgiveness that he may be cleansed from his sin. The basis for his plea is solely God's steadfast love and abundant mercy. While 2 Samuel 11-12 may indicate several sins such as adultery, murder and irresponsibility (in not fulfilling the king's duty of going into battle), David recognized that ultimately these are all just subsets of one singular sin: despising God's Word. Similarly, while some may say that David has sinned against people like Uriah, David acknowledged that ultimately it is only against God that he has sinned.

David also realized that there was nothing he can offer in return for God's forgiveness, being the sinner that he was. He, however, responded that he would teach transgressors God's ways that sinners may return to Him. David was aware that God does not take delight in mere animal sacrifices or burnt offerings but seek that of those with a broken and contrite heart who are repentant of their evil ways.

A relevant passage in Hebrews 10:1-18 also discusses that with the Old Testament sacrifices came a reminder of sin every year. Christ, however, came into this world and abolished that by becoming the ultimate single offering for sin, once for all, who perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

How will you respond? Will you come to God with a contrite heart and acknowledge Christ who has come to save?

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 ~ Beware of Lawless Men

2010-07-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons Paul wrote a second letter to the Thessalonians was to clarify a rumour that the day of the Lord has come (verse 2). But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only (Matthew 24:36). As such, all predictions regarding the end of the world are merely false reports.

Paul went on further to point out that this day has yet to arrive unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction (verse 3). This man of lawlessness is a false Jesus who claims divinity as he opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or onject of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God (verse 4). This is supposed to be the honour belonging to the one true Jesus, and so, it is just when we read on in verse 8 that the Lord Jesus will kill the man of lawlessness with the breath of his mouth and bring him to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

This man of lawlessness is one empowered by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders (verse 9) - these are done to remind people of Jesus Christ, but it is no less than mere trickery as these signs and wonders are performed with all wicked deception (verse 10) that people may be taken away from the truth to follow Satan instead.

While there are many speculations out there as to who this man of lawlessness may be, we do not yet have sufficient information to accurately point out any individual. It suffices to say that the identity of this man of lawlessness is not the most important of matters but what is more crucial is the right response. Paul warned the Thessalonians (as well as us, the readers) to not be deceived while taking pleasure in unrighteousness but to instead love the truth and so be saved (verses 10-12).

The lesson here is to pick the right Jesus. There is no assurance of knowing what exactly will happen if we use the buffer of the appearance of the man of lawlessness before deciding whether to follow Christ. It could be that this individual may never appear at all during our lifetime here on earth. Our hearts may also be hardened to make any changes after waiting for a long period of time. And even if the man of lawlessness is to appear anytime soon, Paul forewarned us that his appearance will be accompanied by a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false (verse 11) - such deception may prevent us from following the right Jesus.

Whose team will you be on? The true Lord Jesus Christ? Or the false Jesus in the man of lawlessness?

Psalm 8 ~ How Majestic Is Your Name

2010-07-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

Psalm 8 depicts David's awe at God's majesty. He acknowledged God as creator of heaven and earth who is strong to defeat His enemies. What amazes David more is that such a powerful and majestic God should be mindful of a small, insignificant creation that is man himself - God crowned him with glory and honor and have given him dominion over His creation (verse 5). While this reflects the authority God gave man to rule over His creation since the days of Genesis, it bears even more significance when we later learn from other parts of the Bible that the son of man (verse 4) refers to Jesus Christ himself whom God has given an everlasting dominion and a kingdom that shall never be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14) - we are rulers of God's creation under Christ. It is no wonder that David should exclaim in verse 9: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 ~ Suffering and Perseverance: In God's Righteous Judgment

2010-07-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

In Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians, he acknowledged their suffering in the face of persecution by their own fellow countrymen who were envious of their turning away from Judaism. Their steadfastness and faith (verse 4) is the evidence of the righteous judgment of God that they may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God (verse 5). This evidence may confuse some but verses 11 and 12 paint us the background that God first called the Thessalonians into His Kingdom and they subsequently need to walk in God's way.

Andy (an MTSer) who preached last Sunday explained this concept using this illustration: Imagine a class of students which a boy (we shall call him Johnny) belong to. Every year, the Most Loving Student award is presented to a student in the class as deemed right by the teacher. This year, Johnny's teacher selected him to win the award (the prize was a ticket to the World Cup finals in South Africa). Now, Johnny did not ask to be selected - it was his teacher who saw him fit to win and go to South Africa. His classmates, however, were jealous and started hurling abuse at him while some bullied him physically. While Johnny had many opportunities to retaliate, he did not but endured patiently instead, thus proving that he was indeed worthy of the Most Loving Student award.

Similarly, it was God who first chose the Thessalonians to inherit His Kingdom. Their fellow countrymen, jealous of the entire situation, began persecuting and afflicting them. The Thessalonians showed their outwardly love and endured with steadfastness and faith, hence proving that they were indeed worthy of the kingdom of God (i.e. the evidence of the righteous judgment of God).

As Christians, how do we deal with the issue of persecution? Just as how the Thessalonians endured, knowing that God will one day provide justice (i.e. no more suffering for them while their persecutors will be judged), so should we. Romans 12:14-17 and Matthew 5:43-45 teach us to not repay evil with evil but to bless those who persecute us. We are to love our enemies and pray for them - not for them to receive justice, but to pray for their salvation.

That said, do we modern Christians in religion-tolerating Australia (and in many other parts of the world) face the same kind of persecution as the Thessalonians or Christians living in anti-Christianity countries like North Korea? No? Why not? Perhaps we are reluctant to step out of our comfort zone in being more zealous in our sharing of the gospel? Maybe we dare not cross over the line that borders casual chat from a serious Christianity-all-the-way-in-your-face discussion? Could it be that we fear we may offend others by telling them that Christianity is the right way and all other belief systems have gotten it wrong as we are threatened by the idea of subsequent restrained relationships?

This is where the rest of this first chapter in 2 Thessalonians come in: Verses 8 to 10 tell us that vengeance will be inflicted on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus as they suffer the punishment of eternal destruction. Is this not enough motivation for us to be more bold in telling others about Jesus that they may not face the consequences described in verses 8 to 10? Simultaneously, it also comforts both us and the Thessalonians that any persecution we/they may face is worth the suffering as the kingdom of God is at stake. If we/they should give up, there will be worse judgment to suffer in the future. Furthermore, it challenges us not to succumb to the pressure to live like the rest of the world in pursuing the things of this world or to remain in our comfort zones (being a slightly different form of threat to our faith).

Are you for the gospel? If yes, what are you doing about it?

Psalm 2 ~ The King of the Nations

2010-06-25T23:35:00.000-07:00

Psalm 2 is a psalm recited at a king's coronation ceremony. The first 6 verses are recited by the prophet who anoints the king. It tells of how the Gentiles plot to break the bonds between God and Israel and subsequently free themselves from Israel's rule, hence, acknowledging that God is the ultimate power behind Israel's authority over them. God, however, laughs and mocks them for He knows this will not happen, having set His King on Zion.

The next 3 verses are then recited by the incoming king who tells of the decree that he is of God who has promised rulership over all nations. Throughout Israel's history, we see that this has not been fulfilled, king after king, until the first coming of Jesus Christ, who is no doubt the true King of the nations.

Verse 10 is recited by the prophet again to warn all kings and rulers to be wise. The rest of the congregation at the coronation then voice out the last 2 verses as a reminder to serve the Lord with fear as those who do not follow His way will perish in His wrath, yet rejoicing, being assured that all who take refuge in Him will be blessed as He is the Lord's anointed.

Recognizing now that Jesus is the Lord's anointed and the King of the nations, how will you respond?

Revelation 15-16 ~ Armageddon

2010-06-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

Revelation 15 opens with seven last plagues indicating the very end of the world or judgment day itself. It starts when God's people celebrate the victory of conquering the beast by singing the song of Moses (similar to that in Exodus 15) and the song of the Lamb while playing the harp. Angels then carry out the plagues from the sanctuary and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished (Revelation 15:8) i.e. no one can enter heaven until judgment is complete.

These seven plagues are detailed in chapter 16. Similar to those that struck the Egyptians in Exodus, these plagues consist of sores; death; water turning into blood; fire and scorching heat; darkness, pain and sores; drought and unclean spirits like frogs; and earthquake and hailstones. And just as how the Egyptians were made the earlier targets, these seven plagues target people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image (Revelation 16:2), who have shed the blood of saints and prophets (Revelation 16:6) by persecuting them. It is a final plague and there is no escape as martyrs are avenged for to fulfill their call for judgment in Revelation 6. It is the final battle as the demonic spirits assemble kings of the whole world on this great day of God the Almighty, but those on the dragon's side are defeated and destroyed. Despite these agonizing plagues, verses 9, 10 and 21 tell us that they continued to curse God, unrepentant of their deeds.

This Armageddon is God's righteous anger demonstrating His power, justice and glory. Matthew 10:28 tells us to fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. This beckons the question: whose side will you be on? God's side with His saints who will no doubt win or the dragon's side? Remember what Revelation 16:15 and 2 Peter 3:10-12 warn us: the day of the Lord will come like a thief - we need to repent before then or it will all be too late. So as we wait for His coming, let us continue to be in lives of holiness and godliness.

This coming Sunday, we will be taking a short break from Revelation to explore 2 Thessalonians for the next 4 weeks before returning from winter break to continue our series on Revelation. Be sure to join us every Sunday at Keith Burrows Theatre, UNSW for FOCUS PM church service at 4.30PM! =)

Psalm 1 ~ The Blessed Man

2010-06-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Last Friday marked the start of IBF's series on the Psalms. We explored Psalm 1 that taught us the way of the righteous and the wicked. A godly person is one who does not follow the wicked in their acts but instead reflects constantly on the law of the Lord (referring to God's commandments), which he takes delight in by living out His Word. The streams of water in verse 3 symbolizes the law of the Lord that sustains this person as he grows spiritually and bears fruit unlike the wicked who will not stand but perish in the judgment like the chaff driven away by the wind.

Which way will you follow? The way of the righteous or that of the wicked?

Revelation 14 ~ A Tale of Two Wraths

2010-06-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

There are two kinds of contrasting wraths in this world. The first is an evil wrath, a form of sinful anger. It is malicious where we put others down to exalt ourselves. The second type is the righteous wrath. It constitutes retribution by paying back those who deserve it. We shall see how these two types of wrath are interspersed in Revelation 14.

The chapter opens with the picture of the Lamb standing on Mount Zion. Psalm 2:6 tells us that God has set His King on Zion, which is His holy hill - a similar image to that in Revelation 14. This is a vision of victory of the Lamb of God contrasting the earlier vision of defeat of the beast with its number "666". And this victory is shared by those who had been redeemed from the earth (Revelation 14:3) as opposed to those who dwell on the earth i.e. those who are not God's people (as previously illustrated in other parts of Revelation). The virgins in verse 4 are contrasted with sexual immorality in verse 8 - it is not merely the issue of physical sex being dealt with here but also seduction by the pagan ways of Babylon and the subsequent question about faithfulness to Christ (a similar idea of being presented as a pure virgin to Christ is introduced in 2 Corinthians 11:2).

Verses 6 to 13 bring forth messages from three angels of coming judgment. The first angel proclaims an eternal gospel to those who dwell on earth i.e. non-Christians. Every nation and tribe and language and people are told to fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come (Revelation 14:6-7). In line with Jeremiah 51:6-9, the second angel in verse 8 warns against worshiping materialism, consumerism and all that is mighty of man's power, riches and wealth (as symbolized by the paganism of the evil superpower of Babylon) but to instead worship the one true God. And keeping consistent with Jeremiah 25:15-16, the third angel tells us that those worshiping the beast will be judged as he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger and there is no rest for the wicked (Revelation 14:9-11). To summarize this three-point gospel message, it can simply be summed up like this:

God is Creator.
Whatever you trust in will fail you.
Judgment calls for the need to turn back to God.

Echoing the previous chapter, again the saints are called to endure and keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus (Revelation 14:12).

The second half of the chapter shows how one like a son of man (alluding to Jesus as also illustrated in Daniel 7:13-14) has been given authority (together with the help of the angels) to reap for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe (Revelation 14:15), to gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe (Revelation 14:18). This is the fulfillment of the vision of judgment played out in Joel 3:9-13. One can be sure that the awful picture of judgment as illustrated by the blood flowing from the winepress (Revelation 14:20) is not a pretty one.

Back again to the main tale of two wraths, we have seen evil wrath as portrayed by the dragon's wrath in Revelation 12. How then are we to respond as Christians? The Bible tells us to endure and to defend with the gospel, the blood of the Lamb, the truth. On the other hand, we have righteous wrath in God's wrath. There is zero tolerance of sin because of His holy nature. That said, He waits for the harvest to be fully ripe - He is slow to anger and patient to wait for the right time of judgment. So for those who are yet to be Christians, may I strongly urge you to consider the consequences of your actions if you are to continue rebelling against God? While the harvest is yet to be fully ripe, repent of your sins and turn to God for forgiveness instead before judgment day comes and it becomes too late...

Can't Take My Eyes Off You

2010-06-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

Two Fridays ago, IBF hosted an ACHOC (Asian Chicks Humbly Obeying Christ) seminar on lust and purity with the theme "Can't take my eyes off you". It was a good solid discussion with other sisters on what lust means, what the Bible says about it, and how we are dealing with the issue at hand.

By the end of the night, we unanimously agreed that lust does not equal sexual desire (which can be something good seeing that it is God-given). Rather, lust is the act or thought of seeking to entertain or fulfill sexual desire outside the context of marriage. Various Bible passages including (but not limited to) Matthew 5:27-30, Romans 1:18-25, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, Colossians 3:1-6, Ephesians 4:17-24 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-20 tell us that lusting is similar to committing adultery. It is a sinful nature that does not bring glory to God subsequent to rejecting God. Such a sin is a form of idolatry that causes the wrath of God and is punishable as those who sin against their own body will not inherit the Kingdom of God. The body is meant for the Lord as it is a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit within. We are not our own but have been bought with Christ's blood and as such, we are to glorify God in our body. Titus 2:11 motivates us further by saying that the grace of God teaches us to say no to ungodliness. Some of the measures we can take to help us not to satisfy lust is through God's Word and prayer, reading good Christian books on the topic, having an accountability partner (such as using programmes like the freely available Covenant Eyes), not putting ourself in a position that makes us vulnerable to the temptation of lust, bouncing our thoughts and reflection on our weak areas.

We also discussed on the general differences between men and women in terms of sexual desire. Here are some key points on the comparisons we made:

Men
- Sexual initiator
- Stimulated visually
- Excited to pursue
- Sexual desire is often more physical

Women
- Sexual responder
- Stimulated by touch
- Excited to be pursued
- Sexual desire if often rooted in emotional longings

We then discussed some of the ways we may be tempted to lust as women, what our brothers-in-Christ can do to help us not to lust, as well as what we can do as sisters in return to help our brothers and not cause them to stumble. We later convened in a different room with the brothers who had their AH-BENG (Asian Hunks Being Evangelical N Godly) seminar on the same topic and shared the things we have talked about as well as those last three points discussed above.

So dear brothers and sisters, let us help one another as we work on our godliness not to cause others to stumble nor be stumbled ourselves but always to reflect on Christ and follow His ways...

Revelation 13 ~ The Beast and 666

2010-06-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

Revelation 13 flows on from the battle fury of Revelation 12 and discusses about two beasts and the ever popular number "666". As we would have deduced by this stage, the book of Revelation is one filled with apocalyptic symbolism and it should not surprise that the number "666" is just a symbol for the beast (or you can argue that "6" is one number short of God's perfect number "7").

The first beast is a sea beast and its description of having ten horns and resembling a leopard, a bear and a lion paints the image of the four beasts described in Daniel 7. We learn from Daniel 7 that these four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth (Daniel 7:17) and the fourth beast shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time (Daniel 7:25). That said, we can be assured that this only lasted until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom (Daniel 7:23). Verse 2 and 4 shows us that it is the dragon i.e. Satan who gave these nations the power and authority. This sea beast, or "the government" as we have now come to deduce, even pretends to have the same power of resurrection as Jesus did when one of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast (Revelation 13:3). The people are caused to think of the government as God as they worshiped the dragon and the beast (Revelation 13:4). And as previously illustrated in Daniel 7, the beast was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them (Revelation 13:7) but here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints (Revelation 13:10) as they suffer persecution.

The second beast (the land beast) can be likened to a dragon in lamb's clothing (think of the analogy of the wolf in sheep's clothing). Verse 11 tells us that it had two horns like a lamb (a reference to Jesus in the previous chapters of Revelation i.e. it pretends to be the Saviour) and it spoke like a dragon (who tells lies, being the deceiver). The remaining second half of Revelation 13 goes on to describe this beast as false state religion i.e. not true Christianity. God rules the world in two ways via the State (through the sword) and via the Church (through His Word). It is when the religion comes to possess the sword that we need to be wary. The power of the government uses religion as its puppet. It even performs miraculous deceptions like imitating Elijah by making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people (Revelation 13:13) to make people worship the sea beast (i.e. the government), painting a most idolatrous image. Other parts of the Bible warn us of this as well. Matthew 7:22-23 says: On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'. Mark 13:21-22 warns: And then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. False christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. Similarly, Deuteronomy 13:1-3 says: If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

As Christians living in this world, are we willing to be persecuted for His name's sake? Or have we subjected ourselves to be domesticated by the authorities of this world? Revelation 13 is a call for endurance and faith as we suffer persecution. It is a call for wisdom to realize that state religion is human - it is not God but merely workings of man. It is an assurance as we can be comforted by the knowledge that the dragon is overthrown and he knows that he has been beaten. So let us live out our faith in Christ with all endurance and wisdom...

James 5:12-20 ~ Pray, Pray, Pray and Save

2010-06-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

The letter of James ends on a note of prayer. There is an emphasis of praying for the "sick". While some may interpret "sick" as physical illness, the original Greek translation tells us otherwise. "Sick" in verse 14 refers to astheneo i.e. "weak" while "sick" in verse 15 comes from kamno i.e. "weary". Seeing how astheneo is the negative form of the verb sthenoo ("to strengthen"), it is only appropriate to call the elders of the church to strengthen those who may be weak spiritually, in line with Paul's exhortation to those who are spiritual to restore those caught in transgression in a spirit of gentleness (Galatians 6:1). This applies similarly to those who are "sick" or weary - kamno appears only one other time in the Bible in Hebrews 12:3 - an image of those who are weary from the suffering and persecutions they undergo (flowing on from the same thought in the earlier section of James 5). Just as how we are to pray for those who are "sick", similarly we should also endeavour to bring back a sinner from his wandering that his soul may be saved from death as he comes to accept Christ as His Saviour and Lord.

Have you been praying lately? What are you praying for? And what are you actively doing for those things that you've prayed for?

Revelation 12 ~ The War in Heaven

2010-06-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

Revelation 12 paints a most vivid battle between a woman undergoing labour and a dragon. The images of being clothed with the sun, moon under her feet and crown of twelve stars (verse 1) echo Joseph's dream in Genesis 37:9-10: a sign that authority has been given to this woman, who symbolizes the nation of Israel or God's people (especially those of the Old Testament era). On the other hand, the dragon that creates strife is described in verse 3 as being red (colour of war, fighting and conflict) with seven heads (it pretends to be God by imitating completeness signified by the number '7') and ten horns (similar to the much-terrifying beast described in Daniel) - this is a destructive dragon who swept down a third of the stars of heaven (verse 4).

Verse 5 tells us that she gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, thus fulfilling the prophecy of a Messiah in Psalm 2. The woman fled into the wilderness (i.e. desert), where she has a place prepared by God (a reminder of the great Exodus), in which she is to be nourished (a reflection of the manna God sent down from above) for 1,260 days (another repetition of the idea of 'a time, times and half a time') (verse 6).

The next section from verses 7 to 12 depict the defeat of the dragon and his angels by Michael and his angels. Cross-references from Daniel and Jude verse 9 tell us that this dragon is none other that the deceitful serpent of a devil called Satan. Luke 10:17-18 demonstrated the power of our Lord Jesus Christ over the devil, who also saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Satan is conquered by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death (verse 11): the gospel message of Jesus Christ who was crucified for our sins saves. This act of God saving His people is further illustrated when the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent (verse 14), similar to how God has bore His people on eagles' wings to bring them to Himself in Exodus 19.

Just as how Ephesians 6 and 1 Peter 5 warn us to put on the armour of faith in resisting the devil, we can begin to understand that the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short (verse 12). The dragon's last days are days filled with attacks on Christians using its three weapons: persecutions, lies and accusations. 1 Peter 4:14 and Matthew 10:34-38 show us that persecutions can come in the form of insults as well as division in the family. The devil's lies began even in Genesis 3 with half-truths instigating God's people to claim self-government since God is trying to hold back something good (e.g. the forbidden fruit) and that there are no bad consequences, judgment or death. He also uses our sins to accuse us and make us unsure of our own salvation.

But fear not! We have our own courage to conquer this dragon and its weapons of attack. We need to embrace the truth that Jesus has come to be the King who conquers the devil by dying on the cross and will return one day to judge. We need to realize our identity as God's children. He has assured us of our salvation by the blood of the Lamb. We do not need to be alarmed but we certainly need to be alert of the devil's attack in these last days.

Let us put on our armour of faith in Christ!

James 4:13 - 5:6 ~ Boasting about Tomorrow and Warning to the Rich

2010-05-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

How many of us make plans for the future? I daresay, all of us. But how many of us acknowledge God's sovereignty in our plans?

The last segment of James 4 teaches us that planning without including God in the picture is a form of arrogant boasting. Such boasting is evil as one fails to understand that all things, including these future plans, happen according to God's will. Those who plan as such with a future profit in mind have also forgotten what James taught us in James 1:17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. This planner neglects to acknowledge that God is the source of all good things including the future profit that he has planned for - he is not to claim credit for whatever profit he makes and demonstrate self-centredness by so doing.

Chapter 5 continues on the theme of profit by warning the rich not to self-indulge at the expense of oppressing others. They are told that their earthly riches are not eternal and the irony of fattening oneself in a day of slaughter (James 5:5) points towards impending judgment.

How about us? How do we fare? Do we store up treasures for ourselves that do not last? Or do we lay our treasures in heaven as we seek the riches of His Kingdom first?

Streetdance 3D

2010-05-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

Acclaimed as the first 3D dance movie in the world, Streetdance 3D was a film that I very much anticipated to watch. And watch I did in a special preview screening several weeks ago before it opened in theatre recently. While the storyline is predictable (as most movies are today) except for perhaps a minor twist (minor coz some may not even regard that as a twist), that was not my main focus (though a movie's plot usually is for me) - I was there to see what difference 3D can make to a dance movie. Sadly, not much. But for a few added realistic effects, 3D or no 3D - it does not matter as much. 3D still works better for action and fantasy genres - 2D alone is sufficient for the dance genre. That said, Streetdance 3D still hosts some pretty well choreographed dances and boasts a cast who know what they're doing, slash that, dancing - featuring stars from Britain's Got Talent. The final verdict? Still a movie worth watching - if not for the plot or 3D effects, at least for the dance moves itself. I'm giving it a 7/10 overall...

Still curious? Here's the trailer for the movie:

Revelation 10-11 ~ Delay of the Seventh Trumpet

2010-05-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Revelation 10-11 finally reveals the seventh and last trumpet. As the seventh angel blew his trumpet, the twenty four elders worshiped the Lord God Almighty and the flashes of lightning and rumblings paint a similar picture of God's presence at Mount Sinai (Revelation 11:15-19). This is the final reign and judgment for destroying the destroyers of the earth (Revelation 11:18) but is delayed (for reasons that we will discuss later).

But even before this seventh trumpet was blown, we rewind back to the scenes of the little scroll in Revelation 10 and the two witnesses in Revelation 11. Contrasting the previously mentioned seven unbroken seals with this little scroll that is already open, comparisons can be made with the quote from Deuteronomy 29:29, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.". In other words, this scroll contained what is to be said and told. The instructions to eat it symbolizes the act of internalizing the contents of the scroll.

This is the Word of God.

The message of forgiveness that the gospel shares is sweet as honey (Revelations 10:9) but the words of lamentation and mourning and woe described in Ezekiel 2 makes it a bitter and hard-to-swallow message. It is only good news to those who respond to the gospel appropriately.

The scene of the two witnesses in Revelation 11 begins with the measurement of the temple of God and those who worship there i.e. God's people (Revelation 11:1). What the measurement here refers to is to know the details of and to care for that which is measured. As such, the court outside the temple (those not belonging to the spiritual temple i.e. those who are not God's people) is not measured but given over to the nations to be trampled (Revelation 11:2).

The idea of two witnesses was formerly introduced in Deuteronomy 19:15 where only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. This is also the reason why Jesus sent out his apostles in twos that should they be rejected, they may shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against those who rejected them i.e. a sign of condemnation to the coming judgment.

The two olive trees date back to Zechariah 4 where they refer to two particular people doing God's work: Joshua and Zerubbabel, while the two lampstands are representative of the church or God's people as alluded to previously in Revelation 1. We may teach God's Word but we can also expect others to reject or accuse us.

Revelation 11:3 reveals an interesting note of the two witnesses prophesying for 1260 days. This is equivalent to forty-two months (the same period of time that the court outside the temple will be given over to the nations to be trampled on in Revelation 11:2) or 3 1/2 years - similar to that predicted in Daniel 12 concerning a time, times and half a time, where times equals two times, making it a total of 3 1/2 times = 3 1/2 years!

Again, the two witnesses change identity when Revelation 11:6 demonstrates the powerful testimony via the very Word of God itself where they have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying (a reference to Elijah predicting a drought in 1 Kings 17-18, one that too lasted for 3 1/2 years), and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire (a reference to Moses inflicting upon the Egyptians the ten plagues in Exodus).

The remainder of the first half of Revelation 11 before the seventh trumpet is blown continues to paint a picture of persecution against these two witnesses by those who dwell on the earth (as in previous sermons, a reference to those who are not God's people), who will rejoice and make merry and exchange presents, gloating at the fall of the two witnesses. This, however, only lasted for 3 1/2 days when a breath of life from God entered the two witnesses, initiating a sequence of events that forced the rest to give glory to the God of heaven as great fear fell on them.

Returning in a full cycle onward to the seventh trumpet, we now analyze why this has been delayed. Revelation 10:7 tells us that it is delayed until the time when the mystery of God would be fulfilled. Ephesians 3 explains to us what this mystery is: Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. The delay of this final judgment then is to allow people to hear the message of the gospel and respond appropriately.

Question is: Have we responded to the gospel message appropriately and how are we faring in terms of sharing this message with others who have yet to hear it?

James 3:13 - 4:12 ~ The Christians in between God and the World

2010-05-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

The series on James continues with the issue of wisdom and worldliness. The second half of James 3 differentiates false wisdom from true wisdom. False wisdom is earthly while true wisdom comes down from above. The unspiritual and demonic characteristics of false wisdom is contrasted with that of true wisdom: pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reasons, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. As such, it is predictable that false wisdom produces jealousy, selfish ambition, disorder and every vile practice, while true wisdom sows a harvest of righteousness. Such wisdom and understanding is demonstrated in him who shows his works in the meekness of wisdom by his good conduct and in him who seeks to make peace.

James continues his letter by warning his readers against worldliness in chapter four. Due to passions, desire, covetousness and friendship with the world, quarrels, fights, murder, enmity with God, and adultery with the world happen. What should rather be happening is for God's people to ask correctly i.e. seek wisdom from above (relating back to James 1 and 3) and seek contentment and peace instead.

James goes on to explain how this can be done in verses 7-10. One should submit to God and resist the devil. He should draw near to God - Jesus has provided the access we need and the act of drawing near indicates the direction of submission to God. Rather than sinning, one should repent and cleanse his hands. Rather than being double-minded, one should purify his heart. He is also to be wretched, mourn and weep (mirroring the beatitudes and woes in the Sermon on the Mount). Humility is also a key element in submission itself that God's people may then be exalted, being rich in faith and co-heirs with Christ of God's Kingdom. One should also be wary about judging others for there is only one lawgiver and judge: God, who is able to save and destroy. Again, James is repeating himself here with what he has warned his readers previously in James 2.

Now equipped with the understanding of this passage, where do you see yourself standing? On God's side or with the world? Or perhaps a little double-mindedness as you shift to-and-fro between both sides? Which characteristics described in this passage do you identify best with, and is there a need to change? It's time we reflect the intentions of our hearts and seek His wisdom first...

Revelation 8-9 ~ The Trumpets of Heaven

2010-05-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

While the wall of Jericho came falling down after the 7 trumpet sounds (held by the 7 priests), we see a similar picture in Revelation 8-9 where the 7 trumpets are now held by the 7 angels. These 7 trumpet sounds occur simultaneously with the events revealed by the 7 seals (recorded in the prior chapters of Revelation). It is interesting to note that because of the prayers of the saints (Revelation 8:4), the response that followed was one of thunder, rumblings, lightning and earthquake (Revelation 8:5). A little more on this later...

Throughout the first six trumpet blasts, we see a sequence of attacks on creation. Hail and fire (Revelation 8:7) marks the general physical natural disasters happening around us while economic downhill takes place as ships were destroyed (Revelation 8:9). The "a third" references made throughout the passage symbolizes something significant. The turn of events in chapter 8 can be compared to that of the ten plagues recorded in the book of Exodus - and plagues show judgment on people...

The blast of the fifth trumpet unfolds an even worse plague of an army and battle imagery of locusts. These, however, are no ordinary locusts. They were told not to harm the grass or any green plant or any tree but were allowed to torment those who are not God's people yet not kill them (Revelation 9:4-5). The locusts are a metaphor for the things of this world that give people so much pain to the extent that they would rather seek death (Revelation 9:6). While Christians can similarly suffer, the pain experienced is different than that described here as 1 Thessalonians 4:13 comforts us that we do not grieve as others do who have no hope, but we have our hope in Jesus.

The sixth trumpet heralds the release of four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates (a border of evil that separates barbarians from the civilized world), who similarly killed those who did not belong to God by the plagues of the four horses and riders previously discussed in Revelation 6 (Revelation 9:13-19). The selective focus here is that those killed are not God's people.

A note that those killed (as well as those who were not) were destroyed because of their various sins such as idol worship, murders, sorceries, sexual immorality or thefts (Revelation 9:20-21). As we can see from the list, it begins with idol worship itself - putting trust in our own works and achievements rather than in God. The irony is that even the best idols cannot see or hear or walk (Revelation 9:20). It reveals the very nature of self-centredness rather than God-centredness. 1 John 2:15-17 warns us: Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions - is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with irs desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

This passage (as well as others) in Revelation shows us that all the plagues and tragedies that happen have multiple causation: nature, Satan, God (the idea of "given" and "allowed" in Revelation 8:2; 9:1, 5 and 13), sin (we all deserve judgment), and interestingly (as foreshadowed earlier), prayers of God's people. The infamous line of "hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come" from the Lord's Prayer should shed some light as to why this is one of the causes - it is a prayer that asks for God's justice to be revealed!

More importantly, are we heeding to the call of the warning trumpets? Or are we recalcitrant and unyielding to repentance? Friends, let us not be like those who did not repent of their sins. Instead, we should turn to God and ask Him for His forgiveness as we start a life anew in Christ.

Amen.

James 3:1-12 ~ Taming the Tongue

2010-05-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

The first half of James 3 sees the tongue as a small yet powerful member of the body that is able to curse with evil intent. The teachers of the faith have been warned that they will be judged with greater strictness (verse 1) as they should display exemplary character for those whom they teach to follow. Yet verse 2 tell us that despite this, many still stumble as no one is perfect. While the many analogies James put forth may at first glance point to the tongue being the member that controls the rest of the body, we need to remember that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34) and by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned (Matthew 12:37).

Just as how James questioned the logic to have a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water (verse 11), likewise it ought not to be so to have from the same mouth come blessing and cursing (verse 10). As we have learnt earlier that it is ultimately our heart or inner desires and intentions that shape the things we say (and think and do), our response should be one of repentance and a change of heart. We have the perfect man (verse 2) in Christ who models to us how we should align our desires to that of His will that we may grow in our godliness in thought, speech and action. Being sinful in nature, it is acknowledged that no human being can tame the tongue (verse 8) - it cannot be denied that we can still stumble but at the very least, we can still repent and seek to follow His ways.

Ephesians 1:5-6 ~ Adopted

2010-05-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

What does it mean to be adopted? WordNet by Princeton University defines adoption as a legal proceeding that creates a parent-child relation between persons not related by blood; the adopted child is entitled to all privileges belonging to a natural child of the adoptive parents (including the right to inherit).

Ephesians 1:5-6 talks about how we have been predestined for adoption through Jesus Christ. If we are the "child", who then is the "parent"? And into whose "family" are we adopted into? John 8 illustrates the example that if God is not our Father, then the devil is. It also says in Ephesians 2:3 that we were by nature children of wrath. But we also know that Jesus is the Son of God. Tying all these concepts together, we can deduce that while we once belonged to the devil, we are now adopted into God's family. He loves yet disciplines us as how a father should.

This new adoption now creates 3 main relationships: God as our Father, Christ as our brother, and other Christians as our brothers and sisters. The entry into such a family is only made possible because of Christ. As Ephesians 2:5 points out, even when we were dead in our trespasses, we have been saved by grace and made alive together with Christ.

How then are we to respond now that we have been adopted? To answer this question, we need to first understand the purpose of this adoption. Paul clarified this when he wrote to the Ephesians, telling them that they must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds (Ephesians 4:17). Instead, they are to be imitators of God, as beloved children (Ephesians 5:1).

How blessed are we then to be adopted and now belong to God's family! Let's live the new life we've been given by obeying Him as our Father and follow His ways...

Galatians 1 ~ The Fellowship of the Gospel

2010-05-09T03:45:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was a special Unichurches Together combined service. We looked at the 1st chapter of Paul's letter to the Galatians back in 50 AD (such as those in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra). While Paul usually starts his letters off with a greeting followed by thanksgiving, the stark difference here is Paul's expression of his astonishment at the Galatian's turning to a different gospel so quickly (verse 6) in place of the usual thanksgiving. This different gospel (verse 6) is not another gospel but rather a "gospel plus" where rules such as circumcision, food laws, works, and tongue-speaking are added on to distort the gospel of Christ (verse 7). The problem becomes apparent when the gospel of grace is destroyed as gospel plus is added to it.

The dangers of such false teaching is that it has the basic truth i.e. salvation through faith in Christ, BUT regulations are added in, making it seem that faith alone is insufficient. Such disparity threatens to ruin the commonality of the gospel and disunite Christian fellowship. Paul warns us to shun away from such teaching, even if he was the one to preach the false gospel (verse 8). The gospel truth remains as the one first heard by the Galatians as Paul originally preached to them, as recorded in Acts 13.

Paul acknowledges that this truth is not man's gospel (verse 11) but one received through a revelation of Jesus Christ (verse 12). The truth is not an easy one to swallow and will not please everyone, being the sinful beings that we are. The temptation to water down the hard truth so as to make the gospel more attractive and to draw more people to it is in common existence but we must never resort to it - people need to learn AND accept the entire gospel truth as it is.

As Christians, how then do we let our lives be changed by this truth about Jesus? In Paul's case, we see how he formerly persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it (verse 13) but turned 360 degrees when he was called to be set apart for God by preaching the faith he once tried to destroy (verse 23). Such is the kind of change that we need to adopt now that we have been saved and are now His stewards charged with the responsibility to share this true gospel with others that they too may call Jesus their personal Lord and Saviour.

Will you be the change?

James 2 ~ Dead or Alive?

2010-05-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

The second chapter of James covers 2 main issues: (a) the sin of partiality; and (b) faith without works is dead. Partiality is an act of irony for such transgressors who have been shown mercy by God in His salvation plan through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory (verse 1) are now instead judging others and not showing them mercy. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy and mercy triumphs over judgment (verse 13). We need to remember that we will one day be judged under the law of liberty and therefore, should speak and act as such (verse 12).

While verse 26 tells us that faith apart from works is dead, it does not refute that we are saved by grace through faith alone and not by our own works so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). What James is telling us instead is that because of this faith that we now have, we are to outwardly express it in our works, consistent with the desire to live a life imitating Christ. This is how faith becomes active along with works and is completed by works (verse 22).

So friends, is our faith dead or alive? Are we living out our faith in the way we think, speak and act? Or do our deeds (e.g. showing partiality) contradict what we believe in?

Let's strive to live our lives for Him! =)

Ephesians 1:3-4 ~ Chosen

2010-04-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

This week's service ran a little differently. As Josh was away, Charles (our other pastor) gave us a sermon on being Chosen. We were asked if Christians are more blessed than the non-Christians. And if we know how we can be blessed as Christians.

In Ephesians 1:3, bless appears 3 times, showing us that the one deserving praise is God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for He is the source of blessings who has blessed us in Christ and given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Jesus is referred to as our Lord, indicating His Kingship over us, and so, He rightfully deserves our praise and submission. The spiritual blessing in the heavenly places acknowledges that we are in relationship with God.

Verse 4 tells us that we are chosen before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. Being chosen by the blessed God is indeed a blessing itself! It informs us that our relationship with God is no longer dependent on our feelings or our performance, neither is it based on our circumstances. God's commitment to us is not a "Gen Y" kind of commitment like how we click "Maybe Attending" in our RSVP on a Facebook event page rather than a definite "Attending" or "Not Attending". His commitment is not "STABO" (Subject To A Better Offer) but one that began even before we came to our being. And all these that we may appear unblemished before Him because Christ first died and sanctified us!

Now, the question is no longer how we can be blessed but the realization of how we have already been blessed! What a privilege it is indeed for us to be chosen as Christians!

Thank you, Father, for choosing me despite the wretched sinner that I am...

James 1:19-27 ~ Hearing and Doing the Word

2010-04-24T23:55:00.000-07:00

The second half of James 1 extends on from the idea of the word of truth discussed about in James 1:18. In verses 19-27, we learn how we are to respond to this word of truth: to receive with meekness the implanted word (verse 21) and to be doers of the word, and not hearers only (verse 22). This doer (and hearer) of the word is also the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres (verse 25). Again, the idea of remaining steadfast during trials (as we have seen last week) is repeated here. The perfect law, the law of liberty refers to that of Jesus Christ who has died on the cross to free us from our bondage to sin - contrast this new law to the old Mosaic law where man's sinful nature makes it impossible to fully obey all ten commandments.

The use (or rather warning) of the tongue is also introduced in this first chapter (with more emphasis later in James 3). The reader is cautioned to be quick to hear but slow to speak, slow to anger (verse 19) and to bridle his tongue (verse 26).

The two main ideas of "doing the word" and "bridling the tongue" are interlinked in verses 26-27. Pure and undefiled religion (or rather the outward expression of our faith) as James pointed out is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. In the days of James, orphans and widows are the most neglected members of the society who have no one to fend for them or to rely on. What verse 27 is trying to teach us is to remember to care for those who are less fortunate or privileged than us i.e. those who are in need. Keeping oneself unstained from the world can be related back to the idea of resisting temptations (discussed last week) and also setting the right priorities in life with God first above all things including riches, which is consistent with the earlier teaching to care for the needy and also flows onto James 2 that opens with lessons on riches and partiality (more on that next week).

A few questions to reflect on then:

How do you put into practice the concept of hearing and doing the Word?
What have you done or can do to help the "orphans and widows" in our world today (starting from your own congregation)?
What are some of the things of this world that may potentially "stain" you and how do you avoid them?

The study on James continues next Friday in IBF as we begin exploring Chapter 2... ^_^

Revelation 6:1 - 8:1 ~ Breaking the Seven Seals

2010-04-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

This passage in Revelation looks at the opening of the seven seals by the Lamb. The first four seals reveal four horses of different colours and riders. The first is a white horse with its rider coming to conquer (verse 2). The second is a red horse signifying blood and strife (verse 4). The third is a black horse indicating famine (verse 5-6). The final horse is pale and is ridden by Death (verse 8). This sequence plays out history where dictators of the world are followed by war then famine and finally death. The horror of it all is that these horse riders were "given" (their crown, sword, authority, etc.) - someone is behind this series of events. It is horrendous to think that it IS God who has "given" but we need to acknowledge that this is part of His judgment on a sinful humanity.

The fifth seal reveals martyred souls questioning God how long more before they can be avenged. Consistent with Romans 12:19, it is all left to the wrath of God for it is His vengeance to repay. It is interesting to note that unlike some false teachings that promote nothing but blessings and prosperity, verse 11 tells us to expect that more Christians will be persecuted and killed.

The final judgment occurs with the opening of the sixth seal. It is noteworthy to see in verses 15-16 that these people including the dictators themselves would rather have the mountains and rocks fall upon them than to face the wrath of God for who can stand?

Chapter 7 opens with an interlude that no harm is to be done until the servants of our God are sealed on their foreheads (verse 3). The number 144,000 is symbolic of a great number i.e. a huge group. Once again, as formerly portrayed in previous chapters, victory is symbolized by the white robes and palm branches in verse 9. Contrasting with the idea of judgment in chapter 6, verse 10 introduces the concept of salvation. In verses 14-17, we see how the great tribulation revealed by the sixth seal is overcome by being washed white with the blood of the Lamb (i.e. the violent death of Christ). There is also a role reversal where the Lamb is now the shepherd who guides His people to springs of living water.

The seventh seal is finally broken in chapter 8. Contrasted with all the other "noises" from chapter 4 onwards such as weeping, singing, worshipping in loud voices, crying, etc., complete silence fills heaven for a good half hour.

So, after all seven seals have been broken, the question still remains: Who can stand? Seeing how it is the Lamb who is considered the only worthy one to break the seals and how it is His blood that sanctifies His people, the wrath of God is now rightfully the vengeance of the Lamb. Hence, those who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb i.e. Christians can now stand blameless and unblemished before God because of Christ's death on the cross.

To those who have yet to call Jesus their Lord and Saviour, may I encourage you to remember that the final judgment, death, is yet to be upon us, but will befall those who choose to reject the gift of eternal life, the gift of salvation, that He offers us by His amazing grace and loving mercy. There are only two ways to live: either you are for Him (and will so be promised the crown of life) or you are against Him (and will so be punished with death for your rebellion).

How will you live your life?

James 1:2-18 ~ Acting in Adversity

2010-04-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Looking at this first half of James chapter one, our group discussed that it was possible to further divide the passage into the following sections (with their corresponding themes):

v1: Greetings
v2-4: Steadfastness (idea repeated in James 5:7-12)
v5-8: Wisdom (James 3:13-18), Prayer (James 5:13-18)
v9-11: Humility (James 3:5, 14; 4:6, 10, 16), Riches (James 2:1-7; 5:1-6)
v12-15: Steadfastness, Temptations (James 4:2-4)
v16-18: Gifts from God (James 5:7-11)

This part of James focuses a lot on trials and temptations. How are we to respond correctly when met with trials? Verse 2 tells us to count it all joy (which may be linked with the promise of the crown of life in verse 12) while remaining steadfast (verses 3 and 12). We may also ask God if we lack wisdom (verse 5) to handle such trials.

A vast amount of God's character is also revealed in this passage. Verse 5 demonstrates how God is full of wisdom that He may give it generously. Verse 12 points out that He is faithful in keeping His promises and that He is a life-giver. The following line in verse 13 illustrates His holiness as He cannot be tempted with evil just like how He tempts no one. In verse 17, the gifts He gives are good and perfect and we also see that He is a Father of lights and is unchanging in character. His sovereignty is implied in the opening words of verse 18 and we see that He is the word, the truth, and also our creator.

Bearing in mind the ideas discussed in the above two paragraphs, we can be encouraged to persevere with patience when met with trials or suffering as our faithful, unchanging God who gives good gifts promises life to those who love Him and who stood the test.

And what an encouragement that is for us when acting in adversity! =)

Revelation 5 ~ The Roaring Lamb

2010-04-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

What makes you cry? Do you weep at the slightest thing or do you hold your fort? For a strong character like the Apostle John to weep, it must have been a really sad matter of no small importance. In Revelation 5:4, we see that John began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look into it. Also, this scroll is miraculously written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals (verse 1) - seven once again being the number of completeness. Clearly this is no ordinary scroll!

So what exactly is this scroll all about? Ezekiel 2:9-10 talks about a scroll of a book that similarly had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. Further on in Daniel 12:1-4, the time of the end is described as a time of trouble, and everyone whose name shall be found written in the book (which Daniel is instructed to seal) shall be delivered. This is a scroll of destiny, an outworking of human history resulting in a sad end of the world including the present times: war, famine, death - a sad reality of life itself. And it is jammed in the reality of the times now - no one can open it. Grim unyielding despair lies ahead...

But wait! There is someone, after all, who IS worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals - here is a list of His characteristics:

v5: Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered
v6: a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain
v9: by your blood you ransomed people for God

From these 3 verses and Old Testament references like Genesis 49:9-10, Isaiah 11 and Isaiah 53, as well as various New Testament passages, we know that this "someone" is none other than Jesus Christ! He is the one to whom they sang a new song in worship and who is considered worthy for you were slain (verse 9).

This is the turning point of all histories: Christ's death on the cross provides us salvation and redemption from our sins.

It then becomes a matter of inclusive exclusiveness. Inclusive as His blood has ransomed all. Exclusive as He is the only one worthy to open the scroll and hence, the only way by which we can be saved. It calls for our repentance as we turn to be a kingdom and priests to our God (verse 10) that others too may hear of His gospel as we share it with them, and if it's His will, be saved as well.

The series on Revelation continues this Sunday but don't forget our James Bible Studies series in IBF continues tonight! ;)

The Letter of James: An Overview

2010-04-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

We started our Bible Studies series on James last night. Instead of our usual approach, we adopted the "manuscript discovery" method. Do I see a big question mark flashing right next to your head? What "manuscript discovery" involves is pretty much getting an entire Bible passage "unadulterated" i.e. without the chapter numbers, without the verse numbers, without the title headings - in other words, the way the Word (or manuscript) is before anyone broke it down into chapters and verses. The "discovery" bit came in when we hunted for repeated words/phrases/ideas and attempted to break down the whole chunk into sections and give them relevant headings based on the concepts we understood from the passage.

So, what were some of the key ideas our group came up with as we did a quick overview of James using "manuscript discovery"?

Steadfastness and patience
Hearing the Word and being doers of the Word
Faith and works
Taming the tongue
Humility and submission
Judgment and partiality
Prayer

Next week onwards for 7 consecutive weeks, we'll be looking at James section by section. So if you're not already joining us, how about giving it a go as we share the joys of reading God's Word together? International Bible Fellowship (IBF) meets every Friday, 7PM, at Level 2 Squarehouse, UNSW - all are invited! Hope to see you there! ^_^

kNOw suffering, kNOw glory

2010-04-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's the theme of this year's FOCUS church camp: kNOw suffering, kNOw glory. It was a great 4 days 3 nights at Port Hacking Conference Centre. Studying God's Word, fellowshipping with other brothers and sisters-in-Christ, good food (both the physical food as well as the more important food for the soul: the Bible), great environment (in the middle of a wonderful national park with the bushes and beaches beckoning) - what more can one ask for from church camp?

For the Bible Studies sessions, we focused on Romans 8. It was really encouraging and reassuring to read how God has adopted us as His sons (wretched sinners as we are) that we may be co-heirs with Christ and be glorified with Him. But as Christians, we can expect suffering. After all, Christ suffered first when He was persecuted and crucified on the cross for our sins. Our suffering may vary from a simple teasing by a non-Christian friend to a death threat for what we believe in but patience and endurance are quintessential for we have a greater inheritance awaiting us in His Kingdom.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18)

So, stand firm in Him and persevere for the sake of the Gospel - it IS worth it.

She's Out Of My League (Review) + Vote for Jane to win $9000 private party!

2010-03-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Contagious Network, I had the privilege of watching a free preview screening of She's Out Of My League at Event Cinemas, George St last Thursday with Evelyn. This romantic comedy tells the story of airport security officer Kirk who meets "the perfect 10" Molly (who falls for Kirk) but lacks confidence in pursuing the relationship further as his friends pointed out that he is only "an average 5". I shall not post any spoilers here but it suffices to say that the entire cinema was constantly in stitches, laughing away. Apart from your usual dose of American cinematic vulgarity and several scenes that could have had better script written, I give this movie a thumbs up for solid effort and award it 6.5 stars...

Ok, I'll be a little more generous and round the figure up: 7 stars.

Still unsure if this movie is your cup of tea? Here's a video clip of the official trailer:

Also, do vote for me (JANE) at http://www.shesoutofmyleague.com/getyourrating.com.au/?dl=6ade4fd7969af1f506549e0c12bdf817 (my profile should be listed as the featured user if you follow the given link - click on my photo and vote by clicking "digg", thanks) so I stand the chance of winning an awesome private party valued at more than $9000 and invite you along to it! I'm currently ranked 2nd but I need to be top-ranked to win the party - no prizes for 2nd place... You can vote once per computer per day so do vote for me daily ya?

On another note, I'm looking forward to church camp this coming Easter weekend - my next blog post will probably be all about camp when I come back... Stay tuned! ;)

Revelation 4 ~ The Throne of the Universe

2010-03-29T01:15:00.000-07:00

The 4th chapter in the book of Revelation paints a scene of the heavenly throne (comparisons may be drawn from Ezekiel 1:22, 26-28). While one may be tempted to interpret all the descriptions word-for-word, we need to remember that the account recorded in Revelation 4 is one of symbolization, as illustrated by the numerous "had the appearance of" phrases.

Why can't John just tell us exactly what he saw instead of resorting to symbols? Pastor Joshua provided us with a good example. Imagine trying to explain what a phone is to someone living in the 1st century, with only words. Not that easy, is it? It isn't hard to imagine how that person will respond by asking many side questions like how it is possible to actually transmit sounds from one place to another, and that even before venturing into more complicated topics like the physics of sound waves! Similarly, we have yet to experience the vision of this throne in heaven unlike John - he had to break it all down into simple words that we can understand, based on the very limited understanding that we originally possess.

The one seated on the throne (verse 2) was pictured as powerful, mighty, majestic and radiant by descriptions of overwhelming brilliance such as having the appearance of jasper and carnelian (verse 3) as well as a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald (verse 3). Flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder (verse 5) marked the holy presence of God (just like the similar moment in Exodus 19 when the Lord descended on Mount Sinai). The 24 elders (once again clothed in the victorious colour of white) and 4 living creatures are angelic beings who worship the Lord God (seated on this throne) who lives forever and ever (verses 9 and 10).

Like these angelic beings, we need to acknowledge that worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created (verse 11). Our spiritual worship should embody us presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1). After all, holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come (verse 8)!

Luke 12:13-34 ~ Parable of the Rich Fool

2010-03-29T00:15:00.000-07:00

The rich man in this parable may seem smart enough initially to have a land that produces plentifully and has the foresight to plan for a comfortable life ahead. Or is he the opposite: a fool who, instead of possessing the foresight, is actually short-sighted in realizing how he fails to be rich towards God?

But enough of the rich fool - what about us? Are we so anxious about the cares of this world that we overemphasize them, making them a priority above God? Is He not the one who gives and can also take away?

Seek His Kingdom instead and lay your treasures in heaven... ;)

Revelation 3 ~ The Spirit's Voice

2010-03-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

As promised 2 posts ago, here's a discussion on the letters to the remaining 3 churches of Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea as detailed in Revelation 3:

Sardis
This church had the reputation of being alive but was actually dead (verse 1). While they claimed (and were seen) to be Christians, they have soiled their garments (verse 4) with the things of this world. They were reminded to remember, then, what you received and heard (verse 3) - a call for repentance was issued lest Jesus come against you (verse 3) at an unexpected hour. The one who conquers (i.e. has genuine faith that continues to the end), however, will be clothed thus in white garments (of purity and victory) and has his name in the book of life (verse 5).

Philadelphia
Like the church in Smyrna, Philadelphia has stood firm in faith and not denied my name, despite having but little power (verse 8). They were encouraged to keep enduring patiently and Jesus will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try on those who dwell on the earth (verse 10), i.e. those who were the persecutors. Jesus' name is written on him who conquers (and on us who are faithful), an assurance that we belong to Him and an encouragement to persevere during tribulations.

Laodicea
The Laodiceans were lukewarm in their faith - half-hearted, indifferent, and having no real conviction or passion. This presented a similar situation to that in the days of the Old Testament where Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word (1 Kings 18:21). They believed themselves to be self-sufficient and rich to the extent that they may not need God but they were self-deceived. While Laodicea was famous for their vision care services (similar to the optometrists and opthalmologists of today's times) and many tailored clothes for a living, they were in reality wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked (verse 17). Zealousness and repentance were called for here that they who conquer may enjoy table-fellowship in the presence of God and Jesus in heaven.

Now that we have analyzed the 7 letters to the 7 churches, it is time to ask ourselves the question: What does all these mean to me?

What kind of church do we belong to? What kind of a church do we hope (and work towards) to become? Are we like Sardis, having the reputation of being Christians, but are like the self-deceived Laodiceans, lukewarm in our faith? Maybe we endure patiently like Ephesus, Pergamum and Thyatira but have abandoned our first love and sometimes give in to idolatry and sexual immorality? Or do we aspire to be more like Smyrna and Philadephia to persevere through sufferings and tribulations as we face persecutions against our solidly-grounded faith?

Let us all be reminded to keep listening to His Word and what the Spirit says to the churches (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; Revelation 3:6, 13, 22), not getting too comfortable in our own churches lest we backslide into a synagogue of Satan and lose the crown of life. It may all sound a little too harsh but Jesus assures us that is is those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent (verse 19).

Next time, we will be looking at The Throne of the Universe in Revelation 4...

Luke 14:12-24 ~ Parable of the Great Banquet

2010-03-22T02:50:00.000-07:00

How do we respond to the invitation to the great banquet (kingdom of God) hosted by the master of the house (God) who sent us our invites via his servant (Jesus)? Do we respond like the Pharisees who believed they will eat bread in the kingdom of God when in reality, though invited, will eventually not taste the banquet? Do we make similar excuses and reject the servant who delivered us our invitation? Or are we filled with spiritual hunger that only God and Jesus can satisfy? Do we yearn for the blessing that will be repaid at the resurrection of the just and RSVP with an enthusiastic "YES!"?

As we reflect on how privileged we are to be personally invited to partake in His Kingdom, here's a song ("The Invitation") from Steven Curtis Chapman, which will no doubt echo this invitation that first stemmed from His loving mercy and amazing grace...

Revelation 2 ~ The Jesus Letter

2010-03-22T02:25:00.000-07:00

The second chapter of Revelation details the contents of letters to 4 churches, namely Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira:

Ephesus
The Ephesians were persecuted for speaking up for the truth and against false teaching. Their endurance is commendable but they have lost their first love: the love they had when they first became Christians - love for God, Jesus, other Christians, outsiders, etc. Unless they repent, they will be removed. On the other hand, those who conquer (i.e. love Jesus) will be granted to eat of the tree of life...

Smyrna
This is a church that faced tribulation and poverty but was rich spiritually. The ten days in verse 10 refer to a time frame that is not too short but not too long either - this length of suffering is nothing compared to the eternal life promised to Smyrna, hence why they will only die once (the physical death) and not be hurt by the second death (verse 11) at the Day of Judgment.

Pergamum
While there were faithful witnesses who were martyred at Satan's throne like Antipas, there were also, unfortunately, those who held the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolaitans, practising idolatry and sexual immorality. Again, we see a similar pattern in the end results as compared to that of the church at Ephesus: unless they repent, there are dire consequences to be met. As for those who conquer, they are promised hidden manna (symbolizing food that gives life rather than the food sacrificed to idols, which were consumed by the church at Pergamum) and the white stone of victory.

Thyatira
While faith and perseverance are highly valued, Thyatira's tolerance of the seductress, Jezebel, was unacceptable. While this is a different Jezebel from the one who led Ahab astray in 1 Kings, nevertheless the Lord's commands have been trifled with in both cases. On a side note, Isabel is a variation of the name Jezebel - perhaps not the best name to give to your newborn daughter. (If your name is Isabel, or is a variant of it, please understand that I meant no offense - it does not necessarily imply that you're wicked like the Jezebel's of the Bible.) The solution to the problem? Not tolerate this teaching but rather hold fast to the things of Christ, not Satan.

Stay tuned as we cover the remaining 3 churches in our next installment: Revelation 3.

Luke 7:36-50 ~ Being Forgiven

2010-03-22T00:30:00.000-07:00

A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?

What about us? Can we possibly repay the debt of our sins? How much more are we then dependent on Him who forgives us our sins! How much more then should we love Him who died on the cross that we may appear blameless without blemish before God!

Jesus, thank you for cleansing me of my sins...

Telstra Digital Mum 2.0

2010-03-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

Telstra has recently created Digital Mum 2.0 to assist less-than-tech-savvy parents to learn the do's and don'ts of the cyberworld, which we call the Internet. You don't need to be a mum or even a parent yourself to view the great tips shared by others, post a question you've been dying to ask, or join the weekly challenge to win an LG Xenon touchscreen plus full-QWERTY-keyboard mobile phone (I myself have just won this!)...

Did I just hear you say, "How do I get started?"

Easy! Just click the Nuffnang ad unit (showing the Telstra Digital Mum 2.0 ad) displayed in my blog's sidebar and you'll be transported to the Facebook-hosted website! Have fun! =)

Revelation 1:9-20 ~ The View From Heaven

2010-03-10T22:05:00.000-08:00

The second part of FOCUS' Revelation series continues to explore John's vision. In Revelation 1:9-20, we see this vision of one like a son of man (Revelation 1:13). Are the descriptions that follow merely just a visual account or do they paint hidden meanings? Let's take a look...

clothed with a long robe and a golden sash (Revelation 1:13)

These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. (Exodus 28:4)
The image of priesthood is illustrated here with regards to this "son of man".

The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow (Revelation 1:14)

As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool (Daniel 7:9)
Reference is being made to the Ancient of Days i.e. God Himself, who is the judge of all judges.
White was also the colour for victory.

His eyes were like a flame of fire (Revelation 1:14)

seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance ... the appearance of fire enclosed all around ... Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. (Ezekiel 1:26-28)
The fiery appearance signifies the glory of the Lord.

his feet were like burnished bronze (Revelation 1:15)

Their legs ... sparkled like burnished bronze. (Ezekiel 1:7)
And above the expanse of their heads there was the likeness of a throne ... Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. (Ezekiel 1:26-28)
The idea of one sitting under the authority of the Lord appears here.

his voice was like the roar of many waters (Revelation 1:15)

And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters (Ezekiel 43:2)
The voice indicates the coming of the God of Israel.

In his right hand (Revelation 1:16)

Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. (Exodus 15:6)
This powerful "right hand" is able to deliver Israel from her enemy as sang by Moses and the Israelites.

from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword (Revelation 1:16)

Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12)
This "son of man" speaks the word of God.

his face was like the sun shining (Revelation 1:16)

he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:15-16)
The shining face resembles that belonging to God.

What then can we conclude from this analysis? This "son of man" bears the glory of God and speaks His Word. He sits under God's authority as God's priest who victoriously saves His people but judges and destroys His enemies. As alluded in my previous post on the Revelation series, this "son of man" is none other than Jesus Christ. Claiming to be the first and the last (Revelation 1:17), He echoes the sentiments of the Lord God who identifies Himself as the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8). Again, He reiterates the point of his being the firstborn of the dead (Revelation 1:5) by telling us that He is the living one (Revelation 1:18).

Since it has been revealed that the seven lampstands are the seven churches (Revelation 1:20) of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, how then is this relevant to us today?

Very relevant indeed as we see how John has been instructed to write therefore the things that you have seen (Revelation 1:19). It is to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days ... for the vision is for days to come (Daniel 10:14). Jesus' presence in the midst of the lampstands comforts us in knowing that He is always among us, even through the most difficult of times.

The time is near (Revelation 1:3) ... how will you respond?

Luke 8:4-15 ~ Parable of the Sower

2010-03-07T03:00:00.000-08:00

Q: What sort of a hearer are you?

Options:
A. A hardened hearer who does not receive God's Word
B. One without solid foundation who receives God's Word with joy and believes temporarily but soon gives way under pressure and falls away
C. Easily tempted away from God's Word by the other priorities in life
D. A patient fruit-bearer who holds fast to God's Word in an honest and good heart

Are we the kind of seed that falls on the path only to be devoured by a bird? Or perhaps enjoy a short-lived growth on a rock until we wither away for lack of moisture? Maybe we grow a little more than that but are choked by competing thorns? Or are we those that fall on good soil and soon yield a hundredfold?

Here's a challenge for you:
God's Word is the word of life - it's much too precious to throw into the wind. How then do you respond to this? Will you adopt a lackadaisical attitude or will you guard this Word with all you can?

What kind of a seed are you?

What kind of a hearer are you?

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (Luke 8:8)

Revelation 1:1-8 ~ Knowing THE Future

2010-02-28T23:20:00.000-08:00

Today's church passage focused on "Knowing THE Future" in Revelation 1:1-8. We are so often faced with so many uncertainties about the future that we sometimes lament, "If only I knew for sure...". But what about the revelation to John? Do we see a hint of the future in it and is it certain?

The prologue of Revelation presents to us that this book is an account of John's prophecy with God as the revealer and the message being that of Jesus Christ. While we shall dive deeper into understanding this "prophecy" in the coming weeks' sermons, let us first examine some of the interesting points that verses 1 to 8 of Chapter 1 introduce to us.

"who is and who was and who is to come"
"Who is" refers to the present, "who was" the past, and "who is to come" the future. This phrase is in reference to God (the idea appears twice in v4 and 8) - it describes an ever present God who was there right from the beginning, is still with us here in the present, and will still be there in the future. After all, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God (v8). This is the one same God who revealed to John (through an angel) the things that must soon take place (v1) concerning that of Jesus - the very reason why we can be assured of the certainty of this particular "future" as the revealer has been present since time immemorial and will still be there when the things that must soon take place (v1) eventually do take place.

"the firstborn of the dead"
The irony of this phrase lends it a twist of curious interest - how is someone who is dead a firstborn? And what does "firstborn" refer to? The first child of the family? No - in fact, "firstborn" is a term commonly used to refer to that of the heir; one who is destined to receive an inheritance in the future. How then is Jesus the firstborn of the dead (v5)? Being one who has resurrected from the dead, He is the ruler of kings on earth (v5) who inherits from God, His Father, authority over all creation as well as the glory and dominion forever and ever (v6) that He deserves.

"coming with the clouds"
Read alone, this phrase may seem insignificant, but several other Bible passages do help shed some light here on what this phrase actually means. and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man (Daniel 7:13) started us off with the whole "cloud" imagery but more importantly, it continues to tell us that this son of man (Daniel 7:13) who came to the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13) has an everlasting dominion (Daniel 7:14) and that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him (Daniel 7:14). This reaffirms the same concept of Jesus being the firstborn of the dead (v5) that we looked at in Revelation! Jesus also foretold of himself, speaking in a third person language, that they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory (Luke 21:27). But what exactly is this "cloud"? Jesus presented Himself to His apostles after His resurrection and at one point of time as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him our of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11). This "cloud" is none other than "heaven" itself and it signifies the second coming of Christ in the future! This leads us to our next phrase, one that we have glanced at earlier on...

"the things that must soon take place"
As we read God's Word in its bigger picture, we can appreciate that these "things" refer to that of Christ's second coming. The word "must" indicates a certainty and this notion is confirmed by our earlier discussion on the revealer of the prophecy being that of God who is and who was and who is to come (Revelation 1:4, 8). But "soon"? How soon is "soon"?! More than two millenia have passed since the first coming of Christ - a seemingly long time to many of us. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Peter 3:8). So while we may not be able to pinpoint exactly how "soon" Christ will return, we can all appreciate that it is a certainty in the future and the Christians amongst us have a responsibility to share the gospel with others that they too may be warned that judgment day is not too far ahead but still be reassured that Jesus loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood (v5) and that He is the one whom they should give all glory to as Lord and Saviour. For blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near (v3)...

Next week, we will be looking at "The View From Heaven" as we explore Revelation 1:9-20. Feel free to join us (FOCUS PM Church) for the live sermon every Sunday 4.30PM at Keith Burrows Theatre @ UNSW! ^_^

FOCUS PM Church + IBF

2010-02-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

FOCUS PM Church @ UNSW will be kick-starting an exciting series on the book of Revelation this coming Sunday. So make sure you join us as we unravel the mysteries behind one of the most challenging reads of the New Testament!

FOCUS PM Church (Fellowship of Overseas Christian University Students)
Every Sunday
4.30PM
Keith Burrows Theatre, UNSW

As for weekly Bible Studies, IBF @ UNSW will be exploring the gospel of Jesus according to Luke, starting this coming Friday. Come learn to read God's Word for yourself and appreciate the story of Christ our Saviour!

IBF (International Bible Fellowship)
Every Friday
7.00PM
Squarehouse Level 2, UNSW

See you there! ^_^

Australia Day 2010 with Stan Walker

2010-02-27T17:45:00.000-08:00

Hehe, this post is long overdue but nonetheless one that deserves its own blog post... Thanks to the awesome slogan competition organized by Darling Harbour, I won the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring along 3 other friends to share dessert with last year's Australian Idol winner, Stan Walker, on Australia Day itself! What a great way to celebrate my very first OZ Day seeing this is the first time I stayed back for summer hols...

In case you're curious, I was supposed to tell in 25 words or less why I love Lindt chocolate (the dessert with Stan was of course held at none other than the world-famous Lindt Cafe itself! ) . My entry was:

Fine chocolate of royal gold,
Like Stan's music, Lindt's food for my soul,
Smooth perfection that melts worries away,
Truly ataahua in every way!

"Ataahua" means "beautiful" in Maori language and is also the word tattooed on Stan's neck, in case you didn't already know... Anyway, here are a few shots from the night:

Stan and I posing in front of the golden engraved sign inside Lindt Cafe

Stan drizzling hot liquid chocolate over my white choc ice cream waffle - Lindt Cafe manager was kind enough to let me keep the choc pot that Stan used as a personal momento! *grin*

Stan and I with our reverse peace signs and juju lips... To the lady in pink behind: Yes, your boyfriend's right, it's Stan Walker in the house! (Lol, couldn't help overhearing her boyfriend's not-so-soft whispers!)

A group shot with Stan and my 3 new awesome friends from Stan's State Fan Forum (SSFF) - L-R: Linda, yours truly, Stan, Renee, Simo

A shot with sweet Mikey (Stan's brother + guitarist) - he came too (as well as Stan's backup singer, Ashley, and manager/agent)...

No doubt this was one Australia Day that I'll forever cherish - what more can one ask for when there's such great company and good food? All of us had a good time chatting that night (way too many details to list them all here) and if not for the manager/agent who kept pushing Stan, Mikey and Ashley to leave (thanks to the growing number of restless fans who spotted Stan), we would have had more time to spend with these wonderful down-to-earth artistes (neither of them wanted to leave either!)...

For a video of Stan serenading us with Smash Into You (ignore the fireworks going on in the background), check out this video:

You've gotta love Stan... ;)

UNSW Medicine Integrated Clinical Examination (ICE)

2010-02-27T16:45:00.000-08:00

So here's my return after a long hiatus from the blogosphere. To the Phase 2 coursework students who will soon be sitting for ICE, all the best! I have previously distributed my notes (consisting of my answers to popular past year questions) to some of you and hope that these notes will be of some help. If you have missed out on being on the receiving end (whether directly from me or from being forwarded the document by a friend) or only stumble on this blog post later in the future and want a copy, just drop me a comment here with your email address and I'll send a copy along... ^_^

Tasmania - Day 6

2010-01-14T18:06:00.000-08:00

Here's the very last installation of the tassie trip. Oh, before I proceed further, on the night of Day 5, we drove up Mt Wellington and the view was magnificent! Seeing the entire city lit up and the perfect round moon reflected onto the waters of the lake - stunning! I borrowed Ash's cam as Pete's was left elsewhere and he has yet to pass me the photos, so, sorry can't share the wonderful view with you readers... Maybe someday when he does pass them to me, I may upload it here... But dare I say that despite it being summer, the temperature up the mountain (12km drive from base to peak, slightly more than 1km high) was below freezing point and silly me who left my Kathmandu jacket at our accommodation had to bear the chilly winds on the pinnacle with just 2 layers: a sleeveless tee inside and my thin-fabric Adidas Core Power hoodie top outside... Brr... My ears did hurt later, standing exposed for more than 10 minutes... You may wonder why I left my jacket - well, before we came out for dinner (which was Mures Seafood by the way), I checked my exam results online and the jubilant email from med fac telling me I've passed ICE and can now proceed onto Phase 3 kept me grinning and distracted that night, so there...

Anyway, back to Day 6. We went to Sorell Fruit Farm to pick fresh fruits. For $10, you get a medium-sized container: fruits in season at the time we went were strawberries, cherries, raspberries and tayberries. Of course we busied ourselves with tasting the delectable fruits as we picked them, so in other words, $10 = a container full of fruits + whatever you choose to put into your mouth before you leave. Mind you, I felt like I gobbled more than a container of fruits along the way...

Sara posing at the entrance of the cafe / gift shop

Look guys, Ash is gonna be our tour guide... Oh wait! There's a "directory" here!

Richard and I at the cherries section

Pete's container of mixed berries

Could have taken more photos but Pete's cam "crashed", which was surprising since it was only recently bought. Thank goodness he could get it to work again after a few tweaks here and there and need not pin the blame on yours truly who had been snapping away with it for the past week. Well, what can I say? After all, he did chuck his cam at me every morning as we hit the road and told me to "go nuts" - literally quoting him here! In case you're wondering, the cam is Olympus Mju Tough 6010 - it's supposedly waterproof, shockproof, snowproof, shakeproof and nightproof but I guess it's not "crashproof"? Not so tough, eh? I suppose that's why they went on to develop the 8000 model instead (claimed to be the strongest digicam in the world)... But I do admit that aside from this "crash" incident and the relatively long waiting time between taking photos (compared to other digicams), the 6010 is quite a good model, especially with the Panaroma mode...

Ok, let's not get carried away with the rantings on digicams; back to the trip. After fruit-picking, we went shopping at Hobart and before we knew it, it was time to return our hired car (still can't believe we got the massive Hyundai iMax!) and checked in at the airport for our flight back to Sydney.

Unloading the luggages

6 days around Tasmania, clockwise (south-west-north-east-south), from Hobart back to Hobart?
It was one amazing picturesque trip.

Sigh, can't believe it's more than a month since the trip and exactly a month since moving into my new place (15/12/2009-14/1/2010) - time flies! And while I'm all excited to start my Surgery term at Prince of Wales Hospital, I find it hard to bid adieu to summer break...

2010, what will you bring?

Tasmania - Day 5

2010-01-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

Such freakishly hot weather here in Sydney - how I yearned for the cooler summer that I had while on holiday in Tassie... Here are the shots from Day 5!

A model of the architectural layout of Port Arthur

Getting ready to board for the cruise

Group shot while cruising

Richard posing while we were at the gallery

We were each given a Lottery of Life card for the Convict Trail - here I was, finally matching my Queen of Diamonds...

Here's my Queen of Diamonds convict: Charles Hogan, a barber/pickpocket from Essex who was sentenced to life at Port Arthur to mend his drunken ways - his good behaviour promoted him to be a leech-gatherer for the hospital... I know it's a lil too far-fetched but hey, he's also in the medical profession indirectly, eh? :p

Let me outta here!! I promise I'll be a good, good gal...

Interesting displays at the museum including the classic magpie convict's uniform

You can also try to trace an ancestor using the database/journals available - a form is provided for you to record the details

Hard to believe that a penal settlement should have such beautiful scenery...

Yet another view...

Remains of some of the ruins

Ended the Port Arthur trip with a visit to the souvenir shop - bought myself a commemorative coin and also a most dazzling cubic zirconia cross necklace... Happy happy... Will post up the final day sometime soon... ;)

Tasmania - Day 4

2010-01-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

As promised! ;)

Getting ready to leave our beautiful home in Launceston...

First stop: brunch at the infamous Mount Elephant Pancakes!

The salmon, mushroom, camembert and white wine sauce pancakes were to die for!!

Mixture of dessert pancakes after the savoury ones - yum!

Posing with the elephants before we left...

Can't resist to take a shot with a wildlife wallaby when we arrived at Coles Bay - Freycinet National Park (our next stop)

The awesome Wineglass Bay from the lookout point - man, the climb was exhausting but totally worth it!

We did a bbq dinner that evening back in our cottage - this is a view of Mt Amos right from the huge balcony of our cottage... ;)

Day 5 pics coming soon! ^_^

Tasmania - Day 3

2010-01-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, here comes the update for Day 3...

This tiny fur ball of a possum was found just right under the steps as we proceeded to leave our chalet in the morning

Man, there were so many roadkills - Pete and Ash were already starting to play the "Roadkill" game (kinda similar to the one Ted and Marshall played whenever they saw dogs during their roadtrip in How I Met Your Mother)...

Despite it being summer, the mornings can be pretty chilly as evidenced by the frozen dews like the ones on this plant

First destination of the day: Woolmers Historic Estate and National Rose Garden

We were so hungry when we arrived that we had to do lunch first, hehe... Here's me posing with a mini Christmas tree while waiting for my meal...

My delicious tuna mornay and salad

Some of the guys had the lamb shank - they would go on and on for days (maybe even up till today), saying how this was their best meal ever, unsurpassed by anything!

The charming sight that greets us as we entered the gardens... Too many roses to display them individually... One of the most memorable quotes of the trip happened here when Richard asked a rose, "Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" - apparently that rose was named "Moulin Rouge", hence why it prompted him to sing that phrase - well, let's hope that certainly was the case and not Richard turning into a dendrophiliac of some sort...

Another view of the garden

The guys were walking down the aisle, hehe

It isn't just roses - they've got lavenders too, yay!!

Next stop: Tamar Valley for wine-tasting... Velo Wines are awesome!!

Did you know that this guy who runs the place used to represent Australia in the Olympics cycling event?

Group shot at another winery

Next stop: Low Head Lighthouse overlooking Bass Straits

The awesomeness of the view there, hehe

Dinner @ Jailhouse Grill, Launceston - I had their famous salted, pre-fried bbq ribs; something different from the usual ribs we get over here in Hurricanes or Tony Roma...

Rest of the evening was spent chilling away at our cool accommodation (we had the whole 4-bedroom house to ourselves!) with wine and cheese - spectacular!!

This was probably the longest and most tiring day of all, since we drove quite a number of hours from Derwent Bridge all the way to Launceston... But heck, it was one great trip!! More photos from Day 4 will be uploaded soon... ;)

Happy New Year 2010!

2010-01-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

Whoa, still can't believe it's already the first day of the year 2010!! How did you usher in the new year? Well, Pete, Janet and I drove up to Gladesville Bridge (one of the vantage points) to view the fireworks display at Sydney Harbour Bridge. Oh yeah, nothing like viewing the fireworks at a bridge from another bridge eh? ;)

The colours were magnificent, the patterns were astounding, and the accompanying soundtrack music was splendiferous - matched well with the tempo and rhythm of the fireworks itself. Missed out on this great event? Fret not, here's the complete 12-minute plus video of the new year fireworks at Sydney Harbour Bridge:

May all of you have a wonderful 2010 blessed with joy, happiness, and good health! ^_^

Ps. If you notice carefully, I've purposely selected to blog this post at 01/01/10 (signifying the wonderful start of the new year) at 12.31PM (analogous to December 31st - farewelling but not forgetting to cherish the wonderful memories that 2009 brought us)... ;)

Tasmania - Day 2

2009-12-30T14:30:00.000-08:00

As promised, here's more shots from Day 2 of our Tassie trip...

Richard's camwhoring skills ain't bad eh?

The plains and valleys are magnificent

Group photo as we stopped for a rest to buy some drinks and chippies

Hydroelectric station next to a river - spot the long metal pump tubes in the distance?

Yet another group shot - this time at the bridge of the aforesaid river

We've survived the drive to Lake St Clair - Cradle Mountain National Park!

Interesting tree, tall and split in the middle

One of the many signs indicating that we're fast approaching Platypus Bay

The beautiful Platypus Bay

Five of us balancing on a single log over the flowing waters of the bay

Wannabe posers, hehe... The guys are digging it Travolta style...

Group shot at the end of our bushwalking for the day

And what did we do at night? Played cards at our chalet, hehe...

That's it for Day 2 - be sure to keep yourself glued for more action in Day 3... Till then, have a wonderful new year 2010, everyone! ^_^

Tasmania - Day 1

2009-12-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

Finally, as promised, here's a day-by-day post of my recent trip to good ole' tassie...

Posing while waiting at Sydney Airport for our early morning Virgin Blue flight

Up, up and away we go!

Aww... Lovely Sara sound asleep with Khar Mun during the flight

Rainy day in Hobart...

Our driver, Pete...

... and his navigating wingman, Ash

Passing by Hobart's ABC...

... as well as University of Tasmania (UTAS)

And we're finally at Salamanca Market!

Pete and I posing in the market - too many interesting market shots to post up, hehe...

Finally retiring at our apartment for dinner

That's all for Day 1. Stay tuned for Day 2 post... =)

My New Home!

2009-12-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have officially moved out of Basser College after residing there for 4 long years. And where have I move to, you ask? I'm now in Randwick; High St to be precise. Want an even more precise location? Imagine the High St main entrance of Prince of Wales Hospital --> I'm right across the road, literally a stone's throw away! :p

Ok, enough of the location. Now, for some shots of the place:

My new room as viewed from the door

My comfy bed with a funky bedside table for the fan and lamp (behind the fan)

My study desk and chair

Bags, piggy bank (empty inside though, haha!), and a storage shelf

Part of the kitchen

Cosy living room (filled with toys/plushies, board games including Catan, PS2, and lots more!)

The bathroom

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Say hi to my new housemate, Emi!

Ah, I feel so at home right now... Packing and unpacking were such a chore but it's all worth it! Let the photos speak for themselves! ;)