Peace & Love Corp.

The Divorce: Part I and Part II

2005-11-22T11:32:00.000+08:00

Part I

The Beginner had a pet which follows wherever The Beginner goes.
Well, I use "had" here, simply because that pet is no longer by The Beginner's side.

But for a period in time, it was close to its master.
So very close.
The Beginner called it Python.

And just in case you are wondering,
Python isn't a snake...at least it wasn't at that time.
It was a beautiful animal, it looked like the mythical phoenix, but more than that.
The Python aroused awe and wonder from all other animals in the animal kingdom.
It was...phenomenally, beautiful.

Python was obedient and submissive, and absolutely loving to The Beginner.

However, after some time, Python's love for The Beginner began to grow perverted.
It wanted to be just like The Beginner...but it did not dare to express it.
And Python hid this desire within it for a long, long time.

And one night.
It all erupted.

Python saw how marvellous the light glistened from The Beginner's Heart of Gold, while The Beginner was fast asleep. It was a light that was far too attractive, far too lovely...and definitely...far too tempting for Python.

And so it went for the Heart of Gold on The Beginner's chest.
Python knew that taking the Heart of Gold would mean killing The Beginner.
But Python could no longer withstand the lure of it.

And although Python had heard numerous stories of how The Beginner's Heart of Gold could kill as much as heal, Python decided to take a chance.

He was afterall, The Beginner's pet. He knows how compassionate The Beginner will be.

And so, Python went for it.
Its claws stretched forth...towards The Beginner's Heart.

"Surely, you know that you will die."
Those words rang in Python's ears. It was as if The Beginner is speaking to Python from The Beginner's sleep.

But Python went for it still.

And in the shadow of the moonlight of that very night...The Beginner's Heart glowed...and then radiated the brightest light ever.

In that instant, Python was transformed.

And it became what we know of the python today. It grew to became the ugliest creature destined to die a horrid death one day.
And in place of its ivory beak and sparkling feathers, were fangs of the most fearsome kind, and scales of the most hideous morbidity...

In giving in to the darkness within its heart, Python has fallen.

And onwards from then, Python vowed...

To destroy The Beginner.

Part II

And Python was there when The Beginner started The Village.
Ah...yes, The Village, which you and I talked about previously.

The Village was the dream of The Beginner.
The Beginner had been wanting to build a perfect dwelling place for a long time.
So one fine day, The Beginner did it.
The Beginner started to build The Village.
And the more The Beginner did it, the more The Beginner loved it.
And so, The Beginner built a civilization with The Beginner's bare hands.

Houses were constructed, dams digged, rivers opened up and roads paved.
The Beginner did them all alone.
And when it was all done, it was the most beautiful place to live in, on planet Earth.

The Beginner brought the poorest and the most disregarded people on the surface of the Earth into The Village. The Beginner want to shine light from The Beginner's Heart of Gold into the lives of these people.

And so, The Beginner gathered from all corners of the world, orphans and widows, the poor and the dying...into The Village.
Healing took place from the moment these people entered The Village.
Healings of the body, healings of the heart, they all took place.

The Beginner wanted the people in The Village to live with The Beginner, and at the same time also have control over the place they can call home.
And so The Beginner elected from among all the people in The Village, a boy, to be The Chief of The Village.

Hope and peace was only before their eyes.
And The Beginner was very glad.
Because this was the dream at the back of The Beginner's mind all along.

And if only we can end the story here and say "The End."

But Python would not allow that to happen. Remember, he was all out to destroy The Beginner?
Oh yes, and all that The Beginner love, Python will destroy...

And The Chief of The Village will follow in that familiar path of Python...and I can't wait to tell you what took place on that fateful day.

It was the day the Heart of Gold had its first crack...and blood...yes, red human blood dripped from it.

I'm sorry, but the story is heading to some really sad turns.

The Beginner

2005-11-17T04:05:00.000+08:00

[ The Writer would like to apologise for taking such a long break to manage his exams. Stay tuned for more stories on The Village from now... ;) ]

Have you heard of the term "The Beginner"? I'm sure you do.
It refers to an amateur, a novice, a greenhorn, right?
That's the way we understand it in our world...

Not in this village.

The mere mention of the title "The Beginner" never has anything to do with any common man.
"The Beginner", always have been associated with respect, prestige and even to some, fear. This is because, the title "The Beginner" is not just a mere title.

"The Beginner" is the name of the discoverer of the civilization of this village.

( "What?!" You may say..."Absurdity of all absurdities!" Yes, but this is how it goes in this village. A "beginner" refers to a person who "begins" something, here in this village. )

Stories were told from generations to generations about who "The Beginner" is and what "The Beginner" had done.

Some spoke of "The Beginner" as an old man full of wisdom, long beard and always dressed in robes...others passed on tales about "The Beginner" as a swift and suave warrior, full of chivalry and charm, weilding swords and spears on a magnificent steed.

Still, some spoke fondly of how "The Beginner" is a tremendous person with a Heart made of the purest Gold in the universe. They meant it in the literal sense. "The Beginner"'s Heart never fails to emit light wherever "The Beginner" goes, they say. Light just radiate about "The Beginner"'s chest. And just like all gold, it can melt too.

What causes "The Beginner"'s Heart of Gold to melt...?

Now that is an interesting question.

I will leave it to the next entry...which will arrive sooner than you think it will.
And if u noticed close enough, I did not answer any of the questions raised at the end of the last entry about "The Well". Well...(pun intended!)...all the questions raised so far, including the one above, will have their justified conclusion, in the next entry.

And patience, my dear reader, is a beautiful virtue.

The Well

2005-09-23T02:11:00.000+08:00

The entire village depends on this well for all their water needs.
And so respected is this well that, songs and paintings were created to glorify it.

But it looks really like any typical well.
Old, broken, ugly...
Yes, ugly.
You know, fairy tales often have this twist about ugly things: they are really beautiful deep within.

But not for this well.

This well really is ugly.
And at the bottom of the well, you can see why.

The floor of the well lies an animal.
A rotting animal.
A rotting python.
A rotting python with a dead and rotting baby boy in its embrace...

And though the python is rotting,
it is not dead.

Every morning, just before sunrise,
the creature would open its mouth to chew a piece of the rotting boy,
unleashing the deadly stench of death into the waters of the well...

Just in time for the villagers to draw their daily supply of water.

I shan't write more.

How did it get here?
Don't the villagers know a thing about it?
Who is the dead boy?

The Small Village

2005-09-15T23:45:00.000+08:00

Once upon a time, in a land not too far away, there is a small village.
It was a peaceful and lovely place.
Everyone lived harmoniously with one another there.

There is a well in this village.
And everyone drinks from this well.

However, unknown to all, the bottom of this well lies a deadly secret.

It is a secret which must never be discovered.
It is a secret which threatens to destroy the village.
It is a secret which must not even be talked about.
...so says the legends passed down through generations in the village.

But I am not a member of the village.
And I do believe I am therefore not bound to not reveal what I do know about the place.

I want to tell you about it...

The Great Difference

2005-09-15T23:23:00.000+08:00

The biggest difference between Man and all of God's other creations
(including animals, plants, sun, the angels, etc...)

lies in the fact that Man and only Man alone,
is an Intrinsic Creation.

All other creation belong under the category of Instrumental Creation.

Intrinsic things have value of their own, and on their own.
Intrinsic creation exist for its own good.

Instrumental things have value based on their uses.
Instrumental things exist to serve a certain good.

Understanding the above will enable one to better grasp the reasonings for questions like:

- Why does God still allow options in this world, since Jesus is the only Way?

- Why does God leave Man in hell if Man refuses to believe in Jesus?

The above is just a brief introduction to this topic.
We shall talk more about it in time to come.

Instrumental Creation VS. Intrinsic Creation

2005-09-14T23:27:00.000+08:00

Do you know which of the above you are?

Ponder, ponder.
Think and wonder.

Are you an Instrumental Creation?

or

Are you an Intrinsic Creation?

2 Advantages Of Being Under Cover

2005-09-14T22:48:00.000+08:00

Ever felt like not submitting to spiritual authority above you?

Check out these two benefits:

1. Acknowledging God's Sovereignty Over Me

By coming under the leadership God has assigned for me, I recognise that God knows better than me. Sometimes, I think I know better, but that is a path too familiar with fools. God never promised me with leaders who will meet up to MY expectations, and I have to be careful to not think that MY expectations are the best for me.

2. Pride-grinding At Its Finest

"Consider others better than yourself" - When I feel superior to my contemporary, pride is fostered within my soul. When I feel superior to my leader, I find myself in a similar mindset which Lucifer once possessed. Obedience is precisely so called, because, to do something which I would do in the absence of an order, do not require obedience. I crush that looming hint of self-centredness within me when I obey God's authourity over me. Like Theologian Stephen Tong would say, "合理的是训练，不合理的是磨练"。And I find myself learning how to grind my pride and ego - the very things which can pave the path for me to hell.

Mind Over Heart

2005-08-28T15:50:00.000+08:00

When I don't feel like reading the Bible,
When I don't feel like reaching out to friends who need to know the love of Jesus,
When I don't feel God is near me,

It is time for me to stop letting my heart rule my entire being
by what I "feel",

It is time to let my mind tell my heart what to do.

My mind will direct my heart.
Because my heart can be so prone to fail to detect what is REALLY the best for me.

But...

Would that mean...that I am being dishonest to myself?
Would that mean...that I am not being true to my feelings?

No.
Because,
What good is it to me, if I am so "honest" and "true" to my feelings,
But, yet I lose grip of the best thing about life: God?

I do know one thing,

It never was about me, to begin with.

Solitude

2005-08-25T11:55:00.000+08:00

Everything in its time, Father.
I look to You, Father.

To You...

Father.

R.E.A.L. Fellowship

2005-08-25T10:52:00.000+08:00

Are we having real Fellowship?

One of the 5 purposes of a Christian's life is Fellowship.
However, how often do we truly fellowship?

Is having a drink at a coffee house, fellowship?
Is having lunch together, fellowship?

Though these are ways which allow us to connect with one another well,
we have to be aware that the biblical definition of fellowship differs quite a bit.

In Acts, we see the lifestyle of the early followers of Christ as being closely-knitted where they broke bread frequently.
There is something about the time spent together for those early Christians.

They grew stronger and deeper in Christ as they spend more time together.

On this note, I began to take a closer look at the type of activities we label as fellowship...and realise that more often than not, we may fall short in this area.

R - Readiness to share about life's happenings.

True fellowship always opens up one to another.
This first layer of Fellowship is whereby we spend time updating our lives, the interesting happenings of our lives, the good, the bad and the ugly, to one another. Perhaps over a bite or a drink too.
However, we must never stop at this level, as to do so would render the gathering nothing more than a social gathering.

E - Expressive about spiritual walk.

This aspect of Fellowship breaks the resistance to talk about the 'sensitive' topic of our private walk with our Lord.
More often than not, we may find this coupled with reluctance as we may either find it as something too intimate to share.
Or we may just be guilty for not walking right with God recently.
To be expressive about our spiritual walk therefore allows us to encourage and spur our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with how God is speaking and working in our lives.
Similarly, it serves to remind those who have wandered off, to return.

A - Acknowledge personal weaknesses.

I personally find this area important especially for a group which is readily willing to share deeply about the things of God and their journeys in Christ.
A constant sharing about the goodness of God is right and good, but bearing in mind that there will always be some of us who may be in the desert, we ought to have a conducive atmosphere for some of us who are finding hard to see God in their lives at the moment.
Besides, spiritual pride is easily fostered in a group which do not value the confessing of our weaknesses to one another.

L - Look to God.

The last aspect of true Fellowship is that we always look to God at the end of the day.
No matter how weak we may be, no matter how bad things may be, our ultimate focus should always be directed back to our Abba Father, the Maker of all things, to Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith and the Holy Spirit, who speaks to us continually in our hearts.
A session which lacks this aspect, seldom lifts a person spiritually.
And if the session is peppered with much complaints and grumbles, it will result in a group of Christians indulging in a very worldly time together.
Looking unto God and repenting, will therefore be an inevitable step to close that session.

Fellowship

2005-08-15T23:40:00.000+08:00

What is fellowship?

What is REAL fellowship?

Do You Know What Can Defile You?

2005-08-15T23:13:00.000+08:00

Do you know what is the one thing that can best destroy a Christian's faith?

In Mark 7:20, we see clearly,
"...What comes out of a man, that defiles a man."

My past readings of these verses were somehow interpreted as...

"what comes out of a man's mouth will be the impression that is being perceived by others...in other words...if I always speak negatively or fill my mouth with curses, others will look at me in a bad light."

However...I began to realise, this is only partially true.

As I read and meditate more on it, I realise that what the Bible is really saying...is that when I talk negative talk, I personally defile myself.

In fact, this becomes so true when you and I realise that words carry power to heal or kill when they exit from our mouths.

So when a negative word is released, the first person it attacks is the speaker himself, before it goes on to attack others.

The speaker himself may often than not, not realise the harm he is doing to himself...until much later, when he finds himself full of wounds.

He himself becomes filled with negativity and weariness in all attitudes towards life.

May God help us and teach us to tame our tongue.

More Like Who?

2005-08-15T23:05:00.000+08:00

As the years of your being a Christian increases...

Do you find yourself becoming more and more like Christ...

or...

Do you find yourself becoming more and more like a Christian?

If you and I are not careful,

We may profess to want to be more like Christ...

But we will have to confess that we are just becoming more like a Christian.

This is especially true...if you and I have been doing all the Christian things...
But deep within us, we fail to detect an insatiable hunger for more of God.

So...
Who do you find yourself becoming more like?

The F.A.C.T. about Faith

2005-08-15T19:15:00.000+08:00

Soren A. Kierkegaard once described the Christian's Faith in God as something which has no rational ground for that belief in God to be based on.
In explaining his thought, he coined the term "leap of faith", to describe the Christian's trust in God as something that is like a blind act of will.

Today, many Christians still struggle with the notion of having Faith in God in daily living.

1. Is Faith something void of rational basis?
2. Is Faith a blind act of the human will?
3. Is Faith in God simply a state of mind?

Understanding the F.A.C.T. about Faith
- Faith is Acting upon Certainty of Truth

Christians should not be unfamiliar with Hebrews 11:1 which states that "...Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.".

But what exactly is it that we are "sure" and "certain of"?
The answer cannot be clearer, that it is our destiny of eternity with God our Father, through the redemption of Christ our Lord.

Knowing this, we ask ourselves, what is the basis of our Faith?
Based on what do we believe what we do?

3 Fundamental Bases for the Christian Faith

i) The Logos Word of God - The Holy Bible.
It cannot be clearer. The Bible says in Romans 10:17 that "...Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.".

ii) The accounts of saints in the past.
In Hebrews 11, we see the Bible made a record of the many people who obeyed God by faith and prevailed. Besides the saints in the Bible, we also have historical records of men and women of God in modern history (George Mueller, D.L. Moody, Billy Graham, John Sung, just to name a few...), who testified to a faithful God in their lives. If great men and women of history stood united in a certain stand as such, surely their testimonies cannot be taken lightly.

iii) Personal testimony.
If you are a Christian, surely you can recall the many occasions when God showed up when you stepped out in faith. One of the main reasons why we often fail to step out in faith is due to our inability to remember the acts of our faithful God in our lives. Once we remember, we will be able to trust God for what we do not know, because of what He has shown us that we do know.

Therefore, based on the above, we can easily see that everytime a Christian needs to step out in Faith, he or she is not committing an act of irrationality.

And because stepping out in Faith is not an irrational behaviour, and precisely because it is a fully rational one, Faith in God is therefore...

Not taking a leap into the unknown!

Faith in God is thus, not a blind act of will...but a rational response made in obedience to trust God in a situation that requires it to arise.

Now, we are left with the last question to tackle...

Is Faith simply a state of mind?

The answer cannot be clearer when we understand what is being taught in James 2:17-18.

"Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." – James 2:17,18

Faith was never a state of mind.
The kind of Faith mentioned in the pages of the Bible always appears in an ACTION form.
From Abraham bringing Issac to be killed...to Moses taking up the mission to deliver the Israelites...to the four friends who did everything in faith to save their friend in Mark 2...the list goes on...

We see every time in the Bible...

Visible Faith.

Faith is thus, not a state of mind, as some may simply brush off as.

Faith is, in all instances of the Bible, an action word.
A person who claims to have Faith, will in the time of test, have to respond with a work birth out of the Faith which he or she claims to possess in Christ.

Growing in Faith

With the understanding of what Faith essentially is, we will have to ask ourselves...are we growing in Faith?

So many a times, I hear people saying..."I wish I have more faith!"
Well...the question I would so much like to pose them in response, would be,
"How much are you then, living in obedience to God?"

You see, Faith in God is essentially an action which is done in obedience to God in times when it is hard to do so.

When such an obedience is observed, the Faith of the Christian naturally grows, because he or she will have then witnessed for himself the goodness of God and peace deposited in his heart.

Most of all, he would have seen with his own eyes, how real God works in his world.

With such an experience, the Christian's confidence in trusting God's Word is boosted.

When such obedience is continued without a hiatus, growth in Faith is almost guaranteed.

As certainty of truth leads to an action of obedience, an action of obedience will further enhance the very certainty of truth.

And Faith in our mighty God of universe, naturally grows.

Faith - What Does It Mean?

2005-08-04T11:23:00.000+08:00

Reflect.

And detect.

Rediscover the facts.

See if they are all still intact.

What does it mean to have faith?

What does it mean to be sure of what we hope for?

What does it mean to be certain of the things we do not see?

Think about it.

Check your response with mine...in the next entry.

Miracles Following Prayers.

2005-07-26T23:34:00.000+08:00

Below are the accounts of a real God working passionately in the lives and circumstances of 4 Christians who looked to Him in times of need.

1. God Make Exceptions. (Shawn Ow, Australia)

Shawn used to be an extreme skeptic of the Christian faith. However, God is One who answers all who seeks Him, and when Shawn eventually searched for answers in His life, Shawn found and gave his life to Jesus.

Shawn is a Singaporean student who has been studying in Australia for the past 3 years. Upon his graduation recently, God blessed him with a great job in a prestigious company.

However, Shawn faced a problem when he had to move out of his school's hostel upon his graduation. Accomodation options available to him in Australia are either too costly for him, or are too far from his future work place. The best option would be to stay on in his school's hostel as it is affordable to him as well as near his future workplace.

However, under the university regulations, students are NOT eligible to stay on in school's hostel upon their graduation. Nonetheless, Shawn asked his school to make an exception for him, but still, it was to no avail.

Until Shawn prayed, and asked God to intervene.

By faith, God moved him to approach the school about his request again, and miraculously, without any hassle, his request was approved instantly. Nothing of this sort has ever happened to anyone in the school...and Shawn knew without a doubt, nothing of this sort can ever happen to him, if not for God.

2. Training Provided! (Gim Seng, Singapore)

Gim Seng is a navy officer with the Navy of the Singapore Armed Forces. He recently received Christ after spending many years searching for the answers to life. Despite his self-confessed lack of faith, God answered his prayers when Gim Seng asked God for a favour with a simple prayer.

The Navy wanted Gim Seng to give a speech to an audience in a couple of months time, and being more of a thinker than a speaker, Gim Seng found that a tremendous challenge. He needed help and he needed it sooner than later.

Gim Seng decided to pray and tell God about his problem. Surely God can do something about it, he thought.

One fine day, about a couple of weeks after his prayer, Gim Seng was given a ticket by a friend to attend a seminar which his friend could not make it for. At first, it appeared to be nothing more than an event which Gim Seng just chanced upon.

However, upon closer note, Gim Seng realised it was a divine intervention by God to answer his prayers! The seminar was a training session for equipping people to public speaking, and it could not have come more timely than now for Gim Seng.

God answers prayers and surely, He had just answered Gim Seng's prayer.

3. Lobang King (Jack Cheong, Singapore)

Jack received Christ recently when he finally came to learn of the gravity of what God did on the cross to pay for his sins. Jack was thrilled about his newfound life in Christ and despite the trials and temptations that tried to dissuade him to grow further, Jack was certain God has found him and he has found God.

When Jack learnt more about the importance of leading a life devoted to Christ, Jack realised it was of utmost importance to show his love for God in real and tangible ways, rather than paying mere lip-service to God. Soon, it became clear to Jack that tithing was a spiritual discipline which reflects a heart of genuine devotion to God. Jack wants to start tithing straight away, but he had also just graduated, and he needed to provide for his family and make ends meet in many areas of his finances.

So Jack prayed and asked God to give him some tuition jobs to provide for his financial responsibilities. By faith, he approached a few tuition agencies and from then on, tuition job offers came ringing in non-stop.

It was not something usual for Jack...but Jack knew in his heart, miracles are certainly not unusual from God.

4. There Will Be Enough Rest! (Si'er, Singapore)

Si'er is a trainee teacher undergoing training in the National Institute of Education for the past one year and he is thankful to God for bringing him through the past year of tight schedules in his studies and work in church.

The new school year is about to start, and Si'er knows he is in for another season of tight schedules in his school work soon. Lectures and tutorials in school often meant going home at late afternoons, if not evening. However, there is a course coming up in a Bible College which greatly fascinates Si'er and he knew he had to sign up for it. The course has its lessons on every Thursdays evenings, and Thursdays in the past always meant going home late.

By faith, Si'er signed up for the course in the Bible College, despite knowing he is commiting himself to a tiring half-year ahead. Si'er just prayed God will give him enough energy to go through it all.

However, upon receiving his time-table for his new semester, Si'er was both surpised and awed by what he saw. The new semester's time-table had NO LESSONS on Thursdays and lessons on Fridays starts only after 12pm!

This meant Si'er will have ample rest before his night classes on Thursdays and after which, he could rest really well to prepare for his school tutorials on Friday afternoons! Only God and the school administrator can adjust the school's time-table, and Si'er certainly didn't tell his school administrator about his problem.

He only told God. And God did something about it.

Commitment - Conviction - Counting on the Holy Spirit

2005-07-26T01:56:00.000+08:00

I've always believed that the 3 most important areas in the art of reaching out are:

1) COMMITMENT

2) CONVICTION

3) COUNTING ON THE HOLY SPIRIT

With reference to Aristotle's 3 principles of the art of rhetoric,
i.e. "Ethos", "Pathos" and "Logos",
I have made some observations as follows...

COMMITMENT - without which, there will be no completion of anything started.

1. It is of utmost importance for me who strives to reach out, to COMMIT to living a life which credibly reflects Christ's work in me, as this directly affects the "Ethos" element of the message I send.
In other words, without a COMMITMENT to genuinely strive to live a Christ-like life,it is hard for anyone to believe me when I say God changed my life.
2. It is of paramount importance also, to realise that to truly help a person to understand the love of Christ, I need to COMMIT to loving the person in real and tangible ways. This will greatly enhance the "Pathos" element of the message of love I send. The only thing that beats a visible action of love is a continuous series of visible actions of love.
In other words, a COMMITMENT to continually love a person through real acts of love, kindness and generousity, is crucial in bringing Jesus' love into the pre-believer's world. Without which, all other things will be way harder.

CONVICTION - without which, there will be little or no connection of the message to the listener.

I have noted that it is so true when the Bible says in Romans 10:17 that "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing of the Word of God."
What comes from the heart goes to the heart.
If I am not WHOLEHEARTEDLY convinced and CONVICTED totally that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to God and without giving one's life to Him, one will certainly burn in hell forever,
I will show it when I speak.
Any listener can hence, tell easily.
A CONVICTION of the heart can only come from reading the Word of God and seeking Him in desperation to convict me. I may also read other Christian books (of which I love the Apologetics genre the most) to equip me with proofs outside of the Bible, so as to give an answer to any question posed by a seeker of Truth.
A CONVICTION in the message will bring depth and confidance to the "Logos" of the rhetoric.
A CONVICTED Christian is a strong Defender of the Truths of the Bible. The world I live in today is subtly sliding into an era of no absolutes of anything.
I have to make a choice how I want to convey the message of Jesus Christ.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

COUNTING ON THE HOLY SPIRIT - without which no soul will be saved.

I find myself being disappointed with myself when I have to reach out without expecting a person to be saved by the grace of God.
Because, I realised that's when I have relied on myself all along.
Do not get me wrong.
The 2 aspects mentioned above about Commitment and Conviction are tremendously important.
However, without an utmost dependency and TRUST in the Holy Spirit in reaching out, all I do will be futile.
I have experienced this personally and it is so true.
In fact, a person who is ENTIRELY submitted to the Holy Spirit's guidance to do the work of God to reach out, will be guided to commit to the 2 areas mentioned above, even without the person's own knowledge.
In any case,I have discovered for many, many occasions when God Himself gave answers to questions posed to me, and I answered and convinced the seeker instantly despite not having any prior knowledge of the subject asked. I was amazed each time at how God intervened.
A heart which truly is able to reach out and touch the heart of another pre-believer with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is a Christian's heart that is completely SURRENDERED to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

There Is No Fear In Your Love

2005-07-19T18:52:00.000+08:00

There is no fear in Your love.

And in Your love,

There is no fear.

In Your love.

Self-centredness

2005-07-13T17:16:00.000+08:00

The strongest opposition to Love,

is Self-centredness. Or some call it Pride.

Hatred is definitely not the strongest opposition to Love,
as Hatred says that it wants Love...but it just does not have enough of it.

(Hence, hatred is often a result of insufficient love, or unreciprocated love.)

However, Self-centredness is not so.
Self-centredness says that he himself is greater than anything else, even Love.

Self-centredness looks down on Love.

The Strongest Opposition To Love.

2005-07-12T00:55:00.000+08:00

Ponder, ponder.

Think and wonder.

What is the biggest opposition to Love?

Before the answer is revealed in the next entry,

Ponder, ponder.

Think and wonder.

The Greatest Pain

2005-07-12T00:38:00.000+08:00

In your opinion,
What is the greatest pain for a man?

Think.

Is it a knife piercing through your body?
Is it the sense of loss of a romantic love?
Is it losing someone who is your flesh and blood?

The greatest pain which tormented Jesus,
Was a momentary separation from God's love.

The Greatest Pain.

Is to be turned away by the Greatest Love.

Cough Now.

2005-07-10T01:13:00.000+08:00

My cough is bad.
It makes me sad.
I feel mad.

Ok.

I'm just sick.

The Grandeur Of John 1:14

2005-07-07T13:42:00.000+08:00

And the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:14

There is something about angels.
Strong, powerful beings
Who are alien to our world.

Their beauty far exceeds human comprehension.
Their voices far trancends human standards.
Their might far superior than the most sophisticated human weapon.

They are almost fairytale-like.

But you know they are real.
They are somewhere out there.

And if we see them, awe overwhelms us.

And I believe even as you read this, you are wondering what "out-of-this-world" thing do I have to share with you about angels.

Simply because the mere mentioning of angels
awakes in us,
the human awe for the supernatural.

Yet,
the biggest contradiction lies here.

There is a Maker of angels.
And we seldom live in child-like wonder as to how He brought His powers into creation.

There is a Reason for the existence of the supernatural and the natural world.
And we do not consider that important enough to for us to stop and ponder where we belong to and where will we end up in.

There is a Creator who makes and watches the world in motion.
And we do not consider Him spectacularly overwhelming enough to live each day in fear of offense to Him.

Allow me to offer my explanation:

God has come SO CLOSE to earth, right beside you and me,
so much so that,
we are considering Him,
lesser

and lesser

of a God.

And this is tragic.

The Word became flesh
Such grandeur in these four words.
The everlasting Power of the Universe takes on human form.

The Chinese translation of "The Word" refers to "The Way" - "道"

Lao Tze and Confucius, both great thinkers of the East
have strived all their lives to grasp the essence of "Way", but to no avail.

"The Way is a limitless vessel;
Used by the self,
it is not filled by the world;
It cannot be cut, knotted, dimmed or stilled;
Its depths are hidden, ubiquitous and eternal;
I don't know where it comes from;
It comes before nature."- 老子（道德经，第四章）

"To hear in the morning
that the Way prevails
is to be able to die
without regret
in the night."-孔子（里仁，第四，第八句）

These great minds of the human race have invested their lives on earth, sincerely seeking the truth of the Way.

And if only they live in my day.

What could their exhilaration be,
if they SEE for themselves
the visible formation of this Way,
in flesh?

Jesus Christ.

The fullness of the powers of the Creator expressed within the frame of a man from Nazareth.
(Isn't it without logic when mere man figures according to his limitations of Science, how impossible it is for the Creator of the laws of Science to manipulate such laws to bring about the processes of healing of a blind man's eye or a leper's wounds, processes which are naturally perceived as "miracles"?)

The ultimate expression of a Force beyond natural human comprehension, in a human anatomy.

The Word became flesh

and dwelt among us.

To me, this is the supernatural of all supernatural.
Can the mind of man possibly comprehend that?

The eternal and the all-powerful force of...
everything

once threaded on the same earth you and I currently live on.

If this is not mind-blowing, I don't know what is.

And we beheld His glory.

Allow me to talk about angels again.
What would your reaction be if an angel appears beside where you sit now?

I thought I would faint.
But my response would be nothing short of fantastic wonder.

If only we are willing to understand this once again.

That God has come

Not angels.

God.

And we beheld His glory.
This, my friend, is precisely the greatest contact point between the supernatural glorious and the natural fallen.

And all the reasons of living comes into sensible logic.

Here, we come into an inevitable realisation that it is no longer about what I think or even what I want to think about:

- God,

- what I want to do with my life,

- my dismay with the 581st problem of yesteryear.

- and whatnot.

Because,

the One who is the Designer of the human world and the angels' appearances.

the One who is the Writer of the story of the natural world.

the One who brought into existence everything I ever knew, including the brain I'm using to contemplate Him with now.

He makes contact with me.

And I see it.

And...

wow.

Perfection revealed and explained.

God in humanly-understandable form.

the glory as of the only begotten of the Father
full of grace and truth.

And when everything has settled,
we awake to the tender note that,

Jesus

is THE token of love from God to man.

He came to make God comprehensible to man,
but above that,

He came to bring you a message.

Love.

Can you grapple with this?
Can you?

Failure to do so often leads to a Christian life littered with attitudes of a man who is living but has no true life.

Take a read at John 1:14 again.

May it jolt you from wherever you are,
to the full awe of who you are,
and what your God has done for you.

Would A Christian Fight In A War?

2005-07-01T04:20:00.000+08:00

God is love.
Wars destroy lives.
Christians ought not take up arms to fight.
Christians must obey.
God is love.

Yes, certainly, God is love.
This cannot be more true.

There is zero doubt that conflicts between nations should not be advocated.

However, does taking on a neutral stand and refusing to take up arms to defend your country sound like a Christ-like thing to do?

Much as taking on a neutral stand sounds peaceful and loving,
I find it hard to distinguish it from sitting on the fence.

As the saying goes,
All it takes for evil to thrive, is for good men everywhere to do nothing.

Would World War Two have ended if all American pilots hold on to this notion of a neutral stand and drop no atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Would the Iraqis under the Ba'ath regime be delivered should no countries take the drastic move to dethrone Mr. S.Hussein?

Would the prophecy of the reconstruction of Israel come to past if the Six Day war (and other related military conflicts) was not fought by the young men of Israel?

Yes, God would be the final judge of all things.
And wars are detested by God as they fill the very earth created by God with bloodshed and violence.

But look here, my dear JW friends.
Does promoting a worldview which could only exist in a utopia,
In the fallen world of ours which God has permitted to be in existence,

Bring God closer to the hearts of men?

Is it realistically possible?

True children of God possesses the discernment and understanding of right and wrong.

Yes, Germany may be a Christian country in the wake of World War Two,
And Hitler a supposed devout Christian,
But it is certainly logical to arrive to a conclusion that what they did is wrong.

However, we cannot simply, thus, conclude that Christians should not use arms.

True children of God have the wisdom of God to use arms at the right time, and there will be times when a child of God will have to use arms.

If this sounds inconceivable to anyone reading this,
Tell me,

If all male Singaporean Christians refuses to fight in defence against an infiltrator for Singapore, how would the whole of Singapore perceive the people of God...and eventually God Himself?

The answer cannot be more obvious.

A knife used for a murder can serve the same function as one used for cutting the ropes binding a hostage.

Is God really so much concerned with arms itself?
Or is God more concerned with the heart which uses it?

A soldier, in defence of his country, may shoot another man.
But God knows his heart has absolutely no hatred for the man shot.

And here we have it.

Hatred.

The question is never on a war, a battle, a conflict, or even a fight.

We have it here:

Hatred.

This is essentially what God abhors!

Jesus Himself emphasized in the Sermon on the Mount with regards to murder and adultery, that the heart of the matter, is a matter of the heart.

With my understanding of how my God is, yes, I will most certainly lay down my arms, if my country is the aggressor.

This may come at a price of losing my life, but I am convinced it will be what Jesus would do.

However, God will grant me the discernment to distinguish this from a day when my nation requires me to protect it with arms.

To totally take on a stand of no arms no-matter-what,

Is like a child who closes his eyes, trying to clean up a room,
Without realising the mess he is creating.

Insane Living

2005-07-01T03:29:00.000+08:00

Si'er,

Do you know your perception of how God is like as a person,
Will directly affect how obediently you live as a Christian?

Do you know the worldview you adopt,
Will easily reveal who you truly pledge allegiance to?

Do you know the thing you are most passionate about,
Will instantly reflect to yourself how much you really love God?

Do you know not every person who claims to be a Christian,
Will arrive in heaven?

Alright...things can't exactly be that bad.
I think I still have some time...no?
C'mon.
That's being a little extreme...
It's not like it's the end of the world!
Ok, you are radical. I'm not.

If being on fire for Christ is to be radical,
Then what will your definition of a rational way to live, be?

What exactly will be a sane way to live?

To not abandon your all to God and live purely for Christ,
Is like a man who is

Lingering in a house in flames,
Savouring every breath of soot,
Singing in a bath of smoke,
Relishing every rise in the temperatures of the fire,
Accomodating himself to the sensations of being burnt...

Alive.

What exactly will be a sane way to live?

To not live for Christ,
Is to accustom your whole being to live away from the Kingdom of God,

And get all ready to settle down in hell.

I hope I can paint a picture which is less disturbing, Si'er.
But I would rather disturb you enough,
To ensure you arrive where God wants you to,

Than to lead you to anywhere short of it.

I Have Been Crucified With Christ

2005-05-28T01:58:00.000+08:00

I have been crucified with Christ,
it is no longer I who lives but Christ lives in me.
The life I now live in the flesh
I live by faith in the Son of God
who loved me and gave Himself for me.

The most important world which we, human beings, ought to know,

Is the UNSEEN WORLD.
The things of the unseen world are the very things which manipulate the visible one,
And Christians have absolutely no reason to be bewildered by this fact.
The eys of our heart have been opened by God to understand this.
And because of this,
We live in a daily struggle which seemed to be of no reason to the unsaved soul.

To say that I have been crucified with Christ, is to say that I have put to death the ME who onced reigned in my life.
Yet somehow, that ME returns to haunt and wreck havoc every now and then.
But I have been crucified with Christ.
Period.

And hence, it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me.
Who do people see when they see me?
What do people hear when they hear me?
To say that Christ lives in me will mean that the fullness of the deity of Christ lives in me.
His holiness. His beauty. His power. His passion.
Do the eyes of mere mortals around me see this supernatural side of Jesus in me?

The life I now live in the flesh,
will corrupt with my flesh, if I chooses to live by it.

But I will live by faith in the Son of God.

Who loves me

And gave Himself for me.

Time and Moments and Animals

2005-04-26T19:37:00.000+08:00

There's a fundamental difference between

Time

and Moments.

Time refers to the dimension which all creation travels along, in only one direction.

Moments refers to points along this dimension.
Points which possess significance of some kind.

All creation of God have the concept of Time,
As we can all see how all creation of God degenerates over time.

However,

Of all creation of God,
Only Man possesses the concept of Moments.

Man knows the significant periods of his life, from the insignificant ones.
Man seeks to find meaning in the period of his existence.
Man is aware of tomorrow.

I just came back from a second visit to the zoo in the past half a year.
And somehow, this truth hits me hard.

Animals are just different from man.
Animals do not live for any reasons.
Animals do not show any expression of the understanding of the concept of Moments.

When we honestly ponder how we humans live,

We have to be fair to ourselves and answer truthfully,

Are we really living as Man should live?

If our mere existence is to provide for our living and the living of others,
like a mother kangaroo,

If our very presence on earth is to address our needs for comfort and pleasure,
like a lion and his pride (pun intended...haha),

If our very reason for survival is to fulfill the needs expressed by our flesh and our world,
like ANY animal...

We aren't really living as Man.

We were made to be Man...
We were intended to live for purposes,
We were created to understand the concept of Moments,

Man is made to live on earth with purposes that surpasses the temporalities of life on earth.

Man is made to live for eternity.

But we relegated ourselves to thrive on planet Earth in the same manner as Animals.

We just define our meat and plants in different terms from the Animals.
And that can be such a tragedy.

So upon leaving the zoo worn out but inspired,
I ask myself:

Are you living as a Man today?

What Am I Singing?

2005-04-02T04:36:00.002+08:00

I attended a seminar not too long ago.

And was shocked by the amount of human wisdom that was being preached by a respected speaker.

The topic was "How Post-Modernism Is Affecting Worship in Churches Today"
At the end of it, I could only agree with 10% of what was mentioned on the pulpit.

However, that 10% is enough to trigger a thought in me recently.

What exactly are we singing today?

Wonderful songs have been in our worship repertoires week-in and week-out.
Their lyrics are more often than not,
Speaking of complete surrenders and desperate love for God.
Their lyrics move through our lips like water gushing out from a fireman's hose.

Yet are we really meaning what we sing?
Are you?
Am I?

"Lord...I live for You alone...have Your way in me"
"I want to see Your face..."
"It's all about You"

This is cliche, but let's not deceive ourselves and think God is alright with it.

To live for Christ alone will mean enemy with the world.
To want to see His face will demand us to live a sinless life.
To say our life is all about God is to deny ourselves of all freedom to be carnal.

Do we know what we are singing?

Are we really ready to mean what we sing?

Do we at least want to mean what we sing?

I am glad we had a wonderful time of sharing at cell tonite...it was wonderful.
I was reminded of how much I need to learn to mean what I sing...

And mean it with how I live my life.

The Christian life on earth is not as much about how we bask in the joy and service in the house of God...
Than it is about how much we must live for Christ in life's daily drudgery, in the midst of all our non-Christian friends and acquaintances.

To not realise this will be fatal to any Christian.

I must awake.

Join me if you need to as well.

Focus

2005-03-30T01:08:00.000+08:00

There are a thousand and one distractions in this world.
They come in all shapes and sizes.

Sometimes they state their intent and are honest in telling you they are a distraction.

Other times...they disguise as some kind of "need".

Whatever it is,

As long as it is something that brings you away from spending time with Your Lord,
Reading His Word and communing with Him in prayer...
In peace and simple joy,

It is a distraction.

It is one

No matter how it may seem not to be.
Christian books...Ministry...School Work...Relationships...Fatigue...

Let our eyes be open and seek only what's central in our life each day.

Let's focus.

Let's Be Honest About God's Grace

2005-02-25T02:25:00.000+08:00

Let's be honest, Si'er:

If you are a Bible-believing person,
And you believe in God's sovereignty over all things,
And you believe that the grace of God is to empower us to live above the law,

Really, is there anything that the grace of God cannot overcome?

Is there?

An Astounding Reminder

2005-02-22T12:29:00.000+08:00

This morning,

I was given an astounding reminder on something tremendously important.

The definition of Grace through the Bible, is poles apart from that in Dictionary.com.

And I have not been able to grasp the entirety of it.

Until today.

Grace Of God - The Power To FulFill The Demands of The Law

2005-02-22T12:01:00.000+08:00

Without the grace of God, we will fail miserably no matter how hard we try to satisfy God's expectations.

Does that mean the law is redundant in our day and age?

The answer cannot be any clearer - it is inconceivable how some try to present half-truths which distort the truth.

The law is still relevant in today's age, because JESUS CAME TO FULFILL IT!
(Why would Jesus come to fulfill something that is no longer relevant to us?)

By grace we have been saved,
And by grace we will satisfy the demands of God's laws.

We cannot afford to belittle or mistake this term we know as "grace", for anything less than what it really is.

Grace is, and always have been, the empowering force for a mere man to live in a way which only God can.

Without this grace, we can't possibly live the way we are called to.

It is only through "grace" that we are able to live and produce deeds which are pleasing to Him.

Now, deeds...does deeds really matter?
Aren't we saved by grace through faith, and not deeds?

Deeds are the very evidence of our faith.

No deeds equals no faith,
Equals nothing to justify a genuine life of obedience and victory in Christ.
No matter how one may want to put it, it is crystal clear that Jesus Christ looks at the deeds in the churches of Revelation in the days of judgment.

Can I afford to miss this grace of God in me, to live the way I was called to?
I can't.

Can you?

Vengeance Is My God's

2005-02-20T19:13:00.000+08:00

Sing my soul,
To the King of Majesty.

When injustice strikes,
You will see His hand.

In the eye of the storm,
You will feel His touch.

In the face of the furnace,
You will trust His heart.

My Defender, my Provider.

My Father, my closest Friend.

My Healer, My Redeemer.

My Lover.

My God.

May You show Yourself and defend us
When You see injustice inflicted upon Your people.

Vengence is not mine.

Vengence is my God's.

I will be

Still
And know

You are

God.

Am I Myopic?

2005-02-17T21:25:00.000+08:00

Am I myopic?

More often than not, we can't live lives of complete victory,
and we feel our days are plagued with problems of all shapes and sizes.

We don't enjoy heaven on earth all the time.
Because we have been myopic.

Spiritual Myopia.

It makes you think your problems and circumstances are worthy of concern.
Worthy of worries.
Worthy of becoming an excuse for many un-Christlike decisions.

It makes you see the mouse like the lion.
It makes God looks pathetically, incompetent.

Oh yes, granted, they are legitimate concerns of life and difficulties which any typical mind of man will find hard to cope with.

But surely when the God of Creation make bold and sweeping statements like,

"Rejoice in the Lord always" and
"We are more than Conquerors through Him who love us",

He must have a reason for them.
He must be trying to make a point.
An extreme and radical point.

A rationale for living that is distinctively unlike any philosophies of man.

And the best part of that is, it's not a suggestion.
It's a promise.

Can't see beyond the mountain of your life right now?
Don't worry, my dear soldier-in-Christ.

I haven't been able to either.

Thank God, I've come to revisit two secrets to free one of Spiritual Myopia.

First, live knowing God loves you, yes, God loves you, as if you were the only created being He has.
If only we understand more than what we know of the magnitude of God's love for the man, not in the collective sense, we may indeed be closer to living to heaven.
(It was on a morning's journey to school that I was suddenly hit by how precious I have not realise, I am to God.)
Claiming the personal love of God is so vital.

Second, live the temporal life on earth with the eternal perspective of heaven.
This is so true.
With this in mind, re-assess your problems today.
When you do it with a humble heart of surrender, you will be appalled by how inefficient how your mind had been functioning.
Like how a machine runs with unclean substances in its lubricant, our minds can be choked with corrosive and destructive thoughts which great minds of man label as, "WORRIES".
It is with this eternal perspective of things to come that have allowed great men and women of God to overcome problems and pain in life.
And I'm convinced greatness in Christ is not available for only a few selected ones.
What is moulded from the hands of a great God can't possibly be anything less than...great.

So...allow me to ask myself and you, the dear reader of Palc:

What do you see today?

God In Heaven, Let My Words Be Few.

2005-02-17T21:15:00.000+08:00

Let my words be few.

In the eye of the storm,
let my words be few.

God is my Defender.
My Shelter.

Let my words be few.

Frustration

2005-01-31T23:52:00.000+08:00

Can you understand the frustration?

They can't see the light.
They shake their heads and spear my heart.

And I am doing all I can...but it's not enough.

I need His power.
And the key to that,

Is intimacy with Jesus Himself.

Frustration fills the heart and mind.

But Jesus points me to His love. Unfailing passion.

Thanks Sab.
God spoke through you again.

There must be more than this.

They will see the light one day...and I pray, God, that they will receive You.
And have the privilege to call You Father too.

Chandelle?! Chanel?!

2005-01-31T23:50:00.000+08:00

Chandelle?!
Not some perfume name ah.

Eternity and Earth.

Lah.

Flushio. Berrioyl. Unovq.

2005-01-12T23:33:00.000+08:00

Flushio Berrioyl Unovq

Trapped in
Time
and Space

Me. Trapped. Time. Space.

Sotlker Flushio Berrioyl Unovq.

Sotlker Dessigr Flushio Berrioyl Unovq.

Dessigr Flushio.

So Beautifully Trapped.

Surreal

2004-12-31T13:20:00.000+08:00

A.D. 2004.

Surreal is the year 2004.

Nice, but most definitely...it so is.

The inability to fathom the magnitude of realism,

In and beyond the human world,

Has dawned...upon me.

So Surreal.

Who Deserves To Live?

2004-12-28T23:17:00.000+08:00

The CEO in an American MNC
or
The Road Sweeper from Bangladesh?

The Grandmother of Prince Edward
or
The Old Lady living down the streets of Indonesia's suburbs?

The Young Singaporean boy who goes home from school to his condominium and XBox each day
or
The Little Orphaned Girl who had two meals in the last seven days?

The Leading Actress of Hollywood's 2004 biggest hit
or
The Thai woman who lost her husband, children, and all forms of livelihood not too long ago?

Who deserves to live?

Send in your answers by yesterday.

这无奈的人生

2004-12-28T13:02:00.000+08:00

亲爱的思尔，

没有耶稣的人生是一个无奈的人生。

千万别以为这句话很哲学。
千万别以为这句话很深奥。

醒醒吧。
你的每一天活得有意义吗？
到目前为止，你仍有权利选择活出。。。

有爆发力的生命。
有高价值的岁月。
在永恒里看起来有意义的人生。

但你也可以选择假装不懂这一切。
并走向永不熄灭的狱火。

做个决定吧。

What Brand of Christianity?

2004-12-28T11:12:00.000+08:00

More than 23,000 just made their way over to the other side of life.
And millions are freezing and burning in a cauldron of fear and hopelessness.
I'm facing it: life in MY world is just different from life in THE world.

And I have to entertain an enquiry about assets and properties, this morning.

Friends, I dunno about you, but I hate MY life.

Christianity. Christianity. Christianity.
Where is the working out of faith in trembling and fear?

My journey for the next 5 years is gonna be about children, children and more children.
And the mere thought of the sick educational focus just turns me off.

Don't write me off yet. I'm talking about children raised by irresponsible authority who hesitate to apply biblical principles in disciplining kids.

This is such a fallen world. Mine is such a fallen world.

Stupid children who are pampered tremendously with material comfort.
Meaningless tussle over issues of of money and property.
Dumb battles within my inner world.

For today,
Cease to speak to me about the love of Jesus.
Tell me about the wrath of God instead.
I can't understand the love of God if I don't fear Him enough.
Can you?

Dear Aunt Agony (why do you agonise over things that won't last?),
Enough of all the nonsense over crap issues.
OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK!!!
People are stepping over every day, every hour and minute!
Stepping into the everlasting, eternal, fires of hell.
Do you think you will be here on earth till you are 196, 458 years old?
Why the splatter of saliva over money and cents, property and assets?

Let your dreams burn with you in hell if you refuse to turn back.
If you continue to deny God, there exist this assured consequence for you.
I love you, and that's why I'm being real honest with you.

There's only one consolation I guess.
Jesus said that those who hate their life will gain it.

For a moment,
Please, don't tell me to love my life.
Tell me where I can buy the best armour for the war.
I'm coming to realise more and more that many teachings in the Bible
Are teachings about hatred and fear.

Hatred and fear.
Hate life. Fear God. Hate the world. Fear His wrath. Hate family. Carry the cross.

What brand of Christianity?
I think this is Jesus' brand.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Christmas Eve

2004-12-24T09:03:00.000+08:00

This is the favourite season of Si'er.

Loves it so much.
The simple joys of Christmas.

Thank You, Jesus.

The Dog Which Returned To Eat His Vomit

2004-12-22T10:49:00.000+08:00

Why did the dog want to return to eat his vomit?

What could be the driving force that is stronger than the repulsive force of the vomit?

When did it occur to the dog that it is time to eat his vomit?

How could the dog possibly have felt while eating the vomit?

Send in your answers by Christmas!

God Does Not Know.

2004-12-17T03:26:00.000+08:00

To whom it may concern:

God does not know that you are procrastinating about coming near to Him.

God does not know that you are desperate for what is seen more than what is unseen.

God does not know that you are more concerned about your credentials than your calling.

God does not know that you are more uptight over an unbanked cheque than an unsaved friend.

God does not know that you want to live with Him in heaven but not shine for Him on earth.

He does not know all that.

So don't worry my friend, let's continue to backslide. God does not know after all.

Will Shawn receive Christ? Stay tuned. Meanwhile, keep praying.

2004-12-17T02:47:00.000+08:00

My closest non-Christian friend.
Shawn Ow.
Will he ever receive Christ into his life?

This friend of mine is a great cynic of God and I have been praying for him and others for a long time.
I even bought him a copy of The Purpose Driven Life to bring to Australia, which he did not read, of course.

However, things changed last night.

We met up and had a good night of talking...and I was praying for an opportunity to talk about God and life.
Halfway through, God opened the topic when Shawn himself asked me a question, which soon allowed me to link to the gospel.

There was a strong sense of leading by the Holy Spirit as I answered his questions and I could see a growing sense of interest in his eyes.

We ended at around 5.30 a.m. with him saying he will seriously think about it. He even allowed me to pray for him to let God speak to him personally. (He swore not to utter a word though.)

To me, last night was a miracle, for almost a year ago, his response was almost repulsive.

That was last night.

Tonight, we met again for supper and God allowed me to open the discussion (though almost one-sided talking by me most of the time...haha) when we peered into a car and saw a copy of "The Da Vinci Code".

It was a shorter evening, but by the end of it, my best non-Christian friend asked if it was possible for one to be a Christian yet believe in karma at the same time.

At that instant, somehow, I experienced a wisdom to present the truth in a manner which I really felt was digestive to him.

In the realms of current affairs, science, history, nature and even within the human heart, God is too real to be ignored, I later told him...and honestly, even the process of sharing with him a faith as such, is a booster to my own.

God was clearly the One at work this evening.

Will Shawn receive Christ? Stay tuned. Meanwhile, keep praying for him.
Once he does, I shall thank God with all my heart and move on to my next target.

Wonderful.
I feel so good plundering hell and prospering heaven.
The Christian life is so exciting.

Hynoyt Dessigr Zholn

2004-12-15T20:00:00.000+08:00

This Beautiful Moment.

May it last forever.
In the presence of God.
In the beauty of His holiness.
In the power of His might.
In the peace of His embrace.

This Beautiful Moment.

Let's Do It!

2004-12-15T19:43:00.000+08:00

The camp was great.
I am absolutely sure many were touched,
And that can only mean good.

More work for the leaders
More leaders for the work!

And so the adventure awaits us.
Let us run and never fall.
And fly in the shadow of His wings.

Tertiary cell, we are a M.A.D. people. If you feel you aren't one yet, be assured you can be.

(The spooky scenes of the murder game flashed through my head when I woke up just now.
It was a terrific game...but can spare me the details...next time? Aahh..scared. Don't laugh.)

A Moment By Death

2004-12-06T10:52:00.000+08:00

I woke up today only to see an unread SMS.

My friend's ex-gf, whom he recently broke up with,
is diagnosed with brain cancer.

She is about my age. Or 1 or 2 years younger.

It was surreal. The immediate emotions that sunk in.
I've experienced this before. It was a familiar setting not too long ago.

And for a while, I was overwhelmed with...grief for a familiar stranger.
I thought about how her family would respond to the news.

I thought about the things she saw as important before the arrival of the news.
I thought about the things she now sees as unimportant.
They are the same things.

I thought about life. And the hairline crack which I occupy in the timeline.
I thought about the day I will die.
I thought about the promise of God.

It may be a distant future.
It may be a near one.

Oh, the things I worry. I thought about the things I worry. My foolish worries.
I thought about my sins, my pride and everything deep within. My reckless living.
I thought about my days on earth.
I ought to number my days just like Moses did. He wasn't radical, he was simply doing what's wise. I'd better stop being foolish me.

Live a life reflective of your faith, Si'er...so reflective of your faith.
You haven't got time to waste.

I asked God to let me finish his work before He brings me home.

Before I walk through the door which thousands are walking through, everyday.

我们若忍自己的罪

2004-12-05T18:07:00.000+08:00

我们若认自己的罪

神是信实的
神是公义的

他必要赦免我们的罪
洗尽我们一切的不义。

感谢主！

这是华文版的和平与爱机构

2004-12-04T19:19:00.000+08:00

这是华文版的和平与爱机构。

谢谢您到此游览。
在您离开此网页前，请您也向我道谢。

谢谢。

Before Your Feet

2004-12-02T19:04:00.000+08:00

If the world
And everything in it

Was given to me
It would still not be enough
To give to You.

Your mercy
And Your patience
A thousand songs insufficient to sing of

Your love and Your faithfulness
They are the pillars of my faith.

There is a Hand holding me.
Your Hand.

I prostrate before Your feet.
My God.

Before Your feet.

The Mystery Of Sotlker Flythe Goisch

2004-12-01T17:28:00.000+08:00

This is the mystery of Mr. Goisch

One morning,
While walking down from the 81st storey of a 81-storey building,
He saw a cockroach staring at him on the 63rd storey.

For a moment, Mr. Goisch thought he could not continue his way down the building.
The cockroach was way too...black.

He looked left and right, searching for a weapon.
He could not find any.

He glanced at his watch.
The time then,
Was 2.48pm.

Can he make it past the cockroach?
Can he make it down the building?

This is the mystery of Mr. Goisch.

Wake Up!!! Milo Time!!!

2004-11-23T13:59:00.000+08:00

It's Milo Time.

Wake up.

Touch the mug and taste the bubbles.

The brown liquid is anticipating entry.

Wake up.

It's Milo Time.

Jesus' Hands

2004-11-23T13:34:00.000+08:00

I hold the hands which made the world
And everything good in universe

Once I was lost

Those hands waved to me
And pointed to me the way to live

I hold the hands which stilled the storm
And knitted me in my mother's womb

The hands of God

Once nailed on the Cross

They now help me to carry my cross

Everyday

Wisdom

2004-11-23T13:03:00.000+08:00

What is wisdom that man needs it so much?

Is it the mysterious force that manipulates and encompasses the galaxies?
Is it the light that illuminates and directs every puny mechanism of life?

A man without wisdom
Is like a mouse in a maze of size, ten football pitches.

He thinks he knows the way
But all his life
May just be a series of bumps and knocks along the walls of his maze.

He may spend a lifetime seeking the truth and the reason why he is in the maze
And he may never get out of the maze.

He thinks he knows life.
He thinks he knows some answers at some turns and corners.
He thinks a lot.

And so he thinks.

But Glory be to God Almighty who delivers us from our agonies and pain.
He who holds the keys and answers to every door and every path.

Not only does He shows us the answers to life
He directs us in every step we take

Better still

He lifts us up from the maze of life with His fingers of love
And grants us a bird's eye view of our maze

And we fly in the shadow of His wings
Over our maze, we cast our shadows

And we realise how much we have travelled in folly in the past.
But that in itself, is a wisdom

Wisdom to know how foolish we once were.

And there's another kind of wisdom
But I'll talk about that next time...hahaha.

Is It You, Father?

2004-11-14T09:14:00.000+08:00

Is it You, is it You?
Knocking on my heart's door?

Telling me everyday...

Your love is so much more?

Great is Your faithfulness to me
I cannot see but I believe

Sing, My Soul...Sing

2004-11-14T09:09:00.000+08:00

Sing my soul, oh, sing my soul
To the King of Majesty

Upon the Cross, He gave His all
So forever I'll live

Jesus, Jesus, in me

Oh Holy One, the Only One
You love someone like me

You freed my soul
And opened my eyes

So clearly now I see

End Of An Era

2004-11-13T22:43:00.000+08:00

Today marks the end of the first dynasty of NIE.

The war of Chinese Critical Writing has come to a close this afternoon.
I witnessed my right hand warrior fought the armies of The Paper, with fervour and passion.

Bloodshed and violence. Only time will tell who will eventually prevail.

There are a total of four dynastys.
However, there will always be only one emperor.

Si'er. Ha. Ha. Ha.

God help me.

Supper With Natalie

2004-11-11T01:44:00.000+08:00

I love God.

I love my family.

I love my girlfriend.

I love suppers...and now I'm going to have one with my 12-year-old cousin, Natalie.
(Stop hitting me lah, Natalie!)

This Is A New Beginning.

2004-11-11T01:32:00.000+08:00

Today is a new beginning.
Yesterday was one.
Tomorrow will be another.

New beginnings are good.

They keep things fresh.

Welcome to the Peace And Love Corp.

2004-10-02T23:25:00.000+08:00

Hi...This is Si'er here...testing...testing...