Sore Throat

A Sore Throat attacked me as I woke. The scratchy horrid type that crawls like a deadly centipede down your ear and into your painfully swollen throat so that even the purest water sears like caustic acid.

Made my sorry way to Eu Yan Sang for some good ol' herbal medicine. The suspiciously young and spritely girl who served me enthusiastically recommended a packet of herbs which was optimistically named 开音茶. She pointed to what looked like big black seeds and claimed that they were particularly effective in curing sore throats.

Back in the office, under the cold clinical light, I realised that the black seeds were actually cicadas. More precisely, Moulting Cicadas.

Eu Yan Sang happily elaborates:

274. Chantui, Cicada Moulting (Cryptotympana atrata)
Cool. Influences the lung and liver channels. Clears wind-heat, brings out incomplete rashes, clears the eyes and stops spasms. Commonly used to treat loss of voice, sore throat, speedy flush-out of rashes, red swollen eyes, blurry vision and children's fear of night time/darkness and common cold.

Lovely.

And how would the juice of nasty shrieking insects hiding in the wet blackness of haunted trees help cure little Billy boy's fear of the dark?

Well, God did say,"Everything that lives and moves will be food for you." (Genesis 9:3). And the shock did cure my sore throat. Am now cheerfully eating Rotiboy and drinking teh tarik with nary a tickle.

:-)

Breaking News

In breaking news, an enterprising ice-cream uncle was spotted outside Adam Road Presbyterian Centre (25 Adam Road) touting chunks of ice-cream wrapped in soft bread under his big multicoloured brolly.

It won't be long before the church camp durian uncles find us too...

Who will do the gospel honours? ;-)

42 Below, Martinis and Wisdom

We partook of the closing ceremonies of the 42 Below Martini Festival in Singapore.

Previously, a jelly beauty could be cashed in for a free 42 Below martini at selected bars. The dodgy token of choice for the tearful farewell was a white furry long thing but kept the free lovelies coming, providing clearheaded experiences of creative angles (good for hiding from the paparazzi, since I'm shy like Cowboy Caleb while the others were trying to avoid lynch-mobs, like cowboys and celebs).

As is well known, the management of the velvety hipster 42 Below is purposely DOK (Dam One Kind).

They make dam farny DOK adverts like:The Story of 42 Below (which has been duly whined about)

and country-specific adverts designed apparently to sell their stuff to the locals by insult.

They've taken the mickey out of:

the English


the French


and the Germans

They've also taken the piss out of:

diet freaks


human rights activists

and gays

but this hasn't always gone down smoothly with their target audience. Chelsea hotspot, Brite Bar, boycotted the brand for what it viewed as shameless pandering to the gay community. In response, James Dale, the President of 42 Below DOK-ness wrote an uncreative singleword-profanity-ridden email to the owner of the bar. He followed this up with his own little web site dishing out advice and propogating more of his singleword profanity.

Then, following complaints against a previous 42 Below ad by the makers of Abolut Vodka to the NZ Advertising Standards Board, 42 Below "repented" with a DOK ad. The first ad related the findings of a vodka blind tasting in the UK, the results of which were published in the UK newspaper The Independent. In that initial ad 42 Below highlighted the favourable results for its brand and also mentioned that Absolut was judged "least favourite".

After complaints were made, 42 Below "retracted" their previous ad like so:

Snort-worthily DOK.

Heck, they're DOK even to Fosters, their distribution partners.

*******

Amongst maroon and silver silk cushions, diaphramous draperies, opium beds and Tang Dynasty cast-offs in the Forbidden City, an unwise mate, in a fit of misdirected adventurous-ness double-ordered manuka honey lemongrass martinis. Foul.

Of course, this is misuse of the concept of wisdom as God sees it.

We usually associate wisdom with the ability to make the right decision about something. Choosing a tasty cocktail, or in more life-changing spheres, choosing the right job, right house, right life-partner.

But more importantly, wisdom is the ability to make the right decision about the most critical issue of all: what we think of Jesus. The weighty significance of this issue is enunciated in this parable told by Jesus:

everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. (Matthew 7:24-27)

Jesus' claims about himself demand a decision. There's no sitting on the fence about it: he's either a lunatic, liar or he's the Lord. If we don't make a decision for him, we remain his enemy and God's enemy, plain and simple. A wise person therefore makes a decision for Jesus.

A decision for Jesus then affects every other decision that we subsequently make. Our conversion to Christianity is the conversion of the mind and the heart; the whole willing and thinking side of our being is completely turned around so that where once, drowning, we grasped at straws like work, drugs, alcohol, sex, or cosmetic beauty to give us meaning and value in life so that our whole being was caught up with these things, we now rest on a solid foundation of Christ, valued by our relationship with the faithful and eternal God.

And our wisdom as God's people isn't about brainlessly "waiting upon the Lord" for signs as to the right decision to take, but about using our redeemed mind and heart, fed by his Word, to discern the right decisions to make. God has never spoken of wisdom as the idea that he will make our decisions for us. Jesus however did say that hearing his words, receiving them and doing them is true wisdom.

Christian wisdom and true wisdom is conforming the mind and heart to the gospel. Growing in wisdom means to learn to apply the truth revealed in the Bible to every aspect of our thinking and doing.

Mod Music as the New Wallpaper and Whether Lyrics Matter

It was a ear-opening weekend.

Friday night saw us jiving at Kinemat's birthday party at Timberlux Centre, releasing golden brew from their green bottled prisons while more Heinekens chilled invitingly in clear ice-cube-filled green buckets, hailing the DJs and discussing the music.

Realised guiltily that I've always treated rock, pop, alternative, dance, triphop/chillout and all other modern forms of music callously; using them but never bothering to get to know them or relate to them for their instrinsic beauty. It's not too far from how European classical music is used by far too many people as elevator and toilet calmers, restaurant fillers, call-waiting soothers and IQ-boosters. Such crass consumerism without regard for the innate elegant exquisiteness and mathematical charm of such music has always made my blood boil but I'm culpable for using modern music in the same way.

The Art of Gear Stomping at the Substation the next day increased my respect for the indies, and as we sat in a parked car on Sunday, a beat-producer initiated me into the finer points of the modern band with the help of a blasting car stereo.

Realised that I haven't gone out of my way to listen to much secular music these few years because my mind is a sponge to music; it soaks up all kinds unconsciously and plays them over repeatedly and unstoppably for hours or days or even weeks. Most secular lyrics declare false worldviews that I don't subscribe to, so why would I want to be irritated by catchy lies on repeat mode in the brain?

Am just as unable to sing devotions to the "Blessed Virgin Mary" in nice Romantic-period ditties like Schubert's "Ave Maria", as the nu-metal subliminal verses of Slipknot.

What about Christian lyrics set to modern music then? Haven't gone back to look at modern Christian music since my Christmas shopping trip. There's still that perennial problem of theologically incorrect or theologically vague lyrics.

Wet blanket fundamentalism? Does it really matter what we sing about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit?

In an article, Stuart Townend, writer of "How Deep the Father's Love", "In Christ Alone" and "Beautiful Saviour", asks

how much do we take care to ensure what we sing is true? And does it really matter anyway?

He answers:

The Role of Songs
The first thing we must realize is that worship songs play a significant part in our lives; not only for us as musicians, but for all those who attend our services. Our congregations may hear some fantastic biblical teaching on a Sunday morning, but when they leave they're more likely to be humming one of the worship songs than reciting a section of the sermon.

Let's face it: songs stick in the mind in a way that the spoken word does not. And that means that in our daily lives we can recall truth when it is contained in a song. For example, I still sing the old chorus "For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…" when I'm trying to remember Galatians 5!

This fact was not lost on great preachers of the past. For Luther, Newton and Wesley, the central message of their songs was the truth they were preaching in their sermons. In fact, William Booth and others changed the words to popular secular songs of the day in order to better fix biblical truth in the minds of believer and unbeliever alike.

Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
So it's important that lyrics are true and reliable if people are going to sing them and allow them to feed truth into their daily lives. So does that mean we should restrict our song content to Scripture quotations?

While there's a strong argument for saying "yes", it is clear from Scripture and church history that the people of God have always benefited from contemporary expressions of eternal doctrine applied and expressed in a way that their generation can easily grasp. The meaning and content of Scripture should always be central to the songwriter's work; but there is value in moving beyond the mere reciting of Scripture in order to explore the meaning, much as a preacher might do in a sermon.

Doctrine and Experience
This inevitably opens up some "grey" areas for the songwriter. He/she may focus on our subjective response to a scriptural truth, or express a desire to receive experientially what we know doctrinally to be already ours in Christ. At this point it would be unfair to attach the weight of doctrinal authority to every word of a worship song.

There are many examples of this in worship songs, but one of the most talked-about is Jesus, We Celebrate Your Victory. The line "And in His presence our problems disappear" seems to suggest that all life's problems will go away with a little worship. Now, I think we all know what the song is really saying: that what seem like major problems are put into proper perspective when seen in the context of God's love and power – indeed, they disappear from view when enjoying the wonderful presence of God. But it's not a doctrinal statement on how to sort out life's problems.

Theology and Poetry
Another minefield of contention for the songwriter is the question of the poetic. Part of the power of lyric-writing lies in the use of phrases and images that impact the listener/singer. However, because images are so open to interpretation, it is impossible to ensure that they are theologically airtight.

For example, Graham Kendrick’s beautiful image, "Hands that flung the stars into space/To cruel nails surrendered", is not designed to initiate a discussion on whether Jesus had hands in heaven, or to blur the issue of Jesus becoming fully man in the flesh, but to bring home to us the wonder of the Creator of the universe sacrificing Himself for sinners.

In Perspective
Let's not overstate it. Songs do play an important part in imparting doctrinal truth; but they are not a replacement for first-hand study of the Bible, or good biblical teaching in the local church. Where these essentials are being ignored, the danger of heresy looms large, no matter how doctrinally correct the songs.

A Garden of My Own

Recent conversations have somehow revolved around the acquisition of homes: soon-to-be newly-weds purchasing HDB flats, recently-weds dealing with parent-and-child housing woes, unmarrieds moving out from the family home, the wisdom of purchasing a home as opposed to renting one in view of bible college or mission work plans...

While waiting for the laundry to be done, I sat staring at the rambutan tree I grew up climbing and was certain that, like a friend who lives successfully with his mates, 5 cats, 2 dogs and an unknown number of fish in Bohemia Holland V, home would not be home without a garden.

Our garden would be a lush natural wild family garden that Roy Strong would not approve of. We'd cover brick walls with homey moss and allow pink bougainvillea and purple morning glory to climb them. We'd plant bamboo and sealing wax palm groves, small fields of red and yellow heliconia, fragrant colourful frangipani, african violets, chrysanthanum and gerbera, several species of rose and orchids, lucious mango and rambutan trees for our own consumption and papaya and chiku trees for the yellow black-naped orioles. We'd provide places where sun-birds could build their nests in peace, and build a small pond where our various cats could stare at the fish and tap the water lilies, and a little patio where we'd sit and have breakfast while our dogs stretch and rediscover the garden and where we'd be able to do a bit of painting in the cool dewy morning.

My reverie was interrupted by the high-pitched voice of a neighbour verbally abusing her maid for some minor intraction. The vulgarities continued for the next half hour.

Like the wearying and unending need to clean dirty muddy clothes and cleats, clear cakes of dust from the house and take out the smelly garbage, there will truly be no perfect peace and complete rest until the world is transformed at the coming of Christ. How I wait and long for that in this hard world, but yet how I fear the consequences of that for those whom I love but have not yet put their trust in the One who will come as their angry judge and sentence them to eternal death on that day.

Heaven

There's been much speculation about what heaven will be like, these few weeks.

Case 1
The recently bereaved wondered if the recently deceased were somewhere in heaven in the sky, looking down benovelently on them and protecting them by special powers attained by death.

Case 2
I recently had a good chance of being sponsored as a round-the-worlder in the 5th Clipper Round The World Yacht. Then certain authorities that pay my salary stated in no uncertain terms that 10-months' leave was not something that could be contemplated.

As I deleted the sponsorship email sadly, I wondered if there would be yacht races in heaven (where we are prone to put all things we desire but are unable to obtain in this life). There, perhaps, we'd ride a beautiful sturdy boat as she'd skim the waves, my mates yelping with joy as the waves toss us in the clean air, then land upright and thrilled in delicious splashes of sea spray. Then in the calm, we'd take a well-earned rest, crack open cold beers and have a wonderful sizzling barbie with the sun setting lazily in the horizon. And because this is heaven, there'll be no horrible sunburn and so no need for grossly sticky sunblock, no ropeburn and no bleeding torn skin.

Case 3
Also just realised that it's too late to get the stiff joints cranking to start training for the OSIM Triathlon in July. Have also managed to put one very swollen and blackened opposable thumb out of action in a freak weekend warrior accident.

Will there be Ironman in heaven too?

*******

Case 4
Of course, to each his/her own. RG, for instance, would [RG threatens me sweetly] ermm...might possibly hope for other things in heaven (but of course this is just my suggestion and mine alone) [shadow eyes RG's manicured nails suspiciously...]: for starters, that "captivating, cute guy armed with acoustic strings and gorgeous vocals" we chaperoned accompanied her to swoon over appreciate last weekend, while we decimated a minuscule "yummilicious" warm chocolate cake and sticky toffee pudding.

Read her blog for more swooning... ;-)

Would Captivating Cute Guy be in heaven to croon ballads of praise to God?

*******

Case 4
Come to think of it, will there be cover bands in heaven or will we have the real McCoys (assuming all the real McCoys make it to heaven)?

After Captivating Cute Guy finished his ballady gig and kissed his girlfriend in plain view of PW, we headed to Wala Wala where some mates and I used to do some hard underaged drinking in school PE attire after rugby [Note to kiddies: I was pagan then.]. The Unexpected Band was in attendance upstairs doing cover sets but with personality. The front gal had mad energy, powerful vocals and pizazz and the jigging, singalong, hands-in-the-air crowd was well-lubbed with alc and ciggies.

Of course, nowadays, with every chap and his teenaged mother belonging to an indie band or grooving as a bedroom DJ, decked out in trucker caps, thick-framed plastic glasses, goatees (however growable on Chinese skin), rip-offs of Comme des Garçons (which has since self-destructed according to its plan of one-year guerilla occupation) and designer-vandalised limited edition Nikes, will heaven be one eternal jam session?

How could that be heaven for the foggies who want a bit of peace and quiet?

And would differing views of eternal enjoyment be resolved by democratic vote or committees?

*******

There is obviously something wrong with our view of heaven as a place where all our unfulfilled desires are met, where everything is about our enjoyment and pleasure. In fact, we have no basis for thinking that heaven will be about us at all.

Heaven is not "up-there"
First things first. There is actually no biblical concept of heaven as a place in the sky where you go after you die, dressed in a white nightie, flying around aided by a newly-grown pair of white wings and topped with a shiny gold halo. The eschatological image of heaven is not even a place within this present universe but in the total destruction of this entire universe at the second coming of Christ and the reconstruction of a completely new heavens and new earth (Isaiah 65:17, 66:22; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1).

Heaven will not democratic
We have been brainwashed to think of the political system of democracy as perfect and desirable and something to die for. But if we examine the foundation of democracy, we find that it is merely a recognition that man is sinful, so no one person should be entrusted with absolute power. The aim of democracy is to spread out the concentration of power, and install checks and balances to make anyone with power accountable to the rest.

Heaven will not be a democracy. It will be a kingdom where there will one king: God, who will rule perfectly and eternally and whom we will live under and submit to.

We will not do what we ourselves want to do, for our love of democracy in the present is due to the freedom it gives us to live our lives the way we want to live them (read, "continue to sin"). Instead, we will be given totally new hearts and new minds to do the will of God, and find complete and utter happiness and satisfaction in living the way we were made to live under God.

Heaven will not be about us but about God and other people
God has also purposed that heaven will be a place where our perfect loving fellowship with our fellowmen and with God will be restored.

Heaven will not primarily be a place where we get to do/receive all the things we couldn't get in this life. That would be hell: a place stuffed with selfish self-centred navel-gazers.

That doesn't mean that heaven will be a real bore: strait-laced, conservative, bowing and scraping and singing dull hymns in white uniforms for all eternity, while hell will be a really wild party with our mates. In fact, it will be in hell that there will be no party, no enjoyment and no friends.

As Phillip Jensen once memorably noted:

in heaven, friendship in all its pleasure will be restored and there will permanent relationships; we will never again fear the loss of loved ones, for sin is paid for and death will be defeated defeated. So it will be the time of party and fun of drinking anew with God in his kingdom. Heaven is not a pub without beer. Hell is the pub with neither beer nor the mates to share it with.

In heaven, we will enjoy the unspeakably beautiful intimacy of a completely restored relationship with the ruler of the universe. Revelation 21:3-4 sums up God's purposes for a wonderful eternal relationship with his children in the new universe yearningly:

Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

May we all, by trusting in Jesus, be able to enjoy God and each other forever.

Star Wars Spoofs

All sequels must finally come to an end. But not before they've been spoofed.

Hokkien Spoof
Time to dust off those old mp3s of the scintillating conversation between a Hokkien Darth Vader and Luke. ;-)

Light sabres clash in the background.
Darth slashes off Luke's arm.

Luke: Ahhhhhh........ wa ai chew ah!
Darth: Look, teh wa ke orh orh hee peng.
Luke: Ai, dan gu gu ah!
Darth: Look! Wa si lim lau peh.
Luke: Boh koh leng! Boh koh leng! Wa lau peh si liao!!!
Darth: Lu kaki sio kwa bai, lu jiu ai jai ya si jin eh.
Luke: Ahhhhhh........!!!!!!!!

Hardware Wars
Made in 1978. Probably the first spoof ever!


almost 10 years later, there was Spaceballs


more recently, there was the very popular Bullock spoof, Star Wars Episode III: A Lost Hope


sometime in-between, there was the somewhat web phenomenon, Troops


and Star Wars Kid (or Dork), which was once, a long time ago, in a galaxy far away, a web-phenomenon...


French & Saunders Spoof


Clerks Spoof


Even Kevin Spacey gets with the starship with his skit on misfit Hans Solo casting tryouts.

South Park Spoofs
Park Wars: The Little Menace

Omigod! Is Darth Maul gonna kill Kenny? The bastard!

Star Park: The Musical


Lego Spoof


err...Thumb Spoof


Political Spoof
Four More Years of Vader
If Darth Vader can win another four years, anybody can!

Organic Spoof: Grocery Store Wars

Blog Spoofs
The Darth Side: Memoirs of a Monster

Cartoon Spoofs
Star Wars Spoofs

And when you've got too many spoofs, you have


Not Spoofs (just fan films...)

Star Wars: The Revelations: Begin the Rebellion
The destruction of the Jedi Temple is devastating. Accusing Separatists of the attack, Emperor Palpatine declares martial law on Coruscant. As the Imperial presence spreads to most systems, Palpatine calls the scattered Jedi order ineffective. Their protests are denounced as treason, and all Jedi are declared traitors and are now fugitives of the Empire. Looking for a way to turn the tide in this battle, both the surviving Jedi and the Empire are looking for a mystical Jedi artifact said to give the bearer great power...

Star Wars: The Jedi Saga
This Star Wars film takes place in between Episodes II and III. Few Jedi remain. The council grows weak and is almost empty. The Jedi desperately seek leads to the indentification of the Sith Lord responsible for war. Jedi Master Oni Cay-Qel is sent to rendezvous with the leader of an alien militia who possesses critical information on the parties involved with the creation of the clone armies--including the identity of the Sith Lord. Shortly after, Master Cay-Qel's transmission is lost. His Jedi emergency beacon is subsequently located on the planet Veridan IV. Jedi Knight Ro Sajec, returning from a mission close by, receives orders from the Jedi Council to investigate the disappearance of Master Cay-Qel while the council organizes a rescue team with the few Jedi they have left.

Emergence of the Sith
After learning of an illegal spice-refining operation, the Republic has dispatched a Padawan learner on his first mission. Once there, Subo Dai is aided by Bothan field agent H'wai Zark who confirms there is, indeed, an illegal operation under way. As he tries to relay this information to his Jedi master, Shin Dinn Kada, he and the Bothan are attacked on the planet and a fierce battle ensues. It is a fight between good and evil in a struggle for power over the Trade Federation.

Power of the Sith
A young Jedi in training has been captured by the Bride of Darth Sidious, a Sith Witch who is well trained in the Jedi arts. They plan to use the superior DNA from a Jedi for the construction of a massive clone army. Another Jedi pupil is searching the galaxy in hopes of finding the missing Jedi.

Dark Skies
It is a dark time for the Skywalker family. Having seen Anakin consumed by the dark side, Amidala is determined to protect her children from a similar fate. Dark Skies culminates in a showdown between Anakin and Amidala over the destiny of their children, with devastating consequences...

Official award-winning fan films


Other unofficial, no-award-winning fan films...
Which leads slate.com to ask,"Do fans make better movies than George Lucas?"

Also Not Spoofs (they just include Star Wars elements)
Art of the Saber

A light saber fight sequence with the flavour of a Hong Kong martial arts action movie. This short is set in a dense forest, where a young man, willing to leave his loved ones behind to help fight in the Revolution, clashes with an enemy in a battle where only one will remain standing.

Think the Star Wars mythology of the primacy of good over evil is cool? Pick up a Bible and read it. The reality is even cooler.

*******

See also a very unintended spoof.

Wa Mmh Si Hokkien Lang

shadow:Eh. Wa sunday ke Zouk, lu eh sai boh?
Char Tau: Ahrrr? Wa buay sai lah! Wa mmh si lancing lancing lang lah.
shadow: Lu bak chew tak stamp ah? Mmh si lisco lah. Si frea makit lah.
Char Tau: Ohrrr...anneh kwan ah... ke frea market zou si mi?
shadow: kia lai kia ker, looksee-looksee, kwa chioh bu lor.
Char Tau: Ohrrr... Lu jin jiat ungodly lei... eh sai! eh sai!
[Note to reader: only joking about the chio bu lah...unless chio in the 1 Peter 3 sense.]

The dancefloor as you've never seen it...

Wanting to tell your grandparents the gospel of life? But lu only chiak kantang, buay hiao kong?

Mai peng san, mai pai se, mai kia. The written Chinese version of Two Ways to Live can be found here. I've also got a friend who painstakingly translated Two Ways to Live into Hokkien for her gran. Mail me if you need the Hokkien pinyin.

两路人生

基督教所宣导的信息来自圣经，是关于神和祂的爱子以及我们对生命与死亡所必须做的一个抉择。


恩慈的创造主
神创造了世界与天地万物，并用爱治理世界，为万物做完美的安排。祂以自己的形象造人，又赋予人权柄，在祂的旨意下管理世界。

圣经的记载："创造宇宙和其中万物的 神，既是天地的主，就不住人手所造的殿，也不用人手服事，好象缺少什么；自己倒将生命、气息、万物，赐给万人。" ∽使徒行传第17章24-25节

这神、人、万物和谐共存的景象，与我们所处的世界截然不同，究竟问题出在哪里？


人的叛变
由古至今，人一再地拒绝神的管理，只依据自己喜欢的方式生活。我们不以祂为神，甚至无视祂存在，为所欲为。这种叛逆、以自我为中心的态度就是圣经上指的"罪"。

问题是，我们自立为王，非管不了自己的生命，反而导致社会及整个世界被罪辖制。世上的纷争、苦难、不公义都源自人的罪。

圣经的记载："因为，他们虽然知道 神，却不当作 神荣耀祂，也不感谢祂。他们的思想变为虚妄，无知的心就昏暗了。" ∽罗马书第1章21-22节

我们背弃了神，把世界搞得一团糟，难道神坐视不理吗？


叛逆的代价
因为神爱祂的创造，祂不容我们漠视祂、糟蹋祂的创造。公义的祂将结束人的叛变，并审判每一个人的所作所为。
背弃神的惩罚是永恒的死亡。神在大审判后，将与背弃祂的人永远隔绝。因为人的生命和他所享有的一切美好都源自神，这些人的下场将是永远的死亡与地狱的磨难。

没有人能避免这场审判，因为我们都犯了背叛神的罪。

圣经的记载："按着定命，人人都有一死，死后且有审判。" ∽希伯来书第9章27节

死亡和永恒毁灭是人的宿命吗？若不是神的奇妙介入，我们只能陷在绝望中。


耶稣舍己救世人
慈爱怜悯的神，没有置我们于不理，反而差遣了祂的爱子降世为人，拯救我们。他就是拿撒勒人耶稣。

耶稣与我们不同，他不曾违背神，完全顺服神的旨意而行。他是无罪的，本不应被惩罚或处死，但他确实死了。他有能力医治、行神迹、使人复活，为什么甘于被钉死在十字架？

这就是圣经带来的好消息！耶稣的死是为了救赎我们。他背负了世人的罪，代替我们承受神的忿怒与惩罚，使神的公义得满足，我们也因此罪得赦免。我们不配得到这份礼物，神却慷慨地亲自将它送上。

圣经的记载："既然借着他在十字架上所流的血成就了和平，便借着他叫万有-无论是地上的，天上的-都与自己和好了。" ∽歌罗西书第1章20节

好消息不止于此…

耶稣 – 复活的救世主
神接受了耶稣的死为我们罪的赎价，将他从死里复活过来，又赐他荣耀与权柄，高坐于天上的宝座，管理与审判世界。圣经应许耶稣会再次降临，执行审判。

与此同时，凡信靠耶稣的人, 因借着他的死，罪已被赦免，不再与神敌对。这就是耶稣带给我们永恒的新生命。在这新生命里，神通过圣灵亲自住在我们当中，使我们能体验与神和好的喜乐。

我们既已因耶稣的死得宽恕，就有信心，在他再临审判世界时，靠着他所成就的得救。

圣经的记载："他曾照自己的大怜悯，借耶稣基督从死里复活，重生了我们，叫我们有活泼的盼望。" ∽彼得前书第1章3节

这个好消息带来了两个选择…

两路人生
我们可以继续拒绝神的管理，像许多人一样坚持以自己的方式生活。可是，这么做不但要继续活在罪的管辖下，死后还得面对背弃神的审判，与祂永远隔绝。

如果你为自己的处境感到无助，其实，还有一线生机等着你回应。若我们向神悔改，恳求得祂怜悯，信靠耶稣的死与复活，那一切将会改变。

首先，神已接受耶稣的死作为我们罪的赎价，祂完全地宽恕我们，抹净我们所有过犯。祂赐圣灵住在我们心中，给我们超越死亡、延至永恒的新生命，接纳我们成为神家庭的一份子。从此，我们过的是顺服于主耶稣的生命。

圣经的记载："这见证就是 神赐给我们的永生；这永生也是在祂儿子里面。人有了 神的儿子就有生命，没有 神的儿子就没有生命。" ∽约翰一书第5章11-12节

朋友，往后的路你会如何走呢？

Please note that this translation has been put online in the understanding that it does not infringe the copyright of Two Ways to Live and that this constitutes fair dealing under the Copyright Act, Chapter 63 of Singapore.

Fish Head Curry Appreciation

All was quiet in the claypot...

when among the slices of eggplant, pineapple, tomato and lady's fingers, a monstrous shape emerged from the lemak gravy...

a terrible monster with souless eyes and cruel sharp teeth...

so we ate it.

Thank God for food that can be played with.

Trexi Articulates False Humanity

Unintentionally, Anti-D articulates the entrenched system of sin

Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure;
I am clean and without sin"? (Proverbs 20:9)

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24-25)

Designer of Anti-D, Jacob Shamberg, explains that "the motifs on the Anti-D Trexi are testaments to our over-medicated, desensitized society. Where all of human vitality, has been willfully reduced to a green cesspool of numbness."

But it is more than over-medication and desensitisation that dehumanises us; it is ultimately sin that makes us less human.

When we are hurt or cheated by someone else, friends and family comfort us saying,"That's life; that's what humans are like."

But that's not what humans are like; it's what non-humans are like.

For in the beginning, humans were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). We were not designed as mere mammals. Rather, we uniquely had the role and had the ability to reflect God, represent God and relate to God.

When we rebelled (sinned) against God however, the image of God in us was corrupted. Because we did not and do not live with God as our Lord, we are filled with all kinds of evil: anger, jealousy, rage, malice, greed, sloth, deceit, strife, slander, gossip, insolence, arrogance, boastfulness, senselessness, faithlessness, ruthlessness... And as Proverbs so rightly points out, which among us can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin"(Proverbs 20:9)? We all know the filthy petty selfishness of our own hearts.

None can claim perfect goodness. None, that is, but Jesus Christ. Walking on earth in the flesh like us, Jesus was the perfect human being who, alone, was the perfect representation of God, the perfect image of God (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3).

By his perfect life and substitutionary death in our place, and resurrection from the dead, he made it possible for us to be restored to our true humanity, to be truly human.

Those who trust in Jesus are given the ability to break out of their filthy petty selfish sinful selves and be gradually transformed into Jesus' likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18), that is true humanity.

One day, when Christ comes again, the transformation process will be complete for those who believe in him. Then, we shall attain perfect humanity again (1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 15:49), not by our own self-improvement works but by the power and grace of God alone.

Bar None's Monday Sessions and Modern-day Pharisaism

To everyone's great alarm, I managed to sleepwalk through the slippery well-waxed halls of power, hostile conference calls and antagonistic negotiations still in the lull of a pleasant discussively contemplative weekend.

Hours of peaceful reading at Teajoy, a cosy little chinese teahouse along North Bridge Road with its calligraphic rice paper lanterns and piped-in guzheng music, absently pouring tea from delicate clay teapots, sipping tiny cups of the unfermented stuff and nibbling seaweed crackers amongst mainland chinese murmurs, did nothing to wake me into the work week.

Fortunately, the heavy guitar and drum assault at Bar None's revived Monday Sessions jolted the brain sufficiently.

Over the weekend, people of different life experiences surprised themselves by confessing the same conclusion: pharisaism is alive and well in modern-day evangelicalism (if we are in a church that prides itself for being bible-believing and strong on the word, this is a danger we most probably face). Some confessors were past perpetrators and were presently struggling modern-day pharisees themselves. Others were bewildered victims of such modern-day pharisaism attempting vehemently to hold on to their faith and love their torturers.

Modern-day pharisaism has the following characteristics:

• like the Pharisees of the days of old, we make up our own laws as to what it means to be "godly" or "sorted" or "mature";
  
• like the Pharisees of the New Testament, these man-made laws were taken from correct and biblical theology, but somewhere along the line of transmission, what were once suggested applications of biblical principles in specific contexts became strict rules by which "godly", "sorted" and "mature" Christians should abide;
• people in church are then judged unthinkingly and undiscerningly according to these rules. We encourage the strict, outward cold holiness of whitewashed tombs forgetting the theological root of such behaviour, absent of the gospel and the warm inner heart of love, grace and mercy.
  

Some examples of modern-day pharisaic rules include:

• thou shalt not study for a higher or professional degree (eg. Masters or a PhD or professional specialisation) or thou shalt be known as an ungodly waster of time and money;
  
• thou shalt not switch to a higher-paying job, for if thou (like in any other job, high or low-paying) art unable to attend bible study or service once in a while, thou shalt be condemned as "ungodly" and a slave to Mammon;
  
• thou shalt not take a break from a job, for that is ungodly;
  
• thou shalt not express thy emotions by clapping or swaying during songs;
  
• thou shalt not be interested in modern culture, fashion nor sports;
  
• thou shalt meet up with people in thy DG to do 1-to-1s, follow-up, gender-based studies;
  
• if thou spout-eth the right theological answers and do not disagree with thy leaders, thou art "teachable" and "mature"...etc etc

Context, context, context
But the doing or neglect of these acts mean nothing in themselves. Gentle questions should be asked of an individual's motives and reasoning behind the doing or neglect of these acts.

In evangelical circles, we are adamant that the three most fundamental tenets of good bible reading are context, context, context. By the same principle, the three most fundamental tenets of reading a person's actions and behaviour should also be context, context, context: the context of that person as an individual with his unique personality, thought-patterns, background, history, situation in life, struggles etc. Jumping to conclusions about someone before ascertaining the context of his actions is like taking a bible passage out of context and using it to suit your own fancies.

Yet this contextual reading seldom happens in our evangelical circles.

Why not?
Because we think ourselves better than others
Like the Pharisee in Jesus' parable, perhaps we merely admit our sinfulness with our words but in reality think ourselves better than others and thus exalt ourselves, thanking God that we are not like other sinners who are "ungodly", "unsorted", "immature" or "unteachable" (Luke 18:9-14).

Because we are hypocrites who have lost our first love
Perhaps we are also like the Pharisees of Jesus' time who were whitewashed tombs, who outwardly appeared beautiful, but within were full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. They appeared outwardly righteous to others, but within them was hypocrisy and lawlessness (Matthew 23:27-28). So we may be concerned to appear evangelical, "godly", "sorted", "biblical", "theologically correct" and "mature", but have lost the love of God and neighbour and have ceased to be authentically concerned for the godliness and growth of others.

Because we are blind and stumble others
Thus making up our own laws and being concerned about the outward adherence to these laws, and holding up those who outwardly adhere to these laws as godly models, we lose our way and become like the Pharisees of old who:

• tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but we ourselves are not willing to move them with our finger (Matthew 23:4);
• do or encourage others to do all their deeds to be seen by others. For we make our phylacteries broad and our fringes long, and love the place of honour at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others (it's easy to think of the modern-day equivalents. Matthew 23:5-7);
• shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces (Matthew 23:13).
  

Because we are blasé about sin and subsequent condemnation
Does modern-day pharisaism not seem like a big deal? Do we nonchalantly say, "Hey, at least we've got our God and theology right"?

Think of the hypocrisy and lack of love of God and neighbour. Think about the terrible stumbling of others as well. Unsurprisingly, Jesus had some harsh words for the Pharisees of his time:

• they are blind (Matthew 23:26);
• they are hypocrites (Matthew 23);
• they are serpents and a brood of vipers (Matthew 3:7, 23:33);
• they are children of hell (Matthew 23:15) for they cannot avoid being sentenced to hell (Matthew 23:33);
  
• they will not enter heaven (Matthew 23:13).
  

Do we think that pharisaism died out in the first century? Sin did not die out, and neither did pharisaism, which is but another spawn of sin. Do we think pharisaism is an ok evil? Remember what Jesus said of the Pharisees. Both our salvation and the salvation of our disciples are at stake.

Pharisaism is ultimately an offense to the gospel of grace and mercy. Pharisees mouth the gospel but ultimately deny it in practice. Pharisaism causes the sheep to stumble and fall. Far too many people have left bible study groups and churches and the faith, fatally stung to the heart by this dreadful poison, administered by the very people who were to lead and guide them. God's sheep are precious to him and they should be precious to us too. On the last day, He will call for an accounting for the littlest sheep that we trip up.

May we always be vigilant against the all too beckoning yeast of the Pharisees. May God's Spirit and God's word in the Bible keep us from hurting and stumbling others in this prideful and wicked way.

Gourmet Cellar, Christie's and Losing Out in Life

Gourmet Cellar @ Watten Rise

chilled chillified baby octopus, sliced tomatoes

tender lamb medallions wrapped with potato

molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream

Gourmet ah-beng waiters smelling of Marlbolo.

Gourmet mamak shop complete with industrial shelves, dreary fluorescent tubes and baby cockroaches.

Gourmet goes the heartlanders? The people have sung and it is the song of gourmet food.

Talking about proletariats, I sauntered into a Christie's jewellery and watches pre-auction viewing today in T-shirt, shorts and slippers. Met a wealthy lady there who was trying on some of the bling-bling auction pieces. In the short polite conversation that ensued, she basically bade me to enjoy the viewing because I would never have the money to buy them for myself. The person assisting her repeated what was said and sniggered loudly. Men in Armani suits turned from their own antique watch-shopping to look at us.

Instinctively, I recoiled from the jibe and, like any good Singaporean who has watched one TCS drama too many, wanted to resolve to work hard and show everyone how successful and powerful and wealthy I could be. You will see my face in the Tatler and my name in the Time's list of 100 Most Influential People in the World and weep, my friends.

But something rang false.

These instincts somehow addressed concerns which I had long since ceased to be concerned about: success; power; wealthy; the friends, service, comfort, honour and respect that all these could buy.

Some years ago, the path was open for me to follow in the well-heeled footsteps of my former bosses to the pages of society rags. I chose the other path for a simple reason: coming to know God as God, the most powerful person in the entire universe, turned my world around and changed my value system. If God was real, and his word in the Bible was real, then it would be mentally unsound to live as if none of this was real; it would be madness to live as if success and power and wealth and the friends, service, comfort, honour and respect that all these could buy was really what life was all about.

Reality is constructed by God. He tells us that life is really about is him, his Son, his plan for the world and his people. It would be insane to chase after illusions when real and eternal value was to be found in the gospel, in the salvation of people, in my relationship with God and with his people.

So I chose a job that would pay so so so much less and really not the sort of occupation to put me on the fast-track to ambassadorship. But it gave me time to spend with God, praying and reading his word in the Bible, and the time and energy to talk to people about the gospel and fellowship with God's family.

It was then that I realised what the fear (eg. 1 Peter 3:6) of living out the Christian life, living as strangers and aliens in this world, could be: it is the kiasu fear that by living rightly, we deprive ourselves of something, we miss out on what life has to offer, we short-change ourselves and basically lose out to other people.

Was I really missing out?

It was really (and continues to be) a choice between a dud investment and a sure-win investment.

Why put all my money on a dud investment which would not only give zero interest but also gobble up my principal, leaving me without a cent when there was a wonderful investment with not only a guarantee on the principal but a sure return infinite times of the principal?

My mind happily settled, went for some plebian health food:

beer-battered fish and fat hot chips anointed with salt and vinegar; and

[To protect the sensibilities of the delicate, this photo shall not be shown.]

fried mars bars.

有一位神

What if the last time you saw someone, she appeared fairly healthy and the doctors had given her many more months to live? What if all future plans were about possible cures, the alleviation of bedsore problems and what she would do after she got out of hospital? What if you planned to talk to her about her very recent declaration of faith? What if she had questions about God and suffering that you planned to answer in private and at leisure?

And what if you get an sms the very next day that tells you that all plans are off. She is dead.

What did she really believe in? Did she trust in the right God? Why didn't we just answer her questions there and then? There is shock. Then grief and sorrow. Then lamentation and regret.

Then realisation what trust in God is about:

• trusting in God is trusting in his grace to save. Salvation is not about ticking a theological box but about God's undeserved favour. We are all saved by his grace alone, not beause we are good and deserve to be saved, not because of anything that we have done or could ever do, but purely because of God's mercy;
• trusting in God is trusting in his character of goodness and faithfulness; that he will always do the right thing and that he will always gather those that are his to himself, no matter what they have or have not done;
• trusting in God is trusting in his ability to do all that his Son has promised: there are many rooms in his house and Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. We trust that if we believe in him, there is no fear in death and no dreadful judgement and painful emptiness after death, but confidence and assurance in death and salvation from God's wrath and life everlasting after death.
  

The song that Boon Yong sang at his ordination was on repeat mode in my mind:
(1)
有一位神
有權能創造宇宙萬物
也有溫柔雙手安慰受傷靈魂
有一位神
有權柄審判一切罪惡
也有慈悲體貼人的軟弱

(2)
有一位神
有權能創造宇宙萬物
也有溫柔雙手安慰受傷靈魂
有一位神
高坐在榮耀的寶座
卻死在十架挽救人墮落

有一位神
我們的神
唯一的神
名叫耶和華
有權威榮光
有恩典慈愛
是昔在今在永在的神

Some people resent Christians talking about the gospel at Christian funerals. But therein lies the truth, the good news, the hope and the comfort that only God, and no one else, can give! What miserable solace can you get from condolence cards that wish fruitlessly that "time may somehow ease your loss" or that "your memories may comfort you for tomorrow"? None. But that you too will die fearful, anxious and alone someday.

Proverbs and Friendship

A glorious day filled with sunshine. A clean clear deep blue sky studded with fluffy meringue clouds. Birds chirping among the shady branches of old rambutan and mango trees. Proud palm trees tapping in the light breeze. A great day to read Proverbs under the perfume of a frangipani tree.

A wonderful day for cat-spotting near the Singapore River...

a not-so-good day for the cat who gets spotted...

This lovely black cat reminded me of Kiki's best friend, Jiji, in Miyazaki's "Kiki's Delivery Service". Kiki and Jiji were brought up together from infancy so shared a friendship more intimate than any of the other relationships in their lives.

And a common topic of conversation with various people these few weeks has been that of Christian friendship. The Book of Proverbs observes that good friendship is friendship that is:

• constant: fair-weather friends are many, especially when one is wealthy ("The poor is disliked even by his neighbour, but the rich has many friends" (14:20), "Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend" (19:4), "Many seek the favour of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. All a poor man's brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them." (19:6-7)); but a true friend "sticks closer than a brother" (18:24) and "loves at all times" (17:17). The reader of Proverbs is urged to give this type of loyalty in friendship (27:10), especially to old, staunch friends who may be easily dropped for new company, but whose staunchness has withstood the test of time;
• honest: "faithful are the wounds of a friend" (27:6), for a man that flatters his friend spreads a net for his feet (29:5). But any thanks that a friend gets for this service is likely to be delayed (28:23);
• cheering in fellowship: "Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel" (27:9);
• sharpening in a healthy clash of personalities or views: "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another" (27:17); and
  
• tactful: there is respect for another's feelings (eg. outstaying one's welcome and forcing one's friendship on the other (25:17), being jolly at the time when it is unwelcome (27:14)); a refusal to play with his emotions (eg. being cruel: "Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda." (25:20), not knowing when a joke has gone far enough (26:18-19)).
  

Proverbs also speaks of the vulnerability of good friendship and implies the need to guard it against the malicious gossip's delight in disruption ("a whisperer separates close friends" (16:28)) or the delight of one who holds an advantage over his fellow, in pursuing it ("whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends." (17:9)).

As God, in his grace, cuts away at the cancer in more and more aspects of my life, I am challenged in my pagan consumerist concept of friendship: is a good friend too burdensome? Too boring? Too hurtful? Doesn't agree with my views? Why not just move on to another who is more agreeable? Why suffer in an unpleasant relationship when there are so many others to be explored out there?

And why not? Because we are God's covenant people; because we are given the ability to live in fear of God and also in intimate relationship with him; we are given true knowledge of God and his ways, so we live as God has made us to live, in proper relationship with our fellowmen. And a right friendship is that which is constant, honest, cheering, sharpening and tactful and must be protected.

One of the most heartwarming examples of good friendship I've witnessed recently is that of a chap in ARPC whose care of his mate who was injured in a bad motorcycle accident was delightfully loyal: his constant virgils at the hospital, his patience in sending this friend to and fro, his kindness and generousity with his time and energy was a great encouragement to me treat my friends with such brotherly love.

Yet, I am also reminded that it is easy to be generous with a friend's weaknesses when those weaknesses don't affect us personally; it costs us little to say that we love that friend in spite of his failings. But when those failings burden us in more than just time and energy but also in emotion, or cause us deep hurt, and weary us tremendously, it is difficult to stop ourselves from running away, from leaving the friendship, from not staying to help and see this friend through his struggles with his sins but shout from a safe place far away from all the mess and misery, "Don't worry! God is sovereign! He will help you! I'll pray for you!".

Like a certain variety of fairy tales where, to succeed in his quest, the protagonist has to hold on to a certain person no matter what that person shape-shifted into (terrible monster, fire-breathing dragon, poisonous snake, ugly old hag, squeaky rat, branch of fire), we are to hold our friend close through all shape-shifting trials and tribulations of living as a sinful people in this life.

How can we fit such a tall order? Like so much of Proverbs, it's not about our having a right morality nor good manners nor strength of character. That's all centred on ourselves. Instead, wisdom in friendship is God-centred: it's about the fear of the LORD: an intimate knowledge of him, given by his revelation to us, our reverence and obedience to his ways, and our trust and faith that his ways are how we were constructed to live and how we can best relate. It's about repenting of our past way of life in a very practical way: by doing away with what we ourselves think is best and informing our minds and trusting and living out God's ways. And we have the Spirit himself to guide us through the Scriptures and to renew our hearts and minds to do so.