Hei ya all,
Have been lazy updating the blog... :P... have been moving around alot lately Sban-Mlk-Sban-KL... think I'm part nomad... always have an overnight bag in the car...
Anyway caught this truly inspiring story... check it out:...
Anyway hope you guys have a wonderful time preparing/celebrating the coming holidays... :)
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
AKEDREM?... yea rite...
I was deeply touched when I read the account of Tan Hoon Cheng who was detained under the ISA for 18 hours.
"When the police car arrived at the station's entrance, my superior, Puah Eu Peng, our Northern Region Manager, tried to halt the car with his body, to slow the police car's movement. He knocked at the window, to make sure that I was in the car and gestured to show me his support."
An account of it can be accessed here: http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/12732/84/ and here: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/15/nation/20080915132832&sec=nation
I love this country.
Currently I am extremely appalled, disappointed, frustrated and disgusted.
I have lived with biasness, polarisation, etc and have endured that for the past 28 years. But this takes it to another level and for the life of me I can't comprehend this utter complete miscarriage and abuse of power.
I can't understand... so... Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
"When the police car arrived at the station's entrance, my superior, Puah Eu Peng, our Northern Region Manager, tried to halt the car with his body, to slow the police car's movement. He knocked at the window, to make sure that I was in the car and gestured to show me his support."
An account of it can be accessed here: http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/12732/84/ and here: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/15/nation/20080915132832&sec=nation
I love this country.
Currently I am extremely appalled, disappointed, frustrated and disgusted.
I have lived with biasness, polarisation, etc and have endured that for the past 28 years. But this takes it to another level and for the life of me I can't comprehend this utter complete miscarriage and abuse of power.
I can't understand... so... Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Friday, April 18, 2008
< P A S S I O N >
You've heard them, you've sang their songs... now they're coming to our shores. Yea the Passion Team is coming over to Kuala Lumpur and Chris Tomlin is "tagging" along... :P
Screenshot of website:
www.268generation.com/worldtourBook this date: August 3rd....
If I'm still around in UK on June 5th I would really like to catch the London edition.... Besides Chris TOmlin there's also DAVID CROWDER BAND... and Matt Redman... awesome stuff...
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
American Idol Shouts... *edited*
I'm not sure how many of you all caught "American Idol: Idol Gives Back". The hotel here doesn't have a channel showing it :(... so was just catching the highlights over the internet... was pretty much surprised that they sang "Shout To The Lord" not once... but twice... with the last one the word "My Jesus" edited to "My Shepherd"... I've linked both here... enjoy
The first one...
The 2nd one...
Pretty good and strong performance on both.... wonder whether it's shown back in Malaysia... let me know guys...
I've pretty much lost track of American Idol, but thanks to You Tube I can catch good performances here and there... and this was quite refreshing... but was just wondering why they had to omit out the "My Jesus" part... not that I'm so taken up by it... just curious... international audience perhaps?...
*addition* Michelle just highlighted to me this cool commentary on the aftermath: http://www.joshharris.com/2008/04/inside_scoop_on_shout_to_the_l.php
The first one...
The 2nd one...
Pretty good and strong performance on both.... wonder whether it's shown back in Malaysia... let me know guys...
I've pretty much lost track of American Idol, but thanks to You Tube I can catch good performances here and there... and this was quite refreshing... but was just wondering why they had to omit out the "My Jesus" part... not that I'm so taken up by it... just curious... international audience perhaps?...
*addition* Michelle just highlighted to me this cool commentary on the aftermath: http://www.joshharris.com/2008/04/inside_scoop_on_shout_to_the_l.php
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Stint 3...
This is my 3rd stint in the UK. And what a start it is. In the first place I wasn't keen to come to the UK... knowing the amount of workload that I would have and especially knowing that I'll be here for an undetermined period :P....
I have never lost my wallet. ever. until this trip. Of all places it has to be in UK. away from home. I didn't realize it was missing until I checked into the hotel at Hayling Island... which is abt 1.5 hours away from Heathrow Airport. But stangely although I was frustrated abt it but I'm surprised at the pretty calm way I handled.... I didn't really fly into a panic but start making calls to the taxi company and locating numbers to call.
After the taxi company confirmed that my wallet is not inside the car I feared the worst. I called HSBC Malaysia to cancel all my credit cards and atm cards. Next was to locate the number of Mas Airlines in London office. and Guess what.... none of it was working... could have guess that it was a sunday. So I called the MAS customer support in Malaysia. It's about 1am Malaysia time so I can't really blame the operater for giving me... SCANDINAVIAN airline office number. so back to MAS office Malaysia, called and realized it was a different operator and she gave the correct number. So called and managed to get them and i was so surprised when i enquired, they said yes there was a wallet found. PRAISE GOD!...
The next problem was retrieving it. I had to go all the way to London to collect it before 11am as they would not send a wallet by mail. So I was already planning to get there by train and bus. roughly a 2.5 hours journey. So while chatting with my friend who's staying in the same hotel, he told that he's leaving for London at 7am in the morning!, and even that... he was actually supposed to leave on Friday but the plans was cancelled! hmmm wonder whether God was "arranging" for me to loose my wallet...
Anyway for the trip back I was prepared to pay the taxi to return me to the hotel... but in the middle of the journey, my UK boss called and he said it's ok and to charge the fare to the company!
Faith is strange, although I was prepared for the worse, but I prayed for the best outcome... and the prayers were answered. Is this faith?
Although it was a miserable experience, I expected for the worse actually, planning to report the lost only when I return and all... but Thank God everything turn out well.
Anyway I'm in office right now... pretty much hitting the road running... so within 24 hrs in office I manage to mess up a clean and nice and EMPTY table.... to this:
I have never lost my wallet. ever. until this trip. Of all places it has to be in UK. away from home. I didn't realize it was missing until I checked into the hotel at Hayling Island... which is abt 1.5 hours away from Heathrow Airport. But stangely although I was frustrated abt it but I'm surprised at the pretty calm way I handled.... I didn't really fly into a panic but start making calls to the taxi company and locating numbers to call.
After the taxi company confirmed that my wallet is not inside the car I feared the worst. I called HSBC Malaysia to cancel all my credit cards and atm cards. Next was to locate the number of Mas Airlines in London office. and Guess what.... none of it was working... could have guess that it was a sunday. So I called the MAS customer support in Malaysia. It's about 1am Malaysia time so I can't really blame the operater for giving me... SCANDINAVIAN airline office number. so back to MAS office Malaysia, called and realized it was a different operator and she gave the correct number. So called and managed to get them and i was so surprised when i enquired, they said yes there was a wallet found. PRAISE GOD!...
The next problem was retrieving it. I had to go all the way to London to collect it before 11am as they would not send a wallet by mail. So I was already planning to get there by train and bus. roughly a 2.5 hours journey. So while chatting with my friend who's staying in the same hotel, he told that he's leaving for London at 7am in the morning!, and even that... he was actually supposed to leave on Friday but the plans was cancelled! hmmm wonder whether God was "arranging" for me to loose my wallet...
Anyway for the trip back I was prepared to pay the taxi to return me to the hotel... but in the middle of the journey, my UK boss called and he said it's ok and to charge the fare to the company!
Faith is strange, although I was prepared for the worse, but I prayed for the best outcome... and the prayers were answered. Is this faith?
Although it was a miserable experience, I expected for the worse actually, planning to report the lost only when I return and all... but Thank God everything turn out well.
Anyway I'm in office right now... pretty much hitting the road running... so within 24 hrs in office I manage to mess up a clean and nice and EMPTY table.... to this:
Hehe... till the next post... ciaos....
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Election Fever...
After I posted my comments it's interesting to note 3 articles, 1 by Reuters, 1 by AP and the other by a commentator in The Malaysian Insider, wrote regarding Malaysian Christians and the General Elections '08. You can access the articles over here:
I know that there's a lot of hue and cry over the media coverage which is lopsided but I find the article written by Wong Chun Wai today in The Star as pretty balanced:
The Star: Don't Let Anger Cloud Judgment
Christians in Malaysia number slightly more than 10% of the total population in Malaysia. About 270,000. Can our decision/actions influence and change a nation?
Side note:
I've been following the Mike Huckabee campaign trail in the US Presidential Nominations after catching the article on Charisma. A Baptist Minister, he faced an uphill battle from the start, but gave a good account from start to end and finally pull out of the nomination race yesterday. Although he has pulled out, but what I believe during his campaign trail that there was a sense of awakening in the US that it is not a purely materialistic nation but there's a number in the US who are clamouring for God fearing candidates with God fearing values to be installed in office.
May one arise here in Malaysia.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
My Savior My God
Stumbled upon this song while doing a search for another song. And I'm blessed. Please help me look for the CD. I can't get it here in Melaka. Looks like I lembap abit. The album was published in 2005. I like the rawness of the song. Lyrically and musically.
Thought of putting the lyrics but might have some copyright issues. So u guys do a search yourself :D.
Thought of putting the lyrics but might have some copyright issues. So u guys do a search yourself :D.
Monday, October 08, 2007
God in the brain...
Sorry for the lack of updates recently. Was up in KL for a week of training, and then got back came down with a flu. I think I'm quite allergic to KL... seems to happen each time I'm in KL city... :P.
Anyway I came across an interesting article entitled "God in the Brain" in Scientific American. In a nutshell basically it's an attempt by researchers to induce the "religious sensation/feeling" in the brain. Sounds cool huh...
I'm not gonna critic the article and the researchers belief, I actually didn't analyze the article, but the very idea of it intriguing. What if it's there's a possibility and there's a chance it might be true?...
I've actually been toying with various thoughts about how we do things in the Christian circle, and I think (this is a PERSONAL thought, not a reflection of my church teaching or anything), that actually a "nice/good feeling" can actually be induced... especially during praise and worship.
Please don't get me wrong. I've personally seen and know people being saved and healed during the worship service and have seen the ministry of God moving powerfully during worship services, but after many years of playing and leading in worship, in front of crowds of 5 or 20,000... I believe that at times (please note AT TIMES and not all the time...) with a certain atmosphere, rhythm, arrangement and style played... the music can actually drive the congregation to a certain "heights" or "feeling" being "in the presence of God". I actually think I can list certain "techniques" or ways can be done... but it's not right as it could be judgmental in certain aspects and I'm a great believer in creativity that's God given...
Visiting a number of churches, watching worship videos, and through personal experience, In My Humble Personal Opinion, can I say that many of us have knowingly/unknowingly experience this?. I'm not trying to be judgmental but to look more on the realistic issue over here, because personally, I admit to doing this before... I know I can musically drive a song, make a cool arrangements to some songs, select some songs over another, even selecting a type of sound (from my favorite more-than-5-years-old KN-1500 Technics keyboard!) to get a better congregational response...
But on the other hand, I can't say all these are wrong. There are numerous times that people have come up to me and just mentioned how much they were convicted and the songs spoke to them during worship (only by His grace and mercy, nothing of me).
In the end all I can say is there is no black and white of do's and dont's of worship, songs or some methodology to conduct worship. It's a thin line to draw, but one thing I believe is that, we cannot allow oursleves to be emotionally swayed through songs and musical creativity rather that everything we experience should rise out of a conviction of the Holy Spirit and the Word, and that knowledge of differentiating only comes as we walk closer with Him.
Having said that, I'm not saying that only through this way that a person can be ministered. I've personally brought a friend to Christ, being convicted through a song and she accepted Christ during the worship altar call, of course with the usual proviso of what's the Gospel is all about and stuff like that before hand.
There are many things and points that can be discussed further. But I would hold on for now and would like to know of your response.... can drop me a line at my usual email address: f u n n y g e r m (AT)y a h o o (DOT) c o m
till then... shalom...
Anyway I came across an interesting article entitled "God in the Brain" in Scientific American. In a nutshell basically it's an attempt by researchers to induce the "religious sensation/feeling" in the brain. Sounds cool huh...
I'm not gonna critic the article and the researchers belief, I actually didn't analyze the article, but the very idea of it intriguing. What if it's there's a possibility and there's a chance it might be true?...
I've actually been toying with various thoughts about how we do things in the Christian circle, and I think (this is a PERSONAL thought, not a reflection of my church teaching or anything), that actually a "nice/good feeling" can actually be induced... especially during praise and worship.
Please don't get me wrong. I've personally seen and know people being saved and healed during the worship service and have seen the ministry of God moving powerfully during worship services, but after many years of playing and leading in worship, in front of crowds of 5 or 20,000... I believe that at times (please note AT TIMES and not all the time...) with a certain atmosphere, rhythm, arrangement and style played... the music can actually drive the congregation to a certain "heights" or "feeling" being "in the presence of God". I actually think I can list certain "techniques" or ways can be done... but it's not right as it could be judgmental in certain aspects and I'm a great believer in creativity that's God given...
Visiting a number of churches, watching worship videos, and through personal experience, In My Humble Personal Opinion, can I say that many of us have knowingly/unknowingly experience this?. I'm not trying to be judgmental but to look more on the realistic issue over here, because personally, I admit to doing this before... I know I can musically drive a song, make a cool arrangements to some songs, select some songs over another, even selecting a type of sound (from my favorite more-than-5-years-old KN-1500 Technics keyboard!) to get a better congregational response...
But on the other hand, I can't say all these are wrong. There are numerous times that people have come up to me and just mentioned how much they were convicted and the songs spoke to them during worship (only by His grace and mercy, nothing of me).
In the end all I can say is there is no black and white of do's and dont's of worship, songs or some methodology to conduct worship. It's a thin line to draw, but one thing I believe is that, we cannot allow oursleves to be emotionally swayed through songs and musical creativity rather that everything we experience should rise out of a conviction of the Holy Spirit and the Word, and that knowledge of differentiating only comes as we walk closer with Him.
Having said that, I'm not saying that only through this way that a person can be ministered. I've personally brought a friend to Christ, being convicted through a song and she accepted Christ during the worship altar call, of course with the usual proviso of what's the Gospel is all about and stuff like that before hand.
There are many things and points that can be discussed further. But I would hold on for now and would like to know of your response.... can drop me a line at my usual email address: f u n n y g e r m (AT)
till then... shalom...
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Myanmar Christians
The recent development in Myanmar where the Buddhist monks hit the streets peaked my interest about the country. Knowing that our media is "filtered" most of the time, hit the internet and focused on christians in Myanmar.
Taken from Christianity Today (www.christianitytoday.com):
"A group of Chin and Kachin activists met with U.S. officials in Washington in February. Their reports included the rape of Chin and Kachin Christians, forced shutdown of churches, and the taking of children from their Christian parents, placing them in Buddhist monasteries to become novice monks under the false pretense of ensuring a good education. Also, government soldiers are driving thousands of minority Christians from their villages. Those hiding from their own government are called Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)."
and the most interesting part is this:
"Despite persecution, the church is growing approximately 5 percent a year among Protestants and independents."
There are many other articles online which many of you can refer to. Just to list three:
1. persecution.org - Excellant overview of current political and religious status
2. biblesociety.org - pretty old article but a good short history in Chriatianity in Myanmar
3. wikipedia - a worldview of Myanmar and it's current policies
If I remember correctly, Malaysia was one of the STRONGEST ADVOCATES to allow Myanmar's entry to the ASEAN in 1997.
Since the military junta came to power in 1962, there were strings of reported incidents of political abuses, anti democratic movement, racial segregation, horrible human rights record, second largest opium producer in the world! (read Golden Triangle), and... and... and... in the recent TI Transparency Perception Index ranked as the most corrupted country in the world.
I'm listing this not as a basis to "judge" the country (I'm juz a helpless fry...) but my question is
Why did we turn a blind eye and admit Burma into ASEAN?. Were there any indicators that the country's policies will change? It denounced the results of a free election in 1990 and the military continued holding power to this day?
Under the guise of "non-interferance" we freely advocate the entry of this nation to be in the same league as us. Maybe could it be the following reasons:
1. Money. Money. Money. (Myanmar has quite a huge reserve of oil and gas)
2. Or is it the case of realization that, there are similarities????... how can we question the speck in the eye of a neighbor but a plank in the own eye?
I admit that in reality and economic wise, these burmese people are suffering much more than us over here, but based on principles are there similarities? Rather than listing down the similarities and be categorized as a "political blog" you do your own thinking la.
Until then do spare sometime to pray for the Christians over in Myanmar and for us as a nation...
Shalom...
Taken from Christianity Today (www.christianitytoday.com):
"A group of Chin and Kachin activists met with U.S. officials in Washington in February. Their reports included the rape of Chin and Kachin Christians, forced shutdown of churches, and the taking of children from their Christian parents, placing them in Buddhist monasteries to become novice monks under the false pretense of ensuring a good education. Also, government soldiers are driving thousands of minority Christians from their villages. Those hiding from their own government are called Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)."
and the most interesting part is this:
"Despite persecution, the church is growing approximately 5 percent a year among Protestants and independents."
There are many other articles online which many of you can refer to. Just to list three:
1. persecution.org - Excellant overview of current political and religious status
2. biblesociety.org - pretty old article but a good short history in Chriatianity in Myanmar
3. wikipedia - a worldview of Myanmar and it's current policies
If I remember correctly, Malaysia was one of the STRONGEST ADVOCATES to allow Myanmar's entry to the ASEAN in 1997.
Since the military junta came to power in 1962, there were strings of reported incidents of political abuses, anti democratic movement, racial segregation, horrible human rights record, second largest opium producer in the world! (read Golden Triangle), and... and... and... in the recent TI Transparency Perception Index ranked as the most corrupted country in the world.
I'm listing this not as a basis to "judge" the country (I'm juz a helpless fry...) but my question is
Why did we turn a blind eye and admit Burma into ASEAN?. Were there any indicators that the country's policies will change? It denounced the results of a free election in 1990 and the military continued holding power to this day?
Under the guise of "non-interferance" we freely advocate the entry of this nation to be in the same league as us. Maybe could it be the following reasons:
1. Money. Money. Money. (Myanmar has quite a huge reserve of oil and gas)
2. Or is it the case of realization that, there are similarities????... how can we question the speck in the eye of a neighbor but a plank in the own eye?
I admit that in reality and economic wise, these burmese people are suffering much more than us over here, but based on principles are there similarities? Rather than listing down the similarities and be categorized as a "political blog" you do your own thinking la.
Until then do spare sometime to pray for the Christians over in Myanmar and for us as a nation...
Shalom...
