The Year of Living Biblically

Yo people, I am finally back and quite sad to had missed one week of church >.< Hope you all had great fun.. washing the cars. And just as importantly, to pray for those going for the planning tomorrow :)

Anyway.. I am finishing a book, The year of living Biblically, by AJ Jacobs, a Jew. Or more accurately, a non practicing Jew. He is somewhat agnostic. One thing that impressed me was its level of honesty. But equally important was how he found that by doing the things that were taught in scripture, he could sometimes find meaning in it though it did not make sense at first (like the command to wear all white).

The other thing that struck me was what he said about not being able to go halfway into it. Because it will definately change you if you go into it fully, obeying even the commandments we think strange..

Few of us will embark on such a daring quest as him. But we can learn much from him and let his observations of what is taught.. help us too :)

Monday

Its a Monday and.. I am still blogging! =p

Anyway.. regarding the Church History thing.. I propose that we study the following key-er areas


1) Early Church (Until about 300)

2) 1st and 2nd General Council, and Council of Ephesus (Includes canonization of Bible)

3) Rise of Islam

4) Monasticism (building monasteries)

5) Height of Papal (Pope) power in ~1000-1200

6) Crusades (1095-1270)

7) Birth of Eastern Orthodox Church

8) Reformation (Birth of Protestant movement, Martin Luther, 1517)

9) Counter Reformations (Council of Trent, Jesuits, 1545-1563)

10) Denominations (Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Salvation Army, Cults, Baptist, Evangelists, Charismatic/Pentecostal.. etc)

11) Key people / events (Augustine, Calvin, Arian, George Whitefield, Moody, Vatican I, Vatican II.. etc)

12) Relation of Church History with World History


Lol, what say you all :)

Rainbow

There was once in camp when I saw a rainbow (after a short shower). I was enjoying its view, and thinking of the songs Over the Rainbow and the song "the Rainbow is in the Sky to show the world God's promises" and thinking of Noah. Naturally, I pointed out the rainbow to other people. Its interesting the responses I got. My recruits were mildly amused, but still looked. My peers though, said, "oh, so thats what you were looking at" and looked amused. Another said "so?". And another rolled his eyes -_-"

Can someone explain why people no longer enjoy the sight of a rainbow? Isn't it like one of the most beautiful thing in nature? Isn't it the picture every child draws when he wants to express either beauty or adds to beautify his drawing or when everything is fine? Isn't it even like a symbol of hope (think Rainbow Connections). Why do I get these responses??

... -_-"

Split

Remember when David said that Jesus split time into 2.. It is really quite true. Those people who met him either loved Him or hated Him - few were in between. He forces people to make a choice about Him. You can love Him and adore Him and call Him Lord. Or you can disbelieve Him as a liar (or even a demon from Hell). Or you can dismiss Him as a lunatic. But He did not leave the choice of mild approval open. His claims to divinity would not allow us to. They were either true or false, with the corresponding results.

I had met some Christians whom we will probably describe as "backslider". But in them, there is still something amounting to a believe, or even a conviction, that Jesus is really God with total claims to our lives..


(eek, these sound so much like rambling.. =p)

Pray to?

I had a friend ask me this question: Who do you pray to when you have need? And of course, my answer was that it is to God. The follow up question was that, in that case, who does God pray to when He has need?

Now, at this point, I gave the reply that it actually did happen before, that it is a historical question. My example was Jesus, who being God, still prayed to God in his earthly ministry. Of course, it was not really a "standard" question, it was quite a queer question to the christian mind. But his reply was what really astonished me. He said that, exactly his point! So I, pray to God, who prays to God, who prays to God, who prays to God... In that case, you might as well just believe in yourself...

This is just a case to show how different the mindsets of people outside Christianity are.. It is not so much a matter of wrong thinking. Rather, the first concept of God is different, and the idea that all these ideas of God are but illusions is quite strongly present.. And most importantly, the concept of it being "true" as opposed to it being "beneficial" seems to be quite lacking in the minds of many pre-Christians (and I think, even among Christians).

Because, of course, God does not "pray" to God in the same sense as we "pray" to God, except during the incarnation, where God became Man. Christians had long maintained that God is omnipotent and everlasting and omnipresent and omniscience, but unless one really understands it, it is quite hard to bridge the gap. Questions like "who made God" will still seem to be powerful arguments against God..

May God help us..

With

My recruits (I think) in some ways appreciate and are more motivated when I do things with them that I actually do not have to (such as training, push ups..) It is so much less like a distant leader..

Can you see the parallel? Isn't that what Christ did (in an extent infinitely greater) when He came to earth as a Man and suffered and died? That He who was in the form God, did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant...

Our God is really Emmanuel, God with us. He is not a distant God...

Again

Me again=p

Happy Birthday Eliz :)

Do you people feel it too? When the ideas about the great things that will be happening in our church in the coming months and years.. I feel quite drawn into the idea. And of course, to be a part of this great work.. Still remember some time ago, I think it was David, who said that one of the advantages of being in this type of church or this church, is that you can get involved in the building process, rather than just joining the almost done product.. This building thingie.. Its really an exciting idea..

Its nice to have some free time on hand =p

Stuck

Oi, I am not stuck with the person k.. Its purely voluntary =p Listening is fun, you get to learn quite a bit, not only about the person, but also in general...




...


-_-"


Due to popular misunderstanding of the post, I am forced to add a clarification for the sake of all those who weren't around. This "person" is someone I met during today's Chesiah's home visit. I met him at the start and decided to just stick with him and listen all the way for the 2 hours. Come to think of it, the part about it being purely "voluntary" seems to have double meaning. As in, its volunteer work, and I voluntarily stayed with him all the way.



Too bad for all those looking for scandals =p

Head

Jiayou people! My Lord is mighty, He is good.. Just as it was said, the Battle is not ours, it belongs to the Lord.. He is the Lord of Time itself.. :)

Retaining

I wish I have greater ability to retain.. >.<

Go

I love to tell the story
It will be my theme in glory
To tell of the old old story
Of Jesus and His love

While we note that there are various different aspects to the Great Commission.. Let us not forget the plain plain part.. For all 5 verses tell us to "Go"... Isn't it really the central message, the repeated part?

And so I want to tell the story. The story that is of Old, but is about us in the modern world, and will be with us till the end of times..

Here I am, send me.

Update!

Here is my long-overdue update!!!

Firstly, I have been here for just over 1.5 months. I've been busy with work, as expected. Been having tests and exams and more tests (had 4 tests and this Thursday I'll be having my 3rd exam!!!). Life, though hectic, has been bearable.I miss the food in Singapore! Like I keep telling my friends, pizza/sandwich/Subway for every meal simply doesn't cut it. On a happier note, I have made French toast, broccoli, omelettes, and stir-fried beef in my time here!


I miss all of you a lot!

Love

Love, and do what you like. Or more precisely, Love in the right order, and do what you like. For Man sins by not being unloving but loving in the wrong order. Help is a good thing but is not to be loved above the friend who rendered it. Friends are good, but are not to be loved above the parents who birthed you. Parents are good but are not to be loved above the God who sustains all. The self is good, but is not to be loved above the creator. None are to be loved except in relation to Him who Created all...

Thats one of the more well known ideas by Saint Augustine.. Very influential Bishop, and we have quite a significant collection of his works.

But.. very hard to break through to his language =p

Sing

There is a song for many many things =p Its fun to sing =p

Exciting

On another note.. Its so exciting! We are going into a project about Church history and everything.. I want I want =p Lets learn together together..

Forgive us our sins..

As we forgive the those who sin against us.. Doesn't that feel difficult? I mean, don't you wish God used a lighter standard against us? Because, most of the time, our own forgiveness leaves much to be desired >.<