Thursday, November 12, 2009

Halloween Holiday

In one of my recent posts, I talked about Halloween and the party that we had on that day. A reader asked whether if Christians can or should celebrate Halloween. This topic is of course closely link to topics like Harry Porter and Sun’s Music.

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In fact, Christianity Today (A mainstream Evangelical Magazine) also gives it’s views on Harry Porter and Halloween. Focus on the family has an article about it as well.

The issue of Christians and Halloween is a much debated topic in the States, and if you do a search on google, u will find people on both sides of the fence.

With Halloween parties becoming more popular, I think it is good to form an opinion on the matter.

IMHO, I would choose to engage rather than to ignore the holiday. Not engaging the subject is giving the day to fear, and it does not not help that more and more people are getting involved in such parties.IMG_8398

halloween collage Non engagement is not helping anybody, as we are told to win the lost, and not ignore them.

Halloween does have it origins with the occult and it has to do with observing the end of summer sacrifices to gods in Druidic tradition.

In the fourth century, Christians attempted to redeem the holiday by celebrating the lives of faithful Christian saints the day before Halloween. That is why the day is also called “All Souls Day”, with some members of the Catholic Faith going to the cemetary to pay their respect to the dead. IMG_8744

This was a conscious attempt to provide an alternative and re-focus the day away from ghouls, goblins, ghosts, witches and other “haunted” experiences.

IMG_8736 Personally, I think the parties are fine, as I don’t think our parties involve any worship to any pagan God or and child sacrifices. In fact, all we have is music, party and games. In fact, we met a lot of new people for the 1st time. Some of our friends from the Czech Republic even thought that the event was professionally organized! :)

IMG_8515 I feel that we are supposed to  "become all things to all men so that by all possible means" we might save some? (1 Cor. 9:22)

Christians should not respond to Halloween like superstitious non-christians. Non Christians are superstitious and are afraid of black cats, walking under ladders. They need to chase away “nian” at Chinese New Year and wear Red for auspicious good luck! 

IMG_8777 Christians are enlightened by the truth of God's Word. We are not bound by superstition. Evil spirits are no more active and sinister on Halloween than they are on any other day of the year; in fact, any day is a good day for Satan to prowl about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).

IMG_8985 But "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). God has forever "disarmed principalities and powers" through the cross Christ and "made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them through [Christ]" (Colossians 2:15).

Christians have the freedom to either observe Halloween or not do so without fear of sinning. However, no one should be forced to participate who still believes that doing so is wrong - this would be sinning against one's conscience: Romans 14:14 -- "I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." (see Romans 14:22-23; see also Romans 14:3a, 5-6).

IMG_8806 On the flip side, the Christian who abstains from Halloween for conscience' sake, should not condemn the Christian who chooses to participate. For the Scripture says, "Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ" (see Romans 14:3b, 5-6).

Essentially, we should withhold judgment and  be able to live peacefully with each other, and choose to agree or disagree when it comes to issues that are debatable. 

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I for one, am focused on the partying aspects and on meeting new people!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Pram Jogger: Baby falls onto train tracks

I saw a really scary video today.

CNN reported this incident in Melbourne Australia, where a lady had her baby fall onto the train tracks, right in front of an approaching train!

Well, it seems that the brakes on the pram were not engaged, and this therefore created the problem of the stroller rolling off the platform.

Thankfully, the baby survived!

I thought this video was really alarming, considering the fact that Singapore has recently seen an increase in the number of people falling or “jumping” onto the tracks.

After watching the video, I don’t really know what I would have done I was there, or worse….If I was the parent.

Who would have thought that….just one moment of adjusting your pants, would have such consequences! This is just one those “freak” accidents where a moment of carelessness will change your life forever.

I guess its true – “Details do determine your destiny!”

Friday, June 12, 2009

Best Physics Teacher in the World

Ever heard of a Physics teacher being a Superstar?!?

Well, there is a teacher from MIT, who is known as a Superstar Professor due to the revolutionary methods he uses to impart knowledge to his students.

walter lewin

I remember I hated my Physic/Chemistry teacher in school, as he was always coming to school half drunk and he was a really boring teacher.

From what I watched on Youtube, Walter Levin seems very different – and he even has the Einstein hairstyle to increase his persona! :)

Anyway, great teachers and Leaders such as Ron Clark (This guy was even featured on Oprah), Lee Kuan Yew and Ps. Kong, are really a hard to find…and we should always treasure them!

Enjoy the Video :)

Saturday, November 1, 2008

The Market & the 3 Amigos

Today, when I came home after running an errand, Nicole came up to me and said that she wants to watch some home videos of herself.

Nic exclaimed, "I want to watch the video when we go to the market, and I blocked Nathan!"

"Block Nathan!?! You are so naughty...Nic...I didn't know you did it on purpose!" I replied.

Oh no! And all this while, I thought she was oblivious to the fact, that she was obstructing her brother.

Take a look at the video, and u will know what I am talking about.

 

On a lighter note, I was just talking to some friends about the kids.

3 amigos with special font

Have you realized how fast the kids forget you when they are young?

What do I mean?

Well, when you spend time and play with your kids, they will really become attached to you, but if you go for a business trip for 1 week, or overseas for a longer period of time, you will find that babies and very young children forget you very quickly.

It's kind of like when you are a young Christian: You may be very touched when you first get saved, and very motivated to come to church.

But if you give church a miss for even 1 week, or if no one comes along and encourages you along the way, you will gradually just forget God and become cold towards Him.

I guess that's why - God is always like a good parent, always trying to lead us back our quiet time, and to a godly fellowship.

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Thursday, October 16, 2008

Visit to a Synagogue at Waterloo Street

Last Sunday, as part of my Field Education Tour at Trinity Theological College, I had the privilege of going to Maghain Aboth Synagogue at Waterloo Street.

This was by far the most interesting trip, as there was so much to learn, and so much culture to absorb!

The name of the synagogue translates to "Shield of our Fathers" and it is the oldest Synagogue in Southeast Asia. It was built in 1878 and is currently gazetted as a National Monument.

synagogue

There are 2 synagogues in Singapore, with the other located at Oxley Rise.

Interesting Fact: This synagogue was originally located at Synagogue Street, but as it was too small, it shifted to this location in 1878. Synagogue Street still exists, but there is No Synagogue there.

A tour of the synagogue was given to us by the Yeshiva boys (Overseas Rabbis-in-training, that come to Singapore to assist the local Jews). It was a real pleasure, having them to show us the place. A Big Thank you to our guides Eliyahu and Yossi, for their patience and willingness to answer all our questions!

From the front, the Synagogue has 2 entrances. Women were separated from the men, and they have to be in the balcony during a service. As a result, the ladies had to enter the building from a separate entrance.

men and ladies

Here's a video of the overall tour of the place. Forgive me for the lousy sound, as the Blackberry does not pick up sounds that well. I miss my N95 8GB on this trip.

The Ark:

We started with a tour of the inner sanctuary or the ark. Inside the ark, beyond the curtains (or called a  parochet - a fringed curtain with detailed embroidery) one will find scrolls of the Torah. They are encased in wooden containers and there were quite a few scrolls inside. In fact, when a member passes away, he/she can commissions a scroll to be hand-written and given to the Synagogue in his/her memory. 

holy of holies

The Bema:

We were then brought to the center of the room where the pulpit (Bema) is placed. The Chief Rabbi will make prayers here with the reading of the Torah. The reading of the Torah can take place in English or Hebrew, but all prayers all made in Hebrew, as this is the original language given to them by God.

Famous Seats:

The Jews have played a prominent role in the development of Singapore & all the people of influence had seats in the sanctuary.

Making a quick scan of the place, I found the seat of David Marshall. He is the First Chief Minister of Singapore and he is also dubbed the "Father of Independence". This man was the No 1 guy before MM Lee came onto the scene.

Another famous seat I recognized were the seats of the whole Benjamin family. Remember FJ Benjamin - these are the people who bring in brands Giorgio Armani, DKNY, Guess, Etc.

famous seatsInteresting Fact 2 - A service can only start when there are 10 men present.

On an average Saturday service, there will be about 150 Jews worshipping in the Synagogue.

Situated In the complex, one can also find a Kosher shop which sells Kosher produce. The shop even sells Kosher Chocolate (Kosher - food fit or allowed to be eaten or used, according to the dietary or ceremonial laws)

The whole trip was really fun and eventful and I really enjoyed myself.

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The Yeshiva boys also have a blog, and you can check out the team photos there.

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Monday, August 18, 2008

Beijing Olympics, Lip Sync & Fake Fireworks!

Is 'face' really that important!?!

fireworks

I was not at home to watch the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics, but all I heard was good reviews.

I learnt that China made us proud, by putting up an outstanding opening ceremony and that the whole event was flawless!

However, as the games started, the world began to hear rumors about fakes and lip syncing!

Well, it turned out to be true!

Lin Miaoke, the 9 year old girl who sang Ode to the 'Motherland' was Lip syncing. The voice actually belonged to another girl who was yanked from the opening ceremony at the 11th hour.

The reason being, she just did not look good enough, as she had chubby cheeks and crooked teeth!

Above that, the live images of the fireworks during the opening ceremony, were not "live" at all. Some images were pre-recorded to give the impression of flawless perfection!

Frankly, I think the Chinese already out-did themselves with the content of the ceremony. The show would have been perfect already, without these little 'extras'.

It could have saved itself from this Public Relations Disaster, if it just kept things straight! The same thing about life, is that when the dust settles; people will always remember the controversies.

It will be interesting to see how history records these games!  

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

City Harvest Sermon - Ps. Kong Hee Preaches

Last weekend, it was great to have Ps. back from the Europe Conference and he preached a sermon about Servanthood.

This is one of the main themes for CHC in 2008, and all of us are looking to grow in this area in the coming months.

The theme also tied in nicely with our early morning prayer. For these 2 weeks, the church is waking up early to pray from 7am - 8am at Jurong West and at Heart of God church in Paya Lebar.

Today is day 3 and I am tired....

prayer

I was telling my mass class that to be at Paya Lebar at 7am, I have to wake up at 6am. - I have not woken up at 6am since Secondary School - talk about crucifying my flesh.

But the prayer meetings have been good!!!

And I am looking forward to the next one tomorrow, as I know that keeping myself disciplined is one of the keys to success!

Furthermore, according to the Sermon on Sunday:

  1. Servanthood is Willing (Serving is an issue of the heart where surrender is needed)
  2. Servanthood excels
  3. Servanthood is swift
  4. Servanthood is never convenient
  5. Servanthood is honoring
  6. Servanthood is work
  7. Servanthood is caring for people (Hey! Even Barak Obama practices this) .

INCONVENIENCE (Point 4) is something we are discovering this week!

I am so glad that so many people are coming to the prayer meetings, that we have been having a packed hall in both Paya Lebar and Jurong. (Approximately. 4000 people have been gathering to pray)

Yesterday, we introduced another pray center at Church of Singapore in Marine Parade.

If you are thinking about joining us, come down this week! You won't be alone and best of all - YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Singing about your favorite food

Just the other day, I was scrolling through my hp and I stumbled upon 1 of the videos, that I have completely forgotten about. It was actually recorded upside down, so I had to rotate it.

It's about Nicole singing about her favorite food.

Since young, she has never had a problem eating her food and thinking of ways to get more of it! (Read about her ice-cream entry, if you don't know what I am talking about)

Well, the little maestro has even created songs about her favorite food.

Here, she sings about French Fries, Keropok (Prawn Crackers) and Strawberry Panda!

Yummy food collage

As you watch the video, you will notice the joy and groove that she puts into every word - It really brings a smile to my face, as I watch it!

It kind of reminds me of what it says in the bible:

Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

PS 37:4

Hey! If we can sing and trust in the Lord with such simple faith, it will definitely bring a smile to our Father's heart.

It makes me wonder how anyone who loves God (as one loves food) can be sedated about their faith in Him!

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Saturday, July 19, 2008

Walking with Jesus & Fatherhood

Since starting life in my new semester at Trinity Theological college, I have learnt some new Latin words:

 

SOLVITURE

AMBULANDO

 

What on earth does it mean? Well, it's a fancy way of saying

                             - It is solved by walking -

walking

We Christians like to used terms like, "You got to talk the talk, and walk the walk!"

Walking is therefore another synonym for Living!

In Luke 24:13, we have two companions who were disciples of Jesus, walking on the road to Emmaus (means comfort)

Along the way, they talked about the things that happened in Jerusalem with a stranger.

Luke 24:15-24

"As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

From the story, we see that the two disciples experienced God because they kept on walking despite the trials that they faced.

Isn't it true but many times, as we walk, we tend to think that Jesus has forgotten us, and left us on a lonely path of failure?

If you read on further in the passage, the disciples discovered that Jesus was with them after all. And as they walked, their hearts burned as they "broke bread" and communed with God.

I had a similar experience at being a father

Previously, I never played with babies. Did not look at them nor could I imagine playing peek-a-boo with them!

But as I lived out my life, and walked along the path of fatherhood, I started to enjoy the walk, as Jesus walked by my side.

Today, I have baby photos on my table, a camera full of pictures with the kids, and a lifestyle that revolves around them.

It's like what they say - The 1st step is the hardest!

Solviture Ambulando - It is solved by walking!

Here are some videos that I found about being a Dad! - Hope u guys like it!

P.S - I can imagine myself with the light saber playing with Nathan

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