Year End BBQ

A BBQ with yummy food, great company and a relaxing environment, that's how we celebrated the end of the year.

It was a nice day, and people enjoyed catching up with one another or making new friends.  Over dessert, we watched a presentation and had a bit of a discussion about the Jewish nation and traditions and how they relate to Christianity today.  A good time for all, enjoying the opportunity to learn, it seems.

As the year is truly drawing to a close and Christmas only a week away, remembering what it's all about among the frenziness of parties and shopping. 

The Extraordinary

It was a beautiful morning.  Most people were still asleep.  I was sitting outside, looking at the blue sky, the green trees and birds dancing around.  In the quietness of the surroundings, I closed my eyes hearing the birds sing, quiet my heart and praised God for His great and wonderful works.

I remembered in high school once, our small group went to the University nearby.  It was a beautiful and calm day.  The grass was so thick and green and hardly anyone around.  I don't remember who suggested this, but we were all lying on the soft grass, looking up to the blue sky and started singing 'How Great Thou Art'.  As we were singing and focusing on Him, the sky seems like a big screen moving before me.  Its vastness and God's majesty overtook me.  It truly makes me appreciate the greatness and power of God.

How often in our busy life today do we get a chance to quiet down and appreciate the God that we love?  A message that I heard 3 months ago still stick in my mind.  The Pastor was speaking on Sabbath, the importance and reasons for it.  We all know that God rested from his work and we were asked to do the same.  But more than that, the Pastor explained, it is so that we can get connected back to God.

Lets face it, who wouldn't agree that we are surrounded by the world's ideas and views during most of our week?  They are like loudspeakers at shops or advertising plastering everywhere, all competing for the attention to convince you.  After some battling with the world, it really is a good idea to rest, reflect and prepare for the next round.  If we can't get back to the base, where do we get the ammunition or instructions to deal with more?

The Pastor puts it well, people are bored, looking for things that are different and extraordinary because they lost touch with God and can only see the things around them.  But when we are connected with God, the source of our being, we see, hear, think, speak and act with a purpose.  We can find the extraordinary out of the ordinary.

The Golden Compass

You would have seen either the preview or TV ads promoting this movie, which is opening on Boxing Day. On the surface it looks very similar to movies like Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. But The Golden Compass could be quite dangerous, especially since it's being blatantly marketed at impressionable young children.

The movie is based on the first book (The Golden Compass) from the His Dark Materials trilogy, written for children by outspoken atheist Philip Pullman. The books are strongly against Christianity and especially the God of the Bible. At the end of the trilogy, the main character and her companions kill God (the tyrant) and decide for themselves how to live.

There are some good Christian reviews/articles about this movie and the trilogy. Listed here are just some that you may find helpful.

'Golden Compass' movie opening to controversy
FIRST-PERSON: The sweet deception of 'Compass'
The Golden Compass -- A Briefing for Concerned Christians

Third Day/Foundry

Some songs including those from Third Day's first Christmas album now playing at Worship Together:

Born In Bethlehem - Third Day
Lord You Are Good - The Foundry
O Come All Ye Faithful - Third Day
Contagious - The Foundry
Jesus Light Of The World- Third Day
Pour Out Your Spirit - The Foundry
Holy Spirit - The Foundry

You can also download Born in Bethlehem's mp3 for free on their site.

Hilter & the Holocaust

I've been doing a bit of reading on Hilter and the Holocaust after a recent visit to Terezin, a ghetto and concentration camp in Czekoslovakia. The more I read about Hilter and the Nazis, the more I couldn't get over not only the cruelty, but the extent of their destruction and disregard for human lives. But at the same time, it doesn't cease to amaze me how one man could have such impact in the world. All because of his ideology, passion, focus and determination to fulfill his mission. In the same way, I wonder how much God can use and do through us to impact the lives of many if we have the same passion and determination that Hilter exhibits. Of course, in this case to fulfill God's plan.

In one of the documentaries that I watched, a German civilian asked a SS officer how he could do that (meaning killing the Jews). His reply was "We are Fuhrer's faithful servant. For Fuhrer, we will do even more terrible things". Put it in the Christian context, can we say we are God's faithful servant and do things that we find difficult because God asks us to and because of our love for Him?

New Song Jukebox

The latest streaming worship music at http://www.worshiptogether.com/multimedia/index.aspx

Oh The Glory Of It All - David Crowder band
O For A Thousand Tongues - David Crowder band
Now Is The Time - Delirious
O Praise Him - David Crowder band
For Your Glory - Matt Maher

Ignite Year Break BBQ

The year's gone so fast - Christmas is only weeks away! Ignite will meet for the last time this year for a BBQ on Sunday, November 25th. Don't miss this chance to hang out before the break!

The recent visit from Rabbi Greg has stirred up interest in our Jewish connection, and prompted lots of questions about how Christians should understand and relate to Israel. When we meet we'll have a chance to discuss these things together, and watch a slideshow of photographs showing Jewish persecutation under Hitler's Nazi regime. It promises to be a thought-provoking discussion!

We'd love to see you there before we break for Christmas! Here's the details:

What: BBQ Lunch
When: Sunday 25th Nov, 12pm
Where: The church house (Gold Coast Christian Family)
Cost: $7 (including lunch and drinks)

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus!

We've heard that phrase many times before! And we've all experienced it ourselves. It's official: men and women are different. And that's because God made us so! Because of sin and the effects of the Fall, instead of our differences always being complimentary, they can become a source of tension and frustration! Sometimes it seems like we're speaking a different language, as though we're both from totally different planets!

But God has given us His Word to show us how to live together in harmony, despite our differences. Next time we get together, someone from the Carearm ministry will be sharing with us some biblical principles and insights for relationships, whether friendship, courting or marriage. So come along! Here are the details:

What: Talk on Relationships
When: Sunday 28th Oct, 12pm
Where: The church house (Gold Coast Christian Family)
Cost: $7 (including lunch and drinks)

Recharge Camp

Hasn't this year gone fast?! Already, it's September. Winter has gone and spring has come.

The Recharge Youth & Young Adult Convention has crept up on us quickly! For those who haven't heard, it's on between 21-23 September at Mount Tamborine Convention Centre.

Make sure you check out their website for info on the programme, speakers, and how you can register. There will be a group of people from our church going up, either for a day or camping for the whole weekend. So give us a yell if you are interested in going.

Personally speaking, the Recharge Camp last year was great. It's fun to hang out with other Christians. A great place to meet and make new friends. A wonderful opportunity to learn and converse with others who love God!

So mark your calendar and get yourself ready for some serious fun!

Quick info:

When: 21-23 September 2007
Where: Mount Tamborine Convention Centre
Cost: Camping packages start from $40. Accommodation and meals packages from $97
Website: www.recharge.org.au

Self help church

Self help is big business. Everywhere you look, there's people, books, seminars, websites or dvds teaching you how to achieve your financial success, reach your potential, be happy, win friends and influence people, and the list goes on. The movies, songs and media also reinforce that idea of self fulfillment. We're persuaded to think that we are invincible, that we can achieve anything and dreams that we put our minds to. Like this song from the Disney movie Prince of Egypt,

"...There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe"

And so we believe in our abilities, our intelligence, our will and our own infallibility. This mindset encouraged by the world we're surrounded by each day is slowly creeping into our churches today. Going to church is like going to Bunnings or watching a DIY program to find the missing pieces and the tips for the project of 'me'. It's as if the church has become a centre for self help. 7 ways to handle conflict, 3 steps to spiritual contentment, 5 methods to unlock your potential... If you have a problem, the church has the solution. And often it's practical and doesn't conflict with our lifestyle, only improves it.

Ok, an example. In the book excerpt of Bobbie Houston's I'll have what she's having, it uses Diana and Mother Theresa as examples to encourage us that "We too can take whatever is in our hand, and believe for it to bring healing to others". Very well. Except that it's God who heals, not us. How about "Imagine a friend in need, and your immediate response being, "I HAVE THE ANSWER!" How awesome would that be?" It would be awesome to be so resourceful, but would also kill our need for God and make us God to others, if you know what I mean.

Churches are turning into inspirational self help gatherings. We go there for motivational speeches to heighten our emotions and lift our spirit. We judge it by whether we come away feeling good and positive and having our needs met. Rarely are we confronted and challenged with the bad, ugly and reality. A lot to tackle the problems we have, but not the problems in us.

To me, they seem awfully similar to the 'Secret' for positive thinking and the law of attraction. Ophrah says, "You can really change your reality based on what you think." You can see how she blends God and self help together in her interview with Larry King.

Another example is successful programs, courses and methods that spread like fire and are being used by other churches who are seeking the same success. Churches can easily slip into self sufficiency and human reliance, creating our own reality rather than submitting to God's plan. That's the difference between self and God reliant.

I feel that in our modern churches today, the fear of God's disappearing, the hunger for His word's diminishing and the desire for holiness got pushed aside. Churches no longer hold the attraction or the power in our world today not because it doesn't have anything to offer, but that the same offerings can easily be found somewhere else.

God's blessings

A friend was wondering this week if a random telemarketing offer of a bargain travel deal is God's blessing for tithing faithfully. In the face of consumerism and increased exposure to prosperity, I'm wary of any Christians making such an assertion. Not that I don't believe God could bless us in such a way, but it seems too hasty to draw that conclusion out of such circumstance.

We can easily fall into a trap of thinking that it's God blessing us every time say, for example, when I see something I want go on sale in the store.  Or something that I think is good happens. The danger of this is that we are making God our excuse for granting ourselves desires of our heart. What we think is good doesn't necessary mean that God thinks that it's good too. In Luke 6:20-26, Jesus told his disciples who are to be blessed and who will be in trouble. This clearly doesn't only include good things.

It's true that the scripture also says all good things come from God. But good in a way that causes us to ripe spiritual benefits and that include bad things in our eyes. Or else why would James asks us to count it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds? Because as he explains, it will build our character so that we may be mature spiritually.

So if something, however good it may look to us, if it doesn't deepen our relationship with Christ, I'm more inclined to think that it's from us and not God.

An old hymn "Count your blessings" sums it up well.

When you look at others
With their lands and gold
Think that Christ has promised
You His wealth untold
Count your many blessings
Money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven
Nor your home on high

Blood Diamond

The Ladies Beyond Diamond conference reminds me of a diamond of another sort and a conference of another kind.

Blood Diamond
Set in Africa and against the backdrop of Sierra Leone's civil war, Blood Diamond is a movie that shows us the workings of the jewelry industry and the human exploitation and bloodshed that's involved and so intricately linked to satisfying the demands in life. Whether it's basic survival (killing for diamonds, exchanging diamonds for money), power (trading diamonds for arms), accomplishing one's ideal (funding civil war with diamonds) or greed (smuggling diamonds, bringing illegal diamonds for higher profits).

Not only the imagery of child soldiers, but what the main character Danny said when he was confronted by his conscience lingered in my head for a while. He was reflecting upon his past and wondered sometimes "if God would forgive what we [Africans white or black] did to each other. And then I realised that God has left this place long time ago." I couldn't help but wonder if God could leave a place full of his creation behind. The country as portrayed in the movie clearly has no fear of God. And it's not hard to find such a place in our world today.

Has God abandoned them? I think not, but He won't and can't interfere when He isn't allowed to. Because they refused even to think about God (Rm 1:28), so God let these people go their own way (Rm 1:24), let them follow their own evil desires (Rm 1:26) and let their useless minds rule over them (Rm 1:28).

Child Soldiers
It's not hard to see how evil manifests itself in kidnapping and turning children into ruthless killers. It's not just in the movie, but in real life, there are up to 200,000 child soldiers in Africa alone.

It's hard to imagine how once happy, innocent and hopeful boys could turn into cruel people disregarding human life and gaining respect by killing. The scriptures came to mind about the influence that the people we surround ourselves with have on us. It says The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray (Prob 12:26) and He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm (Prob 13:20).

This also reminds me of the movie Ripley's Game where in one scene, Ripley said to the "innocent" man he forced into killing that the good thing about doing terrible thing is: you don't remember it after you've done it. It speaks of the state of our evilness as in Romans, the more we entertain it, the easier it gets. And so it's the same in our daily life that the more we focus and surround ourselves with things and thoughts of the world, the easier it gets to be one of them.

Women's Conference
I've been to quite a few women's gatherings, but one that I attended 8 years ago stood out in my mind. In this weekend retreat, all women are divided into groups that they learn and share and look out for one another for the weekend. The talks are by different speakers and topics mirror the stages of our Christian growth followed by a discussion. There are also other activities where all women can have fun together.

I distinctively remember the volume of gifts we received throughout the weekend. We were all showered with gifts constantly and most evidently at the dinning table. But the difference is these gifts all contain messages that reminds us of God. I also remember very well one activity that was very powerful in helping to draw me closer to God.

The talks, the meals, the activities and the gifts during the entire weekend were designed to build up the body of Christ and growing stronger Christian women. To me, that's the kind of gathering that's worth spending my time in. And I wish there are more of this kind of conference in churches today.

Small Groups Get-together

Small Groups are not just lists of names, and the times and places we meet. They're about real relationships and real people who have much to offer. People like you (as leaders and participants), who are part of the Body of Christ.

This Small Group Get-together is a great opportunity for groups to get to know people in other groups, within our church family. This is a great time to meet new friends, and catch up with old ones. So let's come together and encourage each other in love, sharing a little of ourselves and our lives with brothers and sisters in Christ. Let's have a great time out in God's beautiful Creation, sharing a meal and enjoying each other's company.

Bring yourself, your group and your friends! You don't have to belong to a small group to come along. Everyone's welcome, and maybe you'll find a group to fit in to!


What: A BBQ
Date: Sunday, August 19
Time: 12:00PM
Place: Shuster Park, Heather St, Tallebudgera (click here for directions)
Food: Please talk to your small group.

Insider story of Hillsong

There's a bit of publicity surrounding the launch of Tanya Levin's People in Glass Houses, an insider story of a former Hillsong goer.

The book is a recount of Tanya's spiritual journey and her experience at Hillsong. Before the book release, Andrew Denton interviewed her on Enough Rope about her experience and her book. And the Sydney Morning Herald has written a review on the book.

Hillsong is the biggest church in Australia and the most influential among the Christian community with its music widely used by churches. Its popularity of course has attracted some attention over the years. The main criticisms are mostly about Hillsong and their counterparts' view on money and wealth that has obviously prompted BRW's article God's millionaires in 2005.

Prosperity doctrine is foundational to the growth of the Pentecostal movement now gaining momentum as our society is getting richer. My first taste of this was during my visit at Hillsong about 9 years ago. Brian Houston was speaking that day and what left me with a lasting impression was his illustration using a front row audience's $10 note. Lifting the $10 note, he presented the message of tithing by emphasizing on the giving of $1(10%) to God and the rest of $9 being ours. And God will multiply that and bless us with more. I remember thinking that that $9 isn't mine, it's all God's and it's not to be used for my pleasure but for God's purposes.

Jesus came so that everyone would have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). But that abundance or fullness is in knowing Christ and not in material possessions. In other words, being rich spiritually. Being successful is living a life that is in line and fulfills God's plan in our lives. It doesn't necessary equate to a good life.

The disciples in the early church go from place to place preaching the word of God, enduring persecution and relying on others to support them. They were poor materially but rich in spirit. Their focus was on fulfilling the mission that God has given them and not on the reward that they may receive. As in Psalm 56:16-17, God delights more in a broken spirit and a contrite heart than material sacrifice that we can offer.

I wonder why Jesus wasn't wealthy. Was he not giving enough that the Father should reward him financially? Or did he simply placing his priority in fulfilling God's mission in his life?

Prosperity doctrine appeals to our fallen human nature and our desire for a good and comfortable life. But it's at odds with the examples we see in the Bible (see my earlier post riches in God's eyes). What's of concern is many churches in other denominations today are modelling their church on the success of Hillsong without careful consideration of its validity from God's perspective or realising the danger or implications it may have.

David Collis' Kingdom Coffee: (mega)church means business provides some good insight in this issue and Jim Reiher’s The eye of the needle is said to be a must for those who wants to think through the teachings of prosperity. There's also The lord's profits and Hillsong's own website for those who have further interest.

What about welcoming?

What does it take to welcome someone?  I've been hearing about people from our church not feeling belonged or included.  

To be able to show interest to unfamiliar faces requires maturity and effort.  It's never hard to stay in your own crowd, but church isn't for social purposes.  And if we're all brothers and sisters in Christ, wouldn't we want to know one another?  And if the church is a body, doesn't it make sense that the better we know our fellow hands and feet and eyes and ears... the smoother and effective our body will function?

I remember the sermon by Pastor Bill a few months ago on unity using the story of Cain and Abel and Cain's question of his role as his brother's keeper.  What struck a chord with me from that is the message to extend our welcome and friendship to one another, whether they are strangers or people who we seemingly have nothing in common.  We aren't expected to know everyone in one day, but as part of the family, shouldn't we be as Pastor Bill puts it, to show interest and care in one another?

The welcoming team does a great job in making people feel welcome especially for new people.  But that's not enough.  That mindset needs to permeate into everyone who claims to be in the family of God.  That's what the scripture talks about being in one mind. For me, I've long made it my personal policy to meet new people and catch up with those I don't get to talk to for some time.  My small group knows about this and everyone is encouraged to do the same.

Yes, it's not easy because it takes us out of our comfort zone.  And requires a focus that's on the 'other' and not 'us'.  With my moving around a bit in my earlier years, I've been to many churches.  You may have felt the same as I did when you step into a new church knowing no one and feeling a bit awkward or strange and not surprisingly opted to be the first one to leave after the service.  But the experience of people coming up to befriend me has blessed my heart and forever changed my way of treating others.  It makes me want to do the same to others.

Are you interested in those who you don't know well or have seemingly nothing in common? (btw, isn't having the same heavenly Father the most awesome common ground we share?)  Have you been looking around for those who're standing on their own and make an effort to talk to them or are you too absorbed in your own circle?  If you're serious about God's kingdom, won't you be your brother's and sister's keeper and lavish them with your interest, attention and care?

Affluenza is spreading fast!

This World Vision video clip is a great parody on our materialistic culture. Coming from Thailand, where extreme poverty is a reality, I know how hard life can really be. Now that I'm living in Australia, it's easy to forget how hard life is for most of the world's population. This is a country of plenty, and most of us are very comfortable - our struggles here really don't compare!

Watch the clip. It speaks louder than words.

God's way of managing money

People must been hungry or was it the allure of Thai food that brought everyone at the door right on the dot on Sunday? It was an unusual sight to see people waiting at the door of an Ignite event. The food was a little late, but the great taste more than made up for it.

It was a great time of fellowship over lunch too and we had to squeeze to fit everyone in. Then someone suggested introducing ourselves before getting into the talk. And so we did with some interesting detour.

Our speaker Denis worked in one of the big banks for 15 years and has been in the mortgage business for the last 7 years. He showed us a video from Crown ministry stating how important it is to manage our money from God's perspective.

Do you know that there are 2,350 verses in the Bible dealing with financial matters? Well, most of us didn't know that before the seminar.

We all had a chance to think about our life purpose and jot down some goals to help achieve that. Then the 5 basic principles and a sample budget sheet to help us work towards handling money God's way. And a lively discussion followed.

We all learnt something from it and hopefully all put into practice what we've learnt. This seminar is only the introduction of what is a 10-week course. If people are keen to have Denis come back for another session, let us know and we'll organise something.

Connection or prejudice?

I was getting pretty frustrated at work lately because of non-responsive people. One particular project involves a big company in Europe and getting their attention at all is hopeless. The only contact that I have in this company has been non-responsive himself in helping to locate the person responsible for our case. I finally identified a new contact who could help and emailed him twice in the last 3 weeks. No response. A journalist gave me another contact in the same company that may be able to help, so I emailed him with a reference to this journalist early last week. I was hopeful for a reply. But no response. My journalist associate did mention that if email fails me, try contacting via an introduction through him on an online networking site. After 4 days, I decided to try the online networking site. My message to the contact hasn't changed. But voila, I got a reply immediately! This contact refers me to the original contact so I emailed him for the 3rd time, but this time through the network. And voila, an immediate response the next day!

It's amazing how well this channel works. But at the same time, it annoys me to the max that it should work this way. I just can't understand how the same message from the same person (me) delivered the same way (email) and for one even have the same referral (the journalist) could illicit such different reactions just because of how it came.

People say it's who you know and someone was using it as an analogy for salvation through Christ. Relating to that, I thought my case wasn't dissimiliar to Catholics who can only get through to God through their priests. I also thought unlike these contacts, Jesus doesn't treat people who approach him differently. They all have equal access to him, which is clearly not the case with my contacts.

Perhaps in business, you have to behave differently. But last week, I also emailed a VP of a big company in the UK and I got immediate response. So I concluded that it's the individual's value of others and partly the company's culture that shape the way people treat others.

I relate that to the Church and came to think that in the same way, how our church react and treat each other shows how much we value each individual. It also reflects our understanding of the scriptures and how and what the leadership of the church encourages its flock.

Jesus was interested and value each individual because everyone is made in the image of God. Whether we are at church or at work, are we treating and valuing people the way that Jesus would? Or do we relate and treat them based on the world's understanding?

Worship Wars

This article on worship by Steve Camp (yes, the musician) is excellent. Here, he talks about what biblical worship is not in such a clear and uncompromising ways. We know that Truth is the foundation of worship because the bible tells us that we must worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

But what truth, and how does it relate to worship? What about spirit? Is it what we experience emotionally when we worship?

And what about music and worship? Contemporary Christian tunes or hymns?

You can read the article here.

:: Worship Wars
. . . seven perceptions of what biblical worship is not

Spend Wise, Spend Right

If someone gave you $100, how would you spend it? What's the first idea that comes to mind? If we asked around, we'd probably hear ideas like the following:

1. Go shopping for clothes, shoes, DVDs, CDs etc.
2. Spend it on petrol!
3. Buy some groceries.
4. Pay some bills.
5. Donate the money to charity.
6. Deposit it into a high-interest bank account.
7. Put it towards savings for something more expensive.
8. Go out to a restaurant, or the movies, or maybe a theme park.
9. Buy something special.
10. Put it in the church offering.

As Christians, we know that everything ultimately belongs to God, including money. So how do we use God's money wisely? Should we stop spending it on ourselves to buy clothes and CDs? Should we save it, invest it, or give it away?

Join us for our next Ignite event, Spend Wise, Spend Right. Over a yummy Thai lunch (from an authentic Thai chef!) we'll hear from some people who've studied and thought a lot about these issues. Here are the details:

Date: Sunday, June 24th
Time: 12pm
Where: GCCF church house
Cost: $8

Book your spot by Friday, June 22!

The Life of Upgrading

My letterbox at home is always overflowing with catalogues. Every week it's stocked with fresh temptations, begging a new 'To Buy' or 'Must Have' list to be made.

We live in a world that encourages us to live unceasingly for our "wants." We want, but are never satisfied. That's because by the time we get whatever it is we want, something else is packaged and advertised to us as the latest desirable.

If there's one word I notice over and over on TV, it's "upgrade." Upgrade your PC! Upgrade your TV. Upgrade your wardrobe. Upgrade you sofa. Companies keep rapidly pumping out new styles, trends, designs, models and versions. What we bought last year, or even last week, is already out of date. Our 5 Megapixel digital camera seems so inadequate now that there are better ones out there. There is a new generation of Ipods, better GPS systems, new PlayStation, Wii, Xbox, LCD monitors, plasma TVs and DVD machines that play the latest Blue Ray discs... and the list goes on!

And ladies, how's your wardrobe holding up? If you don't want to be embarrassed by a fashion faux pas, you'd better upgrade before it's too late! Ditch everything with polka dots, because they're so hideously yesterday. Think mod prints, roll necks, Pinafore and opaque... and be quick, because they won't be around for much longer. Watch the trend-setters. What's Kate Moss wearing? Grey is the new black. Touch up your makeup!

What about your home? Is it "winter ready?" Upgrade your furniture to a winter range now! And no bright colours please, it's all about winter hues.

This is the kind of living the world wants us to buy into. This is the way "happiness" and "fulfillment" is packaged for us. And to keep us in its grip, it must always demand our attention, so it's constantly updating and changing. Desires are constantly being created, reinforced, and stirred up in us on a daily basis. In fact it's so prevalent, not only is it a part of our lives, but maybe even part of who we are. As though we'd feel incomplete without it.

In all this we're becoming shortsighted, losing sight of eternity and living only for the temporal, for now. Our time and finances are limited - why are we wasting them in this way?

Being kept busy with upgrading our lives only in a materialistic way, leaves us numb to the need to develop ourselves spiritually. Retail therapy, though it seems to help, is really just avoiding our deeper problems. The thrill of consumerism distracts us from taking care of our real needs, and from caring for the real needs of others. When material things become the centre of our focus, God fades into the background. Let's face it, spending time with God in prayer and reading His Word lacks the lights, sounds, bells and whistles of buzzing shopping malls. Developing a strong, biblically-based understanding and character seems like so much effort, especially when alternatives are much easier, like reading a fashion magazine or catalogue.

Does this mean we should become hermits and misers, living with an absolute bear minimum? Well, no. That's not what the Bible teaches. Are our desires so out of control that we are eagerly chasing after the latest upgrade? Do we just absolutely have to have whatever is the latest and newest trend, style or technology? Jesus said "only pagans run after those things," and warned us not to "store up for ourselves" treasures on earth. Are we pursuing these things, and always accumulating them? We need to just be content with enough, not always more.

And if you still feel the need to upgrade? Develop your character - the person you are. Study the Bible, instead of all the latest catalogues. Pursue God and His purposes, and accumulate spiritual treasure. Live a life of gratefulness, for the precious gifts God has given you!

8 Reasons why I don't Share My Faith

Watch this hilarious clip that exposes the reasons we don't share our faith. We showed this at the Worldview Evangelism event and it became an instant favourite!

Watch. Laugh. And reflect on all the reasons...

Worldview evangelism

A good night on Saturday. The "Why I don't share my faith" clip was really funny and someone just couldn't stop laughing after watching that. Tell you what, it's funny to see someone laughing like that too. ;-)

As promised, it was a very informative and fun night. People had to put on glasses to find out what 'worldview' they've got. Once people figured out, the speaker just wasn't going to let go, they had to experience how much fun (for the activity organiser) or how annoying (for the audience) 'relativism' could be.

Then we went on to explore the difference between 'ice-cream' and 'insulin'. Don't be surprised if people start telling you that you're talking ice-cream rather than insulin. You wonder how that relates to relativism or worldview? Ahh, they do and if you missed Sat night, you'll just have to find out from those who went or catch us next time we're doing it.

Best of all, we got to learn how to talk to people about Christianity without being on the defensive all the time. That's such an insightful clip that people wanted to keep watching. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to show the whole video. But some time in the future, we may show it again in full length.

We were going to put a clip up here, but the internet connection is too slow, so will leave it for now.

Anyone at the forum wants to share with us your thoughts on the night?

Riches in God's eyes

There was an attractive flyer in the junk mail yesterday. With the words Millionaire success conference going across the top of the flyer and the image of a person looking up the yardstick measured in $$$, I immediately dismiss it as yet another one of those get rich seminars to be chucked. Having another look however, I found that it's from a local church and was a bit surprised.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to wealth or riches, but I've a problem with Christians focusing on getting rich in monetary terms. And the flyer truly conveys and encourages the idea of being successful when you've got lots of money. I've seen my Christian friends fallen away because of their focus on getting more wealth. And God clearly says that we can't serve 2 masters, because the love of money is the root of all evil.

There are many wealthy people in the Bible, like Abraham, Job and Solomon. Interestingly, the Bible focuses on their love for and obedience to God rather than the wealth they have. And it's not the level of our obedience or the strength of our faith that determines how wealthy we become. This is evident in Job's case where God gives and takes away according to his plans and purposes. So I believe people are mistaken and undermining God's authority if they think that their money reflects their faith in God or their success as Christians.

Paul was strong in his faith and achieved much for God, but he wasn't rich. Peter was influential in the founding of the early church and he was but a fisherman. Jesus is the King of all kings and he was a carpenter. The rich young man in Matthew 19 was asked to give away his wealth rather than accumulating it. Jesus said that it's hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. James described a rich man as a wild flower, fades and passes away.

Are we not supposed to have money then? I don't believe so. But I do think that like in the parable of the talents, we are to be managers of God's resources whether it'd be money, possession, skills, gifts, talents or time. So, it's more than just money. And it's up to God to decide what and how he'll give us. We're responsible in looking after them and making good use of them. And that's where the difference lies: stewardship versus ownership.

Our goal should be putting to good use what God has given us for his purposes rather than accumulating to make our lives more comfortable or successful in the world's terms. After all, is having a million more satisfying than touching a few people's lives? I'll let you decide.

Death

"Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55)

This came up my mind a few times in the past few weeks. I guess it's because I've been hearing about deaths lately - death of a cousin in late March, death of my grandmother couple weeks ago, and hearing the news of the possibility of a life threatening illness of my mother last week.

The death of my cousin made me think about death. But it was that Sunday when Pastor Russell described a young person's funeral he conducted the previous day that puts my train of thoughts on the roll...What will happen in my funeral? Who will be present? Will my friends be too busy to come? Will they find it too expensive to come? (thinking about all my overseas friends) How will they remember me? Will my life mean anything to anyone? and so it goes.

I was sharing this with my small group that week and people were just laughing at my premature thoughts of death. Ironically, 2 weeks later we were all forced to think about death in light of our Christianity as we progressed in our bible study series of Psalms to Psalm 90.

When I was in my early 20s, I thought living life to 40 is enough for me. I hate to see myself getting old and weak and unable to do anything. There were times in my life that I wish for God to take me. I remembered one day when I was driving home after Uni. On that long and quiet road to home looking at the setting sun, I quietly whispered to God to take me home. But I'm still here! So obviously God's saying, "I'm not done with you yet."

I was joking with a girlfriend the other day saying that I can die now. And in response to that, my husband was telling people that I'm too lazy to live. Come to think of it, that's a good way of putting it. I mean, there's so much to do here on earth and I'm never going to finish it. Why labour so intensely when I could enjoy the comfort of heaven watching people work down here? This, of course, as I come to realise has nothing wrong if I'm living for myself. But if my life has a greater purpose as God intended, then retreating from God's team is saying that "I" and not "God" is in control of my destiny.

I've also learnt that genuinely wanting Jesus to come again because of our desire to see God's kingdom come is a worthy call. But if the motive for wanting to be with Jesus is to escape from this world, then it is selfishness.

Understanding my role in God's creation and his kingdom helps me to enjoy life according to his design. For me, my focus and my priority now is to live for and in the will of God. It'd be a great privilege to be used by Him for his glory and be a blessing to others.

This reminds me of an afternoon a year or two ago when I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from a long lost friend. We met in our church in Japan. The church has a welcoming corner where most of us hang out after the service to meet new people and chat with others. I remembered him, a very quiet American working on the base there, sometimes stand there looking a bit lonely. I used to go up and befriend him whenever I see him. Soon after, I left Japan and lost contact.

10 years later, he found me on the internet and emailed me. He recounted his stay in Japan and how I was a friend to him during a difficult period of his life. That was a revelation to me because I never had any inkling that he was going through a hard time, I was just trying to be friendly. But it really moved me to know that I've made a difference as small as it is to someone, that God has seen me fit to use me for his purpose, that I could be a blessing to others.

And that is how I see my life in light of death. I'm here for a reason, and as God's vessel to contribute and be a channel of blessing to the people that he has placed in my life. At the end, the only reward that I wish is to hear my Father saying, "Well done, my child."

Sharing the truth of Christianity in everyday conversation

We've all tried, and probably felt like we failed. It just doesn't come easily – feels a bit forced, and not natural. And if we do give it our best, it often doesn't end well.

Yes, I'm talking about evangelism! Trying to share our beliefs with our friends. Trying to overcome shyness and fear. Shooting “arrow prayers” to God asking for a chance to share. Awkwardly blurting out our statement of faith into an existing conversation. Even being hit by a barrage of questions, like being attacked with a machine gun and left barely alive!

It's not a pretty picture, but it can be that way, can't it? Sharing the truth of Christianity isn't exactly a walk in the park. And it shouldn't be. Even a hostile reaction is to be expected, since we live in a world that is hostile towards to Truth.

Most of my experience trying to evangelise goes something like this:

Me: Yes, I believe in God.
Anonymous: How can you believe in God when he's not even real? People have made him up.
Me: He is real. (I then go on talking about Creation being proof of His existence, and about Jesus who has made God known to us.)
Anonymous: Jesus? I don't think he's real either. And if he was a real person, he was just a man.
Me: No, Jesus wasn't just a man, though he was a man. See, Jesus was... (then I go on talking about the evidence for the historical Jesus, the fact that he was who he claimed to be.)
Anonymous: Wow, you really believe in this stuff. Good for you! I'm so happy for you. I think it's a good thing. People should believe in something as long as they are passionate about it and sincere, especially if your belief teaches you to be a good person. I think that's what counts.
Me: ...

If you've ever found yourself in a similar position, you will know how tiring it can be. It's always us who have to answer a string of questions. And let's face it, some questions are hard to answer. Sometimes, the questions are hostile attacks. We're never really in the driving seat of the conversation. No wonder we lose control! Sadly, that can make us feel inadequate to do our Saviour Jesus any real justice.

Well, these days I've discovered there is a smarter and easier way to evangelise. It completely upholds the truth of Christianity, and doesn't water down the gospel message. This method doesn't make people we talk to feel like we're trying to convert them, or preach to them. It's just about normal conversation, and the best part is, you can remain in control! You can steer the conversation so that people start to think through their own beliefs, and begin to find inconsistencies and flaws.

That's what we mean by “Worldview Evangelism.” If you think sharing your faith is important, but sometimes struggle like I did, then this event is definitely for you! Sharing the truth of Christianity is perhaps the most important thing we can do, this side of eternity.

So here are the details of what will go down on the night.

Event: Exploring Worldview Evangelism
Where: Gold Coast Christian Family
When: Saturday May 26th, 7pm
What: A short and interactive presentation, giving the gist of what “worldview” is all about and why it's important. Then we'll watch a couple of really interesting video clips. After a break for food and drink, we'll get to practice what we've learned together so far. Afterwards we'll hear a testimony, showing how worldview evangelism really does work. We'll finish with an open discussion/forum/chat.

We hope to see you guys there!

King Herod's Tomb Found!

Read the news story, with some photos from the excavation site here.

Israeli Archaeologist May Have Found Tomb of King Herod

King Herod the Great was appointed by the Romans to rule in Judea around 37 B.C. When Christ was born, Herod ordered the execution of boys in and near Bethlehem, who were two years old and under (Matthew 2:16). It has been debated whether or not this event actually occurred, since at present the only mention of it in ancient literature is in the gospel of Matthew. Even the Jewish historian Josephus, who recorded the life of Herod, made no mention of the event.

But there are is a simple explanation for why this event wouldn't have been noteworthy in the ancient world, except within Christianity.

Firstly, Bethlehem was a quite a small town of around 300-1000 people. Experts estimate that its population indicate that the number of baby boys two years old and under, at any given time, would have been around. Also, many accounts of King Herod's ruthlessness are recorded. He had a reputation for being willing to do anything to protect his throne and authority. While the infanticide described in the Bible is shocking in our modern context, it is entirely consistent with the types of things Herod did.

So while the Bible mentions historical events that have some relevance to the life of Jesus, other historical records, such as Josephus, give a more general account. For Josephus, whether or not he'd heard of the infanticide at Bethlehem, it wouldn't have been something out of the ordinary in the life of Herod, and there were plenty of other events to record, with more significance for Rome and the region as a whole. Even from the general Jewish perspective, events related to Jesus were not really noteworthy, because they didn't consider him significant. Jews were expecting their messiah to be an earthly king, like King David. A cruel but seemingly isolated event in Bethlehem would be soon forgotten.

Are you driving with God today?

What do you normally do while you are driving? Listen to your favorite music or radio station? Or maybe you might talk with someone in the car. As for me, sometimes I'm driving with God. It was about four years ago when I started to know Him. I used to drive to work alone. My work usually finished late at night and the car that I drove had no radio or CD player (actually it had but it was broken). So in the quietness of my car, with nothing elseto do, I started to talk with God. I told Him about my day and asked Him for his help. It made me feel like He sat in my car beside me. Since then, I've moved on to a new (2nd hand) car. It has a sound system which means I can listen to my favorite songs while I'm driving. But sometimes I choose to turn it off and talk or listen to God instead.

Living a full life

What does it mean to live life to the full? This was brought up at different occasions recently. We hear a lot about this. A life is considered well lived if it's lived to the full. But what is full? It seems that if you're always doing things and active, then you've a full life. In that case, my life is overflowing at the moment. Having a full life as such is often admirable and equate to a successful life. To many people, a successful life is about achievements may it be sport or other academic, business or personal pursuits.

Everyone has become so busy nowadays that we hardly have time to spend with people, do things for others or simply have some quiet moments alone. We are all caught up in our busy little schedule evolving more or less around us. You see, there's this notion that if my week is filled with things, that means I'm busy and that shows how important, significant or popular I am. We feel good when we're busy and the busier we get, the more we think we're a better individual. But how many of those activities are necessary? Does our busyness get us into heaven or draw us closer to God? Is our busyness self generated or God motivated?

I've been thinking about this lately and wonder how my life will look like under God's perfect will. Does God intend us to be busy like bees? Definitely not. Does he want us to have a fulfilling life? Definitely yes, but not in the way that the world portrays it. As Christians, we are to live for God and not ourselves. So, living a full life means living a life that is filled with God's purposes. In other words, we can do as much as we can in life; but if they aren't in line with God's will or serve God's purposes, then they are but self serving and pointless.

New song jukebox

The following new songs now on worship together's song jukebox. For those who play an instrument, you can get the music sheet of the first 3 songs for free at their site.

Holy Is The Lord - Chris Tomlin
Almighty God - Tim Hughes
How Can I Keep From Singing - Chris Tomlin
Beautiful One - Ocean's Above
Suddenly - Vicky Beeching

Tweed river boating photos

We all had a great day out on the Tweed river. It was cloudy and a threat of rain, but it only drizzled for about 10 mins and at the end, it was just the right weather to be on the waters. It was the first time for everyone to be on that stretch of the Tweed river.

Tumbulgum is a beautiful place as you can see in the photos. The tributary from there is so picturesque and so serene. There wasn't anyone there when we were there enjoying our lunch. We could only see the birds flying, the magnificent Mt Warning from afar, the greens all around us and the fish jumping out of the water.

People loved the food, the chat, the fishing, the company and of course God's beautiful creation. We forgot to get proper bait, but managed to catch a fish using some bread. Everyone enjoyed the day and wanting to go on it again. If you missed this one, join us for the next event.

Replica of Noah's Ark in the Netherlands

A Dutch Creationist, Johan Huibers, built a one-fifth scale model "replica" of Noah's Ark as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible.

Read the actual news here:

New Noah's Ark Ready to Sail
Johan's Ark draws curious crowd

Hopefully this replica will help people relate to the ark as something more than a flimsy little boat, as it's often portrayed in Children's books. The bible records real historical events, not legends or Aesop's fables!

If you are interested to learn more about Noah's ark and the evidence for a global flood, Answers in Genesis and Creation Ministries International have great resources on this topic. They also have lots of public ministry events that are always worthwhile, so check out their websites for tour dates.

Great news!

Vanessa and David announced their engagement yesterday. Congratulations!

Someone commented couple days ago that things happen fast at our church. Indeed.

For those who are yet to be in the same situation, be encouraged that God has your best interest in mind and will surprise you with the very best when you're ready. Yesterday's sermon was a good reminder for us to be patient, to put our trust in God and to strive to please Him first. And if you haven't prayed for your future mate before, it's not a bad idea to ask God to prepare the both of you and bring you together in His timing.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Tweed River Outing

Are we ready for a relaxing and fun Sat on the water? There's still 2 spots left, so if you want to come or have friends who'd like to come. Let us know.

Ok, here's our plan:
Pick up boat at Murwillumbah at 12pm, drive to Tumbulgum to pick up people at 1pm, continue upstream or south towards Tweed for an hour or so, stopping at nice spots for swim, fishing or other activities, then head back to Tumbulgum before 4pm and return to Murwillumbah.

Now, meeting points:
For those who want a more leisurely ride, meet us at 12pm sharp at 161 Tweed Valley Way, Murwillumbah, located on the river side of the road, midway between Condong Sugar Mill to the north and the Murwillumbah town centre turn off to the south.

Directions: Take the exit for Murwillumbah and the Tweed Valley Way (old Pacific Highway), at the signposted Oak Avenue interchange, just south of Chinderah and the heavy vehicle inspection station. DON'T continue on the Pacific Freeway or you'll end up in Brunswick Heads! For more details, look at their website at www.tweedriverhouseboats.com.au

For those who can't make noon, meet us at 1pm opposite Tumbulgum Hotel (easy to find, ask anyone). Straight across the road is a jetty/beach which you'll be picked up.

Any questions, ask us.

What could I have done?

When I read commentaries on the profile of Seung-hui Cho, the Virginia Tech gunman, I am reminded of someone I knew back in Grade 11.

A loner, he was a person everyone picked on, especially girls. The girls had no reservations over talking or giggling about him right in front of him. I felt sorry for him and befriended him as best I could, making extra effort to be mindful of him, saying hello whenever I could. At one point I remember defending him from some of my girl friends' cruel remarks. However, there was something about him that made me feel unsettled, mostly in the way he looked at people and the way he grinned.

After high school, I went to university in a different part of the country. One day I received a letter (this was before email) from this person, asked me how I was doing. Though it did bother me that he actually tracked me down, I replied just to be nice, knowing friendliness was what he needed. His second letter came, telling me that I had a crush on him and was hitting on him back in high school... and yes, he would be my boyfriend! I replied to set him straight, and asked him not to write any more (I was scared). Then came another letter, telling me how I had hurt his feelings and how he felt rejected - that it was my fault, because I started it. Then he went on telling me about how poor he was, and how he worked hard for his family and cared for them. Finally, he told me how my rejection letter almost made him take his gun out of his drawer and kill himself - but the thought of his family stopped him from doing so.

I felt quite scared. Not that he could commit suicide because I strongly felt he was just being dramatic to make me feel guilty (and guns weren't easily available where I come from). I was scared by how his mind could so easily imagine all of these untrue and ungrounded things about me. How he blamed me for causing his pain. What he was implying was that if he did die, his blood would be on my hands. And that's something Cho actually said.

Cho was a loner, but people wanted to make friends with him. They wanted to reach out to him, but he shut himself in and pushed them away. Maybe the friendship extended to him were sometimes misinterpreted - maybe that's what happened with the girls he stalked.

What can we do with such a person? In my case, could I have done anything differently, after my friendliness was misinterpreted? Was I cold and insensitive when I said no and told him the truth? Was I not quite friendly enough? How much would have been enough? He was the one who defined what was acceptable in his relationships. It was all about him.

This is not to say what he suffered through high school wasn't real, or that people weren't cruel to him. Those things happen to many people, and they do hurt. We all could have done a lot better. However, other people could only do so much for him. In the end, it was his own responsibility to be the caretaker of his personal thoughts and feelings, choices and actions. He needed to admit his own brokenness apart from everything and everyone else. He needed to stop shifting the responsibility and blame to everyone else and to the world.

This is true of all of us. We're not perfect, and neither are our relationships. We're broken. But there is good news! Recognising our own wretchedness leads us to acknowledge our need for Jesus to forgive us, and restore our most important relationship, with God. This is the true foundation for establishing right, loving relationship with our fellow human beings.

Mental illness - science or cope out?

I was reading about the expert opinions on the mental conditions of Cho Seung-Hui. Diagnoses haven't been made yet, but the possibilities abound - bipolar depression, schizophrenia, psychotic depression, avoidant personality disorder, paranoid personality disorder, feeling of powerlessness, grandiosity...

People with avoidant personality are described to avoid social situations for fear of disapproval. I thought, that's me when I was a teenager and a non-Christian. People with paranoid personality disorder have a deep distrust of others. I thought, that's me too! Another psychologist identified acute rejection as one of the common factors in school shooting. And yes, you guessed it. I, too, suffered from acute rejection in my high school years. I was a loner like Cho was. I was dead quiet to the terrifying and that's what my friend wrote on my graduation memoir. My mother took me to the doctor when I was 2.5 fearing that I was mute because I didn't speak. I rarely smiled and withdrawn, because I found nothing to be happy about in this world. In fact, I didn't think it'd make a difference whether I live or die, nobody would care.

So, I've the traits of a killer! And I could be one too. I mean, who on earth could withstand the hurt that caused by your best friend who you went to school with everyday and suddenly one day decided that you can be replaced by new found friends and completely ignored you? Well, I can tell you how much it hurts, that acute rejection that drove me to tears every day for 6 months. It didn't help that I was away from home for the first time in a foreign land knowing no one. Up to this day, emotions still swell up within me when I recount this. But it was precisely this painful experience that led me to God.

My point is, most of what identified as mental conditions are really not all that uncommon to all of us, just the extent of it. Psychologists and psychiatrists may come up with a new mental condition every day. But are they really sickness? No doubt there are people with genuine physiological problems. But sometimes, it feels as if we're just trying to get rid of the problem by giving labels to the behaviours that we don't want to see or have no answer for. We seem to have more and more people with psychological problems and mental illness, and no solutions for it. Is counseling and drugs enough? I'm afraid not, otherwise it'd have made a difference to my friend who's being counseled for years.

The problem with psychology and psychiatry is its basis on humanistic belief that reduces all human emotions and behaviours to statistics and graphs. It believes only humans can have the power to change the world. The supernatural isn't in the equation.

That's why no amount of mental instutionalisation, counseling or profiling can solve the problem. Because the answer doesn't lie in science or rational thinking, but in the missing spiritual element of Jesus. That incident in high school has left a scar and affected my life more than you can imagine, but to let that excruciating pain of rejection drives me deeper into my own world is suicide. And I know without God, I would choose to go down that path, like drugs, slowly eats me away and eventually destroys me.

What shape our young people today?

There's a lot of attention on the mental problem of Cho Seung-hui, the Virginia Tech killer. When I watched Cho's video playing on TV couple nights ago, I didn't see a person with mental illness, I saw a young man filled with anger and frustration. What he said revealed a deep anger towards the world and the people around him. Never once has he blamed himself.

In trying to explain his behaviour away with mental conditions psychologists and psychiatrists called psychotic depression, avoidant personality disorder and schizophrenia etc., are we putting all the blame on him as he did to us? Are we as a society partly to blame for the tragedy that happened?

I remember feeling bewildered hearing a day after the video was broadcast that it was pulled out because the media was under heavy criticism, fearing that the video may inspire others to follow Cho's footsteps. I couldn't see why it should be a problem when substantially more violent video games are allowed to poison our young people's minds everyday. Not only are video games, but movies and TV programs that encourage violence as the answer to our problems.

And then there is individualism, the me culture. We are taught to think about ourselves first and encouraged to just do what we want and what feels good. Never mind whether it's right or beneficial to others. Consequences isn't in the equation. Just do it. Does it remind you of some ads?

How about victim mentality? If I'm screwed up, not getting along with people, couldn't hold down a job or get what I want, it's everyone else's fault except my own. We are too consumed and self absorbed to see past ourselves. Personal responsibility is a foreign concept, commitment is old fashion.

To make things worst, nothing is ever right or wrong. You've got your opinion and I've got mine. What's right for you doesn't necessary mean it's right for me. It's all relative. And if that's not enough, there's political correctness that we can no longer say what is right but what people want to hear. So is it any wonder why our young people are the way they are today?

If our society and media creates that environment and shape our young people to be individualistic, self absorbed and irresponsible persons who make their own rules and act on their impulse, why then are we startled when they behave as a result of the very culture that nutured them? I'm not saying Cho's behaviour is acceptable in any way, because he has a choice to choose to do right or evil and he chose the latter. But as a society, are we not in some ways reaping what we sowed?

What concerns me is to see those traits displayed in our church today. Christians, young and old are embracing the world's practices to interpret the scriptures to fit in with the way they live. There is no absolute truth anymore, God's words is subject to reinterpretation based on each person's situation.

Under the influence of our culture, young people are aspired to be cool and exclusive. They befriend people who look cool, dress trendy, speak the same language and act like them. They look out for each other in the group, but only accept those they like to include. Soon, there are little clicks appearing here and there. The church is supposed to be one body, but is as fragmented as the society of our day. The bond that unites Christians and the love that compels us have been replaced by spiritual individualism and tribalism.

I've experienced the joy of fellowship and unity in fellowships and young adult groups in various churches. It was a wonderful experience to have friends who come from different backgrounds and countries, have different interests and personality. Yet we could all share, enjoy each other, encourage, help and pray for one another and feel included because we all have one thing in common - our love for God.

That, in essence is what Ignite is all about. I long to see young people, striped of worldly influence and being grounded in the solid foundation of God's words, to express their love for God through extending their friendship to those around them and because of their love for one another, non-Christians will be attracted to the amazing God we serve. And that, is what I pray for the young adults in our church.

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35

Becoming a blogger

A few people asked about how to write post to this blog and expressed their frustration of unsuccessful attempts.

If you want to comment on a post, just click on comment at the end of the post and start writing. But if you want to contribute and be able to create new post, it's a bit more tricky. The system won't let you add yourself to the blogger list on the spot. So you have to tell us if you want to be one of the writers and we will send you an invitation by email. To accept the invitation, you'll have to create a google account first if you don't already have one. It doesn't automatically go back or remember where you came from, so after you created a google account, you have to go back to the invitation email and click on the link again to accept the invitation. After that, you can blog for your life. :-)

Remember to ask us for an invitation if you want to be one of the bloggers.

US school shooting

No doubt you'd have heard about the massacre at Virginia Tech in the US by now, with 33 dead and 15 wounded. It saddens me to see yet another brutal act and the many lives lost in a place as George Bush said, should be a place of learning and a sanctuary.

What saddens and bothers me more is looking at the history of shootings in the US to find the majority of cases in the past 20 years either initiated or aimed at young people. There are 20 school shootings in the last 10 years and 3/4 of them are by teenagers.

I can't help but wonder why a country, known to be Christian would have so much killings at such a young age. Are Christians not having the impact that they should have in their society? Or is it because of their faith that Satan gets into overdrive? Or perhaps it is something else?

There's a fundamental problem with the right to bear firearms. Where's that coming from? Some will say "self defense". Ok, but doesn't God said He'll protect us? Doesn't God ask us to live in peace with one another? And if, as they declare in their coins and around the world that it is "in God we trust", how does carrying firearms then support that belief?

This leads me to think about the issue of "rights". I remember going through my young adult years being told to fight for my rights. Rights to do and behave the way I like, rights to challenge and dispute ideas and practices not agreeing with the way I live. Basically, rights for everything. Of course, there are something that's universal to every human's existence. But as a society, are we pushing individual rights too far to the extent that it's coming back to bite us? Look at the right to bear firearms in the US and what it leads to? What about gay rights? Rights to die? Rights to be happy? And rights to vent my anger on others because they make me unhappy? Can you see a pattern there?

What are rights anyway? Is it based on God's principles? Paul took advantage of his privileges as a Roman citizen, and others also enjoy privileges that come with their work or role in the society. But privileges isn't a one way street, it comes with obligations and responsibilities. What's more, I can't honestly find anyone in the Bible exerting or claiming their rights. And I wonder why not. I guess because rights really exist to protect our own interests, it's self focused and contrary to God's principles.

If we're all created in God's image, that means we all possess values and characteristics of God and the ability to achieve godliness. And if we follow God's moral law in the Bible such as those in the 10 commandments. What needs do we have for rights? In fact, I don't see Jesus fighting for his rights. When Jesus was questioned by the high priest, he didn't object by claiming that he has a right to free speech, or the right to choose his own title. Jesus asked us to be meek, humble and turn the other cheek.

I was actually surprised to hear that the right to bear firearms is enshrined in the US Constitution. I soon find out that their bill of rights traces its origin to natural rights which is based on natural law and has its roots in Greek philosophy. It aims at human happiness and says that we all have a natural tendency to look after our own interest and seek what's best for ourselves. Therefore we have the right to follow our nature. It's not hard to know what that leads. If we are to follow our nature and our nature is fallen, then it'll inevitably lead to rebellion against God, whatever form they come.

The Virginia shooting is an example of what following our fallen human nature results in. But it also highlights the danger of mixing scriptures with worldly ideas. I also note that other factors come into play in this tragedy. Pressure to succeed, individualism, the media are just some of them which I won't comment here.

Gone Fishing

The weather is just too lovely this time of the year for us to stay inside (especially when we do that most of the time). So get your outdoors gear together, because we're going cruising and fishing! For those of you who don't fish, don't worry, there are other fun things to be done, like eating fish somebody else caught, letting our hair down in the breeze, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the fresh air and getting our feet wet and sandy! All the while, enjoy each other's company. Who knows, we might even spot a dolphin or two!

So give us a yell if you're interested in coming, because there are limited spaces. The cost is $30, which includes a BBQ lunch. Deadline for booking is this Sunday (22/04/07).

Movie night photos

How about revisiting the movie night in photos? For those who missed it, let us retell the story of the night visually, in comics. Enjoy.

Tim Hughes holding nothing back

Tim Hughes new album Holding Nothing Back is out!

You can listen to all his 11 new songs this week only at Worship Together. Just click on the new song jukebox button on the top left.

Being a Media Savvy Christian

We live in a world dominated by communication media. Whether it be movies, TV, music, books, magazines, games, internet or radio, everyday we encounter at least one of these. The scary thing is that the standards presented in the media are mostly worldly. At best they are like junk food to our souls, and poison at their very worst.

So how should we live in the age of media? These two articles have some pretty good insights.

:: It's Never 'Just a Movie'
Frequently we use media simply for a diversion. How often do you sit down in front of the tube and say, "You know, I want to find something on that is mindless and I can just veg out to"? We think it's harmless enough. Yet research shows...(read more)

:: Like to Watch
Wherever we look, technology blasts us with the world's values, attitudes, and false definitions of reality. The popular media lie to us about the nature of goodness, truth, and beauty. They offer counterfeit versions of what a family is supposed to look like, what romance is, what success is all about, and where we should spend our money...(read more)

Have you got food?

If you don't have a habit of reading God's word daily, it's time to start. God's words are food nurturing our soul. Imaging you go hungry for a few days, how would you feel?

So, here's your Daily Bread. And if you prefer, you can Encounter God and Get Closer to God (click on notes and select the day). For those who prefer King James, there's a daily devotion on Proverbs at the moment on Bible.com.

The good news is your daily bread and encounter are all free. ;-)

Great Quote

This quote is from God in the Wasteland by David Wells.

"Worldliness is what any particular culture does to make sin look normal and righteousness look strange."

Ethical Marketing

What left me thinking from the movies night was more about the way marketing works. As a marketer, the marketing techniques showed in the Merchants of Cool video isn't anything new to me. I've seen it, I've heard about it, and often struggles with it.

They are based on marketing principles that strive to identify and satisfy people's needs by communicating those needs to the inside of a company and the benefits of the end product to the market outside. To put it simply, marketing is like an interpreter/agent between companies and their product/service consumers.

Sure, I do a lot of research to find out what people want in my industry, so we can improve our product offerings to suit user needs. But I thought...hang on...we do marketing on things that we humans create and they are not perfect, that's why marketing is important. But the good news of Jesus, isn't that a perfect truth? How else can we improve it?

Of course, we need to communicate that message to the world and that's where marketing comes in. The problem is, a lot of our churches today are applying worldly marketing practices rather than the principles. We package the church with bells and whistles to make it more attractive, sometimes to the extent that the reason for being there got lost or becomes second place.

What's more, to suit people's needs, the content is altered and changed to make it more appealing, and in the process the word of God is watered down without our knowing it. Suddenly, Christianity looks like just another consumable in the market. If it suits me, I'll take it, if it doesn't suit my needs, I'll shop somewhere or something else. No wonder someone describes going to church is like going to a theme park, to be entertained.

It's not hard to find mega churches using worldly marketing methods to appeal to the senses of their audience or Christians employing marketing tactics to milk the Christian community. Think multi-billion dollar Christian music industry. Think endless variations of a Christian book.

Worldly marketing is about doing anything to get attention - big, flashy, cool, outrageous, celebrity, wow factor... MTV has demonstrated how marketing is done solely to increase the company's bottom line regardless of whether the consumers have the need or will benefit from it. In doing what the world's doing, I can't help but wonder if our churches today are attracting consumers of religion or followers of Christ. How often do we talk about success in terms of spiritual growth rather than numbers?

I looked at the scriptures and it tells me that Jesus isn't handsome, but ordinary. So he wasn't cool in his time. I looked at the apostles, they didn't use healing or food to attract people to their midst, so they weren't being attractional. I looked at Paul or Peter, they were straight forward telling their people to repent. So they weren't packaging the gospel to be more palatable.

In an effort to make Christianity more relevant today, I think we are treading on dangerous ground. Marketing is a tool when used properly has great benefits. But as Christians, we need to be careful of the context that we are using it in and to use it based on Christian principles, not the world's.

I was even thinking about this very early in my career and wanting to do marketing from a Christian perspective. I was searching on the internet on ethical marketing about 10 years ago and found nothing. I just did a search again and was glad to see that it's now a topic worthy of discussion.

Well, I've more thoughts on this, but I'll leave it to another time.

We are on a slippery slope

I have some thoughts to share following up on what Simon Hunter said during his presentation at the Movie Night, and also to jq's post.

Simon mentioned that the next big thing coming out of Hollywood is pedophelia (movie Hounddog) which is one of the last taboos Hollywood hasn't really ventured into.... yet.  Another one is bestiality.  There's a documentary that premiered at Sundance this year called Zoo. Of course, Hollywood elites hailed it as ground-breaking. But the subject, we know, is sick.

This is not the only case where pedophelia and bestiality are being rolled out by the "sexual freedom" agenda.  Outside of Hollywood, a Dutch court ruled last year that pedophiles can form a political party to push their agenda, which is to reduce the age of consent to 12. This is not surprising considering that the Netherland is one of, if not the most, liberal countries in the world today.  However, this kind of thing is popping up everywhere. Also last year in Massachusetts, USA, legislators introduced a bill that softens the crime of bestiality!

How did we come to this point? How did we come to being on the verge of accepting even these kinds of horrific sexual depravity?  Many argue, at least in the area of human sexuality (and I agree), that it's been a natural progression since society accepted homosexual behaviour.  Once we legally (and socially) accept same sex unions as normal, we abandon any standard or reference point by which to gauge any issue of sexuality, and we are on a slippery slope.  If marriage and sex between a man and a woman isn't the "normal" and morally good  standard, there must be none.  When there's no absolute, we have no reference point to refer to or judge things by.  Everything becomes relative.  If homosexuality is ok, then what's wrong with polygamy, pedophilia or bestiality?  Even if we don't want to allow them, how can we raise any objection?  Nothing can be really wrong anymore.   So it's only a matter of time before everything becomes acceptable.

Film, TV & Christians

That was the theme for last night's movies night. Thanks for all those who come and those helped out. It was a great night and a big eye opener for many.

Simon showed us couple clips on subliminal advertising and mind control to show how easily the media can manipulate us. You can see the clips here. The second one is really funny.

He gave us a quick and
insightful run through of what shaped our TV, films and music industries today. He then went on to show us a documentary "merchant of cool" about teens/young adults and pop culture and the giant machine that's creating and propelling it.

At the end of the night, some people indicated that they want to hear more. So, tell us what you think of the night. If there's enough interest, we may get Simon back for another round.