happy holidays

frost in york (taken on 12 dec)

my schedule has been quite packed (which is not a bad thing) since - in fact, before - i got back last sun, but then there's always some kind of work to be done anyway.

i made it back in time for the last 3 (out of 4) days of sky camp 2007. amidst all the fun and games, it was great to see how everyone has grown spiritually over the past 3 months. one body, many parts. the last worship service/ss/sky of 2007 this sun will be a fitting time to reflect on how God has brought all of us through a weird and wonderful year. on a personal note, 2007 has probably been the most significant year of my life (thus far) - intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.

i also enjoyed carolling with the rest of the kprbc carollers last sat and watching our Christmas musical yesterday. i pray that the lives of the people we were reaching out to would be touched by these events. some of the songs were really moving and i'm going to bring a few scores back to york with me.

finally, this Christmas was when lemuel got baptised. it's always nice to be back for Christmas and i'm glad i came back for Christmas this year, but it would be something new to experience Christmas overseas as well. maybe next year.

the calling: the greatest gift of our lives

As little children, we would dream of Christmas morn
Of all the gifts and toys we knew we'd find
But we never realised a baby born one blessed night
Gave us the greatest gift of our lives

We were the reason that He gave His life
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live

the response: the greatest gift of our lives

What can we give, that You have not given?
What do we have, that is not already Yours?
All we possess are these lives we're living
And that's what we give to you Lord

it's intriguing how reading the same phrase in two different ways can conjure up separate implications. no matter, the Christmas story comes down to the birth of Christ to save us from our sins. in the light of this glorious truth, what do you bring to the party when you celebrate Christmas?

Christmas isn't Christmas, till it happens in your heart
Somewhere deep inside you, is where Christmas really starts
So give your heart to Jesus, you'll discover when you do
That it's Christmas, really Christmas, for you

knowing and doing

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 7:21 (NIV)

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does." - James 1:22-25 (NIV)

faith and deeds

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder.

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." - James 2:14-26 (NIV)

by faith

"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death." - Hebrews 11:17-19 (NIV)

"By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient." - Hebrews 11:31 (NIV)

"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." - Hebrews 11:39-40 (NIV)

knowing and doing. faith and deeds. the power of cross-referencing.

if you know you should be doing something, why not do it? if you know you should be doing something and don't do it, do you truly know? if you know you shouldn't be doing something, why do it? if you know you shouldn't be doing something and do it, do you truly know? ultimately, knowing and doing are just different sides of the same coin.

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." - James 4:17 (NIV)

the head and the heart

if you know something in your head, you will also know it in your heart. if you know something in your heart, you will also know it in your head. if you truly know something in both your head and your heart, you will also do it.

sometimes you're led by emotion, and sometimes by reason, but as long as you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind - and seek to do His will - emotion and reason will eventually converge and centre on the path He has prepared for you in advance.

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4 (NIV)

the conclusion of the matter

run with perseverance. turn your eyes upon Jesus. away with all doubt!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

like a runner in a relay, the best (in fact, the only) way to pass on the baton of faith is to receive it, hold on to it and run with it in the first place. if you would hand over things like guard duties properly (unless you wouldn't), how much more would you hand over the baton of faith with integrity!

the following two songs make an excellent medley, both musically and meaningfully.

Find Us Faithful

We're pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us, let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through Godly lives

Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey...

Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful

Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful!

We Shall Stand

Through the years God has sustained us
By His word He has ordained us
To be servants in this holy place

When to trials we are subjected
In His hand we'll be protected
By the power of His love and grace

So we shall stand, although the winds of change may blow
Because our Lord is ever with us, this we know
And as we press toward the prize
We come to realise
We are God's church, and through the years
We shall stand

We will build on work of others
Of our fathers and our mothers
We will share the message loud and clear

When our time has been and ended
May it be as God intended
That we pass this faith we hold so dear

So we shall stand, although the winds of change may blow
Because our Lord is ever with us, this we know
And as we press toward the prize
We come to realise
We are God's church, and through the years
We shall stand

Then one blessed glorious day
We shall hear our Saviour say
Enter in, my child, your work is done

Then together round his throne
We'll praise God, and God alone
With one voice we'll sing for victory's won

So we shall stand, although the winds of change may blow
Because our Lord is ever with us, this we know
And as we press toward the prize
We come to realise
We are God's church, and through the years
We shall stand
We are God's church, and through the years
We shall stand

Yes, we shall stand!

away with all doubt!

whenever you take your eyes off Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith, doubt starts to creep into your consciousness and take over your thoughts. doubt over your salvation. doubt over your future. even doubt over what you have in front of you.

stop doubting and believe

"Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"

But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."" - John 20:24-29 (NIV)

believe and not doubt

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." - James 1:5-8 (NIV)

do not lose heart

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)

"Therefore we do not lose heart... So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." - Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." - Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

it's easy to walk by sight, but the righteous will live by faith. if you're nothing without some (earthly) thing, you're nothing even with it. to take this a step further, if you won't serve the Lord without some (earthly) thing, you won't serve the Lord even with it.

before you're able to hold on to something, you must be able to let go of everything. are you able to let go of everything?

turn your eyes upon Jesus

God works in wondrous ways. i've just got back from sky camp (more on this another time) and it's fascinating how different verses in different settings join with different experiences to reveal different parts in the body of spiritual truth.

who/what are your eyes fixed on?

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

a new hope

the strike is only partial. happy holidays!

the empire strikes back

it looks like my stopover in paris (i'm going to visit vania for a few days before coming home) is going to be affected by the planned metro strike on wed (rail workers are going on strike over sarkozy's pension reform plans), but instead of feeling bad about it i'll try to adopt a more philosophical approach.

boasting about tomorrow

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." - James 4:14 (NIV)

this was the verse which came to my mind when vania first told me about the strike. treasure what you have, but never take anything forgranted. like the athlete who is completely consumed with winning the gold medal, if you're nothing without some (earthly) thing, you're nothing even with it.

slaves and masters

"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favouritism with him." - Ephesians 6:5-9 (NIV)

i can't really comment on french domestic politics, but i don't see how either party (the government or the rail workers) is going to benefit from the current situation. for that matter, it doesn't look like either party is going to budge either. a real prisoners' dilemma.

one body, many parts

"Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it." - 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 (NIV)

even on a secular level, it is literally crippling if the different parts of the same body refuse to work together for the common good. in the social contract, rousseau observes that 'the undertakings which bind us to the social body are obligatory only because they are mutual; and their nature is such that in fulfilling them we cannot work for others without working for ourselves'.

each footballer on (or off) the pitch has a part to play; each piece on (or off) the chessboard has a part to play; each soldier on (or off) the battlefield has a part to play. the one who is "less presentable" should not say that he does not belong to the body, but instead support the one who is "more presentable". on the other hand, the one who is "more presentable" should not say that he does not need the one who is "less presentable", but instead acknowledge his support.

on our part, we are not to judge the other parts of the body we belong to, but instead to examine whether we ourselves are doing our part.

judging others

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." - Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV)

"Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you - who are you to judge your neighbour?" - James 4:11-12 (NIV)

"Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." Because of this, the rumour spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"" - John 21:20-23 (NIV)

give thanks

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

above all, i'm thankful that my stopover in paris is on in the first place and that i'm coming home for christmas - hopefully! i'm going to pray about it and trust that whatever the case, it'll all work out eventually.

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

the best is yet to be!

run with perseverance

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

the christian life is a journey of faith revealed in different chapters, each leading on to the next. on one level, we are called to build upon the work of our predecessors, just as the apostles carried on the work of Christ and timothy continued the work of paul. on another, we are also called to discern God's will for our lives - to continue to work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in [us] to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:12-13).

the point is not that the two (building upon the work of our predecessors based on things which happen around us and discerning God's will for our lives based on things which happen to us) are contradictory (they're not), but rather that they illuminate each other. we come to realise the significance of things which happen around us through the things which happen to us and vice versa.

the race marked out for us is simultaneously God's plan for humanity and God's plan for our lives. it is through the race marked out for us that our faith is authored and perfected by the author and perfecter of our faith. to this end, your present commitments pave the way for your future commitments, being held together by the real bond.

now that i've more or less settled into my new environment at york, i'm looking forward to going home for christmas and coming back in jan. in terms of my upcoming commitments, next year is going to be quite challenging but also very exciting. i'm going to be a small group leader in james cu as well as a member of the international team (which organises outreach events for international students) on the main cu. it'll be a unique blend of having fellowship with other believers vs reaching out to non-believers, leading on my own vs working as a team and interacting with local students vs meeting other international students.

if a human author would plot the different chapters of a novel down to the last detail, how much more would the author and perfecter of our faith be with us and watch over us in the different chapters of our lives!

the end of one chapter, the beginning of another. where do we go from here?

where do you want to go today (or tomorrow)?

"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." - James 4:13-17 (NIV)

When I stand at the judgment seat of Christ
And He shows me His plan for me
The plan of my life as it might have been
Had He had His way, and I see

How I blocked Him here and checked Him there
And I would not yield my will
Shall I see grief in my Saviour's eyes
Grief though He loves me still?

Oh, He'd have me rich, and I stand there poor
Stripped of all but His grace
While memory runs like a hunted thing
Down the paths I can't retrace

Then my desolate heart will well-nigh break
With tears that I cannot shed
I'll cover my face with my empty hands
And bow my uncrowned head

No! Lord of the years that are left to me
I yield them to Thy hand
Take me, make me, mould me
To the pattern Thou hast planned!

- Author Unknown

atheism on offer

either borders is having trouble getting rid of its stock, or it thinks people will buy them for others this christmas (or both).

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I've been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone I overcome

Oh, I could stop and count successes
Like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal
To the grace by which I stand

In Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

In Christ alone will I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
And only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need

Now I seek no greater honour
Than just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses
To the glory of my Lord

In Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope...

In Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

prison break

season 3 is taking a break until jan, but that's not the point. not the main point anyway.

being used to travelling to and from prison headquarters in changi every mon to fri from nov 06 to jul 07, it also feels like i'm taking a break from work for the next 3 years (rather than being at university as a student per se). which i am, actually.

having said that, i'm quite conscious of the fact that i'm at york not only as a full-time student but also as a future (current?) employee of the singapore prison service. it's a break in the deeper sense that i have so many different opportunities to make the most of my time here as a pepper (someone from the school of pep), as a prospective prison officer and above all as a person.

commitments

there are days when i feel i have no commitments at all. on the other hand, there are days when i feel i have too many of them. strangely enough, they often happen to be the same days. what is the right thing to commit to? when is the right time to commit? what is the right level of commitment?

your commitments not only reflect who you are and what you're committed to (obviously); they also pave the way for your future commitments. it's like blogging about something then coming back to it days, weeks, maybe months (even years) later, realising that the old entry is outdated but that there wouldn't be such a thing as a new entry if there wasn't an old entry for it to replace in the first place.

what is history?

history isn't just one thing after another, but how the past and the present interact with each other; how the past shapes the present and the present captures the past in return. since the present will eventually become the past and the future the present, you might also say that history is how the present shapes the future and the future captures the present in return. in other words, history is as much a study of the present as it is a study of the past (don't quote me on that).

going back to commitments then, your present commitments pave the way for your future commitments. i'm quite conscious of the fact that just as i'm at york not only as a full-time student but also as a future (current?) employee of the singapore prison service, things would be rather different if just one aspect was different. not necessarily better or worse (what would "better" or "worse" mean anyway), just different.

as it is, being at york with all the personal and professional commitments i have has led me to explore how i can serve and grow in unique situations (ie. take on new commitments based on my own existing commitments) while i'm at york. at the end of the day, your present commitments pave the way for your future commitments and your present non-commitments (which really are commitments in themselves) pave the way for your other future commitments.

either way, it has to be the right thing, at the right time, to the right extent.

philosophy and theology

philosophy and theology are similar yet different disciplines (if you can categorise them as such). philosophy is the 'tool by which the christian makes sense out of his faith' (geisler and feinberg) yet christianity is not the tool by which the philosopher makes sense out of his worldview. while philosophy may (and indeed should) align with our christian perspective, it cannot replace the work of the Holy Spirit in the 'commencement of salvation' (spurgeon) - nothing can.

having taken 10 credits (25% of my total work) of reason and argument (the logic of language) this term, i must say that learning about propositional logic has led me to rethink a number of grammatical conceptions, particularly as applied to Scripture. this has widespread implications on the way we think, act and live.

the material conditional

'a is necessary for b' if it is the case that 'b only if a'. for example, where a is "oxygen" and b is "fire", then 'oxygen is necessary for fire' if it is the case that '[there is] fire only if [there is] oxygen'. which it is. this means that we cannot have fire without oxygen.

on the other hand, 'a is sufficient for b' if it is the case that 'if a, then b'. for example, where a is "fire" and b is "light", then 'fire is sufficient for light' if it is the case that 'if [there is] fire, then [there is] light'. which it is. this doesn't mean that we cannot have light without fire (we can still have light by other means, such as the sun - ok, so it is a huge ball of fire after all, but you get the idea), but rather that we cannot have fire without light.

notice that we cannot say that 'oxygen is sufficient for fire' since it is not the case that 'if [there is] oxygen, then [there is] fire'. we can have oxygen without fire, but not fire without oxygen. to this end, oxygen is a necessary but insufficient condition for fire, while fire is a sufficient but unnecessary condition for light.

so what?

without infringing on the respective domains of philosophy and theology, i think that propositional logic helps us to understand certain passages of Scripture better.

necessary but insufficient

"Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."" - Matthew 17:19-20 (NIV)

it was the russian novelist dostoevsky who wrote in the brothers karamazov that 'faith does not, in the realist, spring from the miracle but the miracle from faith'. faith is necessary for miracles to happen, but faith being sufficient for miracles to happen is another thing altogether. a miracle cannot happen without faith being present, but faith can be present without a miracle happening (if it is not God's will).

sufficient but unnecessary

"If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth." - 1 John 1:6 (NIV)

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." - 1 John 1:8 (NIV)

these are just two different claims which constitute lying - each is sufficient in itself (and need not require the truth value of the other) to be considered a lie.

necessary and sufficient

"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."" - John 14:6 (NIV)

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12 (NIV)

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." - Romans 10:9 (NIV)

if and only if!

truth and Truth

the more you plumb the depths of philosophy, the deeper you dig into Scripture. taking ethics next term and problems in the philosophy of mind in the following one will both be quite interesting. it's true, it's True.

link: more on philosophy and theology (5 jun 08)

economics

"it's the economy, stupid" - one of former us president bill clinton's slogans in his successful 1992 presidential campaign

"the economy is not everything but economics is important. if you were starving, you would put it as item number one on your list. but because your stomach is full, so you can afford to think." - pm lee hsien loong, dialogue session with nus students on 21 sep 07

first things first

the principle of placing first things first is a noble one. after all, where else could you place the first thing, except for first?

however, the nature of economics (which - by the way - is not necessarily the first thing) is that while you can't ignore it, you can't exactly live (and die) by it either. (that would be marxism.) if you think about it, economics insulates itself from a purely economic approach to issues.

limited resources. unlimited wants. economics identifies the central problem of scarcity, then leaves the rest to the policymakers. in fact, the propensity of economists to hedge their bets when making policy recommendations (on one hand... but on the other hand) led harry s. truman, another former us president, to frustratedly demand a one-armed economist on his council of economic advisers.

the trinity (with a small t) of philosophy, politics and economics

so economics doesn't exist in a vacuum. it couldn't, even if it wanted to. for example, raising erp rates to reduce road traffic congestion merely treats the symptoms; it doesn't heal the cause. what is the root of the problem, anyway?

what is philosophy? what is politics? what is economics? it's intriguing to study philosophy, politics and economics together because they challenge you to think like a philosopher, a political scientist (not a politician!) and an economist individually, then as all three at one go. but at the end of the day, they're just man-made academic concepts which build on each other and gesture at the truth from different angles.

to arrive at the right answer, you have to address the real need.

london

overcrowding is one of the biggest problems faced by prisons all over the world, let alone entire countries. history has shown that lebensraum, or living space, is a key concept which governors (in both instances) ignore at their own risk.

in keeping with his dual background, the german doctor and chess master siegbert tarrasch once remarked that 'cramped positions carry the germ of defeat'. while spatial dominance doesn't necessarily lead to victory, there is a reason why grandmasters open their games by pushing their pawns forward two squares instead of one (unless they start by moving their knights - but that is relatively rare and another matter altogether).

meanwhile, i was in london for the first time over the weekend. the main event was temasek seminar 2007, but i managed to meet up with quite a number of people and visit quite a number of places as well.

as this view from clifford's room reveals, london - with a population of anywhere between 7.4 and 8 million - is pretty packed. fittingly, temasek seminar 2007 posed the question - singapore's changing landscape: is there room for us?

ironically (or maybe this was to be expected), the forum (which we were ultimately responsible for) hardly dealt with the physical aspects of an increase in population, preferring to focus instead on the social, political and even moral dimensions of the theme (think section 377a of the penal code). after all, the influx of immigrants simply takes a head count of singapore's changing landscape. what's clear, however, is that singapore is a nation with growing ambitions but limited resources. is there a way out of this?

with my return ticket to york at 7pm on sun evening, i spent the rest of my time in london heading from one location to another. it felt like moving across the monopoly board while throwing double dice on each turn. i didn't come across any jails in london though, not in central london anyway.

the view across the thames from waterloo bridge

the other side of the river

i had always wanted to visit the london chess centre and as things turned out, it was just a 5 min walk from clifford's apartment. there's a whole range of books, sets and other equipment on sale - in pounds.

all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players - shakespeare's as you like it

a statue of the bard himself in the middle of leicester square

chinatown

covent garden market

a flight of pigeons

future colleagues

being in london, i also took the opportunity to visit all souls church (where john stott remains the rector emeritus, although he recently retired from public ministry in april 2007) with caleb, ian and chris. it was truly heartwarming to witness so many nationalities (as well as fellow singaporeans) worshipping and serving together in such a cosmopolitan city.

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." - Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV)

"world famous" roast duck at four seasons restaurant, bayswater

on a whim, caleb and i decided to get standing tickets for the sun matinee performance of the lion king.

26 days until my flight back home!

nottingham

being the only york student to take part in nottingham games (a one-day inter-varsity competition for singsocs all over the uk) last sat, i emailed gordon and arranged a short weekend stay instead (we normally just head down to nottingham early in the morning and head back to york late at night - that's also what the london universities did this time round).

it was nice to proceed at a leisurely pace and catch up with gordon while exploring the campus/city. nottingham games itself went well too. i even found out from one of the other participants that sheffield has an active chess club which trains regularly and plays in a weekly league of sorts. maybe someday...

york's not the only campus with a lake

this is part of the campus

and so is this (whatever it's supposed to be)

trent building, with rooks on either side (like a chessboard)

chance encounter with po yew (nottingham) and ashley (lse), fellow north lodgers back in acjc.

sidenote: there are loads of singaporeans studying at london universities. apart from the home university, nottingham games might as well have been called london games.

gordon, my gracious host and tour guide. mss actually stands for malaysia singapore society, but both of us are singaporean, having done 1 year 10 months of ns.

nottingham castle

council house

nottingham square

an obelisk of light lookalike in the city centre

cornerstone church

the uk has many wonderful churches, despite not all of them meeting in proper buildings (some of them use school premises, like this one which i visited with gordon and his friend). i haven't been to any of them more than twice and i won't be in york this weekend either, but i always look forward to going to church on sundays.

i'll be in london for temasek seminar (among other plans) this weekend. it'll be my first time in london, hopefully of many!

lost and found

i realised my water bottle (the grey one given by prisons recruitment branch) was missing last night so i got up early this morning to go look for it. i was planning to scour all the lts i was in yesterday but i managed to find it at my second stop.

the parable of the lost sheep

"Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." - Luke 15:1-7 (NIV)

this was the passage which entered my mind when i found my lost bottle. firstly, if you would go after a lost bottle/other random item, how much more would you go after lost souls! more importantly, there is no greater cause than this (bringing people to Christ).

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." - Luke 19:10 (NIV)

vania's visit

voila! in view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. this visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. however, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition! the only verdict is vengeance, a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-a-vis an introduction, so it is my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V.

ok enough Vs already.

vania's farewell on 1 sep

it's actually been more than 2 months since vania left for paris and 1 month since i left for york. we had the chance to meet up over the weekend since she's visiting her friends in london and york these few days.

apart from showing her around york, it was great to worship together at york baptist church on sun morning. from the order of worship to the choice of songs (down to the font on the powerpoint slides), it really felt like back home and i enjoyed the fellowship. after visiting 3 different churches in york, it's time to settle down.

it's always nice to meet up with different people (caleb are you coming to york?) and you can just msn/email me if you're planning a trip up north.

weekdays and weekends

things are really picking up now and i might not be blogging as much as before. at least the weekends are a good break from the 40 hour full-time student work week.

i'm taking part in nottingham games this sat (finally get to play chess again) and will be in london for temasek seminar next weekend (fri-sun). let me know if you want anything in particular!

asian food (nasi lemak with beef!?)

york minster

clifford's tower at night

singsoc fireworks (louis's camera)

remember, remember the 5th of november! (ord loh! - 1st anniversary)

tempus fugit

the clocks in leeds (click on the photos to enlarge)

tempus fugit. time flees. the clocks have just gone back an hour this weekend, and the days are getting shorter. 4 weeks have flown by since i arrived in york, and it's slightly over 47 days until i fly back home.

by the way, the clocks in the photos illustrate the passage of time.

scarcity, choice and opportunity cost

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man." - Proverbs 6:6-11 (NIV)

i remember the season when mr ngoei would gather our class and deliver his tempus fugit/i told you so pep talks. this applied to all of us during our jc days, and the meaning grows deeper with time (double entendre).

a time for everything

"What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil - this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him." - Ecclesiastes 3:9-14 (NIV)

i know who holds tomorrow

i don't know about tomorrow

i just live from day to day

i don't borrow from the sunshine

for the skies may turn to grey

i don't worry o'er the future

for i know what Jesus said

and today i'll walk beside Him

for He knows what is ahead

many things about tomorrow

i don't seem to understand

but i know who holds tomorrow

and i know who holds my hand

i don't know about tomorrow

it may bring me poverty

but the One who feeds the sparrow

is the One who stands by me

and the path that be my portion

may be through the flame or flood

but His presence goes before me

and i'm covered in His blood

many things about tomorrow

i don't seem to understand

but i know who holds tomorrow

and i know who holds my hand

every step is getting brighter

as the golden stairs i climb

every burden's getting lighter

every cloud is silver-lined

there the sun is always shining

there no tears will dim the eye

at the ending of the rainbow
where the mountains touch the sky

many things about tomorrow

i don't seem to understand

but i know who holds tomorrow

and i know who holds my hand

yes i know who holds my hand

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

more on philosophy

and as i mentioned to you last time, i'll just reiterate this, in the philosophies that pervaded in the ancient world and do even today, there is a serious missing connection. philosophy has basically no attachment to morality, never has. in fact, in my study of philosophy which began when i was an upper-division college student and determined for my own interest that i would take upper-division or western philosophy, all the advance courses i could get in the final two years of my college, i had the privilege of being the only student who signed up with the exception of one other student who had a learning disability. and so between the two of us we exhausted the same professor two years in a row to tell us everything there was to know about european philosophy. and it was a marvellously enlightening experience, particularly beneficial when there are only two people in the class. you're forced to perform and the professor is forced to answer all your questions. it was a rich experience.

but what i learned even in those days long ago was that all of these mental gymnastics, all of these machinations of the human brain, all of these meanderings through processes of thought and explanations for life and meaning had virtually no connection to how people lived. and i found, to my amazement, that philosophers while trying to be the most adept at explaining the realities of life were virtually living in the gutter morally. that has been verified time and time and time again. i've mentioned on some occasion the book by paul johnson called the intellectuals, probably the most riveting book on history i've ever met. it's the story of the pinnacle philosophers of western thought, those who are the architects of our modern world. and it reads like... well it reads like a novel and it reads like a sorted novel as it plunges into the depth of immorality and incest and homosexuality that pervaded in the lives of these familiar names. people like rousseau and kant and hegel and all of those kinds of philosophers.

so, there never has been a connection between philosophy and life and there wasn't in john's day. there were varying kinds of philosophies around but none of them was really connected to life. and so they could literally believe what they wanted and live the way they wanted. and john approaches things very differently. he says, "look, if you're a christian, it's not like a philosophy, you can't believe this and live any way you want to live. that's not how christians are." if you've really been changed and regenerated, two things are going to be true about your life. one is you're going to obey God, and two is you're going to love other christians, you're going to love your brothers.

- john macarthur, live by a new love

luke and james

apart from the fact that i live in james college, Luke and James are the two books which the university christian union (cu) and james cu are respectively doing this term. it's enlightening to observe how each book illuminates the other.

the temptation of Jesus (Luke 4:1-13) together with trials and temptations (James 1:2-18)

several verses flow from here:

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." - Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." - Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." - James 4:7 (NIV)

"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."" - Matthew 26:39 (NIV)

the way out is in following Christ's example and surrendering yourself to God's will, as revealed through His word.

timeless truth.

after going to york evangelical church for the past two weeks, i visited york baptist church today. the service was actually quite similar to what we have at kay poh, with a combination of old, new and even familiar songs (you shall go out with joy, majesty). the message also happened to be taken from the gospel of Luke, and reinforced a few points i picked up at university cu last night.

Jesus anointed by a sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50)

the twofold task of Jesus, as expounded by rev gary patchen, consists of disturbing the comfortable and comforting the disturbed. in juxtaposing simon the pharisee against an unnamed woman, Jesus exposes the former's hypocrisy while commending the latter's authenticity.

divine disturbances are really trials which test and approve our faith. furthermore, God both disturbs (but not tempts) us when we're comfortable and comforts us when we're disturbed (or tempted by the devil), according to His good, pleasing and perfect will.

a city of possibilities

the thing about york is that as a so-called "university city" - which incidentally has many churches, there are plenty of opportunities for students to hear the Word of God. it's common to spot pastors giving talks on campus (in addition to the university chaplaincy team), and vice versa, students visiting different churches (considering that the vast majority of students at the university aren't from the city itself, and that several churches have full-fledged student ministries).

i've set aside time for james cu on tuesdays, university cu on saturdays and church on sundays. there's even a york chinese christian fellowship which meets on fridays, but i haven't decided on anything there yet.

the level of fellowship and spiritual support in york (both the university and the city) was far removed from the list of things i looked at in making my different university applications, but finding myself here now, i'm beginning to realise how everything happens for a reason.

synergy

Luke and James. james cu and the university cu. the university of york and the city of york. they complement each other.

york has many churches, and you could definitely spend a whole term (if not a year or even longer) visiting a different one every week, but you have to commit at some point.

the distinctive spires of the york minster

york baptist church!