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!

readings

readings are part and parcel of a student's life. in fact, readings probably ARE a student's life.

which book do you want to read today?

as a christian who happens to be a student - and not a student who happens to be a christian - if you would spend time reading your set texts, how much more would you devote yourself to studying the word of God!

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

which book of the Bible do you want to read today?

two weeks

up to now, two weeks is about the longest time i've ever been away from home. my longest trips so far - the world chess olympiad in turkey (2000), gylc in the states (2002), bmt confinement period on tekong (2005) and my unit's live firing exercise in south africa (2006) - have all lasted around two weeks or so. being away from home for more than two weeks at a stretch will be something new to me.

together with international student orientation (the week before), freshers' week (the past week) has been a busy but exciting time. i've got to know most of my housemates (though not all yet) and found out a bit more about my department, my college and the university as a whole. now that proper lessons are about to begin, it's time to sit down and reflect on all my commitments.

james college!

wentworth college (for graduate students)

the "quiet place", where students can go to pray (the shrubs are meant to be shaped like chess pieces, apparently)

the university christian union hired a big red bus to provide freshers with 24/7 support

international banquet and traditional british barn dance (not pictured!) in a local school hall, organised by the university christian union

sunday lunch at the home of terry and fran (it's a tradition for churches in york to invite poor students to various homes for lunch after morning service)

trials and temptations

"When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created." - James 1:13-18 (NIV)

God will provide the right thing, at just the right time.

the way out

"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)

here we go

thank you all who came to send me off at the airport last sun; it was great to see so many familiar faces and i would've loved to stay and talk to everyone a while longer. there's always dec!

i've been pretty busy with international student orientation over the past week so this is just a quick update to let everyone know that i've arrived safely in york. the extra week has really helped in terms of settling various admin matters and getting used to the new environment.

york is a beautiful university in a beautiful city. at 1:5 (or so i've heard), the campus also has the highest duck:student ratio in the uk (and probably the world).

my room faces one of the two quadrangles in my college.

accommodation is really quite good.

the city itself is steeped in history. the romans once used the city walls to preserve the city centre as a stronghold.

to this day, york still consists of many brick buildings with chimneys.

a white horse

there are actually quite a number of churches in york, including the world famous york minster. i'm going to visit york evangelical church with a couple of friends later, and maybe one or two more in the weeks ahead.

today also marks the start of freshers' week for everyone and the rest of my housemates should be arriving sometime in the morning/afternoon (5/16 of us have already moved in). until then!