i've always liked him haha. less drama version. =)
manchesterunited 9:26 PM
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Wednesday, August 26, 2009
I rejoice in the hope of that glory to be revealed, for it is no uncertain glory that we look for. Our hope is not hung upon such an untwisted thread as, "I imagine so," or "It is likely," but the cable, the strong tow of our fastened anchor, is the oath and promise of Him who is eternal verity. Our salvation is fastened with God's own hand, and with Christ's own strength, to the strong stake of God's unchangeable nature.
Rutherford, Samuel
manchesterunited 11:56 PM
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Saturday, August 22, 2009
Jesus, Beautiful Saviour, God of all Majesty, Risen king, Lamb of God, Holy and righteous, Blessed redeemer, Bright morning star
All the heavens shout your praise, All creation bow to worship You
How wonderful, how beautiful, Name above every name, exalted high How wonderful, how beautiful, Jesus your name, name above every name, Jesus
I will sing forever, Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you
i love this song. =)
manchesterunited 9:23 PM
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Thursday, August 20, 2009
"when is the SDU welcome tea ah?" -shuzhen, at spinelli.
那马路上天天都在塞 而每个人天天在忍耐 没有你日子很黑白 原来这样就是恋爱 我想要你在我身边 分享生命中的一切 我想要天天说天天说 天天对你说我有多爱你 天天说 i love you baby ~~
manchesterunited 5:50 PM
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Thursday, August 13, 2009
Will Man Rob God? by R.C. Sproul
In the last book of the Old Testament, God spoke through the prophet Malachi. He raised a provocative question: “Will man rob God?” This is somewhat startling because it suggests something that on the surface would appear to be impossible. How could anybody rob God of anything? Does it mean that we storm the ramparts of heaven and break into the inner sanctum of the divine treasury and help ourselves to things that God alone possesses? Such a thing is manifestly impossible. The strongest robber in the world could never scale the heights of heaven and defile the possessions of an omnipotent God, and so the very idea of robbing God seems absurd. Yet God gives answer to this question immediately dispelling any absurdity connected with it. He explains pointedly how indeed it is possible for human creatures to be guilty of theft against God. He answers his question, “Will man rob God?” saying, “Yet you are robbing me.” The Israelite response is: “How have we robbed you?” To which God replies, “In your tithes and contributions” (3:8). God announces that to withhold the full measure of the tithe that He requires from His people is to be guilty of robbing God Himself. Because of this, He pronounces a curse upon the whole nation and commands them afresh to bring to Him all of the tithe.
When we think of tithing in Old Testament categories, we understand that the requirement involves returning to God the first fruits of one’s prosperity. We are required to give ten percent of our gross annual income or gain. If a shepherd’s flock produced ten new lambs, the requirement was that one of those lambs be offered to God. This offering is from the top. It is not an offering that is given after other expenses are met or after other taxes have been paid.
Recently, I read an article that gave an astonishing statistic that I find difficult to believe is accurate. It declared that of all of the people in America who identify themselves as evangelical Christians, only four percent of them return a tithe to God. If that statistic is accurate, it means that ninety-six percent of professing evangelical Christians regularly, systematically, habitually, and impenitently rob God of what belongs to Him. It also means that ninety-six percent of us are for this reason exposing ourselves to a divine curse upon our lives. Whether this percentage is accurate, one thing is certain — it is clear that the overwhelming majority of professing evangelical Christians do not tithe.
This immediately raises the question: “Why?” How is it possible that somebody who has given his life to Christ can withhold their financial gifts from Him? I have heard many excuses or explanations for this. The most common is the assertion that the tithe is part of the Old Testament law that has passed away with the coming of the New Testament. This statement is made routinely in spite of the complete lack of New Testament evidence for it. Nowhere in the New Testament does it teach us that the principle of the tithe has been abrogated. The New Testament does teach us, however, that the new covenant is superior to the old covenant. It is a covenant that gives more blessings to us than the old covenant did. It is a covenant that with its manifold blessings imposes greater responsibilities than the Old Testament did. If anything, the structure of the new covenant requires a greater commitment to financial stewardship before God than that which was required in the old covenant. That is to say, the starting point of Christian giving is the tithe. The tithe is not an ideal that only a few people reach but rather should be the base minimum from which we progress.
Church history also bears witness that many in the early church did not consider the tithe as having been abrogated in the new covenant. One of the earliest (turn of the second century) extrabiblical documents that survives to this day is the book of the Didache. The Didache gives practical instruction for Christian living. In the Didache, the principle of the giving of the first fruits or the tithe is mentioned as a basic responsibility for every Christian.
A second argument that people give to avoid the tithe is that they “cannot afford it.” What that statement really means is that they cannot pay their tithe and pay all the other expenses they have incurred. Again, in their minds the tithe is the last resort in the budget. Their giving to God is something that is at the bottom of their list of priorities. It’s a weak argument before God to say, “Lord, I didn’t tithe because I couldn’t afford it” — especially when we consider that the poorest among us has a higher standard of living than ninety-nine percent of the people who have ever walked on the face of the earth.
There are many more excuses that people give to avoid this responsibility, yet the New Testament tells us: “Let the thief no longer steal” (Eph. 2:28a). If we have been guilty of stealing from God in the past by withholding our tithe from Him, that behavior must cease immediately and give way to a resolution to begin tithing at once, no matter what it costs. It’s an interesting phenomenon in the life of the church, that people who in 1960 gave a dollar to the offering plate every week, still give that same dollar today. Everything else in their living costs has been adjusted to inflation except their giving. We also have to remind ourselves that if we give gifts to God, we cannot call them tithes if these gifts fall beneath the level of ten percent.
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Only the truly strong and great can be truly tender. Tenderness is a mark of nobility, not of weakness.
Phillip, James
manchesterunited 12:36 AM
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009
at the end of meeting just now, when liz and becca were ready to go.
liz: so, how are you? feeling okay? looking a bit emo.
me: ... ...
liz: it's okay! ... it'd be worth the wait.
me: =)
manchesterunited 8:41 PM
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Rule #1: If you open this you take it.
Rule #2: You are NOT ALLOWED to explain ANYTHING unless someone messages you and asks.
Rule #3: Tag 15 people.
Answer True or False Q: Kissed someone on your friends list? T Q: Been arrested? F Q: Do you like someone? T Q: Held a snake? F Q: Been suspended from school? F Q: Sang karaoke? T Q: Done something you told yourself you wouldn't do? T Q: Laughed until you started crying? T Q: Caught a snowflake on your tongue? F Q: Kissed in the rain? F Q: Sang in the shower? T Q: Sat on a roof top? T Q: Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? T Q: Broken a bone? F Q: Shaved your head? T Q: Played a prank on someone? T Q: Shot a gun? T Q: Donated Blood? F
LAST PERSON. 1. You hung out with? the arts comm. 2. You texted? some random guy who wanted to buy sam's old textbook. 3. You were in a car with? vincent and rachel. who had a lil accident along the way... sigh. 4. Went to the movies with? sam. 5. Person you went to shop with? still sam. 6. You talked to on the phone? (checks phone.) shu zhen. 7. Made you laugh? joe tee. 8. You hugged? sam.
ANSWER TRUTHFULLY... 1. Sun or moon? stars 2. Winter or Fall? fall, for now. 3. Left or Right? right. 4. Sunny or rainy? sunny. 5. Where do you live? somewhere over the rainbow. 6. Club or pub? cafe. 7. Are there 1 or 2 people who you can always trust and rely on? I should hope so. 8. Do you want to get married? Lord willing, yes of course. 9. Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it? i order penne or fusili haha. 10. What time is it? 1728, GMT +8. 11. Are you afraid of commitment? depends on the commitment. 12. What is your greatest hope/wish? to hear that i've been a good and faithful servant. 13. Do you cook? nope. 14. Current mood? okay.
IN THE LAST 48 HOURS HAVE YOU... 1. Kissed someone? no. 2. Sang? think so. 3. Listened to music? yes. 4. Danced Crazy? no. 5. Cried? tears, yes, from yawning, but nope. 6. Liked someone you can't have? nope, i have the person i like in my heart.
25 FIRSTS ... 1.Who was your first prom date? none. too much of a geek to get one. 2. Who was your first roommate? my sister. 3. What alcoholic beverage did you drink when you got drunk the first time? never got drunk. 4. What was your first job? office boy at SPH. 6. When did you go to your first funeral and viewing? my neighbour who's like a godma to me. 7. Who was your first grade teacher? cant' rmb. 9. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane? BKK. 10. When you snuck out of your house for the first time? lower sec i think. 11. Who was your first best friend? Lim Kee Chun haha. 12. Who was your first best friend in high school? kaelin, naviros, emil. 13. Where was your first sleepover? the kam brother's place probably. 14. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day? prayer is good. =) 15. Who's wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or groomsman? nope. 16. What's the first thing you did when you got up this morning? get out of bed. 17. What was the first concert you went to? some sch performance i think. 18. What was the last concert you went to? is budak counted? 19. First tattoo or piercing? none. 20. First celebrity crush? see above. 21. Current celebrity crush? see above. 22. Current crush? dont need. 23. First date? what's the question asking haha. 24. First time you tied your shoe laces? pri sch? dunno.
Five names you go by: 1. jerry 2. auntie jerry 3. geri 4. zou's BFF 5. ben and tom's best friend.
Three things you are wearing right now: 1. T-shirt 2. berms. 3. specs.
Three things you want very badly at the moment: 1. home/bed. 2. time. 3. nobody nobody but you. Xp
Three people who will probably fill this out: dunno.
Two things you did last night: 1. play a lot of Taboo. and i mean a lot. 2. sleep.
Two things you ate today: 1. fries. 2. fried rice.
Two people you last talked to on the phone: 1. shu zhen. 2. vincent.
Three things you are going to do tomorrow: 1. wake up. 2. stay alive. 3. sleep.
manchesterunited 4:40 PM
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Saturday, August 08, 2009
We demand proof of God, forgetting that if we could prove God we would be within the compass of our rationalities, and then our logical mind would be our own grotesque God.
Buttrick, George A.
manchesterunited 12:31 AM
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Friday, August 07, 2009
hey people,
the irony is this: jerry the facebook addict, through some technological fault somewhere, is unable to comment/post on any thread on fb.
yup, so it's not like i'm trying to dao you or something, it's cause i really cannot reply until the bug is fixed.
sorry!
manchesterunited 10:37 AM
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Sunday, August 02, 2009
Who kicked a hole in the sky so the heavens would cry over me? Who stole the soul from the sun in a world come undone at the seams? Let there be love - Let there be love I hope the weather is calm as you sail up your heavenly stream Suspended clear in the sky are the words that we sing in our dreams Let there be love - Let there be love - Let there be love - Let there be love
Come on baby blue Shake up your tired eyes The world is waiting for you May all your dreaming fill the empty sky
But if it makes you happy Keep on clapping Just remember I'll be by your side And if you don't let go, it's gonna pass you by
manchesterunited 9:08 PM
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sermon text: Amos 9:8-15 title: Amos, the God-fearing prophet.
Disclaimer: what you're about to read is obviously not going to be a reproduction of today's sermon, just what i heard, and my own responses. =)
promised sam that i'll do this, to share with her what i've heard on the pulpit today. and i think it's a good habit too personally, to sit down (or rather, half-inclined on my bed, to be exact) and reflect on what i've heard, and more importantly, what i'm going to do about it. and so you all benefit too, hehe.
being august, with national day just round the corner, pastor wanted to, i daresay, introduce to us a biblical view on patriotism and how our faith shld guide how we view our country and our family as well. thus that's the way the sermons are planned out to be as well; today we've talked about a God-fearing prophet, the next we'll see a prophet who loves his country, and then one who loves his family. and to me, it's obvious that there wont be any contradictions within these roles; that one who loves God and follow His commandments would surely be able to understand, with wisdom from above, how he should treat his country and family.
interesting aside: one possible reason why singaporean politicians are so "incorruptible" as compared to politicians in countries around us, could simply be due to the fact that singaporean politicians are all so well paid, much more than their overseas counterparts! what pull would have that lil amount of money have? the situation's not so in other countries, where some officials have to practically depend on bribes to get on with life.
a country run by its laws, but laws, to work, must be based on ideals like justice and righteousness. same goes for people who formulate, enforce, or even follow the laws. but justice and righteousness have no meaning in a worldview that rejects the One True God, for He is the absolute that such values are measured against.
the book of Amos is written around 700BC, which at that time the Hebrew people were split into two nations, Israel in the North and Judah in the South, and both countries were economically at their peak. Amos was a shepherd in Judah, who, after receiving God's instructions, went up north to preach against their idolatry (see 1Kings 12, where Jeroboam, the king at that time, created a golden calf (rings a bell?) for the israelites to worship) and to prophesy their subsequent exile.
but hindsight's always 20/20, isnt it. as a citizen of a prosperous Israel at that time, one could laugh at Amos' prophecies. "we're doing so well economically!" one might say. "our govt is going great! what should we be afraid of?"
so. what is good governance? is it no taxation? many rebates? Progress Packages during election time?
so we go back to God as our absolute benchmark. good governance means that the govt is acting in a godly manner, not doing anything that is immoral or against the will of God. and so the correct questions to ask, instead of how much money a govt is throwing at its citizens, shld be: is there equality of the sexes in this country? of race, language, religion? is there peace in the land? rich-poor divide?
even America, the superpower in the unipolar world (note, i didnt say that America is the only superpower in our world now haha.) is not perfect on the above counts. racism is still an issue, the election of Obama not withstanding. (and indeed we see the ugliest scenes of racist behavior in the rallies of McCain. no fault of the Republican candidate, i'm referring to the people who show up there.) sexism is still a problem, where the glass ceiling is still impenetrable for females in their careers. it is also a place where the rich is very rich (think donald trump and hollywood stars), and the poor stays very poor (think of slums in NYC, the ghetto next to to my gf's place in philly, and how New Orleans looked now, where so long after Katerina hit the place still shows minimal signs of rebuilding).
what are we to do? to pray for the leaders of the country where one is at, that the govt will not sin against God. i'm sure you dont want your country to look like Israel at Amos' time after the Babylonians are through with it, or Jerusalem at AD70, after Roman legionnaires are done sacking the temple. that is not to say that God is not without grace and mercy, the modern country of Israel as being a testimony to that. let us be bold in our prayers and our actions, to grab hold of God's glorious promise for our nation that He has given us through His prophet Amos, at the end of the passage looked at today.
"...New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. " -Amos 9:13
manchesterunited 6:27 PM
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There is a joy which is not given to the ungodly, but to those who love Thee for Thine own sake, whose joy Thou Thyself art. And this is the happy life, to rejoice to Thee, of Thee, for Thee; this it is, and there is no other.
Augustine of Hippo
manchesterunited 4:55 PM
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Saturday, August 01, 2009
A true faith in Jesus Christ will not suffer us to be idle. No, it is an active, lively, restless principle; it fills the heart, so that it cannot be easy till it is doing something for Jesus Christ.
Whitefield, George
this is something that i shld be working towards this acad year then. =)
