{rtf1macansicpg10000cocoartf824cocoasubrtf480 {fonttblf0fswissfcharset77 Helvetica;} {colortbl;red255green255blue255;} paperw11900paperh16840margl1440margr1440vieww9000viewh8400viewkind0 pardtx566tx1133tx1700tx2267tx2834tx3401tx3968tx4535tx5102tx5669tx6236tx6803qlqnaturalpardirnatural f0fs24 cf0 the cross-centered life

Friday, December 25, 2009

you lie.

you cheat.

you hurt others.

you broke the rules.

you went against authority.



close your eyes now, and imagine this:

because of that, people from the authorities grab you mercilessly and their grip on your arms hurt.

in prison they bring you to your knees.

they whip you ruthlessly and the pain on your back is so insane, you could pass out any time.

they shove something onto your head real hard. you can't see what it is, but it is piercing your head from all angles and it hurts real bad. where you usually see tears dripping from your eyes, blood drips instead.

they force you to carry a huge, huge block of wood and walk a long distance. it's as heavy as a tree log, and you are struggling with the wounds on your back and that thing on your head.

finally they ask you to stop, remove all your clothes except your underwear, and lie on that huge piece of wood. they take out three rusty nails, and they drive each nail through both your wrists and your feet into the wood. each hammer blow causes you indescribable pain, you wish you could just die there and then to escape it. blood flows relentlessly all over your almost naked body, and they erect you and your piece of wood up for all the public to view, for public shaming.

as if that isn't enough, after a while, they take a spear and pierce it through your side where your ribs are. you can't even remember what painlessness is anymore.

and slowly... slowly... you feel your life sucking away from you...

a slow and painful death...

a slow and painful death.

that is supposed to be the situation.

that is what was supposed to happen to YOU.

YOU.

but instead, someone else went through all those things in YOUR place, and you are pardoned.

all the way since the fall of man after creation to the end of the old testament, God promised this substitute who would pay for our evil instead of ourselves.

and everyone clung on so dearly to this hope that they were given.

but there was a long period of around 400 years of silence...

silence...

silence.

was God about to break His promise?

and then, the silence was broken in a spectacularly unspectacular way.

the angels in the sky sang praises...

the star shone ever so brightly...

men travelled half the world to witness the event...

and a little baby was born in a trough which holds horse food.

and this is what Christmas is truly about. the indescribable joy that comes from seeing hope become reality.

this little baby which was born in a trough which holds horse food is now a KING.

he is now my King.

is he yours?

another promise was made, that this King WILL return one day. and seeing that God keeps His promises even after 400 years of silence where people surely doubted in their heart of hearts, we have absolutely no reason to doubt this hope that we now hold on to that the King WILL return. and what joy we will all have when this hope becomes reality!



blessed Christmas everyone. remember that today we celebrate hope which became reality, and that we can look forward with full assurance to the hope we now hold becoming reality.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

kenji is awesomely and supremely broke.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Sunday, December 13, 2009

better than most hymns you've heard.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

PLEASE WATCH THESE.

the first one moved me to aggressive tears the first time i watched it, it made me reflect really deeply on how utterly sinful i am and how there's really absolutely NOTHING i can do to save myself.

i am going to put the first one permanently at the side, and i'm going to watch this EVERYDAY. it'll be the first thing i'll do every morning. and i pray that through it the Spirit will convict and remind me of the utter seriousness of my sinful self-centredness and to live a life wholly submitted to Christ my King. and i pray that you will be convicted of the message as well.

please watch the second one as well, it's essential.



i have a small library of books at home, if any of you want to borrow any just let me know. the catalogue is on the right.

Monday, November 30, 2009

dear andrew,

i'm sorry for breaking your heart. :(

Thursday, November 26, 2009

watch in HD full screen, ENJOY :O

Monday, November 23, 2009

there is a higher throne,
than all this world has known

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

i killed the killers.

but muse is harder to kill than i thought.

Monday, November 16, 2009

i just had the funniest night ever
wow, i found out this morning that Muse is coming. and i've always wanted to watch Muse live, much more than The Killers.

this is the true test.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Consumerism the Killer

if you all don't know, i'm a huge rock concert fan.

when i heard The Killers were coming to singapore, my immediate reaction: "wow, i srsly can't miss this."

the next day i thought about it, and, i felt it wasn't really a godly use of money. at least for myself.



Mark 8:34-38 (New International Version)
 34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
 
1 John 3:16-20 (New International Version)
 16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.



i immediately put that desire to watch The Killers (which was really nothing but self-centred) to death. and the money i would have spent for the ticket, i gave it away without a 2nd thought.

P.S. Jesus is coming to singapore some day too. and i REALLY, REALLY, REALLY look forward to that one, because that is the one and only happy ending that will ever become reality, and everyone who belongs to Him WILL live happily ever after. :)

Saturday, November 14, 2009

the more i think about it, the more i see what's happening, it is, indeed, in zhixian's words,

heartbreaking.

i don't know how anyone can sing this song sincerely.

There is a place, high in my mind

Where lofty thoughts, ideals fly high
But in that place, Lord You must reign

And I must cease to think I’m wise

There is a place, locked in my will

Where I would move as I would choose
But in that place, Lord You must reign
And I must loose my will for Thine

There is a place hid in my heart

Where secret dreams and hope I guard
But in that place, Lord You must reign
And I must lay them down to die

There was a place, cold burial ground

Where all my sins and grieves were bound
But from that place Lord You were raised
Now I in Thee through death shall reign

There’ll be a place, some glorious day

Where pain and death be done away
And in that place Lord You must reign
And we shall give Thee ceaseless praise.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

約 翰 福 音 3:16

16 「 神 爱 世 人 , 甚 至 将 他 的 独 生 子 赐 给 他 们 , 叫 一 切 信 他 的 , 不 至 灭 亡 , 反 得 永 生 。