the cross-centered life

2009-12-31T15:03:00.002+08:00

i have accepted that i don't have a talent at organizing movie outings... in my noobness, twice in 3 days, i destroyed ppl's lives. if i ever want to do it again can somebody please just whack me

2009-12-13T22:44:00.002+08:00

theologically richer than many hymns you know.

2009-12-25T00:00:00.000+08:00

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.

2009-12-24T18:51:00.001+08:00

kenji is awesomely and supremely broke.

2009-12-21T14:51:00.001+08:00

PLEASE WATCH THESE.

2009-12-08T18:52:00.005+08:00

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.

2009-12-08T18:24:00.001+08:00

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.

2009-11-30T23:58:00.000+08:00

dear andrew,

i'm sorry for breaking your heart. :(

watch in HD full screen, ENJOY :O

2009-11-26T15:32:00.004+08:00

2009-11-23T23:12:00.001+08:00

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

2009-11-18T13:46:00.001+08:00

i killed the killers.

but muse is harder to kill than i thought.

2009-11-16T16:43:00.002+08:00

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.

2009-11-16T23:01:00.001+08:00

i just had the funniest night ever

Consumerism the Killer

2009-11-15T21:38:00.009+08:00

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. :)

2009-11-14T22:49:00.002+08:00

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.

約翰福音 3:16

2009-11-10T00:22:00.002+08:00

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。

2009-11-04T10:47:00.001+08:00

one year on, i haven't left, but i've learnt contentment and patience. and i'm really thankful to God for keeping everything under control and keeping me out of trouble. :)

and for family and friends. :)

2009-11-01T00:45:00.002+08:00

4th would be great.

i think i'm in love.

2009-10-21T10:18:00.002+08:00

to all who are stressing over n levels, o levels, a levels, any sort of exams, worried about projects, worried about anything concerning your life here on earth,

2009-10-20T01:11:00.002+08:00

here's something for you! :)

Phil 3:7-11
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Phil 3:17-21
"Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

so do your best, God will settle the rest, but at the end of the day, there's no reason to stress! :)

when i survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died
my richest gain i count but loss
and pour contempt on all my pride

forbid it, Lord, that i should boast
save in the cross of Christ my God
all the vain things that charm me most
i sacrifice them to His blood

o the wonderful cross!
o the wonderful cross!
bids me come and die
and find that i may truly live

o the wonderful cross!
o the wonderful cross!
all who gather here
by grace draw near and bless Your name

see from His head, His hands, His feet
sorrow and love flow mingled down
did ever such love and sorrow meet
or thorns compose so rich a crown

o the wonderful cross!
o the wonderful cross!
bids me come and die
and find that i may truly live

o the wonderful cross!
o the wonderful cross!
all who gather here
by grace draw near and bless Your name

were the whole realm of nature mine
that were an offering far too small
love so amazing, so divine
demands my soul, my life, my all.

whenever you remember

2009-10-16T23:06:00.010+08:00

she finally came over to find me!

all my dreams keep coming true,

hope my biggest one does too!

2009-10-17T23:59:00.000+08:00

liverpool are absolutely toothless without t&g. we NEED at least one more attacker who can strike fear into opponents' hearts.

2009-10-16T12:59:00.001+08:00

i am hereby convicted to continue living poorly for the rest of my life.

not for the sake of living poorly itself in false humility; rather, in giving all the money i don't need - for any reason other than to glorify myself - to kingdom purposes.

i believe this is what a fellowship should look like. sadly, it is almost non-existent today.

2009-10-15T23:54:00.007+08:00

Acts 2:42-47

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

2009-10-15T21:06:00.002+08:00

the loss of peter crouch and xabi alonso were backward steps for liverpool.

i believe we'd be owning madly now if we'd kept them.