The reflecting theologian

I realised that the issue of cost in His cause is something that I have to perpetually examine and reexamine in my own life. One cost that I have not thought about and I realised earlier is that as someone who seeks to lead and disciple God's flock, he or she will be ruthlessly perfect by He who royally elects. I have heard that many times and experienced that many times, but I never linked it to be my cost for His cause. As a person desiring to lead His church, the cost I had to bear is really my own comfort zone and getting my hands dirty into other people's lives, inclusive of their emotional lives. This is easy when you are dealing with emotionally stable people but the crux comes when you are dealing with those people who have the tendency to allow their emotions get the better of them. This is just one example, but the kind I am particularly weak in dealing with. But this is my cost. To expose myself in the lives of people, and bear the burden and pain with the flock ...

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. - Acts 20:24 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food;...

The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: “LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed ...

A news article in Insing.com today reported that beer is now officially an alcoholic drink in Russia. They actually have to legislate it and sign a bill for it. This article pricked my interest because recently, my office has been accumulating a lot of beer and some of my colleagues seem to be beer lovers. Of course, a can of beer or two won't get you drunk that easily, but honestly speaking, I wonder what took the Russian so long to acknowledge that beer is alcoholic despite the fact that it has alcoholic content? Perhaps their definition of alcoholic content is something like vodka?

"I know that You've called me." Two Saturdays ago, when I sang this line during the altar call in service, a chill just ran down my spine. The call from God in our life to disciple and outreach locally and globally is certain. Perhaps the question is not whether God has called us, but whether how we respond to that call. For now, I see my call beyond the boundaries of East Coast and Changi Beach. Up north or down south, it's God's call.

This post is prompted by a lot of thoughts and a lot of posts that have been posted along the way. It is a series of blog posts that list down and consolidated my thoughts towards faith and particularly against the pain in the ass philosophy known as fideism. I chose to target fideism because firstly, the philosophy offers me a good case study to think deeper what faith really is and secondly, it is the first philosophy worldview that stumped me, due to its pro-Christian outlook. But the main thing to talk about here is faith, and yet, I have to start off first with fideism, depending a lot on Norman Giesler's work in the first part of my critique. Several philosophers have advocated fideism as a worldview towards truth and revelation. Out of these philosophers included Cornelius Van Til, Karl Barth, Blaise Pascal and Soren Kierkegaard. While each of them would advocate different version of fideism, their fideism commonly stresses that: Faith alone is the way to God and the on...

The bible teaches us to be as shrewd as a snake and remain as innocent as a dove. Some free time has forced me to think through how to achieve this. My own senses told me that it can be done after work... through the following: This will make you as shrewd as a snake.... This will make you as innocent as a dove... See it can be done... Disclaimer: This is meant to be a joke out of my own boredom, and not a practical application of Matthew 10:16.

I live near the the rail tracks. And for many years, I have never seen people tracking the rail track until recently. For many years, whenever I take bus out, I have never seen hikers on the road, until recently. All because of the closing of the KTM rail tracks. I sometimes wonder about the psychic of Singaporeans. We best epitomised the traditional Chinese saying, "失去才知道拥有" or somewhere along that line. And it is always when things are disappearing that people start to be aware of our heritage and the cool stuff we have around us. As a history enthusiast, I fully agree with Loh Keng Fatt on his point that Singapore's heritage must be experienced in the moment, not when it is going to be gone with the wind. And Singaporeans should learn from all the recent lessons on the loss of some of the heritage buildings, like the old National Library (man, I miss the building). In the name of progress and infra development, it is sometimes inevitable that some buildings have t...

Once again, I need to take another jibe at the transport. It is reasonable to say that public transport should not be nationalised and the profits of the transport companies should be viewed in context. However, I believe that their profits should also be viewed in terms of how their service has 'improved' over the years. The only reason why SMRT and SBS can consistently earn profit is because they literally monopolise public transport in Singapore. In short, we the commuters are held hostage by them whether we like it or not. I thought about a move to boycott SMRT and SBS for a day to show them how much they depend on us, but then I realise we will have no means to get to our offices other than by walking or taking taxi if not for buses and mrt. Such is the extent of their monopoly over us. Furthermore, we might as well do away with PTC. I still remember a report by PTC last year stating bus services have improved. I wondered the methodology by which that report was generate...

These few days just got me thinking about the past one year in my current LG. It has been a strange but yet fun one year. It started off with just three pax: This is a composite pic since I dun have a pic of the three of us together. Then it became like this... gradually: I guess we see quite some growth over the past one year. It's a really fast one year. I remembered when we first started out at three, it was quite a fresh experience leading a LG of only three people. We can almost go anywhere and do anything we want. Coordinating was much more easier then. Of course, we were blessed to receive more people and more people came to join along the way. I guess this is one of the most open LG I have ever led (in the sense that we can talk about everything openly under the sun... including BGR... lol!!!), not that I have led a lot of LGs so far. This is also a very funny LG, in the sense that people have alter egos (although we made them up sometimes). The kind of bondi...

Yesterday's Straits Times reported that SBS and SMRT have separately submitted application to increase transport fare by 2.8%, citing increased cost. My foot their cost has increased. To think they have the cheek to increase fare when their buses are coming late, not on time... bus drivers are lazy and always skip stops for whatever reasons, never bother to ask commuters to move in the rear, long train intervals... and they really have the cheek to ask for fare rise. I think they have to wake up their ideas, seriously and ensure they provide quality service in their transport before a fare rise is merited. For now, I just think commuters are overpaying them for the kind of services we get.

I never thought that I will post up something that talks about WP after the last GE. However, this article and the recent developments, as well as some of my discussions with other people after the GE, led me to a tentative conclusion that there may be more than meet the eyes and that PAP's assessment of WP wanting to form the government may be right on the spot. There are a few indicators which suggest these: 1. WP never for once questioned about ministerial pay during the GE. Why?  2. The idea of a co-driver is a high suspect. A co-driver is very different from a buddy who just watches out for you when you are driving.  3. Pritam Singh's comments and LTK's reactions after that reflects a lot. 4. The serious contest for a GRC. I guess it is alright for an opposition party to aim to form the next government. This is a democracy and the people will decide the party they want for the next government. But such avoidance on the part of WP either shows that they are a bit...

When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel. - Deut 17:18-20 It is amazing to see this passage as I was reading the incredible book of Deuteronomy. In this passage, Moses prophesized that Israel will one day want to be ruled by a king and God actually set the guideline for the king of Israel. I was actually amazed by the high standard that God set for the king of Israel. In every sense of the word, I thought I was reading a description of Jesus, other than any other kings that have ever ruled Israel or Judah, not even David, ...

You are who you are for a reason.... by *Russell Kelfer You are who you are for a reason. You're part of an intricate plan. You're a precious and perfect unique design, Called God's special woman or man. You look like you look for a reason. Our God made no mistake. He knit you together within the womb. You're just what He wanted to make. The parents you had were the ones He chose, And no matter how you may feel, They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind, And they bear the Master's seal. No, that trauma you faced was not easy. And God wept that it hurt you so; But it was allowed to shape your heart So that into His likeness you'd grow. You are who you are for a reason, You've been formed by the Master's rod. You are who you are, beloved, Because there is a God!