Camera 15 Years Ago

I may do a vlog or blog post on all the laptops I owned in the past 10 years. In fact I was a Windows user until I turned 50 years old with my first purchase of an 11inch Macbook Air in May 2014. I bought an Asus Windows laptop in 2010 for SGD1,200 that lasted the whole time of my sojourn in Singapore until about 4 years ago when I switched completely to a 2017 Macbook Pro which I bought at Changi Airport. It is this laptop I used to write and published three books but this morning I took out my 2006 Samsung Camera which I bought in Hong Kong, a 2-day stopover on my way to Beijing, China.

Three Strikes You are Out

For a third week in a row I stood outside the church door. This time I did not enter as most congregation members had already left. I met the Chairman and his wife at the stairs on their way down. Then I had lunch with the Secretary and we had a long chat over several matters concerning the Church, our denomination in general. For a third time on a Sunday, I was out and not in the church. Although I might be on annual leave, I did want to enter the church premises but I watched the online service and when the sermon ended I drove to the church. Was it a prophetic act that the pastor remained outside the church? Did not Jesus say, "You have eyes but do not see; you have ears but you do not hear". How often people including those who claim to be Christians go on acting as if they are sheep led to the slaughter, without question, self-evaluation and self-reflection.

Landmarks & Milestones

"All my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be..." (Psalm 139:16). Is there a verse that speaks more of predestination of the elect as this? David had a sense of destiny, knowing that his days were ordained by God and all things that happened to him were known to God before one of them came to be. David ruled for 40 years when he was in Hebron and he died when he was 70. The number of 40 appears to be a most significant number in the Bible. The children of Israel wandered in wilderness for 40 years. Moses' life was divided into three 40s - the first as his early years in Egpyt as a son of Pharaoh's daughter, the second, his 40 years in the wilderness of Midian before God called him again when he was 80 and he led the Israelites for 40 years before Moses died when he was 120 years old.

The Fight Goes On

Often we are impressed with the rise of human leaders among the nations. Having owned Tony Blair's auto-biography since a decade ago I read the first chapter again and watched a recent video on the rise of the Labour Party under Blair and Gordon Brown. These two were comrades-in-arm as they shared a small office space in Westminster Hall of Parliament. But Tony Blair was a much more charismatic figure who won the hearts of the British and won three consecutive UK General Election. I almost had a tear in my eye when Blair stood for the leadership of the Labour Party at the sudden death of John Smith.

Spiritual Appetite Waning?

It is the tough that keeps going when the going gets tough. It's a struggle to keep going when many are not so interested in spiritual things. After several lockdowns and many more regulations and SOPS, I find that spiritual appetite is on the wane. I have started this Adult Bible Study more than two months ago and it is now the 7th edition where we will be looking at Genesis chs. 8 and 9. If you think that there are 200 church members, at least those who watched the online Sunday services regularly, yet for the Bible Study we are getting between 20 to 40 people, at the highest. If we speak of 20 adults, it means only 10% of the church members are interested in more in-depth study of the Bible. As for me, it has been a wonderful journey of teaching the congregation, but spiritual appetite is not great and sometimes it is tough to keep going.

My Books (Once More)

Without solicitation both my books, "Departure Points" and "Tafsiran Injil Yohanes" (John's Gospel commentary in Malay) have received many positive feedback and commendations. I am not in anyway promoting myself but these two books have great spiritual treasures. Departure Points is the story of my life and mission in Sabah, East Malaysia and John's Gospel commentary is a commentary written in Malay, which I think is the first-ever publication in the Bahasa Melayu or Malay language in that commentary genre. I am pleased with both of my works.

Revelation & End-Time Webinar

I am excited about conducting this forthcoming Revelation's Webinar organized by a Singaporean Church. 157 participants already registered and it will be telecast over live-stream and Zoom. I have conducted End-Time seminars at least once a year for a long time now, even during these times of pandemic. Last year, my home-church in Likas, KK invited me in a live-stream seminar and at the end of the day 1,870 people had viewed the 2-hour plus talk with another member of the panel. I have no doubt the book of Revelation is one book which requires much study and only certain people are granted the ability to interpret it accordingly by God's grace.

Buying and Selling

The rule comes in force today, being the Feast of Tabernacles when it rained for 10 hours non stop from 1am to 11am today. I had a tinge of regret for selling my TRITON yesterday just at the start of Sukkot. I felt I did not need the vehicle anymore except for days like today with heavy downpours and flash floods everywhere. Since it is a holy convocation and I did not go out of my house, I had plenty of time to reflect on things gone by in the past day or two. I will be spending more time at home now since I can’t enter most business places including restaurants and supermarkets. It is a draconian rule which I feel strongly opposed to due to my long held beliefs in freedom of choice, and basic liberties. Why are now my civil and public rights being taken away when I am as healthy as a cow and had not fallen sick once over 2 years?

Study on the Book of Genesis

Last night as Yom Kippur began at sunset I conducted a bible study for my church (Lord’s church) and 22 people logged in, only half of two weeks ago. It wasn’t due to lack of response but there was a big do going on at the State-level Youth Conference. But about 10 youths joined last night. I felt for the first time I was doing in depth bible study. I would look up Hebrew and Greek versions of the Bible. Amazing. Even someone nearing graduation for MDiv said to me that it was taxing on the minds. Try looking up Genesis 5:1-2. The creation of man was reiterated and there was this remarkable clause “God named them, Adam”. Before the woman was created, she was in the man and Paul makes a great deal of the order of creation in 1 Corinthians 11:1-10. Then Enoch walked with God for a short 300 years and he lived for 365 years, less than half of most of the first men in Genesis 5. I mentioned Jesus also lived a short life, a life cut in the middle, half of a man’s life of 70 years old.

Ekklesia without its Pastor

I am resigned to the fact that when the church premises reopen for ekklesia or the gathering of the saints, the place or gathering will be without its pastor. I understand that the congregation may take some time to appreciate the gravity of some of these requirements to enter a building for worship. It is something I will try to explain and exhort perhaps by the end of the month, from my house through online medium, whether it is google meet or Zoom. Interestingly, my Zoom End time seminar early October will see the speaker as a pastor without a congregation.

Decision Time is Getting Near

It was a tension-filled council meeting, the first that I had felt such strong emotions as one last night. Nevertheless, it was a healthy and robust discussion without rancour and it shows the maturity of the leaders involved to freely speak up as the occasion demands it. We discussed whether we wanted to open the church premises for Sunday services as the government had granted us the permission almost three weeks ago with our HQ giving the green light last week that any church could start opening for Sunday services with SOPs' compliance. The sticky point is that only those who had had double-dosed vaccination could enter the premises and one thing that surprised me was that no one asked whether it is biblical or theological sound to impose such vaccine "passport" for church entry.