spirit of the living God

Palestinian Statehood

2011-08-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

(Psa 89:2 NKJV) For I have said, "Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens."

(Psa 89:3 NKJV) "I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David:

(Psa 89:4 NKJV) 'Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.' " Selah

On Aug 7, 2011, the New York Times had an editorial on "Palestinians and the UN" giving an update of the attempt to get a vote at the United Nations for Palestinian statehood. It is expected that US will veto any attempt for UN membership without a negotiated settlement of land swaps. East Jerusalem where the ancient Jerusalem of the bible resides remains the biggest issue of contention - a too difficult issue where negotiations haven't even started in earnest which has been stiffled by the issue of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

The nation of Israel and the proposed Palestinian state consisting of West Bank and Gaza is very small and crowded with over 9 million population. From the coast of the Mediterranean sea to Jerusalem is only 50 km. Hence, there is literally very little room for compromise. The city of Jerusalem has a historical and religious influence manifold its size.

It's a terrible predicament for those in Gaza and West Bank in their tiny walled off communities without jobs and hope. The unemployment rate in Gaza is 44% and in West Bank 25%. Foreign aid is the main driver of economic growth and employment in Palestine. Surprisingly, the majority of the 1.8 billion aid in 2009 came from the US/EU (80%), and only a small percentage from the Arab nations.

The situation is set to get worst in Palestine as the aid from US/EU starts to be scaled back due to the severe financial crisis in these countries.

With the financial crisis in US and Europe casting a dark shadow, the attention will not be on the Palestinian aspirations. The vote at the UN is a desperate attempt by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to gain credibility as his Fatah movement now controls only the Israeli occupied West Bank whereas his nemesis Hamas has full control of Gaza. The increasing construction of Jewish homes in the West Bank erodes his control.

In a pre-emptive move, the Israeli Interior Ministry has given approval for the new projects of 1600 homes in East Jerusalem at Ramat Shiomo, and an expected additional 2700 homes in the near future at Givat Hamatos and Pisgat Zeev. Last week, the final approval for construction to start was given for 900 homes at Har Homa in East Jerusalem.

This comes in the light of demonstration by the Jews of the high cost of living and availability of housing. In Tel Aviv alone more than 200,000 took part in the social justice movement protest.

Condemnation came from the Europeans including what was called by Jerusalem Post as the "porgressive elite" in Norway whilst "soft" on religiously motivated terrorism against Israel. However, the response by Israel to the constant rockets attacks by a blockade of Gaza is not morally justifiable. Hamas who controlled Gaza and backed by religious Mullahs in Iran is a major issue of authority and legitimacy for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who controls Palestinian West Bank.

We must recognise the suffering of the 3 million Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank who has been displaced as a result of the war and became a pawn for the Arab nations to come against Israel. However, in their pain they have become cruel and religious expecially towards the minority groups such as gays and Christians.

“Being gay in the P.A. is, quite simply, deadly,” Shaul Gonen of Agudah

“I escaped from Gaza and came to Israel to live…not to be returned to be killed. Please…where is someone to help me?” Tarek who faces deportation from Israel

In West Bank and Gaza, gays are being tortured and killed by the Palestinian Authorities and fellow kinsmen in the name of religion. Sodomy carries a jail sentence of upto 10 years. The runaway gays frequently escape to Tel Aviv. If Palatestine become a nation, gays will be handed from the streets just as they are doing in Iran.

The failure of people of faith in organizations such as Sojourners is to paint a rosy picture of the people on the ground in Gaza and Afganistan not seeing awful genocide of the GLBT peoples. They can't see lest it deconstucts their notion of some religion and people of faith.

In West Bank, when Hamas took control in 2007 of Gaza, they started killing Christians there, and banning Christianity. Before the British mandate ended in 1948, there were 20% Christians in Gaza, now there are far less than 2.5% with many fleeing for their lives. These people of faith are not that nice nor moral.

Is Israel occupying the West Bank?, when they had strong historical claims over the land. Furthermore, they didn't invade West bank, it was the trophy of 1967 war when the Arabs tried to push Israel back to the swim in the sea. The Romans (their descendants being the Europeans and the US) pushed Israel out of their land in a diaspora to Europe, Asia Minor, and Arabia. The Jews there suffered for more than 1900 years culminating with the Holocaust in Germany where 6 million died in the hands mostly of people of faith. They are now returning to homeland Israel which they owned previously, and now morally won back through the 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973 wars.

God had hardened the hearts of the Arab nations to attack Israel in the 1967 whose war victory resulted in re-occupying Jerusalem and the West Bank. As a result, the Palestinian nation is split with 1 million in Gaza, 2 million in West Bank, and another 750K in Israel itself. There are also 100,000 Christians amongst the 750K Arab population in Israel who would never want the harsh religious rule in Palestine.

The Arabs didn't want to give Israel any part of Judea, and they raged wars against Israel in 1948, 56, 67, and 73. Each time they lost despite having far larger armed forces and were squeezed out. If they had allowed Israel to exist in 1948 and go into wars, the Palestinians would have certaintly obtain nationhood.

Israel became a nation in 1948. The Palestinians was never a nation because Gaza was owned by Egypt, and West Bank by Jordon. In order to claim West Bank after 50 years of rule by Israel, the Palestinians had to seek nationhood with Gaza and West Bank as its territorry.

At the key of the quest for nationhood by Palestine is the claim old city of Jerusalem. This is the ancient and the most holiest site site of pilgrimage for Christians and Jews. When the Arabs conquered and invaded in 637 CE, they deliberately built a giant dome mosque at the most holiest Jewish site - the Second Temple of Jerusalem which has been destroyed earlier by the Romans in 70 CE.

Islam has their most holiest site in Mecca, and in the greatest irony they took over the most holiest Christian/Jewish site in 637 which has resulted in wars and tension with millions killed. The claim for nationhood by Palestine will fail because they have included of the Old City of Jeusalem. The same players are there 1400 years later, the European Union/ Rusia (Romans), and Arabs. But the time of Gentiles in Jerusalem is over.

(Luke 21:24 NKJV) "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The moment the Palestinians present their claim of East Jerusalem to the United Nations for nationhood, will be the very day when the day of the Gentiles in Jerusalem will be over. By this audacious claim, they will loose their own rights for this city and for West Bank. Security guarantees are quite meaningless after 4 wars and the extremist religious people of faith in Gaza.

Queer Christianity

2011-01-20T05:54:00.000-08:00

“Queer” is the term used to describe the GLBT community. Hitherto, theologians from gay affirmative churches have spent much effort to provide a theological construction to explain the clobber verses and to emphasis that homosexuality is not a sin, but a given, and a gift from God. Queer theology is a further development which extends beyond the GLBT community to cover those that are outside societal norms and constructions to the entire society both straights and gays. It is an emphasis on the expression of uniqueness of the individual/minority groups rather than its suppression based on class/societal/religious structures and power hierarchies (gender/religious/political/racial).

The GLBT persons often lose their individuality in a homophobic and patriarchal world, conforming to the aspirations of their families, society, law and religion to hide their self. Our core individuality and freedom is suppressed and harmed.

Often we unknowingly support the perpetuation of these religious oppressive class structures against gays by attending the mega churches and supporting them financially when these churches in-turn (eg the Methodist Church, the National Council of Churches, the Anglican Church Global South) lead an anti-gay crusade causing much harm to the GLBT community even suicides due to the condemnation put on us.

The fear of God is to worship Christ rather than worshiping the bible as an “idol” for a theological construction to explain everything. We are all created as unique individuals beautifully created by God, yet the identity of Gays are often suppressed by the Christian Right. They are constructing an anti-gay “god” because they could not understand why God create gays at the same time seemingly condemned gays from the bible. They are afraid that once the bible is undermined, the message of the Gospel is compromised. However, their reading of the bible is erroneous because they have superimposed their own history, culture and religion into the bible which distorts its meaning. Making a major dogma from the bible much beyond the centrality of the message of God’s love and redemption undermines the Gospel message of Christ.

It is interesting to note that whilst the struggle for social and wealth equality gains mileage in Latin America via the Liberation theology, the same struggle for prosperity gains following in Africa via the Prosperity theology, and the struggle for bible inerrancy as if our salvation depends on it gains a following the States via the anti-gay theology of the Christian Right.
In a very broad sense, Queer theology in its aspirations for the realization of the individual identity is a branch of Liberation Theology in Latin America which gave a theological construction for freedom of the oppressed starting in the 50s. However, Liberation Theology has been marked by its association with strong leftist and Universalist inclinations and is a mass grass roots movement. This theology is a Latin American Catholic construction made known by the likes Guitierrez, a Catholic Priests and theology processor. It fills an important void that Jesus also came to satisfy our physical needs in the light of the poverty and oppression in Latin America. There is however a tendency to under emphasis the message of the Gospel of spiritual redemption, the issue of sin, and to over emphasize the rights of the individuality and the physical redemption on earth.

The construction of liberation theology gives them a sense of backing from the bible and from God for the strong stance taken against injustice. However, they have rationalized the violence and the harm they caused in the name of justice, and the Leftist theology often integrated with socialist ideals becomes another idol and god with a non-hierarchical power structure only a dream. Nevertheless, Liberation Theology gives us reason to fight for justice and equality lest we take injustice for granted. Liberation theology alone is however limited when compared to the issues faced by GLBT Christians because Gays are condemned on three very different counts:-

a) By Society at large (whereas the Liberation Theology is a mass grass roots movement, and not a movement of a few percentage of society),

b) By the Law. Homosexuality is illegal in many countries and there are long jail terms whereas one would not be jailed for being poor.

c) By the Church. Homosexuality is considered a sin in most mainstream Christian Churches whereas being poor or a racial minority is not a sin. Instead the Liberation theology is a mass movement by the Catholic Church in Latin America whereas Queer theology is against the mis-interpretation of the bible and homophobia by the Catholic Church even in Latin America where they are leading antagonist against gay rights.

Whilst there are similarities eg straight people also suffers from constructions of societal norms such as women, and minorities, we tend to under emphasize that the gay community is thrice condemned and are far more despised than any other groupings. It is one thing to specify what you can and cannot do because of societal norms, but very different to say that one is innately a sinner or to end up in jail just because you were gay.

The paradox in Christianity is that

a) We are all different, yet one in Christ and both are to be celebrated. We lose the freedom to be a new creation to change from glory to glory if we hold on to our old self – our sins, our imperfections, our anger, hatred, causing harm to others etc. Whilst we all have a unique character, God wants to mold it to become Christ like - kindness, gentleness, longsuffering, etc. We become one in Christ when we addressed the issue of sin and redemption through Christ.
The denial of one’s innate character on account of social, legal and religious norms is equally destructive because we become no longer people of innate worth and beauty, beautifully created by God, rather becoming the robots to fit into societal constructions. We are alive physically but dead as an individual unique person even though Christ came to save and redeemed the real us that resides within.

b) We create many “gods” (aka theological constructions) in our own lives, yet united in worshiping one true God in Jesus Christ if the fear of God and the revelation of Christ as the Messiah constraints us.

We tend to make sense of life and salvation, especially our pains, sufferings, and longings through our theological construction. If we are not careful, we become gods molding god with our own hands. Theological constructions should be balanced by the fear of God, for God exists and have its being, character, and righteousness in-spite of how we construct God.
We are queer Christians not in the sense of creating a new “Christ less” or Universalist religion where we create a tent where everyone fit in thus making ineffective the uniqueness of Christ and the message of the Gospel, but to respect the different Christian faith journeys of each and the different Christian theological worlds that one comes from as equally valid perspective of Christ working in our lives within the boundaries of the Gospel message and centrality of Christ which unites us into the ministry of Christ.

(Luke 6:20 NKJV) Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.
(Luke 6:21 NKJV) Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.

Whilst Queer and Liberation theology are genuine stance against the violent oppression and structures in society, as much as we want to change the outside world, and to correct the injustices within, true freedom and revelation comes within – from a change and molding of character into the righteousness of Christ and to walk by the leading of the Holy Spirit in the faith journey and appointment that God has for us.

Jesus declared that we are blessed because we are poor, because the rich could not see God in their self righteousness and self sufficiency whereas we the poor understands our humanity and dependency on Christ longing for the rule of the Kingdom of Heaven, the coming rule of Christ where all injustice and sufferings will be of the past.

We hunger for the realization of self, to be free from the structures that define us by our families, the church, society and by the law, yet it must start with Christ who fills and accepts us within. We love because Christ first loved us. We can love and accept ourselves as GLBT people, because Christ first loved us.

Jesus Christ didn’t call for a class struggle against the injustice in society, against the structures oppressing the poor and the minorities by the Roman rulers. He did not call for an external revolution against the Romans and the Jewish religious rulers that defines much of today’s liberation theology. He definitely did not call for an anti-gay crusade which defines much of the church today.

Jesus calls for an internal revolution, a change of character, a change of allegiance and faith in Christ, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we may know how ourselves, to love others, to love God, and to resist perpetuating the existing oppressive class structures. Jesus was indeed Queer, a total exception to the religious norms. We too can be queer, not only because we are gay, but being led and guided by the Holy Spirit which makes the beautiful rainbow in the sky.
There is a calling for Queer Christianity, a recognition that we are beautiful and unique as individuals and to love and accept ourselves as Jesus has loved us, and to find freedom in coming out from the closet of the structures that our families, our society, the law, and the church has set us in, to be free in a Queer Christ.

Freedom in first loving yourself

2010-12-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

Freedom in first Loving yourself

(Mat 22:37 NKJV) Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'(Mat 22:38 NKJV) "This is the first and great commandment.(Mat 22:39 NKJV) "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
What they don't tell you at many churches in Singapore is that their fight against gays through their proxies such as the Church of Saviour, Exodus, Focus on the Family are heading for a dead end. Desperate measures have been used such as outrageous rethoric from the pulpit, and pseudo science as the acceptance of gays becomes more widespread in the US with the fear that Singapore could follow suit. Their message is being drowned by the increasing world wide acceptance of gays coupled by an uneasy conscience that perhaps they may have been wrong.

The Christian Right groups are calling for dialogue trying to convince themselves that they were the victims rather than the perpetrators much alike a robber coming to your house and asking you to give reasons why you should keep your own belongings! It could never be about dialogue on equal terms as they were debating about your rights and not theirs. Gays should never need to justify for basic human rights and dignity. Freedom of religion does not give us special rights to impose our own theological construction to bind the lives of others unless our faith is so weak that it requires gays as the scapegoat for our own immorality.

The theological construction of condemnation against gays has meant that even the best of Christian writers and thinkers such as Henri Nouwen was never able to reconcile his sexuality and come out in public as a gay person. As a result, he suffered so much emotional toil that had contributed to his early death in 1996. Only a deep revelation that our love for God is intertwined with first loving ourselves would set us free from our theological bondage. Nouwen grew up 50 years ago in a hostile environment very much different from today where we now know that we are not alone and that there are many Gay Christians just like us. Can we go further to love ourselves and have pride.

In the US, even with the advent of the mega churches in the last 20 years, there has been a massive shift in public opinion:-
a) Gay marriage is supported by 42% in 2010, versus just 27% in 1996.
b) Gays serving in the army is supported by 60% in 2010, versus 52% in 1994.
c) To-date, 53% of those born after 1981 supports gay marriage, versus 29% born prior to 1928. ie the acceptance of gay marriage by the younger generations will soon surpass the negative opinion of the older generations with the passing of time.

The profound change may be hastened by more gays coming out, loving and accepting themselves and be "out" to friends and family at a much younger age, thus effectively negating the vicious rethoric of the Christian Right. It is much harder to believe their half truths if gays were not much different from the straight people and are our friends and family. We are becoming proud and coming out as never before:-

a) According to Stonewall report in Nov 2010, the average age of coming out for over-60s was 37; for people in their 30s it was 21; and for those now aged 18-24 was 17.
b) In Asia, the first Taipei Pride was held in 2003 with many gays wearing masks. In 2010, the Pride grew to 30,000 attendance and not a mask was to be seen.
c) India's first gay pride was held in Nov 2010 with 2,000 in attendance, made possible, by the legalization of gay relationships in 2009.

The legalization of gay relationships and same sex marriage are only a matter of time as more gays begin to accept and love themselves instead of carrying a baggage of self denial. As we begin to take the journey of loving ourselves, we start the journey of having the self confidence to be how God has created us, and begin to relate to people as who we are authentically rather than hiding behind a mask.

Loving ourselves comes so naturally to straight people, but for many gay christians, the negative construction by society and by the church has bound us in a theological construct to hate ourselves. We must consciously "consume" Jesus as one preacher has said, not to deny ourselves and put on Christ as he had proposed, rather to see and visualise Christ acceptance and love for us as a special and unique queer people of faith.

The recent strong reaction to Rev Ou Young of MCCNY in Malaysiakini highlighting the existence of gays in the community shows that Malaysia even more than Singapore are far behind. Some in the Gay Christian community seemed perturbed by Rev Ou Young stirring the issue even though he was not outing them in any way. It showed a deep seated self loathing instead of pride, of how God has created us wonderfully as a gay person. We were not rejecting Rev Ou Young, rather rejecting ourselves. The key to coming out of the closet is not only about coming out to family and friends, but whether we could love and accept ourselves as who we are.

The mere mention of the gay issue seems to cause a Holy indignation amongst many gay christians who instead prefer to focus on being Christians who happens to be gay. However, if we cannot fully love ourselves, how can we say we love God, or worship Him fully in Spirit and in truth. We can preach and worship God from the pulpit and in public within the safe space of a "gay church" yet when our worship to God is broadcasted in the Youtube we become defensive and ashamed of worshiping God as a Gay Christian.

There is a strong calling of God for gays to love and accept themselves. When we love ourselves, we have the freedom to love others and to love God. Being free is not only first realising that all are equal in God's eyes, but to realise that we are equal ourselves. There is little point to see others as equal without the basis of loving ourselves first. We are able to love ourselves especially our sexual orientation, when we see the love and acceptance of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

Freedom is seeing yourself in the mirror and loving yourself because you are beloved in Christ Jesus. It doesn't really matter when Singapore eventually decriminalises Homosexuality, for we must first be decriminalised it in our own hearts and mind, in the deepest recess of our sub-conscious. Only the Holy Spirit can do this work of revelation in our lives to love and accept ourselves first, so that the Love of God can come into our hearts.

We can't worship and praise God effectively, unless we are bold enough to yearn for freedom. The Holy Spirit is put in a box when we praise God with our face in the ground, afraid to see God as a Gay Christian community, afraid to raise our hands to worship God in the World Wide Web lest others see us and question whether we were gay!.

It is time for us to start loving ourselves first, and to live with oneself.

Anglican Africans

2010-09-05T05:46:00.000-07:00

(1 Cor 9:16 NKJV) For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

The Christian Post article “Anglican Bishops Resolve to Tackle Africa's Social Ills” dated 31 Aug 2010 reported that the African Anglican Bishops from 400 diocese after a weeklong conference in Uganda issued a strong statement against gays. It was stated in the article that “in their communiqué that "in order to keep the ethos and tradition of the Anglican Communion in a credible way, it is obligatory" of all provinces in the global Anglican Communion to continue to observe and honor the moratoria on the ordination of partnered homosexuals, the blessing of same-sex unions, and cross-border interventions.”

The African Bishops in the “2nd All African Bishop Conference” had also invited their American Anglican schism partner, the “Anglican Church in North America” including Archbishop Robert Duncan, Bishop Martyn Minns, Bishop John Guernsey and Bishop Bill Atwood. The Anglican South represented by Archbishop John Chew of Southeast Asia, have also been invited to join with the primates of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA). The conference was also attended by Prime Minister of Uganda, Apollo Nsibambi.

With such a strong focus on gays, even interfering with the sovereignty of the Episcopal Church in the United States by the cross border attempts to steal the American conservative diocese, and hunting down gays in the streets within their cities, speaks of a continents deep in grave “social ills” of rampant violence, poverty, injustice, corruption, military dictatorship, infant mortality, abortions, and disease pandemic. It is a horror of a dark continent where the Bishops closed their eyes on the desperate issues and sum them us as a Gay issue. There are no easy answers or solutions except it seems to blame gays.

Whilst the religious leaders put gays on the altar of sacrifice for all the “sins” of the deep dark African Continent, NGOs are calling for a doubling of the 50 Billion dollar AID that goes to Africa each year. This AID should actually be reduced significantly since obviously from the communication of the African Bishops, the main problem or social ill they have is gays and not poverty. So, the solution is obviously simple, the AID money to be used to emigrate the gays from Africa to Europe/USA/Canada/South America. Surely, it would overnight resolve all the social ills and bring prosperity to Africa where 350 million of the population lives below USD 1 per day.

The Conference was hosted by Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, head of Uganda's Anglican church. According to CNN, “Bishops from Singapore, Southeast Asia and Africa told Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams in closed-door sessions Tuesday and Wednesday that there should be no more diplomacy on homosexuality ….. However, Williams preached tolerance in a sermon after the meetings, reminding African bishops that a good leader does not abandon his flock. He did not bring up the issue of homosexuality”.

The Rev Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke that the 21st Century may well be the “African Century.” Archbishop Orombi quoting from 1 Cor 9:16, exalted the crowd that the time has come for ‘fresh wine’ from ‘new wine skins” from what the conference website advocated as “represented by the potentials in the conference to go to Europe and America to bring fresh life in the ailing global Anglicanism”, ie for the voice of the African Anglicans to spread their hate of gays to Europe and America.

Africa is a continent of Population of 1 Billion (2005 census) with 45% Muslim, and 40% Christian. It will be an African Century as said by Rowan Williams, but a century in the news front page of continued economic, social strive and famines, wars, coups, and with the growing Christian Fundamentalism demonstrated at the Bishops’ conference, the religious confrontation between the Muslim North and the Christian South will represent further tragedies. Whether the Christians will march out of the Middle Kingdom to hunt gays all over the world is yet to be seen, but the battle remains up North where the desert of the Sahara is ever expanding to make the land desolate and religious based warfare now starting to dominate the scene, AIDS/HIV threatened as a grim reaper to bring millions of death even bringing down the life expectancy to below 50 years. Africa is indeed a tragedy, so rich in human and natural resources, yet doomed to fail because the real issues have not been addressed by going after a non issue such as gays.

The Gospel is not about making gays a scapegoat, but preaching Christ instead, His love, Grace, and mercy to the lost, the poor, and the outcasts. We are indeed truly lost when we could not see ourselves and how sinful we are but to see the spec in others eyes.

The trees of the field shall clap their hands

2009-09-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

(Isa 55:11 NKJV) So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
(Isa 55:12 NKJV) "For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
(Isa 55:13 NKJV) Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

I realised than these past 15 years have been such a struggle health, financially, spiritually,. I had asked God to bring me into deeper revelation of His love and grace, and understanding of the Word of God, but did not realise that such can only come in a journey, in a walk of life - clinging on to Christ, our hope and redeemer.

I have changed so much - much more capable, yet hardened through life circumstances. It is time to come back to the simple faith, and rejoicing that I had 15 years ago.

A time to Rest

2009-07-19T00:16:00.000-07:00

(1 Chr 27:1 NKJV) And the children of Israel, according to their number, the heads of fathers' houses, the captains of thousands and hundreds and their officers, served the king in every matter of the military divisions. These divisions came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division having twenty-four thousand.

Each month, a different division of the army came and went to serve the king. It was not a permanent army with all the 12 divisions of 24,000 men being available, but they took turns. They served only once every 12 months.

I believe that there are many seasons in life, and God is saying that this season is a season
to draw back, to start enjoying the fellowship with Him, to read the bible as a matter
of communion with God rather than to study the bible.

It is also a season, to be myself. I have spend a long time to find out who I am, but this is
the season to be how Christ created me as.

There is no rush in this season, no datelines, no vision and mission, rather, to rest and be still
in His presence. I have been so busy, doing work for God, rather than having that time
with Him.

It is time to put myself and my work, my ministry, in 2nd gear, and to start enjoying life and praising God each day and to dwell in His Grace and Mercy. There is no need to hurry for God is not in a hurry.

The greatest is love

2009-06-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

(1 Cor 13:13 NKJV) And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I always wondered why the greatest is love. Some of my friends would say that faith in God, and Hope for eternity is important but not as important as loving others. Hence, their motto is loving others as yourself.

But as I become older, I realise the meaning of this verse. We abide in faith, hope and love, but our faith in God, in Christ, do fall in the time of great stress and temptation. It may not be something that we have done, it may be how others have stumbled us, even pastors and the church. We may loose hope in our situation, in terms of financials, relationships, health and family, resulting in loosing hope that God will provide a break through. There come a point of grace, when asked we would say that we have some but not much of faith, and hope that Christ will pull through for us.

The early Christians had the same problem. Booted our of Jerusalem in AD70 where they were not only displaced but had many of their family killed, they were now living in despair in Asia Minor, where in fact most of the bible was actually written and documented as they reflected upon God. The last book, the Gospel of John happened well after the fall of Jerusalem, when another crisis loom, the persecution of Christians in Rome after they lost the official status as a religion that was allowed in the Roman empire under the notion of a sect of Judaism.

That is when Love comes in. It is not just our love for others, but abiding in the Love of God for us. Yes, in response we are to love others, but it is out of God's love for us. Therefore, when our faith and hope in Christ seemingly fail under extreme stress and pressure, all that we have to fall back upon is God's grace and mercy in His unmerited Love for us.

I love the song "First Love" , the lyrics which read -

Rekindle your first love in my heart
I never inteded to depart
From the trusting child I was
Simply knowing that because
You are my Father, I am Your child
I am acceptable

You've never changed
and You've never will
I open my heart to embrace Your will
I love You I trust You my dear Father
rekindle Your first love in me.

Love is the greatest, because it is the love of God, through His Son Jesus Christ,
not our love for Him. Through His love, our own love will be rekindled, giving us
the measure of faith in the risen Lord and hope that He will pull through for us when there is little oil left in our lamp of life. Even when our eyes grow dimm with no salvation in sight in this part of life, we remain abiding in God's love, looking foward with faith and Hope for eternal life to come when there will be no more sorrows, nor suffering.

God's grace and mercy be with You always.

Blessings

2009-06-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

I woke up with a strong word spinning in my head - the word "blessings".

Are we to seek after God's blessings? to pray earnestly that God will blessed us in our work,
family, and financially, and that this blessing is unmerited and not dependent for what we
have done and will do for God. ie this blessing is by Grace alone.

(Gen 27:27 NKJV) And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: "Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the LORD has blessed.
(Gen 27:28 NKJV) Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine.
(Gen 27:29 NKJV) Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!"

I am not that well off, so it would be a great blessing if just like Jacob obtained from Isaac I can be blessed by

a) Dew of heaven - Blessings from heaven itself - the best of heaven's offering - It is like the morning dew, it just comes and falls down from heaven at night - it is underserved, unmerited and by God's grace alone. The dew brings a "new thing", a sense of freshness in the air, a new move of God, a calmness in the air/ a stillness in the early morning. Dew is formed in the presence of a thick mist, a covering of moisture, a deep presence of God that brings preace, calmness, a time of refreshing and rest. It is dwelling with God in the midst of His heavenly presence resting on us, upon our hearts.

b) Fatness of Earth - prosper in my harvest ie in my workplace, and in ministry of what I have sowed in.

c) Plenty of grain and wine - have more than enough to live comfortably - financially secured to take care of myself.

Be Blessed by God's grace.

River of God, a river of God's grace and mercy

2009-05-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

River - East door of Temple (coming out from entrance of temple)
(Ezek 47:1 NKJV) Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.
(Ezek 47:2 NKJV) He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.
Water to ankles
(Ezek 47:3 NKJV) And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles
River to waist.
(Ezek 47:4 NKJV) Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist.
River to submerge
(Ezek 47:5 NKJV) Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed.
(Ezek 47:6 NKJV) He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.
River to heal
(Ezek 47:7 NKJV) When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other.
(Ezek 47:8 NKJV) Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.
River for great revival
(Ezek 47:9 NKJV) "And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.
(Ezek 47:10 NKJV) "It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many.
(Ezek 47:11 NKJV) "But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt.
(Ezek 47:12 NKJV) "Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine."

contradictions

2009-05-27T07:09:00.000-07:00

Maybe we bash up gays to show that we or our family members are not gay.
Therefore, the most anti-gay church would have the highest percentage
of gay religious people trying to deny that they are gays. (I could never understand why
the churches that have most gays are the most law minded ones in Queenstown)

Why did the pharisees hated Jesus so much? maybe to show that they
can make it to heaven themselves and needed no saviour. The Pharisees did not bring gays to Jesus? i wonder why? since we would have dragged a gay queen to the feet of Jesus!
Perhaps, they knew that Jesus was so full of grace and truth and that the homosexuals
did nothing wrong and that the prostitutes far easier to find. (Try to find a gay den in Singapore
in Geylang!)

Why did they bring the woman adulterous to Jesus but not the men? But Jesus knew it was a trap yet showed so much grace and mercy, when He could have defended
Himself and agree with them to stone the prostitute. But that would
have destoyed Jesus' credibility and support amongst those that
He based His ministry on.

I am afraid, what would happen if the church entered deeper into grace, we have stepped
in just, clinging still to the law, which we have to one day let go as we have a lot of work
to do - that the water may reach to our knees, then to our shoulders, and finally to swim in it.
For too much grace scares me, as it may mean a Gospel revolution and living by faith.

Crossing the line of true love

2009-05-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

Saw some blogs discussing how difficult is it to love gays and that
the extent of love would be that of a missionary who forgave the
tribes that killed her husband missionary. The missionary was willing to give
up his life for the pagan tribes whilst we took out our sword to hunt down the gay tribe.

Those people from the grace churches really need much more grace! but
they are still much better than the 10 commandment advocates above city hall mrt
who will tie to gay tribesman to a stake.

Thinking of the sons of Zabedee asking God to pour fire upon Samaria.

Yes, it is hard to love, but i imagine it would be harder for them to love us
since we do all the burning and hating.

Jesus love is dying for us, whilst our love is to condemn, to judge, to deny justice
and basic rights in the name of Jesus. Maybe its hate instead of love. Just that we call it love to
sound christian.

We love only those we find lovable. When will we cross the line that God
has set for us before revival comes! Maybe we will be left behind until we learn how to love.

True Blibical Spirituality

2009-05-24T22:45:00.000-07:00

In the modern church life so filled with
loud worship, agressive prayers, consumerism,
teachings on prosperity on earth,
and what you can get out of Christianity, and
action against people groups outside the walls of the church, it is
useful to remind us what is true biblical spirituality.

Perhaps, the monks of ancient orders, saw into the future, hence
withdrew to the quiet and reflective abode to be close to God,
and away from this earthly indulgences of the church life.

Jesus gave us the simple way, owned little, needed little, and demand
little but gave everything - all the time treasuring and being in active communion with His
heavenly Father. Our church services are so loud that sometimes
it blocks the silent still voice of God.

In His grace

Fallen Nature

2009-05-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

It is quite interesting that many claim that homosexuality is of a fallen nature because to me that it inconsistent, illogical and guilty by association. Therefore homosexuality
becomes a sin because of OUR associations with other forms of sins we deemed as fallen nature even though there is nothing linking them but only our associations. If homosexuality is
of a fallen nature, then

a) It should be specifically stated in the bible as such

b) Or, we in the same type as those the bible states as the result of the fall of Adam,
(pain at child birth, having to toil for work, death at 120)

c) Or, be the result of the eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
(law consciousness, self righteousness).

However, since our own heterosexuality or sexuality or sex we deemed as not of a fallen nature by itself, other motives comes in. eg it is because of the fallen nature, that the religious have an issue with gays.

One can be a fundamentalist - but on what basis - it is loving God, and loving others, loving the word of God, and believing it is God inspired revealing Christ within, our hope of Glory. True Christian fundamentalism demands that we do very little condemnation because the fundamentals of Christianity are

Grace NOT judgement

Mercy NOT revenge

Love NOT hatred

By yea Holy, for I am Holy says the Lord. We become unholy when our hands are raised against the weak and the outcasts of society who cannot defend for themselves, and whom the majority despised and rejected because they wear shades of pink and purple.

The safety net of Consistent Logic

2009-05-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

It was reproted that during the Afgan war, when the Russians invaded Afganistan, there was strong support from Cuba and Iran. When told that if the same logic applies, then America could also invade Cuba!. The Cubans were very angry at the comparison but the logic could not be denied, and surpasses the cultural, and religious barriers,

Thinking about homosexuality - if the church says that it is a sin against the Jewish laws, then aren't we also sinning by not adhering to the other laws therein. For example, working on Sunday would be a sin. If it was so great a sin, why was it not in the 10 commandments?

The law also applies to actions with no mitigation of the context or the motives. ie it is a sin because it involves the same sex even though the motivation may be religious in nature done by straight men. If it applies unilaterry then the church must also stone and put to death the divorsee, and the women who does not cover their head at church.

Many Christians are extremely mad because the logic could not be denied (therefore red herrings such as pro-family, and defence of marriage is used). Instead of being mad, we should be humble and a contrite heart that we may be blameless before God and men and our actions be with much grace lest we ourselves come under judgement.

How come Law based christians are after gays?

2009-05-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

Realised that they have not got much choice.
Once, they have made the decision long time ago, that
homosexuality was a sin as per the law, and started on a road to condemn and
persecute gays, you can't turn back even if there is very strong doubt
on the bible interpretation in this dispensation of grace.

So they start covering up, making stories of a gay aggenda,
and I think really believed in it themselves. More stories
are made up about gays destroying families and against marriage.
We are pictured as the protectors of the family.

The road is too far down because any admission to being
wrong on this issue, is admitting to coming under
judgement by God under the law.

That is why Grace is the power to change from our sinful ways,
because it offers forgiveness, yesterday, today and tommorow.
The law of judgement binds you in, and convicts you of sin,
rather than liberate us.

Grace - we have never been that far before

2009-05-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

We live in the difference phases of the move of God. In 1517,
it was the Salvation by Faith alone, in 1904, the Azuza Street revival,
where the Holy Spirit fell on people, and now from the year 2000, we see a move of
the supremacy of grace versus law. All this are nothing new, we see it in the Gospels and
the book of Acts:-

Jesus Death - Salvaton by Faith

Holy Spirit at the Upper room - Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Extending grace to gentiles - Peter ministry to Cornelius

These are waves and phases of the move of God. Some churches are left
behind - eg many still do not believe in the speaking of tongues,
for some salvation is through outher intermediaries such as the saints,
and for others we are still very much bound by the Jewish Law. Churches
are formed because the existing structure, the wine skin, could not
hold the new wine, or the new move of God.

What we are seeing in Churches such as New Creation, is
like the Church in Antioch, which was a mixed church, where
they had gentiles, and God fearers, and begin to battle against the
judaist who insisted that Christians must also abide by the Jewish laws.
The 1st, 2nd and third missionarry trips of Paul was
plagued by Judaist who raised up a mob to cause problem. Paul
ministered primarily to the synagogues where the Jews and the gentile God fearers
would meet. It's all a repeat show. Therefore, Pastor Joseph Prince
is very much like a modern day St. Paul (with hair).

What we are seeing now is a move of God that was very troubling even
to the early church, that is the ministry of St. Phillip to Samaria, and the Eunuch,
for it breaks not only the gentile barrier of language, custom, and tradition,
but challenges the class structure, and discrimination of modern society,
just like Jesus making a clear statement when He chose to based
His ministry on the outcasts. He could have set up in the powers to be, in the
spheres of political, business, and religious spaces, but he chosed the least.

Whilst we desire to transform the Kingdoms of this World, to the Kingdom of God,
in Transformation 2009, Jesus only set up camp in the most despised part of town.
Much like setting up base camp, next to a gay bar and sauna.

There is a new move of God, a new move of grace, that extends even beyond the roman gentiles,
but specifically to the Samaritans and the Eunuch - to the GLBT community. The whole cycle
now repeats its self again, from the micro events happening in Judea and Turkey, now happening at a macro scale world wide.

God's grace is really amazing.

What I would like to see at New Creation Church

2009-05-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

1) Grace to give - Great to receive grace, but grace is truly shown when we give grace, for example the servant in the bible who showed very little grace, even when he himself was given extraordinary grace.

For example, a transexual visiting a church - do we shake the hands with two fingers only, lest we catch some diseases? or put them aside somewhere behind the congregation - in the last row - a position of dishonor and start to talk about them.

We see two lesbians - do we ask them aside, usher them to the counselling area. We may feel naturally uncomfortable and pastoral, but grace calls us to respond differently.

Jesus did not minister to the rich, the powerful, and the religious and rarely ministered to the Gentiles (like us), but finds His abode amongst the poor and the outcasts whom society and whom the majority has given little grace. It examplifies, that the grace of God extends to people groups that are despised even within the people of the same culture, tradition, language and religion. It starts with a Spirit to show grace.

2) Grace to fear God - Although God may forgive us in heaven. some actions have great impact when it involves injustice, the strong against the weak, and blood shed. We may think it is norm according to our tradition and biblical interpretation, but we may unknowingly be sinning - not just any sin - but sin against people groups who can speak out and cry to God for justice. When blood is shed, their blood cries out to God, day and night.

- Sodom, and Gomorrah - Strong Cities that abused the weaker nations around them - the strong abusing and raped the weak and put them into slavery - even the men were raped to destroy their dignity. God hears the cry of the innocent and where blood is shed.

- Israel/ Judah - Isaiah spoke of the religious persecuting the weak and the poor in their midst, using their majority strenght to violate their rights causing great injustice. Even though they had the temple sacrifices, and prayed in their temples, there is that spiritual hindrance to getting our prayers answered because of cries against us.

I am reminded of "Prayers for Bobby" and other gay men who died whose death is substantially caused by the condemnation of conservative christians. We may feel uncomfortable with gays and justify ourselves that the bible condemns homosexuality, but grace does not necesarrily save us if we were wrong. There is a need for a grace to fear God, always vary that we may be wrong especially fueled by the Law, religion, and tradition because it blinds us from interpreting the bible without bias and the end comes to justify the means. If we were extreme on anything, let it be being generous on showing grace, and giving people reasonable doubt for we ourselves are under such great a grace in Christ Jesus.

Obsession of the majority with naked women

2009-05-14T01:02:00.000-07:00

Whilst the religious is seen to concentrate on men having the same sex orientation,
and assigning bible versus against sexual immorality as referring to them, could it be
that cities such as Jerusalem, Ephesus, Corinth, and Rome in the bible, were known for female
prostitution rather than anything to do with Homosexuals! which was
something exortic and a small minority then as today.

The conservative majority has never been conservative....... as we can see in the semi-nude
photos of Miss California who has marketed the aspect of her conservative faith.

It is no wonder that St Paul insisted that man should have at most one wife, and if
possible not to marry, but alas the obsession with sex would be too hard to bear especially
in the sexually charged environment of Corinth with its worship of the female goddesses.

=============================================================
Obsession with Naked Women Dates Back 35,000 Years, Lifescience, 13 May 2009

If human culture seems obsessed with sex lately, it's nothing new. Archaeologists have discovered the oldest known artistic representation of a woman - a carved ivory statue of a naked female, dating from 35,000 years ago.
The figurine, unearthed in September 2008 in Hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany, may be the oldest known example of figurative art, meaning art that is supposed to represent and resemble a real person, animal or object. The discovery could help scientists understand the origins of art and the advent of symbolic thinking, including complicated language.
"If there's one conclusion you want to draw from this, it's that an obsession with sex goes back at least 35,000 years," University of Cambridge anthropologist Paul Mellars told LiveScience. He was not involved in the new finding. "But if humans hadn't been largely obsessed with sex they wouldn't have survived for the first 2 million years. None of this is at all surprising."

The statue is notable not just for its symbolism, but for its style - particularly its sexuality.
"The figure is explicitly - and blatantly - that of a woman, with an exaggeration of sexual characteristics (large, projecting breasts, a greatly enlarged and explicit vulva, and bloated belly and thighs) that by twenty-first-century standards could be seen as bordering on the pornographic," Mellars wrote in a commentary essay in Nature.
Scientists guess that it may have represented female fertility, or been related to shamanistic rituals and beliefs.

Separation of State and Religion - a call to Holiness

2009-05-13T15:27:00.000-07:00

(1 Pet 1:15 KJV) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
(1 Pet 1:16 KJV) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Jesus was well disliked by the businesses, and the Political Powers, and the religious groups, and ministered to a narrow range of the population. It was not a common mainstream ministry but ministered to those that nobody bothered, those on the fringes.

There was a distinctive separation of the Kingdom of God, which is said not to be the Kingdom of this world ie the plillars of Family, Religion, Business, Education, Authorities, Arts andMedia. The most pertinent point came when Jesus' mother came to seek after Him, and Jesus redefined family as His disciples and followers as equally His family. The Authroties - Herod and Gang, tried to kill Him since young. The Law based Religion tried to silence Him, and to say that He did not follow the Jewish laws. The Media turned against Him after being controlled by the religious authorities and they begin to potray Jesus as the cause of all their sufferings,

Jesus emphasised that His Kingdom, is not of the Kingdom of this world. He did not mixed the secular, with the Holy. He deliberately did not have a roof over His head, or a big auditorium, He had nothing because He did not want to be mixed with the Kingdoms of this World. For example, the Cathedrals in the medieval times were so expansive that they started to offer indulgences!.

So mixing the Kingdom of God, with the kingdoms of this World have taken away its Holiness. When there is call for Holiness, living a life of frugality and very few pocessions. And people came, because of Love, acceptance, and power evangelism. People flocked to see the dead rises, those with incurable diseases healed. Those despised as uncleaned by religion was accepted by Jesus. He touched them, when everyone especially the clergy stayed a mile away.

When we mixed the State and Religion, we ended up mixing the Holy and the common, we mixed the Outer Courts and the Market Place with the Holy of Holies. With mixed Law with Grace. At the end, people see religion instead of relationship with God.

Yes, the air conditioning, the audio system, the large auditorium ministering to thousands are important, but what is much more important is the presence and move of the Holy Spirit for Jesus ministered to outdoors without all that we have.

There is a call to return to Holiness, a separation of our lives, that we can listen, see, and touch God, and see Christ, the Hope of Glory.

Remaining In Conversation

2009-05-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

I realised that people changed but do not change much unless there is an open heart coupled by a deep spiritual revelation by the Holy Spirit.

I have a colleague and friend, a very wonderful Christian, who did his best at his work, but due to fear almost freezes at work when faced with any small challenge, difficulty or something new or even minutely threatening. Thus he lived in a big closet ignoring the client's complaints and thinks he is doing well despite several incidents. It is easy to live without tackling our fears or problems and once we start to run away, we start running away from life itself amd live in a delusional world where everything is allright. Truth cannot be known by mere conversation. It must come from a heart of repentance and recognition of the issue.

In Acts, when Peter opened his ministry to Cornelius, it was the Holy Spirit that revealed that Gentiles were cleaned though by defnition against the law - to both Peter and Cornelius. It must be a revelation to both parties before a conversation takes place to seal the matter, when Peter saw them being baptised by the Holy Spirit, the very same upper room experienced which has set their own faith on fire for God.

I realised that in the areas of GLBT, it is useless to have a conversation with the Christian Church because their hardened hearts and pre-conceived ideas will not change even though the biblical interpretation is clear. If one interprets the bible as anti-gay, he must also consistently deny the work of grace in Christ Jesus. The boundaries of our revelation on the grace of God, is set by the boundaries of whether grace is sufficient to extend to the Gentiles first, and then the extent of Grace to the Eunuch, the natural Eunuchs whom the Jewish themselves knew well are born like that without being naturally inclined for women.

Therefore, when Phillip who himself was a gentile, spoke to the Eunuch whom after being rejected by the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, was on his way back to Ethiopia, it was breaking the law, but also extending the grace of God to the Eunuchs as was prophesised by isaiah, the very book that the Eunuch was coincidentaly reading aloud when Phillip passed by. The Eunuch went on to minister to the whole of Ethiopia.

Therefore, conversion can only be meaningful where both parties are being led by the Holy Spirit. There is few precedence in the bible, for the lesser to be in conversation with the greater ie Cornelius, a God fearer did not insist that he was right or clean to Peter on account of the cross. Nor was the Eunuch expected to take the initiative to talk to Phillip. Conversation is useless unless the Spirit of God breaks the hardened heart especially in areas of certain religious dogma hardened by centuries of traditions. It is not the responsibility of the oppressed to educate the oppressor. It is by God's grace, we have voices urging constraint.

In summary, remaining in conversations are useless, to change people from believing that the GLBT population is not intrinsically unclean for they first must have the revelation that what is made clean by the grace of God is cleaned indeed. When Paul opened his tirade against the Judaist in Rome, it was that conversation stopped long ago, as he did try to talk to them in all the missionary trips but now opened with a strong condemnation. How we missed the entire argument by seeing it as a statement against homosexuals I can only wonder in our delusion and almost fear to face the truth lest our blibical interpretation and our bible be deconstructed. But we need to let the Spirit of God work in us in areas we fear most, that revival breakthough will come.

In His grace.

Miss California

2009-05-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

Miss California Carrie Prejean who because of her Christian faith, ie biblical interpretation of the jewish legal codes, is against gay marriage. It seems that those who judged, may be judged themselves in the same manner. She was found to be in breached of contract, with semi naked photos. There is a call for consistent biblical interpretation. I thought women supposed to have their hair covered and dress with modesty according to the Pauline teachings!

Spaces for the Grace of God

2009-05-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

Spaces for the grace of God...

"Two days before he voted to approve same-sex marriage, Larry Sirois stood and faced the congregation in his small Maine church. Word had gotten out that he was planning to vote yes, and Sirois, a retired math teacher, self-described born-again Christian, and state legislator from tiny Turner, was feeling the heat. He had already spoken to his pastor and offered to resign as deacon. Now he rose on May 3 to offer the church an explanation. "I knew probably 90 percent of them didn't agree with me, and I knew they were going to be upset with me," said Sirois, 62, who struggled with his decision. "I said, 'I'm not trying to convince you of anything.' . . . I told them I was leaning toward accepting it, and that it was purely an issue of fairness, that I don't agree with the gay lifestyle, but that these people deserve the same rights." Boston Globe 11 May 2009

2009-05-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

I met up a friend yesterday who is a transexual, who is legally female on the IC, and "she" is older than 60 years old (she had undergone a sex change operation some 30 years back). She spoke to me about her church where people shake her hand only using two fingers - lest they get infected.
She is such a wonderful person - fervent in prayer and a mighty prophet but alas in her church she is not accepted to any ministry team, only to help out in the sidelines.
The church gives her strict instructions of appropriate behaviour. For the men, she must behave as though she is a women, keeping distance apart. For the women, she must behave like a men, keeping distance apart with the appropriate language. For the toilets, the women will not share the share toilet, nether can she go to the men's toilet.
She cannot find job, for who wants a retired transexual. So she spends her time in prayer, and fasting, and amazingly God provides always in time, and she is able even to go on mission trips.
I asked her, why dont you go to New Creation Church! She did a few times, but the ushers made sure that she was set aside apart from others, and started talking about her mockingly in the background.
I cried, for I felt for her, her pain and her rejection. But I cried for the Church too.

Aware - a time to blame

2009-05-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

The Christianpost article 07 May 2009 on the Rev Yap Kim Hao, tried
to reduce his standing by saying that he is an elder rather than an ex-bishop,
and blame him indirectly for the Aware CSE program as he was a supporter
through the Chen Su Lan trust.

http://sg.christianpost.com/dbase.php?cat=church&id=2226

Tired of such Christians. Why can't they live and let live? and worship God
and not spend time chasing endless rainbows. I hope that we can live a life directed
by God, and delight in following Christ' way, our Saviour. Even when we do err, He will bring us up again. Time for us to delight in the Lord and not to finger point.

(Psa 37:23,24 NKJV) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

Aware - a sad saga

2009-05-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

The Aware saga has made me sad - that
we should have shown God's love and mercy
in a good spirit.

Are we too obsessed with Homosexuality
when the verses in context talks more
abour religious faith and actions in view
of pagan worship practices.

Perhaps God will bring good from darkness,
and hope of reconciliation.

Be Ye Holy for the Lord our God is Holy