It does not make any sense to me how the clarity of the Word of God can be disputed.
If you take away the goodness of God, then I have to admit that I don't really know Him.
If what I've heard today is true, then it takes away my desire to serve Him.
I cannot serve a God like that. It actually hurt me physically to hear such lies about my Jesus.

But He isn't like that.
So I will not stop serving Him.
I must worship.

I cannot help but want to know Jesus. Not because He suffered the same things AS me but because He suffered them FOR me. We've been learning about Jesus, the man of sorrows who travelled Via Dolorosa, the road of suffering. He suffered for my sake. That is what makes Him different from any other god. Not because He merely identifies with us, but because He has invested ALL He had in us. He has imputed power and grace to us.

I want to know the Jesus who overcame the things I go through and through the Holy Spirit, teaches me to do the same. The God who compelled wise men to travel miles to bow and offer gifts. The Jesus whom shepherds came to pay homage to, to marvel at and praise God because they saw the example of the angels. The Jesus whom the prophets in the temple recognised when He was a baby, gave thanks for and boasted of to the rest of Jerusalem.

The young boy, Jesus, who grew and became strong and wise in the favour of the Lord. So wise that He went on to amaze the teachers in the temple with His questions. After which He continued to grow in wisdom and favour with God and men.

I want to know the Jesus whom John the baptist preached about. The Jesus who would fill the valleys and make the mountains low. The Jesus who would straighten the crooked places and level out the rough ones. The Jesus who would suffer in the wilderness only to come out stronger because He was holding on to the Word, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

The Jesus who was anointed with Holy Spirit to heal the sick, restore limbs, cast out evil spirits, cleanse the lepers, make the blind see, and the deaf hear. The Jesus who preached good news to the poor. The Jesus who spoke with authority, healed with authority, and had authority to give when He sent out His disciples. Jesus who came to seek and save the Lost.

Jesus who was persecuted because attention seeking Jews could not keep up with Him or the miracles He wrought. Persecuted by those who knew the law but not the power. Rejected by those who were waiting for the Messiah but did not recognise Him.

This Jesus who taught moral absolutes, Who looked at the heart rather than mere actions. Who cared for people more than customs. Who would rebuke the winds and waves and have them be silent. Jesus who knew the Father and introduced us to Him.

Jesus who flourished in life as the First Minister of the Good News, yet gave it all up only on the cross. But only for 3 days because He was an overcomer of death, poverty, sickness and sin. Because He took back all that Satan stole and made it available again to us. Praise God!!!

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

~~~ (That) Hideous Strength ~~~
Oh, that I could scream
And the world would stop and listen
And these scars could speak in volumes
But who has ears to hear
Or eyes to see
Again I scream
But my voice is buried in an unearthly silence
Like in nightmares when ghosts steal your breath.
I pray that power be not in my words
But in truth that supercedes the mind of man,
and our dead hope, and our blind faith in means that
look to justify the ends.
With out you I am lost.
Let mine eyes not fail with looking upward
| Thrice - If We Could Only See Us Now |

OH YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES !!!!!!!!!!!!
Praise God!!!

I don't know how many of you actually like the video I posted previously. I'm getting so much out of their lyrics! It may or may not be the actual meaning of the songs but I love how God speaks to me from the lyrics. The lyrics from this song remind me of Paul. His experience with Jesus on the road to Damascus. The 2nd part also reminds me of Ananias questioning God's choice. The 3rd part is simply a revelation of Grace from God to us.

There's nothing like hardcore music screaming scripture to you. Click here to check out more songs from Oh, Sleeper at their myspace page.

~~~ Charlatan's Host ~~~
Sleep takes its hold with a sinking pull. And now that I'm alone, this burst of light
fills my lids and I'm awake to the songs of horror. Your ill-bought greatness, he's seen it all from the frame.
One day you'll reap the seeds of a shadowed past, and I can only hope I'm there.
You tried to satisfy the thirst of a thousand ages,
But built a stack of bones as your monument to dead vanity.
It's just a shrine to the words you use to wreck.

Tell me, How can you sleep?
How can you just welcome the wine and throw out your nets?
You throw out your nets and set fame to bait the noose. Set fame to derail what's innocent.
Why spare the life of inglorious waste? Why let him live?
He's just hunting your own! How can you just sit there and watch?

"Because i love you more than you know. Look again and tell me what you see!"

In the window was me. The massacres were all me!
Oh God, please! Please! deliver the penalties for all of this from me.
I'm not finding justice, no warrant for mercy...
Don't give up on me. Don't give up on me!
What happens when I turn and run again? And again, and again?
"I will forgive you."
And what happens when I lie to your face?
"I will forgive you."
Oh my God, I can be so defiant to some one who's arms stretch to me.
"I will forgive."
Don't give up on me! Don't give up on me!
"I have forgiven you!"

I'll awake to new purpose to fight this body.
No longer will I play the dark shepherd.
Let not my words be ripped from the throat of a horror.
Oh, forgiver! Where is justice in letting me live?
| Oh, Sleeper - When I Am God |

Let me first warn you guys... This video is noisy. A Christian hardcore band that I just discovered. I love it.

Vices Like Vipers

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Your scarlet soaked and bold
and the sheep's eyes locked to mine, sink to my bones.
Though your lips still drip, intentions, they keep me wanting more...

It's rising against all the walls we built for falling.
All the walls we built just stand in vain to draw you near.
It's the wool to hide the wolves.
And under these toes from where we last spoke, Your words laid so firm.
But I did not shed that skin like You said.
When the mason neglects the mortar, looks become deceiving
and when the bricks start to fall,
I'll be the one crawling down this road so dark.

Vices like vipers
Speak in whispers.
My heel's the meat to sink their teeth,
Like the viper I kept when You said, "Let go!"
This is what it took for me to see.

WHEN I AM GOD this church is unsound.
Slithering in the shade of a sinking church,
Surprise is no excuse for the traps that you left in the wake of warning.
So this is the warning, You fall to learn.

And to the girls,
You're worth more than the cheap words.
You see your body as beauty, but your pulse is worth more.

Hear me, it's not what it seems, though the feeding tastes of honesty.
This is the warning, you're just a hit to coax my urgency.

Why do we keep what holds us? Why do I keep what holds me down?
Lose the weight of defeat. It's time to stand your ground!

Vices like vipers
Speak in whispers.
My heel's the meat to sink their teeth,
Like the viper
I kept when You said, "Let go!"

Since all the alibis of ignorance are void...
This, my lust, the pornos and the sluts.
Take, my lust, this world's Love.
Great Counselor, take what's left.
Great Counselor, take what's left of me

Praise God! Just got back from a wonderful session with Reverend Mark Hankins. I really needed that time of refreshing! There's nothing like someone catching your attention and then directing it on God Himself! Everything else simply pales in comparison.

I was getting slightly disillusioned this past week. Last night, I had the weirdest experience. I was about to go into my room to read my bible when I suddenly had a sickeningly claustrophobic nauseating feeling. I felt that I had to get out of the house. So in less than 15 minutes, I washed up, changed, packed my bible into my sling bag and walked out of the house. Went to the esplanade to watch Sky In Euphoria and A Vacant Affair. Spent just under 2 hours at Mac's reading 1 Peter 1:1-12.

I received a T-shirt and an Ang Pow that my mom's friend dropped off outside our house when I got home just now. Its amazing how God surprises you with gifts. He even provides clothing. :) Mom paid for some facial products that I bought at marine parade today. God bless her!

Had a scrape with a lorry today too. The silly driver tried to squeeze past our Toyota Wish at the entrance of the carpark. Because of other vehicles parked along the road, we had to manoeuvre our vehicles to allow each other to pass. But because of his impatience / recklessness, he scraped the end of my bumper while passing. It was amazing how fast I got out of the car. I was angry that he had marred my 'driving record'. Thankfully, there was no serious damage done.

This incident reminds me of the football match we had 2 Sundays ago. It seems there maybe many different opinions regarding this topic. It is my habit in any football match to make an impression on the opponent by being aggressive early in the game so that the opponents don't take advantage of you through the rest of the match. So anyway, there was this instance where I was charging goalwards with the ball and I got tackled from behind. The referee had blown for a freekick to be given but I wanted the defender to know I wasn't pleased so I walked towards him, asking what was his problem and nudged him with my knee. I admit that I overreacted slightly with that. Later on, there was another instance with the same defender. This time he had the ball and was running towards our goal. I noticed that we were almost outnumbered in defence so I tugged his shirt to get the foul so that our team could get back to defend.

During the half-time break, one of my elder teammates said that when he saw me tugging the jersey, he was hoping that I'd be sent off. He was trying to make a point and he went on to say that as salt and light of the world, we have to be an example to others. I agree with him totally. My question is whether Christians can show displeasure or disapproval? Can Christians make intentional tactical fouls?