PPCP and the new Flip-it! Pro!

Our Teachers Day Song!

Wrote the song with Bayu... here are the lyrics! - it was a smashing success... students all over sch are talking about it and asking for the lyrics! The president of the college wants it printed on the college newsletter too! Woohoo! hahaha... Talk about punk rock... :)

Verse 1 (the Freshman experience)
In my first day at school
I thought you teachers were all so cruel
With lots of homework to do
And all the worships that I had to go to
Without a smile on your face
You never gave me any A's

Chorus (altogether)
And now, we’re graduating
And we are gonna miss the labs,
the lectures and the F’s
that are on our test papers,
all the homework, cafeteria,
doctor Fanwar, Kai and Khamsay,
all the worships, dorm attendance
We’re graduating

In my sophomore year
Mrs Lalita would say “Oh Dear!”
I tried to run for SC
But no one voted at all for me
But then the teachers were kind
They looked at me and said ‘mai pen rai’
So I studied real hard
And then my GPA went up

Chorus

Then in my junior year
My eyes were opened
And nurses appeared
Acharn Siriporn was right;
Many busses arrived that night
In marriage and family
They said relationships were not easy
I guess things didn’t work out
But then the teachers
They helped me out

Chorus

And now in my senior year
With nothing left but a lot to fear
Afraid to go out and work
Afraid that things outside wouldn’t work
The teachers offer to help;
Encourage me and tell me about
How to make it outside;
That I should always look on the bright side

And now, we’re graduating
And we are gonna miss the friendships
From those past years, Dr Sue’s labs,
Fanwar’s classes, Prapai singing,
Foster teaching, Keegan laughing,
Mr George and all his boys who wake me when I’m sleeping tight…
Dr Warren Shipton’s smile and all the teachers that we left out…

We’re gonna miss you

no update

no update? here's why - busy! want to upload some stuff on thailand's current situation - was in BKK but... might be political... dont want my blog to be busted and me to be busted too :S grrrr

Cut lips, sprained groin, bruised/cut knee

Such is American football. It sounds like I have really bad injuries, but it's like the least severe of those that I have. Will be staying in a week with no sports till i heal up then its back on the field for more sports next week... till the next bruising weekend comes....

My teacher and wikipedia

i thought that it was hilarious... i was reading up on Edgar Degas in art appreciation class and i saved it to my computer. the lecturer started his lecture and i found it very very very familiar. i pulled out the file that i had saved off wiki and lo and behold... he was reading it word for word! i was sitting in my little corner reading it out loud (softly) to my friend sitting next to me and it was simply hilarious!

i seriously think teachers have to do more research than just taking stuff off wiki... cos we can do that too... oh well~ for all you wiki-geeks out there... non wiki-geeks are reading too~ hehehehe :)

MSN windows live messenger

This little program that's so nice always has so many problems! *grrr* 2 days in a row I've been having trouble logging onto MSN network because the 'network is not available'... or something. Irritating isnt it? Technology... mmm~

I'm reading a book by Hawking - a brief history of time for the second round. This time in detail :) So interesting!

Can anyone hear me?

So youve made the first step.
For too long you cried out in vain.
No one seemed to understand.
No matter how loud you shouted, it seemed like no one could hear you.
But then, through the silence, and through your pain and confusion, a thought crossed your mind.
What about God?
Is he able to hear me?
No one else seems to.

Youre afraid.
Afraid that if you try to talk to this God, he too might not hear you.
Afraid that your voice would get lost in the millions of other voices all crying out to be heard.
But then you realise... what have you got to lose?
So you take that first step.
You give this unseen God a chance.
You lift your eyes to the heavens, you open your mouth, and the words just come tumbling out.
Strangely, you know youve been heard.
Youve always been heard. By him.

So you ask him.
Why do I feel like this?
What am I doing on this earth?
What should I do with my life?
How can I make it better?

You know he heard.
So you wait.
And wait.
And wait. *pause*
But theres no answer.
You start to doubt... did he really hear you?
Why isnt he answering you?

How many of you have felt like this before?
I know I have.
Last night, Nat told you about a God who listens to the cries of the people on earth. A God who loves you, and wants the best for you, and is always there to listen to you.
And maybe this isnt the first time youve heard about God.
Perhaps somehow in your heart, youve always known that hes there.
But you cant seem to figure out where God fits in your life.Youve heard of this God, but youve never heard from him.
I remember one of the frustrations I used to have as a kid growing up in church.
God was all around me! I heard about him from my parents, the aunties and uncles, the teachers, and even my friends. But he had never spoken to me...I had never experienced him. I knew of him, but I didnt know who he was!

I know a lot of you probably feel the same way.
Maybe a friend has told you about his wonderful experience with God. He tells you about how God has worked in his life, changed his life, given him peace.
Maybe youve heard of miracles happening to people, or prayers that have been answered, or hearts that have been healed.
But its never happened to you.
How come you seem to be the only person who cannot hear God?
Who has not experienced God?
Why?

Let me tell you a story from the bible.
Long ago, there lived a man named Elijah.
The name Elijah means Jehovah is my God
Jehovah was the proper name for the one true God back then, meaning The existing one. Now Elijah was something we call a prophet. A prophet did many things.
But among them, he was also Gods spokesperson carrying messages from God to people, and he performed miracles from God, and even predicted events in the future.

Our story begins in a place called Samaria, where Elijah goes to see the King of Israel, King Ahab, to deliver a message from God. Ahab was a very bad king. He had turned Israel away from God, by making them worship an idol called Baal. Baal was supposed to be the god of rain and fertility. So Elijahs message from God to King Ahab was that there would not be a single drop of rain or even dew for several years, until God said so.

This was a challenge: Did Baal really control the rain? Or was it God?
True enough, there was a severe drought, and finally, 3 years later, God sent Elijah to tell King Ahab that he would soon send rain again.He then summoned all the people of Israel, and all the prophets of Baal to meet him on the mountain Carmel for a showdown.

How long will you waver between 2 opinions? He asked the people. If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!

Picture this:
450 prophets of Baal, versus 1 prophet of God.
The competition? 2 sacrifices of young bulls were placed on altars. One altar for God, one altar for Baal. However, neither side was allowed to burn the wood on the altar. Instead, the prophets were to pray to their gods, and Elijah to Jehovah, and whichever god sent fire to light the wood would be determined to be the true God.

So the prophets of Baal went first.
They called to Baal all morning, O Baal, hear us!
No reply.
They danced around the altar and shouted louder and louder.
They cut themselves with knives and swords, and raved all afternoon until evening.
But still, no answer. No reply. No voice. No fire.
Then Elijah called the people over to his altar.
He repaired the altar of God that had been torn down, dug a trench about 3 feet wide around the altar. He prepared the young bull for sacrifice on wood on the altar, and then called for 4 barrels of water to be poured over the sacrifice and the wood.3 times they poured water over the sacrifice on the altar, until the water ran off the altar and filled the trench.

Then Elijah walked up to the altar and prayed, O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you are God, and that you have brought them back to yourself!

Suddenly, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the sacrifice of the young bull, the wood, the stones, the dust, and even evaporated all the water in the ditch!

When the people saw this, they fell to the ground and shouted, Jehovah is God! Jehovah is God!

Not long after, God opened up the skies, and rain came pouring to the earth for the first time in 3 years.

God had spoken.

The people recognised that Jehovah was the true God.
But with victory came great danger for Elijah.
King Ahabs wife, Queen Jezebel was very angry with the defeat, and sent a message to Elijah that she was going to kill him.

So Elijah ran for his life.
He travelled all day by himself in the desert. Finally, exhausted and depressed, he sat under a tree and prayed that he might die.He then fell asleep under the tree, but was awakened by an angel who fed him and gave him water. With renewed strength, he travelled 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God, where he lived in a cave.

Lets read from the bible: (1 Kings 19:11-12a)

Go out and stand before me on the mountain, the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain; it was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind.
After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

Whats going on here?
Didnt God just tell Elijah to find him? Why didnt God show himself then?
Can you imagine how Elijah must have felt?
Alone, tired, depressed... and now, he could not even find God.

Why didnt God appear to Elijah in the earthquake, or the wind, or even the fire, (just like before)?
Why didnt God answer?

We left Elijah standing all alone on a mountain.
Looking for God.
Crying out to him.
Knowing that somehow God had heard him.
Yet, he could not find God.
Elijah did not find God in the great wind.
He did not find God in the earthquake.
He did not even find God in the fire.
Hed travelled 40 days and 40 nights to get to Gods mountain, and God wasnt even there? Why didnt God answer?

After the fire, in the still... in the silence... there came a gentle whisper.
And Elijah recognised this was Gods voice.

God did speak to Elijah. Just not in the way he expected.

Maybe thats the problem with us.
Were always waiting for some great miracle, or lightning bolt... some earth-shattering experience where God will reveal himself, and speak to us.
Were so busy waiting for the big signs, that we miss his gentle whisper!
Were so caught up in trying to hear Gods voice that weve neglected to learn how to listen.

Our theme is Can Anyone Hear Me?
You know something, it takes skill to listen. And were not the only ones trying to be heard. God wants us to learn how to hear him too.
It isnt that God doesnt speak to us. Rather, we havent learned how to hear him.

There are many ways to hear God.
Lets look at a few.

1. Through a Letter:
This book I hold in my hand is full of Gods voice. We call it the bible.
In the bible, youll find stories about people in similar situations as you, and how God directed their lives. Stories of people like Elijah. Youll find yourself empathising with some of the characters in the bible. They too were often lonely, confused, angry or sad.

You can also find many words of wisdom in the bible. For example, An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. Pro24:26.

God reassures us of his presence in our lives: Before they call I will answer, while they are still speaking I will hear. Isa 65:24.

In fact, God himself tells us what he is like in the bible: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16.
2. Through Messengers:
Sometimes God speaks indirectly to us.
Elijah was a person who delivered messages from God to his people.
God still communicates to us through other people.
Maybe youve had an experience where just at the point where you needed someone there the most, a friend calls you out of the blue.
That was no accident.

Or perhaps youve made some big mistakes in your past, and looking back, you think, oh, if only Id listened to my parents...God speaks through our parents.

Ever wonder what a pastors job is?
Thats right. Hes Gods messenger. Every week, at church, he delivers Gods message to you and I.

And what about the fact that you are here right now, listening to this message?
I am Gods messenger. And this is his message to you.
Are you listening?

3. Through Big Fire Bolts:
Sometimes God does send us big signs to direct our lives. Just like how he sent that bolt of fire down from heaven. The funny thing about big signs, however, is that you can actually still miss them! Going back to the story of Elijah after fire from heaven consumed the sacrifice to Jehovah, the people proclaimed that he was God, but still, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel refused to believe.
Are we sometimes so stubborn that despite getting burned again and again, we still dont realise that Gods trying to teach us a lesson?

4. Through Silence:
You wake up to the sound your alarm clock. You turn on the radio to help you stay awake while you get ready to go to school. You walk out of the house and immediately, youre blasted the sound of passing traffic. You reach school, everywhere theres noise- people talking, chairs scraping, doors slamming... You come home,turn on the TV, or the radio, pop your latest buy into the cd player, or talk to a friend on the phone...
Were constantly surrounded by loud noises. All vying for our attention.
Perhaps the only time we welcome silence is when were asleep.

You know the term uncomfortable silence?
Whats so uncomfortable about it?
Why is silence so hard to deal with?
Face it, most of us are not used to peace and quiet. Were not used to being alone with out thoughts. Were afraid that in the silence, our thoughts might eat us up alive!

But God speaks to us when we are silent.
Have you ever tried listening to a friend at the same time as talking to him/her?
Thats not communication! Communicating requires a 2-way street.
In the same way, we can pray to God to talk to him, but we also need to be silent to hear him.

5. Through Knowing Him:
Ive given you a lot to think about now.
But if you walk away tonight and forget practically everything thats happened here.
Please... remember just this one thing:
Get to know GOD.

Thats all its about a personal, intimate relationship with God.
Jehovah the one true God, is a God of relationships.
A God who is waiting for you to open up to him, to talk to him, to cry out to him.
A God who loves you so much, he did more than just die for you.
A God who can turn your life around, give you peace in your confusion.
A God who can help you become who you were born to be.

What is the bible, Gods letter for? To help you find out who God is!
What do his messengers do? We remind you of your need to know this God!
Why do big signs happen? Because God is reaching out to you!
What can you hear in the silence? God speaking to you!

If you want to know how to hear God, you need to discover who God is. Because how could you possibly recognise someones voice, if you dont know who that person is?

So you see, God has been calling out to you, trying to get you to hear him all along.
You probably have heard him before.
You just didnt recognise him then.
Can anyone hear me? He asks.
You hear him.
Now, are you listening carefully?

a sad goodbye

title: a sad goodby
by: nathaniel tan

i said goodbye to a friend today
someone who was close to me in the darkest of my days
i said goodbye to usher in a brand new day
hoping for a new beginning

picking up the pieces of my life again
i think it's for the best
to let go is the greatest gift that someone could possibly give
i made this decision for the happiness of another
to prove i really cared for a friend, close as a brother

i don't know if you will see it
this sacrifice i've made
to let go of my dreams to help you take your first flight
i hope that you will soar
i hope that you will fly
i hope that you will find the happiness that you're searching for

a sad goodbye it is for me
to give up my hopes and dreams
but truth be said my hopes and dreams
will be fulfilled in you when your happiness is found

a sad goodbye

title: a sad goodby
by: nathaniel tan

i said goodbye to a friend today
someone who was close to me in the darkest of my days
i said goodbye to usher in a brand new day
hoping for a new beginning

picking up the pieces of my life again
i think it's for the best
to let go is the greatest gift that someone could possibly give
i made this decision for the happiness of another
to prove i really cared for a friend, close as a brother

i don't know if you will see it
this sacrifice i've made
to let go of my dreams to help you take your first flight
i hope that you will soar
i hope that you will fly
i hope that you will find the happiness that you're searching for

a sad goodbye it is for me
to give up my hopes and dreams
but truth be said my hopes and dreams
will be fulfilled in you when your happiness is found

i'll never be able to

i'll never be able to do this...
i'll never be able to do that...
i'm not ready for this...
i'm not ready for that...
i'll never be this...
i'll never be that...
i'm not good enough for this...
i'm not good enough for that...

i guess we hear that all the time - in our heads. sometimes we're told that we'll never be good enough. there's always some truth in it, but don't be sucked into it because you can be all that you'll ever want to be if you put your heart to it :) you'll always be ready if you're ever willing to learn and accept that you do make mistakes, you can be who you want to be, you're never not good enough because if you've put your whole heart to it, it's more than good, great or very good - it'll be excellent.

SCORPION ATTACK!!

Okay, this is really SCARY. It was about 5:40am and I heard a 'clunk' - a sound like a bug hit my fan and then a quick 'thud' on my bed. "dang... a bug in my bed?" I thought to myself. I quickly sat up and tried to adjust my eyes to the darkness - there was this little thing about 4 - 5 cm long slithering on the left side of my matteress.

Jumping out from bed, i quickly ran to switch on the lights... and there it was. A scorpion on my bed! My angel must've been working overtime (to amplify the sound in my ears??) to get me out of bed - could've been stung by it as i was only wearing boxers to sleep in the very hot weather.

All in all, I'm thankful that I'm alright. The little guy's with me now - in a box... I'm gonna hand him over to the school to get them to deal with the scorpion problem they have in school. It most probably came from the false ceiling and through the hole in the roof where the fan hangs from. It might be a little more tough for me to sleep tonight, but I'm sure I'll be alright.

For the record, here's a picture :)
 

The Conspiracy Behind the New Bible Translations

I was planning to do a writeup on this exact same topic after speaking to a friend who has been taught that the KJV is the only true bible. I decided to do a google and someone has already done an article on this! woohoo! Here it is!

Taken from www.bible.org

The Conspiracy Behind the New Bible Translations
By: Daniel B. Wallace , Th.M., Ph.D.

This is the first in a series of occasional short essays from the “Professor’s Soap Box.” It is not intended to be a detailed exposition; rather, it is meant to give you food for thought and to challenge some popular ideas.

Introduction
The first major English translation of the Bible to appear since the King James (1611) was the Revised Version of 1881. Since then, numerous English translations have sprung up, almost all of which have used a different textual basis from the one found in the KJV. This difference is especially seen in the New Testament. Simultaneously published with the RV was the Greek text of Westcott and Hort, two Cambridge scholars. This Greek text had been in the works for 28 years, coming to light on May 12, 1881. It was accompanied by an introductory volume, which gave the rationale for the choices made. Westcott and Hort were able to convince the vast majority of New Testament scholars of the truth of their textual choices. Essentially, they argued that the Greek text behind the KJV NT was inferior and late. Of course, as is well known, the Greek text used in 1611 was for the most part based on about half a dozen very late manuscripts (none earlier than the 12th century AD).

These manuscripts were used by Erasmus in 1516 when he published the first Greek NT.1 (We’ll discuss this point more in a later essay.)But these few manuscripts (MSS) came from a much larger pool. In fact, for the most part they looked very much like the majority of Greek MSS of the medieval ages. But Westcott and Hort (WH) said that this majority text was late and inferior. They preferred the five great uncial MSS (known by their letters, Aleph, A, B, C, D), all of which dated from the fourth or fifth century, as well as early versional and patristic evidence. Two MSS in particular, B and Aleph, were favorites of WH. Both came from the fourth century.
How did WH dethrone the Textus Receptus and the Greek MSS that stood behind it? They accomplished their task with three arguments: (1) The Byzantine text (i.e., the group of Greek MSS behind the Textus Receptus) was not quoted by any church father before AD 325, while the Alexandrian text was amply represented before that period. (2) The Byzantine text was shown to depend on two earlier traditions, the Alexandrian and Western, in several places. The early editors of the Byzantine text combined (or conflated) the wording of the Alexandrian and Western traditions on occasion, while nowhere could it be shown that the Alexandrian combined Western and Byzantine readings or that the Western combined readings of the Alexandrian and Byzantine. (3) The Byzantine text, upon closer examination, proved to be inferior in its wording, either by not conforming to the author’s wording or moving in a predictable direction (such as by adding clarifying words).

Thus, with these three arguments, WH demonstrated that the Byzantine text was late (the patristic argument), secondary (the conflation argument), and inferior (the internal evidence argument). Although some of the particulars of their overall view have been questioned today, most NT scholars find this general scheme to be a compelling argument against Byzantine superiority. Hence, the overthrow of the Textus Receptus.Conspiracy or Evidence?
What, then, has motivated the vast majority of NT scholars to embrace the earliest MSS as better representing the original wording of the NT? In a word, evidence. WH’s argument was solid. Interestingly, in WH’s day only one NT papyrus fragment was known. Now, almost 100 have been discovered. These antedate the great uncials by as much as two hundred years! What is most significant about them is that not one is Byzantine. But if the Byzantine text was the original, why did it not show up in either patristic evidence or MS evidence until much later? In fact, for Paul’s letters, the earliest Byzantine MSS belong to the ninth century. The earliest Alexandrian witnesses? Second century.

Ever since WH’s text and the RV were published, a vitriolic counter-attack has come from KJV circles. We are not here interested in the debate about the English translation per se; our concern is over the textual basis, the MSS behind the translation. The attack has taken several forms, including denial of WH’s major points, vilification of these early MSS, or vilification of the scholars who embrace them. Our concern in this essay is only with the latter two points. (You may wish to consult my articles on the majority text for a discussion of the first point.)
As for the vilification of the early MSS, John W. Burgon, then Dean of Chichester (southern England), argued that early scribes conspired against the faith. If they did so, they were singularly incompetent in their task, for they left too many things unchanged. (F. H. Scrivener, considered by many KJV fans to be the greatest textual critic of the nineteenth century [partially because he was sympathetic to much of what Burgon was saying] argued against this conspiracy theory.) In fact, they even changed some texts in a misguided attempt at making them more orthodox! Actually, all scribes did this. As is well known, the Synoptic Gospels have many parallels between them. Sometimes the wording is exactly the same between two or more; sometimes there are interesting differences. But all scribes at times changed the text of one gospel to conform it to another. If the great uncials conspired against the faith, as Burgon supposed, then why would the scribes of each of these, independently of one another, try to harmonize the gospels?

Take John 4:17 as an example. In this passage Jesus is speaking to the woman at the well. At one point he says to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” To this she responds, “I don’t have a husband.” Jesus responds, “Correctly you have said, ‘A husband I don’t have.’“ In virtually all Greek MSS, Jesus changed the word order of the woman’s statement (putting “husband” first in the sentence, making it emphatic). This was intentional. It is as if he were saying, “Lady, you’ve got someone at home--but he’s not your husband!” But significantly, two early MSS change the wording. The scribes were apparently troubled by the fact that Jesus, though purportedly quoting the woman, did not quote her exactly. It seemed to be an affront to their view of either the Lord’s character or the accuracy of the Bible. One of them changed Jesus’ words to an indirect quote: “Correctly you have said THAT a husband you do not have.” Another changed the woman’s words to conform to the word order of Jesus’ words! Apparently he couldn’t imagine the Lord quoting her other than exactly. Hence, the Lord quoted her OK, but she said it wrong in the first place! So her words were changed. These two MSS, Aleph and D, illustrate the piety of the scribes. Their corrections were misguided, to be sure. But they could hardly be charged with conspiratorial motives.

Burgon’s view that these early MSS were up to no good is seen to be a prejudiced pronouncement--and one that virtually no NT scholar has since followed (even those who advocate the majority text theory). But what about the other conspiracy theory?

New Age Conspiracy?
More recently, KJV only advocates have argued that the scholars who produced the WH text and those who embrace it belong to a global conspiracy. They often charge that the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, salvation by grace, etc. is destroyed by these scholars. Some say that a New Age conspiracy is behind the modern translations.

In response, just a few points should be made. First, conspiracy theories are increasing among evangelicals nowadays, and this is a troubling sign. By their nature, conspiracy theories ask the reader to be completely skeptical toward one view while adopting the other, without an examination of the evidence. (One recent book that pushes a conspiracy theory actually has thousands of factual errors and misrepresentations in it, all of which go unchallenged by those sucked in by its aura.) I am reminded of the many popular books I have seen sold in Christian book stores that have a jacket blurb on the back cover: “The Devil doesn’t want you to read this!” More often than not, this line is used by an author who has nothing of substance to say and simply wants to get his book sold. Further, it is a haughty claim. The devil doesn’t want us to read the Bible; but to elevate any merely human production to Satan’s hit list of forbidden books is both disingenuous and pompous.

Once the cry of conspiracy is raised, a cloud of suspicion is cast over one side of the issue. It never examines the flimsy basis of its own position, but throws acidic one-liners and ad hominem arguments at the opposition. Often, in this particular issue, those who hold the opposing viewpoint are simply labeled as “servants of Satan,” and their translations are called “bastard bibles”!

Mark Noll has recently written a masterful book entitled, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind. In it he speaks about how American evangelicals have decided to chuck their brains for the sake of the party line, or for experience, or for emotionalism, etc. But the history of Christianity up through last century was of a different ilk. The Church felt that at least some of its number should be scholars--men and women who dedicated their minds to God, who cultivated the life of the mind. The fact that conspiracy theories about Bible translations are getting readily accepted in several circles indicts evangelicalism. To be blunt, this trend is symptomatic of the dumbing down of Christians in this country. Evangelicals are increasingly holding down the anti-intellectual fort, without engaging in serious debate with others.

Second, if there really is such a conspiracy, then why do the majority of evangelical, Bible-believing seminaries and Bible colleges use modern translations and the Greek MSS behind them? If the faithful wish to find fault with the beliefs of these schools, then they should attack head-on their beliefs, rather than that they use the wrong Bible. But the issue is always the same: wrong Bible must mean, by implication, wrong beliefs. But the beliefs are not examined.

Third, let me camp on this doctrinal issue a bit. What doctrines are at stake? Is the deity of Christ? Surely not. Evangelicals embrace the deity of Christ, regardless of which Bible they use. And they find verses in their translation to back it up. Some studies in fact have shown how the deity of Christ is better supported in the NIV, NASB, etc. than in the KJV. How about the virgin birth? Again, no. Evangelicals embrace that. One of the best defenses of the virgin birth was written by the founder of Westminster Seminary, Gresham Machen, a man who did not think that the MSS behind the KJV were the best. How about inerrancy? The Trinity? Salvation by grace? Justification by faith? You name it, whatever the evangelical doctrine--it is not compromised by these new translations or the MSS behind them. This is the real issue. What doctrines are changed if we change our Bibles? Westminster Seminary still follows the Westminster Confession; Trinity Evangelical Divinity School still embraces its strong doctrinal statement, as does Dallas Seminary its statement. Grace Seminary, Talbot, Western, Denver, Capitol, etc. Yet, the vast majority of the faculty at these schools use the modern translations and the ancient MSS that stand behind them. Where is the cause and effect relationship between new translations and heresy?

Now, to be sure, conspiratorialists can find heretics who use these modern translations. That is beside the point, however. Why? Because an equal if not greater number of heretics can be found who embrace the KJV. (In the 1800s, in fact, the KJV became the ping-pong ball in English debates over the deity of Christ. Those who argued for the deity of Christ appealed to the Greek text, since the KJV translators had not accurately translated some of the passages.) This is similar to what Peter says in 2 Peter 3:16: “Some things in [Paul’s] letters are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the rest of the Scriptures.” The real issue is whether thoroughly orthodox folks can be found standing behind these modern translations. Yes, they can, and predominantly so. The faith delivered once for all to the saints is not in danger from these new translations. The real danger is in deflecting Christians from our mission in life, to share the good news of Jesus Christ with a dying world, compassionately, and clearly.

So, is there a conspiracy today? My answer may surprise the reader: yes, I believe there is. But the conspiracy has not produced these modern translations. Rather, I believe that there is a conspiracy to cause division among believers, to deflect our focus from the gospel to petty issues, to elevate an anti-intellectual spirit that does not honor the mind which God has created, and to uphold as the only Holy Bible a translation that, as lucid as it was in its day, four hundred years later makes the gospel seem antiquated and difficult to understand.2 It takes little thought to see who is behind such a conspiracy.
________________________________________
1 Erasmus’ text went through five editions. Others took up where he left off, but essentially kept the text virtually the same. One of the editions of Theodore Beza, done in the late 1500s, constituted the text behind the King James NT. By 1550 the third edition of Stephanus’ Greek text included in the margin textual variants from several witnesses, but the text was still largely that of Erasmus. By 1633 this text had gone through some more minor changes, but was stable enough that the edition published by the Elzevirs was called in the preface the “the text now received by all,” or the Textus Receptus. Interestingly, this was more publishers’ hype than consensus, for many if not most NT scholars had long noted the inherent weaknesses in this text. The text published was thus, even in the seventeenth century, more a text of convenience than one of conviction.

2 One of the arguments sometimes heard is that the nonbeliever cannot understand the gospel. 1 Cor 2:12-14 is cited as proof of this statement. The KJV is thus held up as the best Bible because nonbelievers cannot easily understand it! This argument refutes itself, however. First, this is a perversion of 1 Cor 2:12-14; that text essentially says that the nonbeliever does not understand because he does not welcome the gospel. His problem is one of volition more than cognition. Second, if this argument were true, then we might expect a new believer suddenly able to comprehend Elizabethan English. But that is not the case: new believers have just as difficult a time understanding the KJV as nonbelievers. Third, why is it that unbelieving Shakespearean scholars have little difficulty understanding the words of the KJV? Fourth, by way of analogy: the NT was written in Koine Greek or “common” Greek. It was the language of the day--easily understood fromAthens to Rome, from Carthage to Jerusalem. Should not our modern translations also be easily understood? To be sure, some of the concepts are not easily grasped, even for mature believers (Peter said as much about Paul’s writings). But why make the language a stumbling block? The cross alone should be the stumbling block. It is sufficient.

Croc Hunter Steve Irwin Dies

Shocking... I still can't believe it... (taken from CNN website)

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Steve Irwin, the TV presenter known as the "Crocodile Hunter," has died after being stung by a stingray in a marine accident off Australia's north coast.
Media reports say Irwin was snorkeling at Batt Reef, a part of the Great Barrier Reef about 9 miles (about 15 kilometers) from the town of Port Douglas, when the incident happened on Monday morning.
Irwin, 44, was killed by a stingray barb that pierced his chest, according to Cairns police sources.
Irwin was in the area to film pieces for a show called "Ocean's Deadliest" with Phillippe Cousteau, grandson of Jacques, Irwin's manager and friend John Stainton told CNN's "American Morning." But weather had prevented the crew from doing work for that program, said Stainton, so Irwin decided to do some softer features for a new children's TV show he was doing with his daughter, Bindi.

"He came over the top of a stingray that was buried in the sand, and the barb came up and hit him in the chest," said Stainton.

Ambulance officers confirmed they attended a reef fatality Monday morning off Port Douglas, according to Australian media. (Watch scenes of Irwin, known for his his enthusiasm and support for conservation -- 2:49)

Queensland Police Services also confirmed Irwin's death and said his family had been notified. Irwin was director of the Australia Zoo in Queensland. (Read the TIME.com obituary.)
He is survived by his American-born wife Terri and their two children, Bindi Sue, born 1998, and Robert (Bob), born December 2003.

"The world has lost a great wildlife icon, a passionate conservationist and one of the proudest dads on the planet," Stainton told reporters in Cairns, according to The Associated Press. "He died doing what he loved best and left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind. He would have said, 'Crocs Rule!' " (Watch a remembrance of Steve Irwin -- 1:58)

Australia Prime Minister John Howard said he was "shocked and distressed at Steve Irwin's sudden, untimely and freakish death," according to AP. "It's a huge loss to Australia."
Irwin became a popular figure on Australian and international television through Irwin's close handling of wildlife, most notably the capture and relocation of crocodiles.

Irwin's enthusiastic approach to nature conservation and the environment won him a global following. He was known for his exuberance and use of the catch phrase "Crikey!"
"It's unbelievable, really," Jack Hanna, the host of "Jack Hanna's Animal Adventure" and director emeritus of the Columbus (Ohio) Zoo, told CNN. "You think of Steve Irwin and you think 'invincible.' "

Hanna, a friend of Irwin's, noted that Irwin's persona of the Crocodile Hunter was no act. Irwin grew up around crocodiles, snakes and other animals at his parents' Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park and had been handling such creatures since he was a child.

"The guy lived his life this way," said Hanna. "It was how he was raised. You knew that this guy, from the time he was 8 or 9 years old, was working with crocodiles and snakes."
Though stingrays can be threatening, their sting -- usually prompted by self-defense -- is not often fatal. The bull ray that apparently stung Irwin was "a one-in-a-million thing," wildlife documentary maker Ben Cropp told TIME. "I have swum with many rays, and I have only had one do that to me."

"A wild animal is like a loaded gun -- it can go off at any time," Hanna told CNN. "You have to be careful of that." But, he added, it's not the animals who are inherently dangerous, but the way they may react around humans. "It's not fair to the animal. It's only using the defenses that God gave it," said Hanna.

Rise to popularity
Irwin first became popular with his show "Crocodile Hunter," which first aired on Australian TV in 1992. Eventually, the program was picked up by the Discovery Network in the United States, establishing Irwin worldwide.

His popularity led to a film, "The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course" (2002).
Irwin's image suffered a setback in January 2004 when he held his then 1-month-old baby Bob while feeding a crocodile at his Australian zoo. (Full story)

In a statement released to Australian media, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer expressed his sorrow and said that he was fond of Irwin and was very appreciative of all the work he had done in promoting Australia overseas.

In 2003, Irwin spoke to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.'s "Australian Story" television program about how he was perceived in his home country.

"When I see what's happened all over the world, they're looking at me as this very popular, wildlife warrior Australian bloke," he said, the ABC reported.

"And yet back here in my own country, some people find me a little bit embarrassing. "You know, there's this ... they kind of cringe, you know, 'cause I'm coming out with 'Crikey' and 'Look at this beauty.' "

"He has left a legacy," Stainton told CNN. "That people do love some of the unloved animals like crocodiles and reptiles that people wanted to kill. He's actually put a position in their hearts for them. I want that to continue. ... I want people to really go out there and remember Steve Irwin for what he really was, which was a great conservationist, saving wildlife and actually promoting wildlife that people didn't love."

The Potter and The Clay (Jeremiah/Isaiah)

Sermon Title: The Potter and The Clay (Jeremiah/Isaiah)
Text: Jeremiah 18:3-6, Isaiah 64:8
Copyright (c) Nathaniel Tan

We often hear words of song that go “You are the potter, I am the clay”. There are even song titles that read “The potter’s hand”. What can we learn about the potter, and the clay?

In the book of Jeremiah 18, we find God telling Jeremiah to go down to a potter’s house to receive His message. Jeremiah obediently goes there and he saw a potter working on a potters’ wheel.

In Jeremiah’s time, pottery was a major industry. People needed bowls, cups, jugs and they were all made of clay. If you were at the potter’s house, the first thing you would take notice of would be a large wooden wheel that’s about the size of a car tire that was rotated by the feet of the potter.

This was perhaps a common sight for Jeremiah and it was possible that Jeremiah probably wondered what could be taught from the potter and the clay that the potter used to form stuff into.

If you were there, you would probably see how the potter took the clay and form a pot. He would go through specific steps throughout the process. The potter would pick up a seemingly useless, shapeless lump of clay, putting it into a pot of water, washing it, and then letting it soak in the water for a while. After soaking it, he would take it out and start to slap the clay around a bit, after which he would knead the clay to remove the lumps in the clay.

After kneading the clay, the potter would take a thin piece of wire and cut through the lump of clay, right in the middle. The potter does this to see if there are any air bubbles or impurities inside. Air pockets and impurities will cause the clay to crack during drying or firing and the potter always wants to make sure that each piece of pottery that comes out from drying and firing comes out perfect. After making sure that the clay is good for molding, the potter’s feet go to work and the turn-table spins around, round and round. It takes a while, but in the potter’s skillful hands, the clay soon takes shape and slowly becomes a solid representation of what was seen in the potter’s mind. After it has been fired, the final pottery is glazed before it is set on a shelf for display in someone’s home, or for use.

Just understanding how the potter works on his clay, we can learn some valuable lessons about God and us. First, God takes you and I. We were nothing but a lump of clay; hopeless, useless and shapeless. As that clay was dug from a pit in the ground by the potter, so we have been drawn out of the pit of eternal destruction and sin by Jesus Christ. In Psalm 40:2, David writes that God “brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock”.

Secondly, the potter takes the clay and soaks it in water. We being the clay have to be soaked in the word of God. As the clay is saturated with the water, we have to be saturated and filled with God’s word. Dry clay is useless to a potter. Dry clay can’t be molded and shaped into forms; dry clay cracks. God needs softened hearts to work with, hearts that are willing to suck in all that God wants to teach us. God can’t work on people who aren’t willing to hear His word. When we become sensitive to His word, He begins to shape us for our ministry.

Next comes the slapping around and cutting of the clay. Now, God wouldn’t exactly take us, cut us, and slap us around literally, but I believe that we are ‘slapped around a bit’ when God allows trials and temptations to come around to try our faith. James 1:2-3 speaks of trials and temptations that come our way, only to build us up! God wants to make us into pure and holy vessels, and while He is in the process of molding our lives so that we become mature Christians, He has to work out all of our lumps, our weaknesses, imperfections, strongholds; things that are hindering us from become who God wants us to be. So allow God to work you around in His hands. Be patient as He roughs you up, He’s only trying to work out the rough spots in your life so that you can be the person He wishes for you to be.

After the slapping and cutting of the clay, the forming of the clay begins to take shape. The potter would place the clay on the turn table, using his feet to spin the table around. As with the clay as it spins around in circles, sometimes we too think that our lives are going nowhere, that we are accomplishing nothing, that we are not growing. We’ve got to stay on the turn-table and be patient as God slowly but surely molds us into who he wants us to be.

The final processes are the firing and glazing processes. Pottery is placed into a furnace of fire, where it spends a lot of time baking, till it becomes hard. The firing process comes after all the trials; the soaking, kneading, slapping, cutting and shaping. After this, the pottery is glazed. Not only does it make the piece of pottery beautiful with its shiny coat, it prepares the piece of pottery to be able to hold liquids without leaking. The piece of pottery has now matured and it can be used. When someone looks at that beautiful piece of pottery, it isn’t only the work that they praise, but also the potter who shaped it and made it with his hands. I think that I need no further explanations.

When God has finally molded us to who we were meant to be, people who look at us will praise Him, the one who made us. We will be shining lights for God who bring light to the world. You are the potter, I am the clay.

Bloggin in class? hehehee

i'm blogging in my hebrew class right now where we're talking about Psalm 133. Taken from the NET Bible (www.bible.org)
133:1 Look! How good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together!133:2 It is like fine oil poured on the head which flows down the beard – Aaron’s beard, and then flows down his garments.133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which flows down upon the hills of Zion. Indeed that is where the Lord has decreed a blessing will be available – eternal life.
A Breakdown:
133:1The english translation does not really do justice to this really short psalm. In verse one, the verse in Hebrew depicts how good/excellent/joyous/beautiful/pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony. It refers to the extended family structure of ancient Israel where brothers would often live in proximity to one another (Deut 25:5), giving the famjily greater social prominence and also, security. In its later application however, it probably envisions unity within the covenant community.
133:2Aaron who is described in this verse was the high-priest of ancient Israel. During that time, high-priests were annointed into service - Aaron was. It was a mixture of 4 litres of olive oil with myrrh, frankincense and other fragrances, when mixed together, formed a very special perfume. This was poured out onto the head of the person (Aaron, in this case) and it would literally soak the person who was being annointed. He would then live the next few days without washing this off.
133:3The psalmist does not intend to suggest that the dew from Mt. Hermon in the distant north actually flows down upon Zion. His point is that the same kind of heavy dew that replenishes Hermon may also be seen on Zion’s hills. See A. Cohen, Psalms (SoBB), 439. “Dew” here symbolizes divine blessing, as the next line suggests.
End! :)

Sermon :)

Sermon: You Can't Stand Alone!
Text: 1 Kings 19
Copyright by Nathaniel Tan

How many times have you gone through a really intense spiritual experience, perhaps a miracle or something you thought could never happen, happening to you; only to suddenly feel overcome by doubt that it wasnt God who really made it happen or that it was simply coincidental and that it had nothing to do with Gods divine power? This doubt leads you to isolate yourself from your believing friends, it might even cause you to want to give up whatever it is youre doing and doubt Gods guidance.

In the book of 1 Kings, we find Elijah the prophet going through this exact experience. He had just witnessed Gods supremacy over the Baal, the God that queen Jezebel worshiped. God had sent fire from heaven that literally ate and drank up everything! The whole alter of stones was reduced to ashes and all the water that was poured over it and aroundit had evaporated. The priests of Baal had all killed themselves in trying to call Baal to send fire down from heaven to burn up their offering, which was all dry.

Queen Jezebel sent out a death threat to Elijah and the prophet ran for his life. Out in the wilderness, he sat down and asked God to take his life from him.Elijah was feeling doubtful that God could protect him from Jezebel. Sure, she was a wicked queen who undoubtedly was scary; she scared Elijah enough to have him run for his life, even after what Elijah had seen God do at the challenge of the gods. Elijah had also left his servant along the way and he was all alone, isolated and detached from society, all ready to quit the calling that God had given him.
In our society, how do we deal with problems like these when they come our way? Im sure we wont receive death threats like Elijah did, but what about nasty rumors, gossiping behind your back and such? What steps can we take so that we dont find ourselves running away from God and losing the light to our candle?

While reading about Elijah and how he ran away from Jezebel, I noticed that Elijah was overcome by doubt that God could very well save him from the hands of Jezebel. Elijah also isolated himself from everyone, even his servant. Elijah also wanted to quite his ministry and end his life altogether! He was really depressed.

How can we get out of a rut similar to that which Elijah fell into? Further reading in chapter nineteen of 1 Kings gives us the solution.

First, you've got to get into the right position. Now, what is the right position? In verse 11, God tells Elijah where to go and what to do in order to receive His message. In our context, how can we get into position? Tracking back a few verses, we find Elijah in conversation with God. Elijah tried to hear God in a strong wind, but God wasnt there. He tried to hear God call in an earthquake that a followed soon after, and then a fire... but God was nowhere to be heard... until everything became calm; then God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice.Now, about getting into the right position. We need to be able to position ourselves so that we can hear God speak to us. Without opening our hearts up for God, how can we position ourselves to receive him? Just like a sponge. If we were all sponges which could soak up all sorts of liquids, all of us would be soaked in some form of liquid. It could be good or bad. We could be soaking in all our worldly lusts and not soak up an ounce of Gods love. To position ourselves to soak up what God has for us, we have to first wring, or squeeze out the stuff inside of us thats taking up the capacity to absorb what we really need God. Weve got to position ourselves to receive Him.

Secondly, we need to get the right direction. Have you seen amateur soccer teams and professional soccer teams? Have you seen the differences in the way they play? Professional soccer teams have coaches who give proper directions and instructions to the players on the team. They have been directed to do a dedicated task and it helps when you have direction in what you do, not running around aimlessly with a ball on the field. In verses 15-17, God tells Elijah exactly where to go and what to do. Elijah has now gotten direction. Dont we need direction in our lives too? Direction keeps us close to Gods will for us and it gives us confidence in everything that we do!

Lastly, we have to surround ourselves with the right people. Notice that throughout the second half of chapter nineteen, Elijah makes reference to himself as being the only one left. Being the only one leftcan be a very demoralizing experience. I remember how sad I felt years ago when I received my test paper in class with a big F written on it. I thought that I was the only one to have failed so badly...it was demoralizing. Then, as I looked around, I noticed that there were so many others who had gotten Fs too! It was an uplifting experience! There were others who were just like me! I wasnt alone! Okay, Im not saying that you should feel happy just because other people have failed their papers when youve failed yours! Im trying to make a point that when youre together with people of the same faith, the right people, youll be able to, with the other two points mentioned previously, to get out of the rut that Elijah found himself in, just the way Elijah found out how to.
The story in chapter nineteen ends with Elijah getting renewed vigor to carry out what God had planned for him in full confidence.

Youth Alive

Heard from friends that the Youth Alive 2006 was a smashing success! A big AMEN to that and affirmation to the team that did it! Not sure of ALL the poeple... but I know the following were involved in one way or another...

Faith
Lionel
Tricia
Truddy
Shawn
Amabel
Boon
Gary
Qin
Bryan
JD
Jimmy

more than that - sorry i dont know exactly who was involved!!! I'm so glad to see you guys grow and serve God with your talents! I'm sure that God will multiply your talents for the furthering of His work!!! - nate

ps. JER, send me some pix!!

the days

The day has been alright so far, though I didn't have enough sleep. Didn't manage to get any breakfast today cos I was late but I've eaten - so its not so bad :) Just completed my homework for Hebrew class. Can't READ yet, but I'm just about beginning to recognize the 22 alphabets in the Hebrew language. Hebrew's got no vowels! WOW! amazing eh?

Reading the Tanakh will be the aim for me by the end of this semester! hehehe... carrying the Hebrew Bible around and practicing. Yup... I'm actually copying out the alphabets one by one to make sure that I can recognize them - trying to keep my little brain busy with Hebrew!

Understanding Hebrew is gonna be interesting as well. My professor brought up something that we touched on in Biblical Exegesis a few semesters ago about when we realized that Judah was the type of Christ and not any other of his brothers! Nope... it wasn't the dude with the Technicolor Coat, but it was Judah! Well, you go read and try understand yourelf huh? If you can't really find out why, then ask me... I'd be more than happy to explain it to you!

Dr. Fanwar (my professor) said earlier today that we'd benefit from the Languages that we learn in school... i kinda thought it through, and its actually very true - most lay people won't be able to read the bible in Greek/Hebrew, where the languages hold poetry and descriptions that cannot be captured by the english language! Ever thought of trying to translate and capture the essence of a chinese saying? (those 4 words things...) You can't really capture all of it - you might get the gist of it, but the emotion and feel of the phrase is lost in the translation (lost in translation?) hehehehe :) okays... I've gotta go back to practicing my Hebrew... tata for now~