Gospel Translation Vision: Volunteers Welcome

It was not very long ago that Andre and I chatted over breakfast at a restaurant in Subang, outside CDPC about the Gospeltranslation project. We share common concern about the crying need for theological literacy in the Asian region in a language that is close to their hearts, and the power of collaboration across the internet.

One of the critical success factors I felt was lacking in previous false starts from different peole with a similar vision is the buy-in from existing church structures - Who's gonna read these stuffs we translate if the leaders and believers themselves dunno about them? Or dun encourage their people to check it out?

With this video, I am glad and thankful to God that the vision is fast taking shape.. and has bloomed in ways we never imagined. (at least I didn't) And Andre and Andrew Mahr have done a great job getting the folks at Desiring God, Sovereign Grace and 9marks on board. Of course, getting the copyright to resources is overcoming a major hurdel, we still need volunteers from all over the world who catch the vision and willing to chip in.

If that person is you, I want you to lift up your hand. Nobody's watching. All eyes are closed... all heads bowed and the music gently playing. If you are the man or the woman, lift up that hand and type a mail to hedonese at gmail dot com

Reflections on The Amazing Grace Movie

I've watched the movie twice already, but still find it inspiring especially when watching together with about 80+ friends, brothers and sisters at Community Baptist Church. It was also the final wrap-up discussion of the Total Truth group. Look forward to the day a Malaysian movie maker do a commentary or movie on Tan Sri Tan Chee Koon :D

Some brief comments from my post-movie sharing. Social justice is a marathon, not a 10 second sprint or 100 metre dash. Wilberforce suffered 20 years of defeat, discouragement and even death threat for his struggle before slavery was finally abolished 3 days before his death. Winning an election in 2 weeks is just the beginning...

The life of Wilberforce reminds us the need for more full time Christians in the world (and more fulltime workers in the church) to make a difference where they are. When Wilberforce was 25 years old, he has a spiritual transformation so dramatic that he considered quitting politics to be a priest. As depicted in the movie, a wise mentor in the form of John Newton (ex slave trader and famous hymn writer of "Amazing Grace") counselled against a career change.

Thirdly social justice is a community project, not a solo effort. Burnout is a constant danger. The scene of Hannah, Clarkson, Equiano etc sharing a meal together ("We humbly suggest that you can do both (serving God and being a political activist)") shows how different people bring their unique skills, contributions (look for evidence, write books, look for loopholes in the legislation etc)

Although not a part of the movie, Wilberforce has a group of friends who meet up regularly for prayer and worship called the Clapham Sect. They share evangelical Christian faith, long term commitment to social cause and lifelong friendship. Together they worked hard for missions, translating the bible, improve working conditions for the poor in manufacturing industry, agricultural reform to supply affordable food, prevent animal cruelty (RSCPA), prison reform, improve child labor conditions, freedom of religion, education and oppose blood sport/duels etc.

You can't do all of that on your own, we need the power of community. Imagine if every cell group in our churches just choose ONE cause of mercy or justice and commit long term to it!

Finally, there's a scene in the movie where Wilberforce asked his affluent MP friends to "remember the Madagascar (a slave ship that reeks of the stench of death). Remember that God created man equal". The theological conviction behind his activism is that every human being regardless of race is created in God's image and therefore has inherent dignity and worth. Especially relevant in Msia where race relations have been so politicised, and the church needs to work for racial reconciliation.

James 5:13-20

Thank God for bringing me through a hectic weekend. Because Rev Wong was ministering in Mongolia and Peter Rowan unavailable, I was given the opportunity to give an exposition of James 5:13-20 on Pentecost Sunday/Global Day of Prayer. You may check it out at the CDPC website

Arms Wide Open (Creed)

Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is going to change
I closed my eyes, begin to pray
Then tears of joy stream down my face

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open

Well I don't know if I'm ready
To be the man I have to be
I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side
We stand in awe, we've created life

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open

If I had just one wish
Only one demand
I hope he's not like me
I hope he understands
That he can take this life
And hold it by the hand
And he can greet the world
With arms wide open...

Creating Awareness About...

sickle cell anemia...

Apakah Itu Injil? (Berita Baik)

Terjemahan oleh HuaiTze dari "The Gospel In 6 Minutes"
Karya John Piper

Apakah itu injil? Biar saya simpulkan dalam satu ayat.Injil adalah berita bahawa Yesus Kristus, Yang Maha Muhsin, telah mengorbankan Diri demi dosa kami dan bangkit semula, menewaskan segala musuhnya supaya sekarang tiada lagi hukuman terhadap mereka yang percaya, tetapi hanya kegembiraan yang abadi. Itulah Injil.

Anda Sentiasa Perlukan Injil

Anda tidak mungkin sampai suatu tahap dimana kamu tidak lagi memerlukan Injil. Jangan sesekali menyangka bahawa Injil itu hanya cara kamu diselamatkan, dan selepas itu, kamu menjadi gagah lalu meninggalkan injil untuk membuat perkara lain.

Tidak! Tuhan menguatkan kita melalui Injilnya, setiap hari, sahingga hari kita meninggal dunia. Pertumbuhan rohani anda tidak mungkin menjangkau keperluan anda untuk mengkhutbahkan Injil kepada dirimu sendiri.

Cara Injil Meneguhkan Anda

Biar saya berikan contoh dari hidupku sendiri. Saya menggunakan contoh ini bukan kerana terasanya hebat untuk bercakap tentang hidup saya, tetapi hanya kerana ia merupakan suatu perjalanan yang telah saya rentasi. Di situ, saya telah mengalami kuasa Injil untuk memperkasakan jati diriku dengan jelas sekali pada tahun lalu. (Ramai diantara kamu sedang merentasi hal-hal yang berkali ganda lebih membebankan daripada barah prostat.)

Kamu masih ingatkah ayat-ayat yang telah saya kongsi denganmu bulan Febuari lalu? Ayat-ayat yang telah menguatkan diri saya? Apabila doktor berkata, ”Saya rasa kita harus buat biopsi,” itulah waktunya rasa gentar dan khuatir muncul. Tetapi, kerana belas kasihanNya, ia tidak tahan lama.

Apa yang terjadi ? 1 Tesalonika 5:9-10. Di sinilah Injil yang tulen.

Kerana Allah tidak menetapkan kita untuk ditimpa murka, tetapi untuk beroleh keselamatan oleh Yesus Kristus, Tuhan kita, yang sudah mati untuk kita, supaya entah kita berjaga-jaga, entah kita tidur, kita hidup bersama-sama dengan Dia.

Beres. Saya mengalami kedamaian bagaikan sungai.

Injil Itu Sempurna Untuk Keperluan Kamu

Itulah Injil – tepat masanya, sesuai aplikasinya, sempurna memenuhi keperluan saya. Itulah sebabnya Al-Kitab begitu tebal – kerana terdapat pelbagai keperluan yang kita ada. Dan terdapat pelbagai tempat yang sesuai di dalam Al-Kitab dimana makna Injil itu didedahkan. Jadi, jika kamu membenamkan diri di dalam Al-Kitab, selalunya dengan mata untuk memerhati segala yang Kristus telah lakukan bagi kamu, dan bagaimana Dia menebus kamu di dalam sejarah menyeluruh dan gemilang interaksi Allah dengan umatNya, Dia akan membekalkan apa sahaja yang kamu perlukan.

Oleh kerana itu, seluruh diri saya berkata, dan harapan saya adalah untuk berkata sebegini sampai ke hari saya meninggal, ”Sekarang, kepada Dia yang boleh menggagahkan saya, melalui Injil Paulus, kepada Dia – Kepada Allah itu – Kemuliaan untuk selama-lamanya.”

Tuhan telah menembusi sejarah manusia sebagai Yesus Kristus; Dia telah mati disalib untuk memusnahkan kuasa neraka dan kematian dan Syaitan dan dosa; dan Dia melakukannya melalui Injil Yesus Kristus.

Rayuan Untuk Beriman

Saya tahu bahawa ada orang yang membaca ayat-ayat ini yang tidak menaruh kepercayaan kepada Yesus Kristus, dan kerana itu, hanya mampu menantikan penghukuman. Saya hendak merayu kepada kamu, hentikanlah pemberontakan kamu. Serahlah dirimu. Hanya perlu anda memeluk Injil berkenaan Yesus Kristus, Anak Allah, Yang Maha Benar yang telah mati demi dosa kamu. Dia telah bangkit pada hari ketiga, dan telah menewaskan kesemua musuh-musuhNya. Dia akan memerintah sehingga semua musuhNya diletakan di bawah kakiNya. Pengampunan dosa dan perhubungan yang betul dengan Allah hanya datang secara percuma melalui kepercayaan atas Yesus sahaja.

Saya merayu kepadamu: Jangan cuba perkasakan diri kamu dengan kekuatan sendiri; ia akan hilang apabila benar-benar diperlukan. Hanya satu kegagahan yang akan sentiasa hadir – kekuatan yang diberikan Allah melalui Injil.

Jangan berlengah-lengah lagi.

Amazing Grace: The Movie - Register Now!

Last year, the Agora has worked with OHMSI.net to do a book study on "Total Truth" by Nancy Pearcey and we'd be wrapping it up with the last chapter on May 10th 2008 (Saturday) at 10 am. Venue: Community Baptist Church in SS2/4 (near Chow Yang)

After that, there will be lunch at 12 pm (This is open to all. Pls invite friends to come at this time, RM5 per person) and we'd be showing the movie Amazing Grace (on the life of british abolitionist William Wilberforce) at abt 1.00pm.

We will be trying to invite people like Bishop Hwa Yung, Dr David G, YB Hannah Yeo (Subang ADUN) and others to be panelists and moderators for the post-movie sharing.

We're especially doing this for Malaysian youths - christian or nonchristian so please feel free to invite your friends for the lunch/movie/sharing. Book your date with us.

For more details or to register, contact me at hedonese at gmail dot com
Panel discussion to end by 5.00pm

Skip A Meal Today!

Half the world — nearly 3 billion people — live on less than two dollars a day
The hunger statistics will only increase without us, the more privileged lot, taking action.

Skip breakfast : RM 10 - Will give 2 Orang Asli children three decent meals a day
Skip lunch : RM 20 - Will feed 5 Orang Asli children three meals a day
Skip dinner : RM50 - Will provide an entire year’s worth of lunch for a North Korean child

For the second time round, World Vision is starting this hunger movement again, urging you and I to take action starting from ourselves, in acting against world’s poverty.

The Skip-A-Meal Campaign (sign up here) channels the money you are going to save from skipping just one meal - breakfast, lunch or dinner - to provide a steaming bowl of rice or noodles to a starving, tired child in Sabah or North Korea. This year, students from HELP Institute College of Technology has taken the lead in responding to this kind act. Let’s join them! You, yes YOU! have a chance to put a smile on the faces of the children in need. We encourage you to take a meal-off today - your small sacrifice will be able to make a HUGE difference!

Just skip a meal today and invite your friends to join you in this simple, yet impactful act!

RealPolitik

We have plenty of news these days but very little analysis or interpretation of what these events might mean. Kian Ming and Oon Yeoh has already posted 25 episodes of political analysis podcasts on WebmobTV: "where we cut through the crap to give you real insights"

For example:
"Currently there is much heated debate over whether Dr Mahathir Mohamad or Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is more to blame for the various woes that afflict the country.

Our perspective is that Dr M's misdeeds were sins of "commission" while Pak Lah's were that of "omission". The former caused much institutional damage but the latter failed to fix the mess he inherited although he was given a huge mandate to do so."

Check it out fast!

Post# 1001: Amazing Grace The Movie

This is an early preliminary heads'up until we confirm the date/venue.

Last year, the Agora has worked with OHMSI.net to do a book study on "Total Truth" by Nancy Pearcey and we'd be wrapping it up with the last chapter on May 10th 2008 (Saturday) at 10 am.

After that, there will be lunch at 12 pm (This is open to all) and we'd be showing the movie Amazing Grace (on the life of british abolitionist William Wilberforce) at abt 1.00pm.

We will be trying to invite people like Bishop Hwa Yung, Dr David G, YB Hannah Yeo (Subang ADUN) and others to be panelists and moderators for the post-movie sharing.

We're especially doing this for Malaysian youths - christian or nonchristian so please feel free to invite your friends for the lunch/movie/sharing. Book your date with us.

For more details or to register, contact me at hedonese at gmail dot com
Panel discussion to end by 5.00pm