My Family & My Church: March 2009

Saturday, March 28, 2009

iPhone - After Almost One Week

After almost a week of using the iPhone, I must say it has exceeded my expectation in almost all categories.

With the exception of my once exceptional skill in playing Nintendo Game & Watch... now I could only score in the low 100s :(

As for my wife, "The Chef" is her favourite :)

As for Bible Apps, I chose the free Olive Tree Bible Reader that comes with KJV & ASV. I also bought the ESV Study Bible version. But was disappointed that the ESV SB is a stand alone apps. So I couldn't do a split screen with KJV & ESV :(

One additional feature I wish they could add is some kind of simple note taking function.

The best surprise so far is the Map apps. I never expected the Google Map to work "so well"! At least not in this part of the planet, that is.

The details just blew me away!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Finally...

After a 2 years' wait, finally I collected my 16gb iPhone 3G this morning! Praise the Lord!

...and one of the first Apps I bought ;)

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Remembering Dad

It has been 3 years since dad departed to be with the LORD.

Well, I guess even by Earth-year standard, by now he should be a graduate in Bible Study already ;) Or at least he has a very impressive garden next to his heavenly house by now. Dad loved gardening. He won 3rd place once - for having the nicest backyard garden in Sibu! (And he didn't even know he was in the competition. LOL!)

I would also guess by now mom is fully briefed (who passed away when I was only 12) on all the happenings of the family down here - all the heartaches, broken hopes, tears... - all the usual stuff before one comes to know the LORD. But I am also sure she must be jumping with joy & singing Hallelujah knowing all the kids are gloriously saved by the blood of Jesus now... O the grace & mercy of God!

All the above "extra-biblical revelations" are obviously just a fiction of my imagination. But it does betray the hope - this joyous hope - that is inside of me, promised by the Scripture, knowing that I shall meet up with them one day... O how I long for that day! To be reunite with my dear family members to worship Jesus together in absolute joy & purity!

To my unbelieving friends & relatives, this "hope" is "bad luck" cuz death is a taboo subject. Especially for the Chinese... O if ONLY they know of this unspeakable joy inside of me knowing that my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life!

As believers, we are admonished to pray for the salvation of our loved ones. Pray, my dear brothers & sisters in Christ - pray for their salvation!

Friday, March 20, 2009

iPhone 3G Count Down... :D

Just one weekend away... :D

I need suggestion & advice on which is the best (or better) Bible Apps to get... Pls HELP!!!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

3 New Bibles

Over the past weeks I got my hands on 3 new Bibles!

The most interesting one is perhaps this vintage Eyre & Spottiswoode KJV in RED Fine Grain Morocco. All thanks to Mr David Falow for his kind offer.

The cover is plain & simple without all the fancy grain patterns of Cambridge's Water Buffalo Calfskin, or Allan's Highland goatskin. Very elegant in its simplicity.

According to Mr David Farlow:

Eyre & Spottiswoode, Ltd. was the London based printing firm that was the Queens's Printer, and subsequently, after April 1929, a publisher of the same name. were acquired by Cambridge university Press - The current Queen's Printer.

So, a bit of history lesson for me who knew nothing about this printing house...and I am glad I have the opportunity to own this beautiful Bible.

However, despite the many excellent qualities, it has a very "serious" flaw - its printing.

The printing is generally ok. And I was actually pleasantly surprised that its font size is as big as Oxford's Longprimer! Meaning, A++ in readability...that is until you come across the red letters!

The red letter parts are disappointing. Some small sections are extremely faded and another small sections exhibit "double image" problem. Now I can understand why some people have such "phobia" over red letter Bibles. The inconsistency in printing can be maddening. Otherwise this would have been a near perfect Bible.

Well, at least I come to appreciate my vintage red letter Cambridge Bibles much more now. They are crisp, dark red & "focused"! May be that's why Cambridge became the new HM Printer ;)

And talking about Cambridge, yes, I got myself another Cameo. This one is bound in Brown Cambria Bonded Leather. And looking at the crazy prices people are snapping up BONDED leather Cameos, I am glad I picked up this one at "basement bargain" price!

But a Bonded Leather is STILL a Bonded Leather despite the fancy name Cambridge has given to this particular edition. In terms of feel & suppleness, no way can you compare this to the luscious calfskin. It is still stiff & Bertrand-Yoga unfriendly.

Stiffness aside, this Cameo is nonetheless gorgeous. The "fake" grain pattern is especially attractive, and the color is beautiful. And MOST importantly, the printing inside is PERFECT. Yes, the red letters are sharp & dark.

But it does have a tiny flaw - the ungainly sight of clumsy workmanship in gluing! There are beads of dry glue all over the edges!

Last but not least is this humble looking paperback Bible given to me as a gift from my sister.

I haven't done much checking yet, but I understand this Bible version is done by a group of Messianic Jews. The OT books are arranged as per the "original" Hebrew Bible. And most unique of all - God's name, Yahweh & the name Jesus - are left untranslated in Hebrews throughout the pages. Very cool!

Praise the LORD for these new Bibles!

"Vintage" Stuff :)

This morning - to my SHOCK - uncle Pete emailed me this superb "vintage" photo of mine! LOL!

AND this one too - my High School graduation photo! McClancy Memorial High School, class of '86. It has been 23 years since...gosh!

BUT the best is this water color painting of mine. Painted in 1984 for a speech class assignment. It was my FIRST "public speaking" assignment in a language I was not fluent in, to an audience who couldn't quite understand my "accent". But praise the LORD I passed with "flying colors" literally ;)

Just in case u are interested - these 5 fellows actually represented me & my 4 BFFs caught in a UFO beam! LOL!

THANK YOU uncle Pete for these priceless Vintage digital copies!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Plan B

* It seems the 5 videos can't play in a continuous way. So u gotta click at the individual subsequent clip at the end of each one.

Was God surprised by Adam & Eve's fall? Well, to be frank, I was quite shocked when I hear some members in my care-group said, "Yes!"

I shared my view that the Fall of mankind was "planned" by God (come to think of it, may be I should have used the word - "allowed".) Never in my mind did I ever thought God had to go for PLAN B when Adam bit into that forbidden fruit!

So lovingly without sounding too harsh I touched on the Doctrine of Election & Predestination, and the fact that God is Omniscient & Sovereign. So how could God NOT KNOW the outcome of His creation? God only has Plan A, and that plan was predetermined from BEFORE the foundation of the world. God is not the one who needs to adjust His plan to accomodate "latest unexpected changes" brought about by either free-willed-man (?) or the devil.

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

(Eph 1:4-6)

But I did have a question during the discussion - How could Adam & Eve fall when they were supposedly sinless? The answer by my loving care-group: "Free Will." O well...

Update @ April 13th:

Using 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith as my guide - on The Fall of Man, Sin & Punishment:

Although God created man upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, which secured life for him while he kept it, and although God warned him that he would die if he broke it, yet man did not live long in this honour.

- Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to subdue Eve, seduced Adam by her, and he, without any compulsion, wilfully transgressed the law of their creation and the command given to them by eating the forbidden fruit.

- And this act God, according to His wise and holy counsel, was pleased to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory.

Baptist Confession of Faith on "Free Will":

God has indued the will of man, by nature, with liberty and the power to choose and to act upon his choice. This free will is neither forced, nor destined by any necessity of nature to do good or evil.
Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God, but he was unstable, so that he might fall from this condition.
Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has completely lost all ability of will to perform any of the spiritual good which accompanies salvation. As a natural man, he is altogether averse to spiritual good, and dead in sin. He is not able by his own strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself for conversion.
When God converts a sinner, and translates him into a state of grace, He frees him from his natural bondage to sin, and by grace alone He enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good. But because of his remaining corruptions he does not only (or perfectly) will that which is good, but also wills that which is evil.
The will of man will only be made perfectly and immutably free to will good alone in the state of glory.

So in conclusion:

- Adam did sin wilfully

- After sin entered the world, unregenerated men have lost "free will". Only "corrupted will".

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Apple iPhone 3G

After waiting for ages, Apple iPhone will FINALLY be "available" (officially, that is) here in Malaysia!

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Singing Performances

Wonderful to see the various singing "performances" :) Especially when it is Christ exalting!

Here is David & Chiew Hui singing together.

The love shown forth from David's care group is simply awesome. They didn't just help out in all the functions (with sweat & love) but brother Peter even BAKED the wedding cake himself as a love gift to David! I understand someone sponsored the champagne too!

Our beloved Pastor Cheng!

Staff from HainanSt. All these kids used to be "living in the dark" - not knowing God, having no hope & without love. By the grace & mercy of God, mom & Evelyn were vessels called to share the gospel of Jesus with them with much love & patience. O the mercy of God!

All glory be the our Jesus!

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Wedding Dinner Preview & Surprises

Whew! It's finally over! And what a wonderful night of celebration! To the praise & glory of God!

The BIG SURPRISE of the night - met up with a "never met before" close relative! Uncle Pete, I think u should know him. He claims to have stayed at grandpa house at Tiong Hua Road for 6 mths sharing the same room with u!

Another pleasant surprise - another "almost never met before" close relatives. The lady next to me is my "new" SISTER! Btw, uncle Pete, do u have any idea who is this person in the middle?

Favourite Moments

Hmmm...no words needed here...

Mom's new "industrial" strength super kitchen!

"Eh...what happened to your HAIR?!!" I have been asked lots of times for past couple of weeks with my "new" hair-do... so instead of blaming my genes, I decided I should use the following verse:

Grey hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.
(Proverbs 16:31)

Btw, do you know our LORD Jesus is pictured as having WHITE hair too? Don't believe? Check out this description by Apostle John!

His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow...
(Revelation 1:14)

I shall glory in my graying hairs! Hallelujah! ;)