RAW Challenge Day 16

Mark 16

The last chapter of this Gospel and the last day of the RAW Challenge. The resurrection. The crucifiction is important, but more importantly is the resurrection. For without it, the basis of our faith is useless. 

The RAW Challenge has come to an end, but there is still the 40 day prayer and fast. Won't be bloggin every single day, but will try to fast like I did last year. Not easy at all! 

On Tuesday, the 2nd half of the year begins. Too fast!!!!

RAW Challenge Day 15

Mark 15

The penultimate day and the penultimate chapter. The cruxifiction. One of the most important parts of the Gospel. The cross was in those days regarded as a symbol of death and fear. But it was this act that turned the cross into a symbol of life and love. It is impossible to comprehend this love that the Father has for us. 

RAW Challenge Day 14

Mark 14

Intense chapter! It starts of with what has been described by a few worship leaders as "an exravagant act of worship". It's more than a song, but a posture of the heart. 

This story is about the Passion of Christ. The sufferings of the Saviour, this and the next chapter. It is just too much to comprehend. I remember a few years ago I was looking for a video of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, so I skimmed through my copy of "The Passion of Christ". When it came to the whipping scenes, I just couldn't watch them anymore. 

I think those who went through Peter's walk would have a different perspective when they read this passage. It's one thing to read it... it's another to have it come to life. 

RAW Challenge Day 13

Mark 13

Sign of the end times! My other area of interest besides worship. I've even shared on this chapter during service before. My take is always this, those who read the Bible and try to look for signs of the end times are missing the point. The point is at the end of the chapter, to be watchful!

We see wars, famine and declining morality, but that is all routine history. It has been that way for 2000 years. No one knows the hour or the time. We simply think we are the last generation. But we don't know. 

But yeah... those who think that prophecies about the end times can be found in the book of Revelations aren't exactly looking very hard. Revelations is simply "The End". Signs of the end can be found elsewhere. Like the Gospels and the Pauline Epistles. 

RAW Challenge Day 12

Mark 12

This chapter has a lot of parables and teachings of Jesus. Not all are easy to understand. Someone could probably write an entire PhD thesis on just one of these passages. 

The main point for me of course is when Jesus was asked to give the greatest commandment. He gave two. Because they come together. The top line and the bottom line. One day, someone should talk about the top line and the bottom line. It will inspire. 

RAW Challenge Day 11

Mark 11

A house of prayer? Or a den of robbers? That is something that I struggle with sometimes when I come to church. Have we over comercialised or over done some things that it has become a den of robbers? 

I guess the key is prayer. That is supposed to set things apart.

RAW Challenge Day 10

Mark 10

Strange how people misunderstood Jesus. James and John wanted glory and wanted to sit at Jesus' right hand when He was glorified. What they thought was that He would become a King in the literal fashion and that they would be officials in His court. Thier fellow disciples were jealous as they wanted their place too!

But that's not what Jesus meant. And the disciples got as they wished. Every one, except John, would be matyred in very painful ways. But by that time, they understood what it meant to be glorified. 

It is a picture of leadership. Not to be served, but to serve. To descend into greatness and not rise to it. That is the mystery of it all. 

RAW Challenge Day 9

Mark 9

Many images of Jesus in this chapter. Firstly the transfiguration. I wonder how the disciples must have felt when they saw Jesus suddenly transfigured, it would be quite scary to suddenly see some turn white and shine! 

Another imagery I get when I read this chapter is that Jesus was surrounded by little children as He preached and healed. It's just a beatiful image. It is interesting that Jesus had said some of the harshest things to His disciples when He was around these children. That's the heart of the Father, always on us, His children. 

Pastor showed this video this morning. Something I can use when I develop the new CE syllabus. 

RAW Challenge Day 8

Mark 8

This is the chapter about Peter's confession of the Christ. Doesn't seem like much, but it is a significant point in the Bible. When read from Peter's perspective, he is one of the first people to realise who Jesus is. Yet, he failed to recognise Jesus' purpose. 

Interestingly, this event wasn't in Peter's walk, but it was a really significant event. 

RAW Challenge Day 7

Mark 7

The thing that strikes me most in this passage is this quotation from the Book of Isaiah.

The Lord says

"These people will honour me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by  men." - Isaiah 29:13

I've read many stories of the song "Heart of Worship". Watched interviews with Matt Redman and Mike Pilavachi regarding the story surrounding the song and interestingly, I've never heard them mention this verse because it speaks about the story so well!

Indeed, sometimes our worship, though it may be heartfelt and passionate may end up being "rules taught by men". You jump, I jump kind of situation. If the hearts are far from God, or if their hearts are more focused on the song or the method and not on the one being worshipped, I think we are not honouring God. 

That's a big thought for me. 

RAW Challenge Day 6

Mark 6

This chapter is a long narrative portion of Jesus' ministry. Doesn't seem to start of well but later as things go, His ministry begins to prosper even amidst set back and rejection. I realise that even though Jesus performed miracles, people were sceptical. How true even in today's context. We don't see the miracles of old but we do see small miracles but yet we fail to recognise them. Sometimes we want a big huge booming voice to call out from the sky before we sit up and believe, but we seldom want to quiet ourselves to hear the still small voice. 

I've had my big miracle before, in NUS. Was dreaming of getting an honours degree but I did not qualify. So I told God that if I did qualify I would serve Him in the VCF. Naturally I thought that my grades would improve, but no. What happened was that NUS policy changed and reduced the criteria for honours and I was able to qualify. It was a lesson on God's power and it showed that my honours degree was no work of my own, but God's providence. 

At the camp, many were asked to write their spiritual timeline. I did mine many years ago and continue to extend it using this blog. When I look back I realise it was the small things along the way that made the biggest difference to my life. The small miracles of providence along the way that I failed to see then, but see clearly now. It has shown me that we serve a very faithful God. 

Being able to read the Bible everyday for the last 3 years. Now that's a miracle. 

RAW Challenge - Day 5

Mark 5

I remember acting out this chapter before. The part about the man and legion. I was acting as Jesus, but some people said I looked more like Saddam Hussien. Oh well... how sad. 

Anyway, this is a very interesting chapter, when Jesus casts out the demons, He tells the man not tell everyone about Him. But He does the opposite when He heals the woman. I wonder why. 

But the most important thing is that Jesus has supernatural power and He heals. The demon possessed, the long suffering and the dead. 

RAW Challenge - Day 4

Mark 4

Well, the Bible reading and reflection portion of this challenge isn't really a challenge for me since I am supposed to be championing Bible reading in YMPACT. So the challenge for me is really to make sure that everyone lives the challenge! My hope is that we go beyond 15 days!

This chapter has a wealth of lessons to draw from. Purpose. The purpose of a candle or a lamp stand is to illuminate the room, it is pointless to keep it lighted then hide it under a bowl. I guess this is a call discover one's purpose in life and to live that purpose and not run. Or as I told a friend today, God will send a big fish after you. 

Power. We sometimes forget that we serve a powerful God who can command crashing waves to stop at His will. I guess it has to do with many of the songs that we sing that deal with God's love that we've lost the wonder of our God. There has been a call in the last few years to write "big picture" songs, to restore this glorious image of our Lord and I am glad many of the modern writers have responded! 

RAW Challenge - Day 3

RAW is over, I'm still feeling a little raw from the whole experience. Very tired and not in the right frame of mind for school but that will have to change soon!

Anyway, was challenged by Ps Aaron to read the Bible and commit to a discipleship programme. Have been on a Bible reading programme for a while now but I've stop putting all my posts online. About high time I did so again. So, I will be blogging about my reading once again. Today is day 3 and we are supposed to have read till Mark 3. So here are my readings for the previous days.

Day 1 - Mark 1

If there is anything that I can learn from this passage is that Jesus would wake up early to pray. This is one of the things that is recorded in all 4 Gospels, and that is quite rare! Not even the Lord's Supper is recorded in all 4 Gospels.

I'm not a morning person although I am an early riser due to the nature of my profession. But I am not fully alert in the morning, especially the first period. This semester's timetable is very interesting, I have to teach during the first period 3 times a week.

I've often wondered what would be a good way to start the morning, but really, there is no better way than to start it with prayer. So I pray that I would be able to spend my early morning cycles in communion with God from now on. Especially in this week 0, since there is no human traffic on the roads.

Day 2 - Mark 2

This was the passage Ps Aaron preached from on Sunday. The crux of what he wanted to tell us is that there is no screw up that we've made that God cannot forgive. I've often wondered if I could have the chance of going back in time to live my life again but with the benefit of hindsight. I would often think of what I would have done differently, but I know that that chance will never come.

On the other hand, what we need is to realise that we all need is really to ask for forgiveness to live life anew from that point. There isn't really any restarting afresh, just moving forward redeemed.

Day 3 - Mark 3

A rare insight into Jesus' family; it is from this passage that we know that Jesus had siblings, earthly siblings. Two of whom are believed to have penned 2 books in the New Testament, James and Jude.

This is also where we get the idea of being brothers and sisters in Christ. Short and very interesting.

all my bags are packed...

This is a repost from a different era in my life, the dark year for me, 2005. Anyway, all my bags are indeed packed, for moving house and for church camp. I think from now on I will add on to this post everytime there is camp!

Here the original post, posted on 9 December 2005. 

Yup, my bags are packed for the long camp tomorrow onwards! 6 day camp, not had a camp that long in a long while; and even longer since I went to camp (fulltime) and was not involved in planning or ministering to others. This one is for me to relax, recharge and ask God for the direction in my life.

This camp is a step out of my comfort zone, not because it is in Malaysia, but because of something else. At Go Forth, was challenged to step out of my comfort zonel; God told me to go for AnnTiC (Annual Teach In Camp). At first, it really didn't seem like a challenge. Then, I realised what I was in for. God immediately told me to SMS Amy and Kelvin (Tan) what the dates of the LTC and AnnTiC was. And guess what, it was a clash!

That was a step out of my comfort zone, because for the first time in a long time, I am playing a very different role at a camp. It's easy for me to stand in front of a lot of youth and give them a lesson on how to lead songs. But very difficult for me to just be contented staying in the background and "feeding" but not giving out.

But God has a way of planning my timetable. Emotionally, I'm burnt out, that's what pastor said to me today. (And if you thought you say me crying during YM today, you weren't imagining things.) I need a rest from ministry; and so, while I planned to go for this camp months ago, the reason is only apparent now. That's how God works. If I had chosen the LTC instead, I think I wouldn't have been in the right frame to teach or lead. Well, that's God's timing.

More than just missing the LTC, this is the first Youth Camp I will be missing since Fresh Encounter 1996. Yup, if I am not mistaken, the only other person with such a track record is Amy. But anyway, here were the camps I attended, for memories...

1996 (December) Fresh Encounter
This was a camp that changed my life. To many of you, you had a touch from the Holy Spirit during Changed for Real or MAD for GOD 2003, well, this was when I experienced mine. This camp was at the Presbyterian Girls Hostel at Telok Kurau. I will never forget this camp; it was one of the first few times I cried during worship. I remember the last night of camp, there was this sharing session, I was asked to share, but I chickened out, didn't know what to say. (I was sec 3.) Well, if I had the chance to say something now; I would say that Fresh Encounter was the start of a long journey for me. The other thing I will never forget in this camp was the last night; sabo session. I was saboed bad... really bad. Won't elaborate, but that was the last camp in which the sabo-ing was really fierce!

1997 (December) Adventure Camp
O Levels just ended for me. This was a camp to mark the end of 4 years inscondary school! It was held at Pasir Ris PA Campsite (near Alvin's place.) It was fun, we went canoeing, did street bandy and abselling. It wasn't a super serious type of camp, it was a fun camp; not had one of these type of camps in a long while. Soon hopefully!

1998 (June or September) MAD Camp
This was the first of the camps with the acronym MAD in it. MAD is of course Making a Difference. Anyway, the reason why all the LTCs are called MAD is because this camp was my LTC. Nothing has changed much from the current LTCs, but this one was more catered to the old ISS format. Worship, games and evaluation. Something like that. This was where Ryan led worship, his one and only one experience! HAHA!

1998 (December) BAD Camp
Don't ask me where these acronyms come from! BAD is Being a Disciple. It had not 1 but 4 theme verses, one for everyday of the camp and we had to recite each one each day before every meal! It was at the BB/GB campsite, BOFORE the renovations! That means, the toilets were in containers! Disgisting! On the second last day, we went canoeing, and we had no choice but to bathe when we returned right? So we got fed up of bathing in the containers, a lot of us just took a shower in the open (in our swimming attire). This camp was where we were given the WWJD wrist bands. I still have mine, it's on my bag; it's red in colour.

Another thing about this camp was that we were given journals. I journaled a few times, I still keep the journal, and the things I wrote on the first day was about a vision God gave me. And now, 7 years later, that vision is being fulfilled. Won't elaborate. Another thing I wrote in my journal was how "envious" I was of the another church's YM; Charis Methodist Church. We shared the camp with them, we numbered about 3o-40 campers, they were like 100. And their YM was so alive! I told myself that that was the standard I wanted our YM to reach. We've since surpassed that; but unfortuantely, we are on the downswing rather than the up. My prayer is that we regain that momentum when we start the Youth Service next year.

1999 (June) Making a Kingdom Difference
This camp was about Acts of Kindness. That is passing out free tissue, drinks etc on the streets. Washing cars, doing community service etc. This was a great camp, refreshing, definately not the usual camp, but very tiring. I remember I had to go for my SAF medical check up on one of the days of this camp. I thought I would be able to return back to camp after the chckup, little did I know that the check up lasted from 8am to 4pm!

1999 (September) Eagle's Wings Worship Camp
This camp set the direction of my ministry in the Youth. It taught me a lot on what worship was all about. It was also a time for me to find peace amidst the A levels and my impending enlistment. I was hurting a lot from my back; I was diagnosed with a slip disk just 6 months prior. But that camp, something so wonderful happened (those who were there would know); and the pain in my back disappeared, and I didn't feel it again until the first 4 hours of NS!

2000 (December) King and I
Was held at NACLI. This was a camp in which I was not really involved, I had my back operation just barely 2 weeks prior to this camp and was still walking around the campsite with a walking stick. But I thank God that I was able to attend! Indeed it was a miracle that I could even walk! I don't remember much of this camp except that a few days after this camp; on 10 December 2000, One Voice was formed.

2001 (December) Body Building Camp
First time I sat in the camp committee. It was a good camp; I believe many of you were touched by this camp! Well, I was the worship coordinator for this camp; but I was running the show literally on my own power. But overall it was an experience to remember! I really wish we could go back to camp christine for the next camp! But they are like fully booked till like 2007 or something!

2002 (December) Changed for Real
This was a long camp! But held in church so that logistics wouldn't be so jia lat! I wasn't in the camp committee due to my commitments in the Jesus is the Rock Sunday School camp. But anyway, was pulled in to handle the worship again. Before the start of the camp, I told the camp committee that this was going to the "fresh encounter" for many of our youths. And yes, it was! I remember Augustine telling me on the 2nd day, "Tomorrow, altar call!" I was like, "HUH?!". I went home that night, to pray about it, and yeah, God also told me, "Altar Call." Nothing could hav prepared me for what happened the next night, and every night after that!

It was one of the most amzing sights I've seen happen in the YM. We were in the sanctuary, August led, I played, and it looked like there was a wave moving, the front row, people started to cry, then it just kept moving, row after row, youths began to break down and cry. I had never seen anything like that before! And the last night, 5 people separetly confirmed that something was going to happen. And what happened? Well, vesper lasted from 12midnight to 4am. I'm sure many of you will remember that. I slept a total of about 5 hours that week. I was truly tired but really refreshed at the end of that camp!

2003 (June) God Factor
This camp, everything ran like clockwork. And I was Camp Commandant. But what you all didn't know was that this camp was planned in 8 weeks flat! A lot of help came from what is now called the "administrative instructions" document; or the monster. I'm sure those in the TOFU Team would know or will know soon what this document is! Anyway, this camp was the biggest YM camp held to date. And the name God Factor was almost reused for GAP. In fact, a God Factor 2 logo was even designed but never used.

2003 (December) MAD for God?
Another LTC. And from now on, all LTCs will be called MAD or something like that. Anyway, I had just gone for the J21 conference, and was super fired up for this camp. I threw everything I had to offer into this camp! And now, besides the "AI" document, we had another one called the "Alignment" document, and that one made a huge difference to how we ran the camp! Well, this year's LTC is the same name, but difference is, it's going to be a huge drain on resources. But God will provide!

2004 (June) GAP Camp
We never gave GAP and official acronym, the whole idea was to leave it up to all of you! Anyway, the highlight of this camp was certainly the IPC Youth Rally. Yet, there were some who had problems with this camp. Hurts and pain still linger in some people. But well, God will make a way; He always will. One thing I did not like about this camp was it's location. And, the report to the next camp committee (whoever they were) was NEVER to us the GB HQ again. Guess what happened?! Read on...

2005 (June) One Purpose Camp
The very next camp, the camp committee had to use the GB HQ AGAIN!!! ARGH! And I was in that committee! How ironic! Actually, I was volunteered myself into this committee after going through a huge personal crisis. And, Ber was KOed in Japan. Anyway, in my opinion, form now on, camps should have the spirit of this camp in mind, and that purpose is outreach. This is the call given to all of us; and that should be the focus of our camps from now on.

13 camps in a row. Some of you must be wondering how I remember so much detail! Well, simple, I kept all my campfiles! Including the campfile with oranges on it's front cover! :)

Well, MAD for GOD 2005 will be the first camp I will be missing in a long time, but it's a break I need. To seek God and ask Him for answers to the past 2 months. And if the answers don't come, for direction in the next 6 months.

This post is post-dated, so it will stay on top while I am away at AnnTiC and my blog will be unupdated till I return. Original posting time: 4 December 2005, 11:36pm.

Here's are the add ons, 9 June 2008. 

2006 (Dec) Absolute Truth Camp

This was a camp held after the renovations to church were completed. This was the biggest camp to date with close to 90 participants. This was also the first time there was a dedicated worship team for the camp. The last time something like that was tried was at Changed for Real 2002, but it didn't turn out very well. This time it worked very well! The highlight of this camp was the Omega activity, something which was years in the making. 

2007 (June) Ignition

This camp had no name for long time. The name was based on the Ignite conference. Other tentative names included "explosion" or words to that effect. This was the camp where I was given a task, "make facedown worship happen". Yup, I had no idea how to go about doing that, but somehow, it happened, not by my might, but by the Spirit of God. I posted about Ignition a year ago, it was a start of a new life for me, in AHS. It was a good 6 months, since then things have gone downhill. But I digress. Back to Ignition, this was a camp where the comparisons to ATC where a little obvious, same camp com, same style, slightly different outcomes. 

2007 (Dec) MAD for God 2007

Leadership Training camp once again. This time is was far toned down as there were too many participants! Well, hopefully this was a first for many. Learning from the BB, I have come to realise that as the number of participants grow, Leadership Training Camps tend to become more like Management Training camps. Topics covered are vastly different. I feel its time to bring back shock and awe tactics. 

Well, RAW Camp 2008 is going to be very different from the previous 3 camps. A lot tougher, a lot more brainless and a lot youthier. We'll see what happens! 

Prince Caspian!

Just got home from watching the movie! Fantastic! It is worth a second viewing; which I will get during camp. Great thing is that the 3rd movie will be out in 2 years as production is already in progress!

One thing about having to teach Film Appreciation is that you are automatically a lot more heightened to all the subtle things the director does. Quite interestingly, for the first half of the movie the actors all wear the same attire as they did at the end of the previous movie. Hard to get that one unless you watched Lion Witch and the Wardrobe in recent times, which I did. 

The film doesn't quite follow the book as closely as the first one did though, including one whole segment that wasn't in the book at all. Plus, key dialogue was rearranged, which diminished the religious aspect of the film greatly. That's the only thing that I didn't like about it. 

Other than that, the feel of the show was quite close to that of the book, which IS quite dark. The battle scenes were good, but well, resembled Lord of the Rings very much. 

So, the first movie laid a lot of ground for this one. This movie was the big battle scene. The next one would be much more different than this I'm sure.