7 Favourite "Rain" songs

Since it has been raining cats and dogs in Sydney for the past few days, so I thought it would be a good idea to put together a little list of my favourite "Rain" songs (no, not that weird Korean singer).

In no particular order...

1. Raindrops keep falling on my head - BJ Thomas

2. November Rain - Guns N Roses

3. 雨夜的浪漫 - 譚詠麟

4. 分手總要在雨天 - 張學友

5. 藍雨 - 張學友

6. 冷雨夜 - Beyond

7. 下雨天 - Blue Jeans

What would you add to the list?

Jessica Watson and God's providence

Phew.... she's made it back!

After 210 days and 23,000 nautical miles at sea, the 16 year old Australian sailor Jessica Watson has defied all her doubters and has safely returned from her controversial round-the-world voyage yesterday. She's now the youngest person ever to have sailed solo around the world (despite it not being allowed to go in the record books).

After arriving back to shore, she was greeted by screaming fans, family members and also the Prime Minister of Australia. He says to her: "You may feel a little wobbly on your feet right now but in the eyes of Australians you stand tall among Australians as our newest hero.''

I'm not sure about you, but I've always been wondering what the motivation was behind Jessica's daring decision to venture across the globe like that. Was it for the fame and the fortune? Or was there a message that she wanted to get out there... a message that she wanted to preach to the youth of Australia?

The latter apparently... despite the huge sponsorship deals that she'll be expecting afterwards.

In response to the Prime Minister, she humbly replies: "I'm going to disagree with the Prime Minister. I don't consider myself a hero. I'm an ordinary girl who believed in her dream....You don't have to be someone special, or anyone special to achieve something amazing. You've just got to have a dream, believe in it and work hard."

I must admit that there's much to admire about Jessica Watson. I admire her determination to set an example to her fellow teenagers, especially the girls, about their potential to achieve great things.

However, I think her message goes a bit too far.

She says: "You've just got to believe in it. Anything really is possible if you want it. You've just got to put the effort in."

Well, is that really true? It only takes a big tidal wave to disprove her theory, and thankfully she didn't come across one.

Of all the people that she thanked after homecoming, I believe she failed to give thanks to the One who deserved it most: God.

Was it not God who upheld the weather and prevented any serious waves from coming her way? Was it not God who sustained her health throughout those 210 days? And was it not God who kept her boat in one piece?

Having hard work and determination to achieve a dream is a virtue. But if God, who is ultimately behind all things, is not thanked for providing and sustaining, then it becomes a type of boasting.

James 4:13-16 says this:

3Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." ¹⁴Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." ¹⁶As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.

iPhone app recommendations

Tonight I was asked by a friend (who just bought an iPhone) to provide a list of recommended iPhone apps from my collection. After typing it up, I thought it would be nice to share this with everyone :)

The following apps are free unless specified.

Essential

• Google
• Facebook
• Fring (IM client that also allows you to make VOIP calls)
• Skype
• Tweetdeck and/or Tweetie 2 (Paid app. I'm only using version 1 right now, but version 2 should be much better)
  
• Discover lite (turns your phone into a wireless drive and allows reading DOC, XLS, PDF documents)
• YouVersion Bible app
• Logos Bible app
• Flickr
• UStream (turns your phone into live webcam)
• Dictionary.com (offline dictionary)

My photography apps

• ToyCamera (Paid app. Gives you some good lomography effects. But doesn't allow you to apply filters to existing photos in your library...which sucks)
• Tiltshift Generator (Paid app. Makes pics look like miniatures...and gives a fake SLR effect).
• CameraBag (Paid app. One of the most highly rated photo apps on iTunes, yet a bit overrated in my opinion :P. Allows you to apply filters to existing photos).
• Photoshop.com mobile (Basic photo cropping/manipulation).
• Panolab lite (Stitch photos together)
• Free Photo Filters (4 basic filters... 2 of which I use a lot)
  

Other cool apps

• Tap Tap Revenge 3 :)
• Touch Hockey
• Flight Control (Paid app. Classic iPhone game)
  
• Kotoba! (Japanese dictionary)
  
• PayPal
• CommBank (if you are a customer)
  
• Flashlight
• Pocket Cinema (cinema sessions times and ticket ordering)
• TyroTuner (guitar tuner)
• Guitar Web app (guitar chord finder)
  
• Pocket weather lite
• RDP lite (to access your desktop via the RDP protocol)
• Mars Hill Church
• Domino's pizza
• Whitepages
• Shoutcast and/or Y! Music (online music streaming)
  
• Google Earth
• Motion X GPS (Paid app. But there's also a lite version with ads. An alternative to Google Maps).

Are there other apps that you would recommend?

Bandit.fm copywriting fail

Cry me, cry me...

About sexuality & Darren Hayes (yes, I'm a fan!)

[ Darren, if you're reading this, "Hi" from your home country Australia ;) ]

I've been a huge fan of singer Darren Hayes (remember Savage Garden?) ever since high school. He is one of the few artists that I've been consistently buying music from in the last decade. In fact, he even sang at our wedding... *ahem* via MP3.

Anyway, earlier yesterday Darren posted on Twitter some comments that has caught my attention. He was responding to some crude & hurtful comments about his homosexuality made by one individual who, sadly, also directed him to a gay-hate website which quotes from the Bible.

I have doubts that this individual is really a Christian because it appears that the motivation behind his distasteful actions isn't from religious piety... but actually greed (can you see the Amazon affiliate marketing book link at the bottom of that website?) . But he's certainly succeeded by grabbing Darren's attention... and also his 12,000+ followers!

Maybe the best way to make quick money these days is to stir up famous people over the Internet?

But anyhow, another issue remains unaddressed: How SHOULD Christians* relate to gay people in a respectful manner? Aren't there passages in the Bible that speak against homosexuality?

There's much to say on this topic and I felt humbled (yes, really) when I decided to write a few words about it.

There are 3 things I would like to say.

1. Yes, the Bible is at odds with homosexuality, but...

We need to be aware that the Bible is ALSO against many other types of sexual behaviour that falls outside of a heterosexual marriage, such as perving at someone (Matt 5:28). I confess that I've committed this many-a-time... ashamedly even as a Christian! :(

So am I less guilty than the gay person when I judge my own behaviour? No! This is precisely the reason why I needed Jesus in the first place...because of my inability to live up to God's original design for man.

2. Be gracious, like Jesus

Old Testament law forbids prostitution (Lev 19:29), but notice how Jesus treated prostitutes:

• Luke 7:36-50 tells the story of Jesus welcoming and forgiving a sinful woman (prostitute)... despite religious opposition!
• Jesus often angered religious authority by hanging out with tax collectors and "sinners". Matthew 9:9-13 records one incident. In fact, Jesus made a surprising statement in Matthew 21:23-32 that tax collectors and prostitutes have a better chance to enter God's kingdom than the religious authority!
  

Therefore, it is clear that Jesus' example demonstrates that sinners ought to be won through love and not hate. The same principle applies to relating with our gay friends and the gay community.

3. Don't be a homophobic Christian

By definition, homophobia is really "the fear (phobia) of homosexuals".

There's a common misconception nowadays that if someone disagrees with homosexuality, they should automatically be labelled as "homophobic". But this is not true at all.

If homosexuality WAS part of God's original design for sexuality, I'm definitely all for it! But sadly, this is not the case.

However, just because the Bible doesn't allow for it doesn't mean we need to "fear" it. I have friends who are gay, yet I enjoy their company as a friend. Christians ought to be gracious enough to associate with people whom they disagree with, just as Jesus did.


So to wrap up my little sharing, I invite both sides to take time to learn from one another.

• Christians: If your gay friend claims he/she was born with same-sex attraction, don't quickly dismiss this and say it's just a personal choice. If God's original design for creation is indeed falling apart (Rom 8:18-21), I'm not too surprised to see people being born this way. My theology allows for this unless you prove me wrong otherwise. If you want to be heard, you must first learn to listen.
• Homosexual friends: If Scripture is indeed God's inspired Word, we need to hold Scripture's authority over man's desires and longings.... even if they are natural longings. There's too much at stake if the claims about Jesus are actually true. Therefore friends, I invite you to really investigate its claims before quickly dismissing it.
  

But what about Christians who struggle with same-sex attraction?

• It may come as a surprise to some, but there are many Christ-loving people around the world that struggle with same-sex attraction in the same way that some heterosexual Christians struggle with, say porn. Some are able to change their orientation, but some cannot. Therefore, we must be extra sensitive to the brother or sister who is fighting such a battle.
• If this describes you, it may be wise to speak with your pastor or another Christian whom you trust. It may also be a good idea to find a Christian support group in your local area.
  

If you would like to think deeper into this issue, please download & listen to this excellent talk by Ray Galea, a Sydney Anglican minister:
http://sermonplayer.com/download_rss/11662-rss-68895-1.mp3


Thanks for your attention!

Andy

----
* A Christian is someone who believes that there's good news and bad news for humanity. The bad news is that every human being (gay, straight, bi-sexual, hermit, you name it!) deserves death and punishment from God because they don't want their Creator to rule their lives. But the good news is that, out of love, God sent Jesus to save us from this...by punishing him instead! Forgiveness from God is thus received by turning away from this rebellion and turning to Jesus for rescue.

SMBC Preaching Conference - Live Blog (attempt)

Hi y'all,

I'm currently at the 1st evening session of the SMBC Bienniel Preaching Conference.

This is my attempt at getting some live blogging going :P

Tonight's speaker is Bryan Chapell who will be preaching an expository sermon.

---

7.50pm
SMBC principal David Cook interviewing Rev Barry Morris who has recently been diagnosed with cancer.

Barry says that he hopes to use his current circumstance as an opportunity to witness to people.

8pm
Bryan Chapell is now speaking. Will be going through the story of Gideon in Judges 7.
"If the heroes of the Bible make you feel useless, then you need Gideon"



8.10pm
Gideon is threshing wheat in the winepress shows that he's afraid (Jg 6:7).

Gideon questions God for their current circumstances (v13).

Gideon in his cowardness asks God for a sign after being called by God to take on 135,000 Midianites. God does (v20-21).

Gideon questions God again in his cowardice and asks for a sign (v36-37). God again answers (v38).

8.20pm
We all know what it means to 'know God' but still be afraid. But even when Gideon was afraid, God was still using him. Even when you are afraid, God is with you. We can see this in Gideon.

God uses a frail little army of 300 to take on the 135,000. We are not "useless" but "used" for God's purposes.

8.30pm
In chapter 8, Gideon says no to being king as God is king, yet his son's name is Abimelech (ch 9) - means "my father is king".

Gideon took a lot of the plunder from the victory that God gave him and turns it into an idol (vv22-27). The people of Israel gave glory to the ephod instead of God.

"Even if we are useless we are not beyond the purpose of God." Even the flawed character of Gideon.

Bryan tells a moving story of how his brother, who has mental age of 7-8, became a Christian in jail, and prayed for his separated parents to get back together again. And they did.

God can use the weak and cowardly, he has experienced this first hand.


---

End.

Free money for missionaries: An idea

Did you know that there are Australian companies that will pay you for referring people to buy their products/services over the Internet? It's known as "online affiliate marketing". Quite simply, you receive a commission for referring a friend.

Here's an example of how it works:
A company's online banner ad is placed on your friend's blog. After clicking on it and making a purchase, your friend would receive a percentage of the sale.

So wouldn't it be a great idea if Christians could somehow leverage this and have the commission money going towards, say, supporting mission work. This is especially great if the products/services are those people are going to be buying anyway.

Of course this is not an original idea, as I've seen this done in the US (check out the BeneShop). However, I've yet to see this in Australia.

So I propose there be a website/email newsletter service where Aussie Christian shoppers can hear about affiliate deals and where 100% of the commission obtained would go towards Gospel work.

Now who's going to build this?

A valentine's birthday

Look at what I got for my birthday....






A yummy white chocolate cake... with a fruity layer on the top and middle :)~~

Lindt Cafe....you rock!

Elevator Button Fail

I get on this elevator every day when I go to work....

The problem with miracles

Many people don't realise it, but there is a danger when Christians put way too much emphasis on the miraculous works of God.

For example, there are churches where the main focus of the gathering is to cast out demons or to heal sick people by the laying of hands.

Although it is not for me to judge whether that is right or wrong, I would like to point out that there is an inherent danger when we over-emphasise the miraculous aspect of Christianity.

And this is the danger: When we over-emphasise miracles, we unknowingly imply that God has little/nothing to do with the natural world.

Unfortunately, many Christians (well-meaning ones too) are guilty of this, and it gives rise to the "God of the Gaps" view of God. It is as though God's reality/presence can only truly be felt when extraordinary events happen or when unexplainable phenomena occur.

However, the Bible tells us a different story. The God of the Bible is a God of order: He created the universe in an orderly manner (Gen 1) and He expects His creation to worship Him in an orderly manner (1 Cor 14:26ff).

This implies that God is behind the laws of Physics just as much as He is behind the miracles. And so, we should just as easily see the reality and presence of God through the natural world (read Romans 1:20 anyone?).

When I observe the beauty of the sunrise and the majesty of the night sky, I personaly find it hard to say that it's all just the result of many natural random mistakes. The fingerprint of God is all over it.


Side note:

In many ways, this is a pie in the face to a lot of our naturalist friends in the God vs Science debate. Many in the naturalism camp wrongly presuppose that if we can explain all phenomena through natural laws, then God must not exist (such as the thinking of Nobel prize winners Francis Crick and James Watson). However, this argument is logically flawed if God is the one who had purposely created the natural laws to instil order.

Got stung by a bee...pain in the neck!

A lot went on today...

1. Went to my nephew's 7th birthday party
2. Fought off a computer virus
3. Got stung by a bee/wasp at Toys'R'Us Hurstville

The Reason for God

One of the best books that I've been reading this year is one called "The Reason for God" by Tim Keller.

It's a book that seeks to answer a lot of tough questions people have about the God of the Bible. I highly recommend this to people who have genuine doubts about Christianity and, yes, even believers!

Here are the list of chapters:

Part 1: The Leap of Doubt

1. There can’t be just one true religion
2. A good God could not allow suffering
3. Christianity is a straitjacket
4. The church is responsible for so much injustice
5. A loving God would not send people to hell
6. Science has disproved Christianity
7. You can’t take the Bible literally

Part 2: The Reasons for Faith

1. The clues of God
2. The knowledge of God
3. The problem of sin
4. Religion and the gospel
5. The (true) story of the cross
6. The reality of the resurrection
7. The Dance of God

The author, Tim Keller, is a very clear communicator. He was even invited to speak at Google earlier this year:



http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxup3OS5ZhQ

This book may still be sold out at Koorong, but you could probably still try back ordering it:
http://orders.koorong.com/search/details.jhtml?code=9780340979471

King Herod's palace

Here's a nice picture of where King Herod the Great lived... ie. the guy who tried killing Jesus when he was a baby.

A better resolution picture can be found here:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/wallpaper/img/2008/12/dec08-05-1280.jpg

Macbook Nano : Fake but cool

If you just couldn't wait for Apple to release a 10" Macbook, perhaps this is the next best alternative.

MSI U100 MacBook Nano
Windows XP Pro + Mac OS X 10.5.5
Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
2G DDRII
10" WSVGA LED (1024x600)
320GB SATA
1kg
MMC/SD/MS 4
Windows XP Pro + Mac OSX Leopard

Check it out:
http://gizmodo.com/5082004/macbook-nano-looks-like-it-came-from-cupertino