Unproductiveee!

Slept late, woke early, slept long hours in the afternoon. Nooooot healthy, nor productive! D;

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40 more days til PMR.

Hari Raya! Rendang! :D

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Beyond Opinion – Living the Faith We Defend

by Ravi Zacharias and his global team of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries---Alister McGrath, John Lennox….

Why should youths, even youths, be equipped to defend their faith?

What are the challenges atheism and postmodernism pose and how do we face them?

Why does God allow evil and suffering?

These are some of the questions that are covered in this 360 page book, with 15 chapters divided into 3 parts---Giving and Answer, which is further divided into 2 sections: Addressing the Difficult Questions and Addressing the Questions behind the Questions; Internalizing the Questions and Answers; and Living Out the Answers.

The chapters are written in a sort-of conversational way, so it’s rather easy to understand. Although, some parts requires second readings to get completely. It managed to hold my attention throughout, though sometimes the author would stay on a question for too long.

Personally, I like the cover---the colours and the font used. It looks rather literary. I would prefer it in hardcover, though, as this would be a book I would read again and again.

Kudos to the typography---though the paragraphs be long and sentences long, it doesn’t put me off and instead invites me to read it. It’s very readable.

This book doesn’t just answer the questions, it urges us to live it out, live out the faith. And it does that by giving us examples, bible verses, and ways to do it---practically and spiritually, which is what non-believers are looking for in us---to practice what we preach.

I highly recommend this to anyone who takes their faith seriously. 5 stars.

                                   Pretty, right? :D

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I wrote what I wrote; not forced to give a glowing review; this is what I really think of it. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Hillsong [Unite+Conquer] in Ipoh

“OHMYGOOSSSHHH!”, “What the….”, “WOAAH!”

All those can be heard when people went into the ballroom and saw what they saw. Reminds me of Thomas.

It was a blast, both nights. Thousands came (over 4k) each night, and hundreds were saved. Great rejoicing in heaven, indeed :).

I do worry, though, if people will go back to their churches and compare, and be all sad and disappointed the way things are at their churches. Then, they’ll go sighing and moping about, going “if only….”.

I hope that never happens. Emotional highs comes with emotional lows. Worship need not it’s participants to be in a frenzy. So, I pray that we won’t go looking for those things, for God wants us to live by faith, not by sight or feelings.

So, yeah. Be strong :D.

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:))))

Trials was great. God is good.

Results are not bad. Teachers haven’t gave out English and BM marks, so now I’m stuck at 5 A’s. 2 more A’s and I’ll be happy :D. Chinese, lost case la(but still pass, lah).

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The Hillsong Concert is tomorrowwww! :OOOOO

I shall repeat that again: THE HILLSONG CONCERT IS TOMORROWW!!! :OOOOOOO!

In case anyone doesn’t know, the concert will be held for 2 nights, Wednesday and Thursday.

The one on Wednesday night requires registration before to get the code to get in. Registration doesn’t mean money is involved.

Thursday night, free for all! Come early :D.

Both nights will start from 7:30 till around 11p.m, at the Syuen Hotel---opposite Ipoh Parade.

Yes, even though Darlene, or Joel Houston, aren’t coming, I’m sure it’ll be great, too! and Please don’t get me started on the “main band not coming” issue. There’re so many musicians, vocalists, worship leaders involved in just one band, and they’re changing every time!

Anyway, please do come :). You’re all cordially invited.

Taqiyya

Within the Shia theological framework,^[1] the concept of taqiyya (تقية - 'fear, caution, fear of God or of sin', also taghiyeh)^[2] refers to a dispensation allowing believers to conceal their faith when under threat, persecution or compulsion.^[3]

Al-Tabari's (d. 923) famous tafsir (exegesis of the Koran) is a standard and authoritative reference work in the entire Muslim world. Regarding 3:28, he writes: "If you [Muslims] are under their [infidels'] authority, fearing for yourselves, behave loyally to them, with your tongue, while harboring inner animosity for them. … Allah has forbidden believers from being friendly or on intimate terms with the infidels in place of believers — except when infidels are above them [in authority]. In such a scenario, let them act friendly towards them." Regarding 3:28, Ibn Kathir (d. 1373, second in authority only to Tabari) writes, "Whoever at any time or place fears their [infidels'] evil may protect himself through outward show." As proof of this, he quotes Muhammad's close companion, Abu Darda, who said, "Let us smile to the face of some people [non-Muslims] while our hearts curse them"; another companion, al-Hassan, said, "Doing taqiyya is acceptable till the Day of Judgment [i.e., in perpetuity]. Source: "War and Peace - and Deceit - in Islam" by Raymond Ibrahim /Pajamas Media February 12, 2009

Wikipedia: Taqiyya

 

In essence, it means Allah sanctions lying to protect oneself, and actually encouraging his adherents to be two-faced towards other people (infidels).

Mind boggling, isn’t it?

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You know,

you see those loud, noisy, attention-grabbing people that are your “friends”? It’s your fault they are like that.

We often encourage them to be like that, by giving the person who is the noisiest the most attention. This is all right, until said person dominates each and every conversation at the place he or she is at. Other people who would want to talk to us would be pushed aside, having no chance to speak.

As for those people that resort to controversial topics, loud-jokes-that-aren’t-funny-at-which-people-laugh-at-anyway, and or just being loud, please please please shuuusshhh once in a while! Listening is actually quite fun, too, you know.

I believe the way to pull quiet ones out of their shell is to give them attention, put the focus on them, and actually listen to them. That also means giving the noisy, dominant people less attention, which I think is a good thing; they’ve too much already!

I knoooowww, this isn’t a very good solution; but it’s the best I can think of now :P.

The Big “C”

Commitment.

When the Bible says “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind”, it doesn’t mean “feel good and benevolent towards the Lord your God”; instead, it means “no matter what, no matter how, no matter when, be committed and devoted to serving and doing the will of the Lord your God”.

Our feelings and emotions are too unstable; they come and go just like that, no one can truly tame them.

What God wants from us is something lasting, real, and pure---our commitment towards Him, letting our “yes” to him be “yes” and our “no” be “no”.

You see, love is, and was never, and will never be, just a feeling; love will always be an action.

Why are we so afraid to commit ourselves to the Lord? Hasn’t He shown himself to be great and real and mighty? Hasn’t He shown faithfulness through the ages? Hasn’t He responded lovingly and mercifully to whomever that came to Him?

If you won’t take the leap of faith, and stay hugging yourself in your comfort zone, how then will you experience the abundance of life that Christ Jesus promises to give freely and willingly?