Wednesday 25 April 2012

This Day in History: Lest We Forget



They shall not grow old,
as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, 
nor the years condemn. 
At the going down of the sun 
and in the morning
We Will Remember Them. 
The Ode

Lest We Forget.

Today is ANZAC day. It's a day when we remember the landings in 1915 of Australian and New Zealand troops on the beaches of Gallipoli. We also remember the sacrifices of all the troops who fought to defend our freedom in the many conflicts since that day. It's also a time to remember our troops who are still serving overseas and their families. They're willingly putting their lives daily on the lines for us to be safe and free. Yes, there is no greater love than a friend lay down his life for his friends (see John 15:13). 

Find out more of the history of the ANZACs in WWI from the Australian War Memorial website 


Simpson and his donkey
Read the story behind this sculpture

At this time we can also remember the greatest sacrifice in the world that was done for us - how our Saviour gave His life to purchase our eternal freedom from sin and hell and gave us the gift of eternal life with Him. Thank you Lord Jesus for this sacrifice...Your love teaches us what love and sacrifice really are. 

There is one hymn I'd like to share with you today: 'Abide with me' 
This hymn became a great comfort to many during WWI both to our troops on the battlefields and to those back home. 

sung by Hayley Westenra


God Bless, 

Sunday 15 April 2012

This Day in History: Titanic (100th Anniversary)

Let us take a moment to reflect upon this horrific historical event that still haunts and fascinates us to this day because of the sheer scale of the tragedy. There are always lessons for us to learn. 

The Titanic! So majestic on the waters! 'Unsinkable' they called her.




'Unsinkable' they still call her


'Unsinkable' they said??

No! I'm grieved to say that, like any ship on this earth, it is 'Sinkable!' - If only they had realised this sooner!

One particular verse has been going through my mind that I think sums it all up. It is 1 Corinthians 10 verse 12: 


'Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.'

O Lord, give us the grace to always remember our frailty and put our trust in You alone

Amen.

Sunday 8 April 2012

Christ is Risen! Risen Indeed!


Was it a Morning Like This?

By Sandi Patty
Was it a morning like this
When the Son still hid from Jerusalem?
And Mary rose from her bed
To tend the Lord She thought was dead

What is a morning like this,
When Mary walked down from Jerusalem? 
And two angels stood at the tomb,
Bearers of news she would hear soon.

Did the grass sing?
Did the earth rejoice
To feel you again?
Over and over like a 
Trumpet underground,
Did the earth seem to pound:
“He is risen”

over and over
in a never ending round
“He is risen, alleluia, alleluia!”

Was it an morning like this,
When Peter and John from Jerusalem?
And as they raced for the tomb,
Beneath their feet was there a tune?

Was it a morning like this,
When my Lord looked out 
On Jerusalem?
He is risen, alleluia, alleluia.


Friday 6 April 2012

An Unexpected, Life-changing Encounter

Good Friday is a very special day. A day when we remember the heavy price our Saviour, Jesus Christ the Son of God, paid for our salvation and redemption. His precious blood is what cleanses us from our sins and gives us eternal life. Without the events of that day all humanity would be in hopeless misery and darkness now and for all eternity. Neither you nor I would be able to know God, love Him, and approach Him. Thank you, Lord for the cross and the great price you paid for my salvation.

Now, on that Friday long ago, an suspecting man was thrust into the greatest event in history. It was then that He encountered Someone who changed his life forever.
The Gospels tell briefly of that encounter, but in it one could read a lifetime story. 


'And they compel one Simon of Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.' (Mark 15:21)
'And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.' (Luke 23:26)


In his book, The First Easter, Peter Marshall imagines the scene of the procession to Calvary and that special encounter between Christ and Simon of Cyrene.   

It was an ugly situation as the procession went slowly along this way that will for ever be known as the Via Dolorosa [way of suffering or sorrow]. Meanwhile - Simon of Cyrene was approaching the city gate. 
He had just arrived in Judea, and was about to enter the Holy City, as a pilgrim for the festival. 
He had spent the night in some village just outside, and, rising early in the morning, had bathed and dressed himself carefully...with a tingling excitement because soon he would be in Jerusalem. The wonder of Jerusalem, that exiles had described, he would now see with his own eyes...the sounds of the Holy City...he would hear with his own ears. Yet He tried to keep calm, and as he set out on the short walk that lay between him and the city, he was very thoughtful. 

He walked along the winding path that sometimes ran through the fields...Sometimes along narrow roads between hedges where there was the fragrance of pomegranate trees and honeysuckle... Sometimes along the torturous course of the dried-up river bed where the earth was cracked with the heat of the sun.
       Sometimes it wound up the jagged hillside to twist down among the giant boulders and huge rocks behind which many a robber might hide. He walked along beside the tall rushes, where he frightened conveys of birds that flew wheeling, diving... 
And he walked through the divided crops, ripening in the sunshine. 
He could hear the sheep bleating on the inhospitable hillside, while the morning sun climbed higher and chased away the mists that lay in the hollows, trailing down into the ravines like tulle scarves.  
As he walked along, he was thinking of the temple and its glories, the history of his people and the worship of his fathers... 
Already he could see ahead of him the domes of the temple gleaming gold in the sunshine, could hear the pigeons that had their nest in the cupolas and gables, and he thought of his own city looking from her height over the blue waters of the Mediterranean. 
Then as he neared the city gate he began to hear shouting that grew louder and louder. 
There seemed to Simon to be a sort of chant running through the noise... 
        a refrain that men's voices made clearer and clear er until he thought he could recognise the word 
        "Crucify 
crucify 
      crucify...."  
They met right at the city gate ... Simon of Cyrene and the crowd. He found that the procession was headed by some Roman soldiers; he would recognise them anywhere... 
          the insignia on their shields... 
       and their uniforms... 
He could tell a legionnaire when he saw one.  
He had little time to gather impressions, and as for asking questions, that was impossible. He could not make himself heard in all the rabble. 
The noise and confusion with its sinister and malice made Simon shudder.  
Simon was aware of two moving walls of Roman steel. There was something strange about it all but, before he could understand it, Simon was caught up in it - sucked into the procession, and swept out through the gate again. 
Simon was excited, afraid...He was puzzled and ill at ease. He scanned face after face quickly, looking for some light of pity... 
          of friendliness, 
                 of welcome... 
But he found none. 
He felt the drama of the situation, the cruelty of it...And its horror crept over him like a clammy mist - and he shivered.  
He was captured by the procession, stumbling along, tightly wedged in the very heart of the crowd. 
Then he noticed that there were three men who staggered under the weight of crosses of rough, heavy wood on which these unfortunates were going to die.  
Each man was bent beneath the burden he carried, and perspiration moistened his drawn face. 
One of them was strangely appealing, His face was arresting. Simon felt his gaze returning again and again to that one face. He noticed that blood was trickling down from wounds in the brow. 
On His face there was a twig of long-thorned brier, twisted around in the shape of a crown and pushed down cruelly on His head.  
Simon watched with beating heart as they shuffled along, fascinated by the look in those eyes. 
He could see nothing else. Everything was forgotten, even why he had come to Jerusalem. This public execution had driven everything else from his mind. 
Forgotten for the moment were the temple and its services, 
         messages he brought from friends far away... 
               things he had been asked to get... 
Everything was forgotten as he watched this Man carrying the cross.  
And then He looked up! His eyes almost blinded by the blood that trickled down from under that grotesque crown that was on his head... 
Why didn't somebody wipe His eyes? 
And as Simon looked at Him, He looked at Simon...And the eyes of the two ... met! 
How did Christ know what was in Simon's heart?What was it that made Him smile, a slow, sad smile that seemed to still Simon's wildly beating heart and give him courage? 


The look that passed between them Simon never forgot as long as he lived, for no man can look at Jesus of Nazareth and remain the same. (my emphasis)
As these two looked at each other, the Man with the cross stumbled, and the soldiers, moved more by impatience than pity, seeing that the Nazarene was almost too exhausted to carry the cross any further, laid hands on Simon and conscripted him to carry it.
He was the nearest man. 
He was strong.
His shoulders were broad!
Simon's heart almost stopped beating; he tried to speak, but no words came.
A few minutes before, he had been a lonely pilgrim quietly approaching the Holy City. And now, there he was in the midst of a procession of howling men and women, walking between two moving walls of Roman steel, and carrying on his shoulder a cross on which someone was going to die!


The look of gratitude and love that flashed from the eyes of Jesus as Simon lifted the load from those tired, bleeding shoulders did something to the man from Cyrene, and in an instant life was changed. (my emphasis)

Simon never could explain it afterwards - how it happened! 

There are moments of spiritual insight that defy the limits of syntax and grammar. 
There are some things too deep for words.
But all at once he saw the meaning of pain...
          understood the significance of suffering...
The meaning of prayer was unveiled...
          and the message of the Scriptures.
He saw prophecy take form and live before him. 
He remembered words of the psalmist and the prophets of old, words that until now had been without sense of meaning, but now... he saw ... and understood. (my emphasis)

Yes, the one who meets Jesus of Nazareth will never be the same again. No-one can remain neutral. If you haven't yet had such a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, ask Him now. He is near and always ready to heal and forgive. If you have had that wonderful encounter already, take a moment to thank Him for His sacrifice and ask Him to refresh that relationship. This is what I pray. Amen.


God Bless, 
 
_________________
Reference
Peter Marshall, The First Easter, (ed.) Catherine Marshall, London: Hodder and Staughton, 1959, pp. 54-59 

Thursday 5 April 2012

Via Dolorosa


Be blessed by this lovely song about the passion of our Saviour. Sung by Sandi Patti. It is one of my favourite Easter songs. Sometimes I think, it would feel like Passion Week or Good Friday without hearing it.




VERSE 1:
Down the Vía Dolorosa in Jerusalem that day
The soldiers tried to clear the narrow street
But the crowd pressed in to see
The Man condemned to die on Calvary

VERSE 2:
He was bleeding from a beating, there were stripes upon His back
And He wore a crown of thorns upon His head
And He bore with every step
The scorn of those who cried out for His death

CHORUS:
Down the Vía Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King,
But He chose to walk that road out of
His love for you and me.
Down the Via Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.

VERSE 1 (Spanish):
Por la Vía Dolorosa, triste día en Jerusalén
Los soldados le abrían paso a Jesús.
Más la gente se acercaba,
Para ver al que llevaba aquella cruz.

CHORUS (Spanish):
Por la Vía Dolorosa, que es la via del dolor
Como oveja vino Cristo, Rey y Señor,
Y fue Él quien quiso ir por su amor por ti y por mí.
Por la Vía Dolorosa al Calvario y a morir.

BRIDGE:
The blood that would cleanse the souls of all men
Made its way through the heart of Jerusalem.

CHORUS:
Down the Vía Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King
But He chose to walk that road out of His love for you and me
Down the Vía Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.


God bless, 

Sunday 1 April 2012

Tagging Fun

North-east view from the northern top of Mount Kosciusko, Australian Alps
via Turner to Monet: The Triumph of Landscape 

Something is going on in Blogger Land. Tagging seems to be the fashion these last few days. I've never done this before, but I've had the honour (or shall say fate:), lol) to be tagged by Joy. So, I've decided to try it out, too. Enjoy! 


Here are the rules.

1. Post these rules

2. Post 11 random things about yourself (optional)

3. Answer the questions the tagger posted for you in their post.

4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.

5. Go to their blog and tell them that they have been tagged.

The Glass House Mountains - Southeastern Queensland, Australia
via Google Images

11 Random things about myself

Mmmm...that's often hard to do, but I'll try my best...here I go:)

1. I love listening to audio theatre drama - they give real 'scope for the imagination' and are fun and very encouraging. 
2. I really love the music soundtracks for the Narnia movies by Harry Gregson-Williams, The Lord of the Rings by Howard Shore, and The Nativity Story by Mychael Danna - they're just so awe-inspiring.
3. I love singing...I'd really love to get professional training someday, if the Lord wills. 
4. I have a major problem with procrastinating when I'm not passionate about doing something...like finishing assignments:(
5. When I was still in school, I almost never managed to write an essay (with maximum 1000 words or so) in less than two weeks minimum! Now I can write a university essay (up to 2500 words or more), with full proper research and referencing in less than a week, sometimes in a couple of days even...amazing what uni can do! It even surprised me:)
6. I'd love to write a historical novel someday...still not sure what it will be, though:) 
7. Watching the movie Cromwell excited my curiosity and set me on the exciting journey of studying history. Oliver Cromwell is certainly one of my historical heroes.
8. I've become quite fascinated with the literary works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. 
9.  I love Christian apologetics. I particularly love the works by contemporary Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias
10. I love reading Puritan devotional books, particularly those that meditate on the Person of Christ and His work. 
11. I love the biblical account of Joseph (Genesis). I love to meditate on his faith in all his trials and how his life was a shadow of Christ. 

The Three Sisters - The Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia
via Google Images
Joy's questions and my answers:

1. Who are your top favourite classic fiction authors and your top 3 favourite modern fiction authors? (by the word 'classic', I'm referring to authors of the past up to the mid 20th Century, and by 'modern', I'm referring to authors who wrote and lived from the 1960s and up)
My Answer
Well, that is not easy. There are so many, particularly since I prefer classic fiction than modern...mmm....
My top 3 classic fiction authors would be: 
- Jane Porter (1700s): she wrote Scottish Chiefs, a historical novel about Sir William Wallace. I really love it. She wrote other historical books...They're on my reading plan:)
- J.R.R. Tolkien 
- C.S. Lewis
- There are other very good ones: John Bunyan, Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)
My top 3 modern fiction authors would be: 
- Jannette Oak: though not all her books. I particularly like her Acts of Faith Series. 
- Davis Bunn: co-author of Acts of Faith Series
- Chuck Black: Knights of Arrethtrae Series particularly.
 ***************************************
2. Which character in John Bunyan's immortal classic, The Pilgrim's Progress, do you identify with the most in their/your spiritual journey? (Christian, Faithful, or Hopeful)
My Answer
Wow. That's difficult. I'd say that there are different thing in each that I would identify strongly with. However, Christian would most likely be the most one I'd identify with the most. 
**********************************************
3.  In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, we see that Sam's and Frodo's responses to Gollum-Smeagol are different.  If you were in either character's position when they had a chance of killing him, would you have done so and rid yourself of his wickedness and treachery, or would you pity him, having carried the burden of the Ring yourself, known its temptation, and shown mercy? (P.S. if you haven't watched/read The Lord of the Rings, you can skip this question)
My Answer
That's not easy to decide. I think I would have felt similarly to Frodo and Sam. I don't think I could kill him, but I certainly wouldn't trust him. I may want to tie him up somewhere when I feel threatened. I think I would have some pity for him...you know...'There but for the grace of God I go'. 
********************************************** 
4. Which do you enjoy more: reading a book or watching a movie?
My Answer
To me there are just two different activities, the one does not fully compensate for the other. However, I often find that a movie helps me to 'get into' the world of the a related book. The two often go together. 
***********************************************
5. What is your favourite kind of music to sing, hear and play and who do you think was the greatest music composer of all time?
My Answer
I love to sing that glorify the Lord. I like traditional, classical Church music and hymns. I love Libera boys choir very much. I also like more contemporary praise and worship that has good music and deep words of worship and praise.  
I also like good traditional, classic and folk songs. Some songs in movies are also nice to sing and hear (like the Sound of Music for example).
It is difficult to say who is the greatest composer of all time, since it seems to depend mostly on the kind of music I'm in the mood of hearing at any particular time. But I have to say that Harry Gregson-Williams,  Howard Shore, and Mychael Danna are some of my favourite modern composers, and for classical composers I like Bach, Handel, and Beethoven. 
*******************************************  
6. Which 2 books of the Bible do you tend to read from the most?
My Answer
I tend to go to the Psalms and the Gospel of John. 
*******************************************
7. Is there a figure in history (outside the Bible) that you love the most? And why?
My Answer
I love the figure of Oliver Cromwell. I spent a number of year already researching and studying about him and I never fail to be amazed at his stature in the history of the Christian world and at the same time his great and deep personal faith in Jesus Christ that shaped his life and his great magnanimty,  humility, and forgiveness of his enemies who were often very cruel and unjust in their judgement of him.  My extensive personal research has shown me that he was very much misunderstood and wrongfully vilified  both by his contemporaries and history. However, the Western world owes him a great deal.  
******************************************
8. Is there a book or movie that you've read/watched and you've wished something had gone differently and would like to re-write it?
My Answer
Oh dear...sorry...nothing comes to mind at present
******************************************
9. What are your 2 favourite scenes in The Chronicles of Narnia (taken from either the films, books or both)?(P.S. if you haven't watched/read The Chronicles of Narnia, you can skip this question)
My Answer
Well, there are so many favourite scenes for me, but my dear younger sister Joy (the one who tagged me) has graciously granted me the addition of two more scenes...Lol:)
scene 1: In Prince Caspian movie - When Lucy meets Aslan. She asks him why he did not come roaring in to save them like he did before. He answers: 'Things never happen the same way twice dear one'. 
scene 2: In The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe  (in the movie) - When Aslan comes roaring into the battle after he rises again and finally defeats the White Witch. 
scene 3: In the Silver Chair book - When Puddleglum says that he still believes in Aslan, even if the Lady of the Green Kurtil says that they're imagining it all. 
scene 4: In the Last Battle book - When they finally reach Aslan's country and see him all the past characters and see Aslan. 
*******************************************
10. What are some of the books (fiction + non-fiction) or movies that have inspired and changed your life?
My Answer
The Cromwell movie, the Lord of the Rings movies, John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress (book and movie: Journey to Heaven), Ravi Zacharias' book Deliver Us From Evil, Ravi Zacharias' sermons (videos) The Uniqueness of Christ in History and Jesus Among Other Gods (also a book), the story of Vanya, and Siberian Miracle (story of persecution of a whole Church congregation during the Soviet Union).
These are just some examples, but there are many more...too many to name here...visit 'My Bookshelf' page for an idea:)
*******************************************
11. What do you love most about the place where you live?
My Answer
It's in the beautiful state of Queensland. Brisbane combines the rural and the urban together very beautifully. You don't have to travel far to find rural properties, farms, and bush and then some shopping centre with all modern facilities. I love it. If you're ever here, I'd love to show you round:)
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Lavender field in Bridestowe Estate, Tasmania, Australia. The plantation is one of the largest lavender farms in the world.
via Pinterest
My Questions: 

1. Who is your favourite historical figure (outside the Bible)? Why?
2. What are your favourite 2 to 4 scenes from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (taken from either the movies, books, or both)? (P.S. You may skip this question if you haven't read or watched Lord of the Rings)
3. Which character(s) do you identify most with in the Lord of the Rings(book or movie)? Why? (P.S. You may skip this question if you haven't read or watched Lord of the Rings)
4. What is your favourite historical era? Why (a couple of reasons or so)? 
- Ancient - B.C. (or)- Late Antiquity - Roman and Greek A.D. (or)- Medieval - from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance in the 14th and 15th centuries (or)- Early Modern Period - from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, including the Reformation (16th to 18th centuries ) (or)- Modern Period - 19th to 20th centuries 
5.  Do you have a particular historical event that you find especially amazing, intriguing, or inspiring? Why? 
6. Which do you like doing more: singing (either solo or with others), listening, or playing a musical instrument?  
7. Are there any non-fiction books that have inspired and changed your life in some way or another? 
8. Who is your favourite Biblical Character? Why? 
9. Is there a certain devotional, theological, or spiritual book that has really touched and changed your life? 
10. What is your favourite food? 
11. Is there a certain country, city, or state you'd especially love to visit someday? 


Bellingen, NSW - Very close to Coffs Harbour where I lived with my family some years ago
via Pinterest

I Tag...

Danielle from Danielle Carey
Rachel from Covenant Maiden
Emily Grace from A Life Worthy of the Lord 

Well, unfortunately, my younger sister Joy, has already tagged some whom I would've loved to tag, but if ANYONE would like to participate in this Fun Tagging, I'm tagging you too... so please feel free to join! :)



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