I am going to share with you an illustration of the difference between something being 'true' and 'truth'. Many years ago, I heard Arthur Burt (a man of God from Wales who lived in England at the time) share the difference between 'true' and 'truth'. Now I share this illustration everywhere I teach.
When Arthur visited our church, he stayed with one of the elders. He mentioned that, even though it is a British custom to take tea every afternoon, his host had never offered him tea during the many visits he had made to the elder's home. That was true. He then asked the congregation what we thought of such a host. Of course, everyone quickly judged the elder, but the truth was that Arthur had told his host on his first visit that he didn't like tea and not to bother offering him any! The first thing he said was true, but because he had left out an important part, the conclusion it left was a lie rather than truth. When he added the other part, it became truth.
Anytime you come to a conclusion that is contrary to what God says, it is not truth. In fact, it is a lie! It doesn't matter if you find 50 scriptures to 'back it up' and reinforce your opinion. If someone presents a doctrine (or you decide something is a doctrine) and it contains portions that are true but the conclusion is not the rightly divided truth of God's word, it is a lie. If you only have spiritual understanding of some portions of a doctrine and fill in the rest with theory or your personal interpretation of the Word, you will come up with a false doctrine. It is not 'truth' even though it may contain things that are 'true'. Truth is never threatened by a lie, but a lie will always be exposed by the truth.
The Word must be rightly divided and interpreted by the Holy Spirit, not by myself or any other man. 2 Peter 1:20 says no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
- pg 28 - 29
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Another excerpt from "The Reason for God" by Timothy Keller
The faith that changes the life and connects to God is best conveyed by the word 'trust'.
Imagine you are on a high cliff and you lose your footing and begin to fall. Just beside you as you fall is a branch sticking out of the very edge of the cliff. It is your only hope and it is more than enough to support your weight. How can it save you?
If your mind is filled with intellectual certainty that the branch can support you, but you don't actually reach out and grab it, you are lost.
If your mind is instead filled with doubts and uncertainty that the branch can hold you, but you reach out and grab it anyway, you will be saved.
Why? It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you. Strong faith in a weak branch is fatally inferior to weak faith in a strong branch.
- pg 234
Imagine you are on a high cliff and you lose your footing and begin to fall. Just beside you as you fall is a branch sticking out of the very edge of the cliff. It is your only hope and it is more than enough to support your weight. How can it save you?
If your mind is filled with intellectual certainty that the branch can support you, but you don't actually reach out and grab it, you are lost.
If your mind is instead filled with doubts and uncertainty that the branch can hold you, but you reach out and grab it anyway, you will be saved.
Why? It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you. Strong faith in a weak branch is fatally inferior to weak faith in a strong branch.
- pg 234
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Excerpts from "The Reason for God" by Timothy Keller
C. S. Lewis gives us a metaphor for knowing the truth about God when he writes that he believes in God 'as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else'. Imagine trying to look directly at the sun in order to learn about it. You can't do it. It will burn out your retinas, ruining your capacity to take it in. A far better way to learn about the existence, power and quality of the sun is to look at the world it shows you, to recognise how it sustains everything you see and enables you to see it.
Here, then, we have a way forward.We should not try to 'look into the sun', as it were, demanding irrefutable proofs for God. Instead we should 'look at what the sun shows us'.Which account of the world has the most 'explanatory power' to make sense of what we see in the world and in ourselves? We have a sense that we are very flawed and yet very great. We have a longing for love and beauty that nothing in this world can fulfil. We have a deep need to know meaning and purpose. Which worldview best accounts for these things?
Christians do not claim that their faith gives them omnisience or absolute knowledge of reality. Only God has that. But they believe that the Christian account of things - creation, fall, redemption and restoration - makes the most sense of the world. I ask you to put on Christianity like a pair of spectacles ad look at the world with it. See what power it has to explain what we know and see.
If the God of the Bible exists, he is not the Shakespeare that Hamlet is looking in the attic of his castle, but the Playwright who relates to us (characters) in a play. That means we won't be able to find him like we would a passive object with the powers of empirical investigation. Rather, we must find clues to his reality that he has written into the universe, including into us. That is why, if God exists, we would expect to find that he appeals to our rational faculties. If we were 'made in his image' as rational, personal beings, there should be some resonance between his mind and ours. It also means that reason alone won't be enough. The Playwright can only be known through personal revelation. That is why we have to take a look at what the Bible says about God and the human condition.
In the Christian view, however, the ultimate evidence for the existence of God is Jesus Christ himself. If there is a God, we characters in his play have to hope that he put some information about himself in the play. But Christians believe he did more than give us information. He wrote himself into the play as the main character in history, when Jesus was born in a manger and rose from the dead. He is the one with whom we have to do.
- pg 122 - 123
Here, then, we have a way forward.We should not try to 'look into the sun', as it were, demanding irrefutable proofs for God. Instead we should 'look at what the sun shows us'.Which account of the world has the most 'explanatory power' to make sense of what we see in the world and in ourselves? We have a sense that we are very flawed and yet very great. We have a longing for love and beauty that nothing in this world can fulfil. We have a deep need to know meaning and purpose. Which worldview best accounts for these things?
Christians do not claim that their faith gives them omnisience or absolute knowledge of reality. Only God has that. But they believe that the Christian account of things - creation, fall, redemption and restoration - makes the most sense of the world. I ask you to put on Christianity like a pair of spectacles ad look at the world with it. See what power it has to explain what we know and see.
If the God of the Bible exists, he is not the Shakespeare that Hamlet is looking in the attic of his castle, but the Playwright who relates to us (characters) in a play. That means we won't be able to find him like we would a passive object with the powers of empirical investigation. Rather, we must find clues to his reality that he has written into the universe, including into us. That is why, if God exists, we would expect to find that he appeals to our rational faculties. If we were 'made in his image' as rational, personal beings, there should be some resonance between his mind and ours. It also means that reason alone won't be enough. The Playwright can only be known through personal revelation. That is why we have to take a look at what the Bible says about God and the human condition.
In the Christian view, however, the ultimate evidence for the existence of God is Jesus Christ himself. If there is a God, we characters in his play have to hope that he put some information about himself in the play. But Christians believe he did more than give us information. He wrote himself into the play as the main character in history, when Jesus was born in a manger and rose from the dead. He is the one with whom we have to do.
- pg 122 - 123
Friday, May 6, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Star Polisher poem by Leah Becks
I have a great job in the universe of occupations. What do I do? I'm a "star polisher."
just go out at night and look at the stars twinkling and sparkling.
You see, I'm a teacher.
The stars are the children in my class.
My job is to take them in - in whatever shape they come -
and shine and buff them and then send them out to take their places
as bright little twinkling beacons in the sky.
The stars are the children in my class.
My job is to take them in - in whatever shape they come -
and shine and buff them and then send them out to take their places
as bright little twinkling beacons in the sky.
They come into my room in all shapes and sizes.
Sometimes they're bent, tarnished, dirty, crinkly and broken.
Some stars are cuddly, soft and sweet.
Some stars are prickly and thorny.
Sometimes they're bent, tarnished, dirty, crinkly and broken.
Some stars are cuddly, soft and sweet.
Some stars are prickly and thorny.
As I buff, polish, train and teach my little stars,
I tell them that the world cannot do without them.
I tell them they can do anything they set their minds to do.
I tell them they can be the brightest, shiniest stars in the sky
and the world will be a better place because of them.
I tell them that the world cannot do without them.
I tell them they can do anything they set their minds to do.
I tell them they can be the brightest, shiniest stars in the sky
and the world will be a better place because of them.
Each night as I look at the sky, I'm reminded of my
very important job and awesome responsibility.
I go and get my soft buffing cloth
and my bottle of polish in preparation for tomorrow
and for my class of little stars.
very important job and awesome responsibility.
I go and get my soft buffing cloth
and my bottle of polish in preparation for tomorrow
and for my class of little stars.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Poem by Leyana
More Than Just a Friend
You are my friend
One I've known all my life
You were there in all my times of need
When I needed a shoulder to borrow
You were there when I got picked for the team
To celebrate and eat ice cream
But lately the line between friendship and romance is a blur
I've tried adjusting the lens
Trying to get it to focus
Needing to see the line
Needing to see where I stand
But I'm afraid I already know where I am
Way off in romance land
Cause every time you smile
The butterflies start acting up
When you put your arms around me
My heart starts to thump
I know you think of me as only a friend
I don't want to ruin our friendship
I don't want to cause that awkward moment
So I will try and hold back my feelings for you
Hoping they'll pass
Monday, October 11, 2010
軌跡 Tracks
軌跡 Tracks
曲: 周杰倫
Music: Jay Chou
詞：黃俊郎
Lyrics: Huang Jun Lang
Verse 1
怎麼隱藏 我的悲傷
How to hide my sadness
失去妳的地方
The place where I lost you
妳的髮香 散的匆忙
The fragrance of your hair scatters hastily
我已經跟不上
I'm unable to catch up
Verse 2
閉上眼睛 還能看見
With my eyes closed, I can still see
妳離去的痕跡
The traces of your departure
在月光下一直找尋
I keep searching under the moonlight
那想念的身影
For that silhouette that I’m thinking of
*如果說分手 是苦痛的起點
If breaking up can be said to be the starting point of pain
那在終點之前 我願意再愛一遍
Then before the final destination point, I’m willing to love once again
想要對妳說的 不敢說的愛
I want to tell you, the love that I dare not express
會不會有人 可以明白
Will anyone be able to understand
Chorus
我會發著呆 然後忘記妳
I will be staring off into space, then I will forget you
接著緊緊閉上眼
And then tightly close my eyes
想著那一天 會有人代替
Thinking about that day, when there will be someone who’ll take your place
讓我不再想念妳
So that I will not think about you anymore
我會發著呆 然後微微笑
I will be staring off into space, then I will break into a smile
接著緊緊閉上眼
And then tightly close my eyes
又想了一遍 妳溫柔的臉
Thinking once again, your tender face
在我忘記之前
Before I forget
心裡的眼淚 模糊了視線
The tears in my heart, have blurred my vision
妳已快看不見
I'm starting to lose sight of you
曲: 周杰倫
Music: Jay Chou
詞：黃俊郎
Lyrics: Huang Jun Lang
Verse 1
怎麼隱藏 我的悲傷
How to hide my sadness
失去妳的地方
The place where I lost you
妳的髮香 散的匆忙
The fragrance of your hair scatters hastily
我已經跟不上
I'm unable to catch up
Verse 2
閉上眼睛 還能看見
With my eyes closed, I can still see
妳離去的痕跡
The traces of your departure
在月光下一直找尋
I keep searching under the moonlight
那想念的身影
For that silhouette that I’m thinking of
*如果說分手 是苦痛的起點
If breaking up can be said to be the starting point of pain
那在終點之前 我願意再愛一遍
Then before the final destination point, I’m willing to love once again
想要對妳說的 不敢說的愛
I want to tell you, the love that I dare not express
會不會有人 可以明白
Will anyone be able to understand
Chorus
我會發著呆 然後忘記妳
I will be staring off into space, then I will forget you
接著緊緊閉上眼
And then tightly close my eyes
想著那一天 會有人代替
Thinking about that day, when there will be someone who’ll take your place
讓我不再想念妳
So that I will not think about you anymore
我會發著呆 然後微微笑
I will be staring off into space, then I will break into a smile
接著緊緊閉上眼
And then tightly close my eyes
又想了一遍 妳溫柔的臉
Thinking once again, your tender face
在我忘記之前
Before I forget
心裡的眼淚 模糊了視線
The tears in my heart, have blurred my vision
妳已快看不見
I'm starting to lose sight of you
Friday, August 13, 2010
"My NS Experience" essay (repost)
Recently (Oct 2009) i was tasked (or 'arrowed' in army jargon) to submit an entry for an essay-writing competition. It's entitled My NS Experience. i thought it'd be good to share it here.
"National Service (NS) does indeed change a young man's character, for better or for worse." This remark came from my mentor recently. How true! To set it in context, we were having a casual discussion on the various differing personalities of NS Full-time servicemen (NSFs) and how they would spend their two years (or less) in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). We figured out NSFs range between two extremes. On one end stands a young man, in his Full Battle Order (FBO), who fully understands the need for NS and fulfils his purpose as a ‘Son of Singapore’, usually transitioning into his NSman (or re-service) liabilities with the rank of Full Lieutenant (LTA) or Second Sergeant (2SG) on his Operational Ready Date (ORD). On the other end sits a young man, in front of a computer screen wearing his No. 3 uniform, who totally misses the rationale behind NS and pursues his goal of ‘serving the nation for two years and no more’, typically avoiding his NSman liabilities altogether with the rank of Private (PTE) or Lance Corporal (LCP) on his Run Out Date (ROD).
Personally, my perspective of NS before I enlisted was not the same as that well after I have enlisted. It has, in fact, constantly changed through the different phases of my army life – namely Basic Military Training (BMT) at Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) on Pulau Tekong, Basic Section Leader Course (BSLC) and Advanced Section Leader Course (ASLC) at School of Infantry Specialists (SISPEC), and now as a BMT Commander back on Pulau Tekong. Prior to enlistment, although I was uncertain about NS, I gave an overestimation of my abilities to adapt and cope with a regimented lifestyle. Just a few days after I waved my parents farewell at the Tekong Ferry Terminal on 11 January 2008, I began to stumble in my efforts to adapt to the new life.
During my BMT, I had a difficult time adjusting to regimentation. I looked out for no one except myself, seeking to meet my own needs all the time. I was a terrible recruit in Jaguar Company, but I was given the chance to become a commander nevertheless. Shortly after graduating from my BMT, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) allowed me to return to school so that I could study and re-take my General Certificate of Education Advanced (GCE A) Level examination, thereby disrupting my NS for 9 months.
On 22 December 2008, I re-enlisted and was posted to SISPEC to continue my next phase of military training. So, I joined the 50th BSLC instead of the 47th BSLC if I had not disrupted my NS. Of course, it was an honour to be part of the pioneer batch of SISPEC trainees receiving the newly created Specialist Cadet (SCT) rank on 23 December 2008. I was posted to Golf Company where I started to acquire the mindset of a Specialist-in-training. Initially, although I had completed my BMT, it was as if I were starting to adapt to army life all over again because I had gone back to a non-regimental civilian lifestyle for more than half a year. Thank God I managed to pick up my physical fitness quite quickly and re-adjusted to a regimental military lifestyle with the help of my commanders and platoon mates.
I can still remember the words of the Officer Commanding (OC) during one of the Team Building Team Learning (TBTL) sessions. Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Teo See Keong said, “Leaders make sacrifices.” That simple statement shed some light onto the path of my learning journey of becoming a commander. Indeed, I learnt that sacrifices are necessary for a leader. When I was holding the appointments of Leader Platoon Sergeant (LPS) and Leader Sergeant Major (LSM), I had to sacrifice some sleep by waking up earlier so that I could hurry my fellow cadets to fall in for our daily morning five basic exercises (5BX) and hitting the haystack later due to receiving orders from above. Even then, before becoming a Specialist, I already felt immense pride reciting the Specialist’s Creed every morning.
On 17 February 2009, I continued my journey towards becoming a Section Commander as I joined the 50th ASLC in Charlie Company. It turned out to be the most memorable phase of my army life, perhaps because it was the longest period of time which I spent with a group of army buddies (BMT – 8 weeks, BSLC – 8 weeks, ASLC – 14 weeks!), and we even spent 3 weeks in a foreign country which is dubbed as the Land of a Thousand Smiles. 25 February 2009 was another day to remember for it was the day of our beret presentation. Till today, the label with my name and 4-digit reference number is still on the inside of my green headdress. It is merely a piece of masking tape with the words ‘Gland Liang’ and the number ‘C2202’ but it brings back so much nostalgia of the good old days of my trainee life. I closed my ASLC journal with a two-line summary: I had the hardest times of my life during ASLC, but I also had the hardest laughs of my life during ASLC.
After passing out from SISPEC with my new rank of Third Sergeant (3SG), I have been posted back to BMTC on Pulau Tekong but as a commander now, I had never found the island of Tekong so beautiful before during my recruit days. It has been a very pleasant working experience here at Orion Company and I am truly enjoying my NS now. My first batch of recruits haa just graduated as Privates nearly three weeks ago and they have reported to their new units this week. I must say I miss them because they were my first batch and I had put my heart and soul into training them. They were more than just recruits to me. in fact, they were like how Colonel (COL) Chan Wei Gan, Commander of BMTC, urged us to treat them – brothers. I may have had been a lacklustre recruit/trainee, but I aspire to be a good Specialist. I will keep aflame the fire of my passion and enthusiasm towards subsequent batches of recruits throughout the rest of my NS. When I have finished serving my NSF liabilities on 8 August 2010, may my mentor say that NS has indeed changed my character, for the better.
- 3SG Glen A. Liang, Orion Company, BMTC School 2, 24 September 2009
"National Service (NS) does indeed change a young man's character, for better or for worse." This remark came from my mentor recently. How true! To set it in context, we were having a casual discussion on the various differing personalities of NS Full-time servicemen (NSFs) and how they would spend their two years (or less) in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). We figured out NSFs range between two extremes. On one end stands a young man, in his Full Battle Order (FBO), who fully understands the need for NS and fulfils his purpose as a ‘Son of Singapore’, usually transitioning into his NSman (or re-service) liabilities with the rank of Full Lieutenant (LTA) or Second Sergeant (2SG) on his Operational Ready Date (ORD). On the other end sits a young man, in front of a computer screen wearing his No. 3 uniform, who totally misses the rationale behind NS and pursues his goal of ‘serving the nation for two years and no more’, typically avoiding his NSman liabilities altogether with the rank of Private (PTE) or Lance Corporal (LCP) on his Run Out Date (ROD).
Personally, my perspective of NS before I enlisted was not the same as that well after I have enlisted. It has, in fact, constantly changed through the different phases of my army life – namely Basic Military Training (BMT) at Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) on Pulau Tekong, Basic Section Leader Course (BSLC) and Advanced Section Leader Course (ASLC) at School of Infantry Specialists (SISPEC), and now as a BMT Commander back on Pulau Tekong. Prior to enlistment, although I was uncertain about NS, I gave an overestimation of my abilities to adapt and cope with a regimented lifestyle. Just a few days after I waved my parents farewell at the Tekong Ferry Terminal on 11 January 2008, I began to stumble in my efforts to adapt to the new life.
During my BMT, I had a difficult time adjusting to regimentation. I looked out for no one except myself, seeking to meet my own needs all the time. I was a terrible recruit in Jaguar Company, but I was given the chance to become a commander nevertheless. Shortly after graduating from my BMT, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) allowed me to return to school so that I could study and re-take my General Certificate of Education Advanced (GCE A) Level examination, thereby disrupting my NS for 9 months.
On 22 December 2008, I re-enlisted and was posted to SISPEC to continue my next phase of military training. So, I joined the 50th BSLC instead of the 47th BSLC if I had not disrupted my NS. Of course, it was an honour to be part of the pioneer batch of SISPEC trainees receiving the newly created Specialist Cadet (SCT) rank on 23 December 2008. I was posted to Golf Company where I started to acquire the mindset of a Specialist-in-training. Initially, although I had completed my BMT, it was as if I were starting to adapt to army life all over again because I had gone back to a non-regimental civilian lifestyle for more than half a year. Thank God I managed to pick up my physical fitness quite quickly and re-adjusted to a regimental military lifestyle with the help of my commanders and platoon mates.
I can still remember the words of the Officer Commanding (OC) during one of the Team Building Team Learning (TBTL) sessions. Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Teo See Keong said, “Leaders make sacrifices.” That simple statement shed some light onto the path of my learning journey of becoming a commander. Indeed, I learnt that sacrifices are necessary for a leader. When I was holding the appointments of Leader Platoon Sergeant (LPS) and Leader Sergeant Major (LSM), I had to sacrifice some sleep by waking up earlier so that I could hurry my fellow cadets to fall in for our daily morning five basic exercises (5BX) and hitting the haystack later due to receiving orders from above. Even then, before becoming a Specialist, I already felt immense pride reciting the Specialist’s Creed every morning.
On 17 February 2009, I continued my journey towards becoming a Section Commander as I joined the 50th ASLC in Charlie Company. It turned out to be the most memorable phase of my army life, perhaps because it was the longest period of time which I spent with a group of army buddies (BMT – 8 weeks, BSLC – 8 weeks, ASLC – 14 weeks!), and we even spent 3 weeks in a foreign country which is dubbed as the Land of a Thousand Smiles. 25 February 2009 was another day to remember for it was the day of our beret presentation. Till today, the label with my name and 4-digit reference number is still on the inside of my green headdress. It is merely a piece of masking tape with the words ‘Gland Liang’ and the number ‘C2202’ but it brings back so much nostalgia of the good old days of my trainee life. I closed my ASLC journal with a two-line summary: I had the hardest times of my life during ASLC, but I also had the hardest laughs of my life during ASLC.
After passing out from SISPEC with my new rank of Third Sergeant (3SG), I have been posted back to BMTC on Pulau Tekong but as a commander now, I had never found the island of Tekong so beautiful before during my recruit days. It has been a very pleasant working experience here at Orion Company and I am truly enjoying my NS now. My first batch of recruits haa just graduated as Privates nearly three weeks ago and they have reported to their new units this week. I must say I miss them because they were my first batch and I had put my heart and soul into training them. They were more than just recruits to me. in fact, they were like how Colonel (COL) Chan Wei Gan, Commander of BMTC, urged us to treat them – brothers. I may have had been a lacklustre recruit/trainee, but I aspire to be a good Specialist. I will keep aflame the fire of my passion and enthusiasm towards subsequent batches of recruits throughout the rest of my NS. When I have finished serving my NSF liabilities on 8 August 2010, may my mentor say that NS has indeed changed my character, for the better.
- 3SG Glen A. Liang, Orion Company, BMTC School 2, 24 September 2009
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