dun drive and drive (playmobil stopmotion video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dETxDmIgZVQ

hi guys this is a video done by my wife and her students

very meaningful and educational

pls take a look =)

Couple charged under Sedition Act Part II: Tecman in trouble

Booklets available in store, says lawyer

MDA says action will be taken against bookshop as tracts are objectionable

By Elena Chong, Courts Correspondent


Dorothy Chan Hien Leng arriving in court with her husband, Ong Kian Cheong. The couple are accused of distributing seditious and objectionable publications. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN


THE lawyer defending a couple on trial for distributing seditious tracts argued yesterday that the materials published by an American firm were openly available in a Christian bookshop in Singapore.

Tecman, at Bras Basah Complex, sold the Chick Publications tracts, said Mr Selva Naidu, as he showed pictures of the store in Bain Street with the materials on its shelves to an official from the Media Development Authority (MDA) for his response.
About this case
TECHNICAL officer Ong Kian Cheong, 50, and his wife, Dorothy Chan Hien Leng, 45, face two charges of distributing seditious publications, and one each of distributing an objectionable publication and possession of seditious tracts.

Two of the recipients, Mr Irwan Ariffin, 32, and Madam Farharti Ahmad, 36, received an evangelistic comic tract titled The Little Bride through the mail while Mr Isa Raffee, 35, was sent Who Is Allah?
... more

As such publications are openly and freely available in Singapore, a member of the public will not know that it is an offence to give away or even possess such materials, argued Mr Naidu.

Also, a member of the public may not know that such publications may promote feelings of ill will, hostility, enmity or hatred between different classes of population in Singapore.

Mr A.R. Madeei, the MDA's senior assistant director (publications), replied by saying that action would be taken against the book store as 11 of the tracts were objectionable.

Testifying at the continued trial of Ong Kian Cheong, 50, and his wife, Dorothy Chan Hien Leng, 45, Mr Madeei said the contents of those 11 publications could cause hatred and ill will between different religions.

The booklets are published by Chick Publications, an American firm that produces and markets Protestant fundamentalist pamphlets, DVDs, VCDs, videos, books and posters. Its best-known products are the Chick tracts, which are comic tracts available in nearly 100 languages.

Mr Madeei told District Judge Roy Neighbour that it is not possible for the MDA to examine each and every publication sold in bookshops here as close to two million books are imported.

'We allow the industry to self-regulate and refer to us publications that are in doubt,' he said.

In response to a question by Deputy Public Prosecutor Anandan Bala, the witness said a tract had a greater propensity for damage as it could easily be read and accessed compared to a book.

And if there were illustrations, he said it would definitely create more impact than words.

In his cross-examination of Mr Madeei, Mr Naidu read excerpts from four books and asked if those passages were objectionable.

The four were: God Is Not Great, The End Of Faith, The Da Vinci Code and The God Delusion.

Mr Madeei's reply was that these passages had to be looked at in context, and they might not be objectionable.

But a tract, he said, was targeted, easily accessible and understood by the young and vulnerable.

'In a tract, there is no room for debate at all. Mere statements. A book, on the other hand, encompasses different points of view and arguments,' he added.

Mr Madeei's testimony took most of the day's hearing, and he would return today. The MDA is the regulatory authority on publications.

In the afternoon, Madam Farhati Ahmad, an administration manager with the Education Ministry, testified that she felt offended and angry after reading The Little Bride. She made a police report on March 6, 2007.

Christian couple charged under Sedition Act

source

A CHRISTIAN couple who allegedly distributed seditious publications to three Muslims went on trial on Thursday.

Ong Kian Cheong, 49, a technical officer with SingTel, and his wife, Dorothy Chan Hien Leng, 45, an associate director with Swiss bank UBS, are facing four charges each.

They are accused of distributing a comic strip booklet titled The Little Bride to Mr Irwan Ariffin, 32, at Sembawang Drive on Oct 19 last year.

The booklet is said 'to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between Christians and Muslims in Singapore' according to the charge.

They allegedly distributed the same objectionable booklet to Ms Farharti Ahmad at Woodlands Drive 72 on March 6 last year, which the charge says, could 'cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between the two religious groups'.

The couple are said to have distributed another seditious publication, Who is Allah, to Mr Isa Raffee at Segar Road in the first week of last December.

The last charge accuses them of having a total of 439 copies of 11 tracts at their Maplewoods Condominium in Bukit Timah Road on Jan 30.

Mr Irwan, a staff sergeant with the Traffic Police, told the court that he opened his letter box on Oct 19 - the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri - and found the booklet.

After reading it, he felt angry and very offended.

He said the publication was 'somewhat condemning' of his religion.

There were also other offensive references to Prophet Mohammed.

At the start of cross-examination, the couple's lawyer, Mr Selva K. Naidu, offered his clients' apologies for the hurt caused to his feelings and asked if he would accept their apology.

Mr Irwan, who had made a police report that day (Oct 19), said the damage had been done.

'I do not know how many such publications that have been distributed throughout Singapore, and if any apology were to be addressed, it should not be made to me alone,' he said. The trial continues.

A prayer

Lord,

Thank you for preserving us.

Guide us so that we continue to do your will.

Let us rely more on you and not ourselves O Lord.

Let us focus more on you and not on the things of this world.

In Christ's name we pray,

Amen.

Loving one another

Came across this passage this morning and found a very important verse that I want to share with anyone who reads this blog......

God's Love and Ours (1 John 4:7-21)

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Have we been showing love to others in our lives? To our parents yes...to our best friends, most probably...to our mentors/mentees...mayb....how about to those who trespass against us? The ones whom you cant get along well all this years? You may say that you do not hate the person but just do not feel like talking to him/her...but is there love?? You do not need to be accountable to anyone except God...I myself is guilty of this..not sure about u....I tell myself I do not hate anyone...but when I ponder on it...do I really love? I am trying to love everyone in my life...shall we try together? do not use the excuse of "we r not perfect, cos we are not God"....yes we are not..but we should always strive for perfection and be God-like in everything we say and do....

its been awhile since we had our bible study..I am trying to do my daily QT....will you do it too pls???

Why Define Worship & Worship Defined

Not sure if anyone still reads this blog. But if you are reading this, then yes, someone reads it! Just like to share a good article I just came across on Worship. Originally from here. 

Written by Bob Kauflin

WHY DEFINE WORSHIP?

Why spend time defining worship? Is it really that big a deal? Isn’t it more important that we simply do it?

It’s hard for us to know whether or not we’re doing something if we’re not sure what that "something" is. If I define "eating" as simply looking at food, you wouldn’t enjoy coming over to my house to "eat." If "breathing" is something I only do when I get with a group of people on Sunday mornings, then how do I describe what I do the rest of the time?

I heard theologian David Peterson say that defining words is important because not only do we use words, but words use us. That’s true, even if we’re unaware of it. Once we assign meaning to a word, it both reflects and shapes our world view. That’s why conversations about evangelicalism, the emerging church, or even Christianity can be confusing. We have to agree on what those words actually MEAN.

"Worship" is anther one of those words. When someone refers to worship, they can be talking about any number of things: a time of singing, a meeting, a style of music, a certain type of religious liturgy, a mystical experience, something in contrast to "praise," or a type of Christian band. Do any of these comments sound familiar?

"By the third song, I was really worshipping." [Who or what were you worshipping before the third song?]

"Worship gets me to the place where I don’t have to think about anything." [Worshipping God actually requires thinking very clearly about the Word, works, and worthiness of God.]

"Will there be worship at the meeting?" [Definitely. The question is of who or what.]

"With only 20 minutes, we really didn’t have time to worship." [As though we "warm up" to worship God, rather than seek to honor him with our every thought and action.]

"Fred is doing the worship this morning." [Hopefully, everyone else will join in.]

"I really love your worship." [This is a comment I sometimes get after leading God’s praise in song. I usually respond by saying, "I hope you worshipped too!"]

"Susie’s a real worshipper!" [This probably means that Susie is physically expressive when she sings songs of praise to God. Whether that means she’s a worshipper of God or not requires a little more information.]

Please don’t misunderstand these comments. I’m not encouraging anyone to become the "word police." There are few things more obnoxious than someone who misses your main point because they’re adjusting your use of a certain word (and my friends have told me more than once I’m that obnoxious person). However, thinking and speaking of worship more broadly and biblically will both clarify some of our discussions and, more importantly, contribute to consistently passionate and God-honoring actions in all of life.

DEFINING WORSHIP

Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) once said "Every definition is dangerous." That may explain why when we try to define a word simply and precisely we often end up missing significant aspects of the word we’re defining. Attempts at explaining worship as "love," or "intimacy," or "relationship" say something true, but end up leaving out more than they contribute to our understanding of worship.

In spite of Erasmus’ warning, over the years I’ve come across numerous definitions of "worship" that have caused me think about worship more biblically.

Harold Best, in his book, Music Through the Eyes of Faith, defines worship in the broadest sense as "acknowledging that someone or something else is greater - worth more - and by consequence, to be obeyed, feared, and adored…Worship is the sign that in giving myself completely to someone or something, I want to be mastered by it. (pg. 143)

We want to be mastered the objects of our worship. And indeed we are. We worship whatever rules our time, energy, thoughts, longings, and choices. "Those who make them [idols] become like them; so do all who trust in them." (Psalm 115:8, ESV)

A definition of worship that I appreciate for its simplicity and clarity is by Warren Wiersbe, who writes: "Worship is the believer’s response of all that they are - mind, emotions, will, body - to what God is and says and does." (Warren Wiersbe, Real Worship, p. 26)

I’ve used that definition, or something similar, when I want to accent that worship can’t be half-hearted, and is all about God’s character, words, and acts.

David Peterson, in his wonderful book, Engaging with God, unpacks what at first blush is a more sterile, but nevertheless insightful, definition: "Worship of the living and true God is essentially an engagement with him on the terms that he proposes and in the way that he alone makes possible." (Engaging with God, pg. 20)

Peterson’s definition highlights God’s initiative, authority, and enabling power in our worship. Dr. Dan Block, who until recently was a Professor of Old Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, defines true worship as "reverential human acts of submission and homage before the divine Sovereign, in response to his gracious revelation of himself, and in accordance with his will." (from Dr. Block’s For the Glory of God. course notes)

This is the first definition that specifically mentions what many of the biblical words for worship imply - submission and homage.

Well, this post is already longer than I anticipated. But, here’s one more from William Temple’s (1881-1944) Readings in St. John’s Gospel.

"Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His Beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose - and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin".

Amen.

'wilson', Kaboom and friendships ...

It rained heavily this morning as I made my way to church and later on to the secondary school for morning devotion. For once, I felt a bit more relaxed but yet I still needed my script to refer to. Glad that Debbie was around to help me out with the video and powerpoint.

Sometimes I wonder if God was really making his presence felt both in my life and in the life of the students. Just as a friend shared with me about an eerie dream she had a few days ago, I had my 'eerie' experience this morning.

I was going to share on friendships and relationships and how we are all made to be relational beings. So I thought a good example would be the character in Cast Away played by Tom Hanks. I was trying to explain the point that all of us are relational and we need to relate and there is something in built in us that yearns for relationships. In the movie, Tom found a volleyball and it became his greatest pal on the deserted island. Wilson, his new friend became someone to bounce ideas with, to sleep with, to vent his anger on, etc ...

Where was I? Oh ... I brought a volleyball for maximum effect and introduced him as 'Wilson' to all the students and I lifted 'Wilson' for all to see. And I said, 'Ok Wilson, say hello to everyone!" And there at that preceise moment, a loud thunder roared through the skies ... I was stunned for that split second and then the students roared with laughter at the moment. That moment of humour from God helped me and the students to connect and the rest of the devotion went on very well ... :)

If you are wondering what I shared this morning, here it is ...

Be Blessed in Friendships – God blesses us with friends

In the movie Cast Away, the character played by actor Tom Hanks found himself on a deserted island. He was the only survivor of a plane crash. Some days later, he found a volleyball that was washed ashore. Days turn into weeks and as loneliness got to him, Wilson the volleyball eventually became a friend to Tom Hanks. Wherever Tom went, Wilson the volleyball was his constant companion. He talked frequently to Wilson and even consulted Wilson on certain decisions to be made. One day, Tom decided to build a raft to try to escape from the island together with Wilson. As they travelled in the open sea, his friend Wilson the volleyball fell out of the raft and started drifting away. Tom woke up to see Wilson floating away and immediately jumps into the sea to rescue his friend. This is what happened -



For Tom, Wilson was his closest friend and companion on that island. And as Wilson floated out to sea, Tom felt sorry that he could not save his friend. We may laugh at the emotional scene we just saw. Wilson is after all just a volleyball! Why was Tom feeling so emotional about the loss of a volleyball?

In reality, all of us are actually relational people who have a deep desire in us to want to have friendship and companionship. The Bible teaches us that God made us to be people with a strong desire for relationships because He himself is a relational God who cares and love His people.

Bible Verse: John 15:12-13
12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.


We are blessed with many kinds of relationships. We have our families. We have our friends. Imagine living in a world where we don’t have relationships at all where we don’t have family ties or friendships? Look around you this morning and you will see your friends and classmates. Friends can be special people who will share your happiness and your pain. They’re the people who laugh with you, listen to you when you need to talk, encourage you, and support you through tough times.

God knows that all of us need that kind of support in friendships and relationships. And so we were made to be able to relate with others. Besides being blessed by friends around us, we ought to also see ourselves being a blessing to others too!

Let me end this devotion by sharing something that might perhaps bring a smile to your face as you begin the day in school.

Three strangers from different countries, Ah Seng, Lee and Robert, were stranded on a desert island after their boat sank. Days turn into weeks and weeks into months and still there was no sign of any help and since there were only three of them on the island, they became good friends.

One day, Ah Seng was walking along the beach when he finds an old lamp. He rubs it and out comes a genie.

“Thank you, thank you,” says the grateful genie.

“I will grant you a wish – ask anything you want.”

Ah Seng, being unselfish, asked the genie, “Could my friends have a wish too?”

“Sure! the genie answered.” “Each of you can have a wish.”

“Whoa! Steady man! Thanks genie!” And with great excitement, Ah Seng rushes off to tell his two other friends the good news and asked them to make a wish each.

Robert thought about his home in New Zealand with its beautiful mountains and endless green pastures. “How I wish I am back in New Zealand!” Poof! He was gone.

Ah Seng’s other friend, Lee, thought about his family in Taipei, and how much he missed his wife and children. “How I wish I am back home with my family.” Poof! He was gone.

Ah Seng looked around and realized he was the only one left on the island. “Sigh! How I miss my friends. I wish they are here with me.”

I will leave what happened next to your imagination. Let’s pray.

Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, we want to thank you for giving us family and friends in our lives. We thank you for you have made us relational people who can be friends with others around us. We thank you because you showed us what it means to love others. We pray that you will continue to help us to be a blessing to our friends and families.

As we continue the day, we ask for your blessings of wisdom and discipline to be with us.

In your name I pray, Amen.