Post-Examination Period

25 June 2009

Last time I always wanted to watch sunrise, and last year I forgot to watch. I can 't sleep well, so I planned to go watch sunrise. Where? Just watch at the balcony outside the kitchen of my hostel ^^. P/S: All the times stated in the [square barracks] are just rough approximation.

The sky still dark, and you can see the The Motherland Calls (Родина-мать зовёт) in Mamayev Kurgan (Мамаев Курган) in Volgograd [around 4.00 am]

The sky getting brighter, and you can see a 'red' cloud [around 4.30-5.00 am]

The sun started to rise [around 5.20 am]

A closer view [around 5.20 am]

The sun slowly rises up [around 5.30 am]

The sun rises high up above the cloud [around 5.45 am]

A further view [around 5.45 am]

God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:16-18)

26 June 2009

Today is the exam day for Physiology, so early morning I went to hand up my credit book to the Physiology Department. In 2.00 pm, it was the convocation of the graduates (from foreign countries only) from my university.

It was held in the hall. Before the ceremony start, all the students, parents and the professors were very 'kelam-kabut', everyone tried to find a place to sit.

The ceremony start with a small video clip or slide show. It was quite boring, cause it keep showing many nice scenes in different countries, until the last part I fell asleep and my friend from behind woke me up.

After the video clip, some professors gave some short speeches (not like in Malaysia). This person is Spasov A.A., the vice-rector of our university.


The ceremony continues by giving the certificates together with flowers to the graduates. You can see the graduate receiving the certificate from Spasov A.A. and his picture and name is displayed on the big screen. It took quite a long time, cause there is more than 100 graduates, and I heard that some of the parents fell alseep. By around 3.30 - 4.00 pm the ceremony finished. So what we going to do later? Go out outdoor and take photos!

Joshua, his wife Jean, and Zhuo Ling. Did you notice that Zhuo Ling's certificate is red colour?

The person in the middle is our pastor, Frank.

Jiann Woei, Khiong, Kok Tong, and Jeremy.

Kok Tong with his parents.

Unkown russian guy, Jean, Janet, Wen Tao.

Wai Lup, Kah Wei, Joshua, Khiong.

The person hold the T-shirt is Albert. Notice what is written on the shirt.

The graduates from our university.

27 June 2009
After our Sunday Service in the church, we have another small convocation in our church.


Convocation means we gonna said good bye to these brothers and sisters. Kind of sad actually......

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,11)

Well, there is time for everything, and I guess is time to sat good bye, but we know that we will meet again back in Malaysia, and most important, in the kingdom of heaven. Amens

Dreams

Note: Few days ago, a friend of mine told me some secrets, and I was astonished that there are actually many things happened without other people's knowledge. But since those things are not good news, so I'll keep it to myself.

I am sure that everyone has dreams before when sleeping. According to Wikipedia, dreams can be defined as a series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The scientific study of dreams is known as oneirology.

According to Old Testament and New Testament, God sometime reveals his will to his people through dreams and visions. Examples are Joseph, King Solomon, and Peter.

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." (Genesis 37:5-7)

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." (1 Kings 3:5)

'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.' (Acts 2:17)

Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened: "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. " (Acts 11:4-5)

My Chinese teacher, who is a buddist, taught me History in From 1 and taught me Chinese Language from Form 2 until Form 5. Last summer holiday, I returned to Samad to give some souvenirs to my teachers. The one of the teachers that I didn't meet is my Chinese teacher, cause they told me that she had been transfered to a school in Bandar Utama. That time I am lazy to find out where is that school or where she lives, so I didn't give the souvenirs to her.

I remembered during this year winter holiday, I have a dream. In my dream, I met my Chinese teacher, I forget what are we talking about, but I remembered she mentioned the words "Holy Spirit". This word shouldn't come out from the mouth of a buddist. So later I asked her, "Do you believe in Christianity?". She replied, "Last time yes, but now no." After that I woke up from my dream.

Few days ago, I have a dream, and I met her again, and I gave her some ang-pao packets that I collected, cause she told us before that she likes to collect these ang-pao packets. Later we talked for a while, and in the dream I wanted to ask her a question, but I forgot what is that question. After that, I woke up.

What do these dreams mean? Does God want me to find that teacher when I go back Malaysia during the summer holiday?

Don't Waste Your Life?

Recently my life is very relaxing, no stress, no tension. Recently reading some books, online and preparing a bit for next semester materials. Just finished reading "the Heavenly Man", still reading a book entitled "What Did Jesus Demanded from the World" by John Piper, and also a book that my friend just lent me yesterday, entitled "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. If anyone of you saw these books, you should read them.

"Why didn't you go somewhere 'jalan-jalan'?"
Well, I have been here for almost two years, where should I go for 'jalan-jalan'?

"If I was you, I will be in Sochi now."
Well, different people like to do different things. Some people said now is a good time to go sight seeing in places such as Moscow, St. Peterburg, etc. But I don't like to go travel alone. Btw travelling need money and wise planning, if someone didn't plan properly for the trip, then it will be just a waste of money, and I admitted that I am terrible in planning.

"What are you doing here? Don't waste your life here"
When he said 'Don't waste your life', this caught my attention, I asked him, "What do you mean by 'Don't waste your life'?" I asked him twice but he didn't really answer my question. He said, "Just don't waste your life. Go wear nice shirts, go around the town, go to the opposite side of Volgo River to meet some girls" =___=||

Well, for me, It is very wasting life by having excess entertainment, by watching films, movies and dramas the whole day, by sitting inside the room and play computer games or online the whole days. Of course I am not against entertainment, cause all works and no play make Billy a dull boy. But excessive entertainment is really making someone 'no life' (that's what my friend described it). I personally experienced it before.

After SPM, while waiting for the result, I was staying at home, practically doing nothing. I went to learn driving, but driving lesson was just few hours per week. My mom asked me to go read up some Form 6 books, cause that might be a possibility for my future, but after reading the first chapter of Biology about carbohydrate, I stopped. So I end up just staying at home playing online game. When I think back about this, the first thing came to my mind is "wasting life". It is really a waste of time, I played for days and nights, and what I get is just some success in a virtual world, and some excitement and fun when playing. But when the excitement and fun was over, what is left is emptiness. What a waste of life.

Last year after my summer exams in first year, I have few days time before going back Malaysia. So what I did? Again I end up in excessive entertainment, but this time not online game, cause no one can effort that high cost of internet fee, since it is counted by per byte received. So what I did, like others I end up watch dramas and animes whole day, very meaningless, very wasting life. When I went back to Malaysia, I met up with my teachers and friends in Samad, but most of them busy with their studies in college or Form 6, so is impossible that I met up with them everyday. My parent busy with their works and my siblings also busy with their studies, so I end up watching TV in morning, sleeping in afternoon, at night watch TV and online. What a waste of life.

But at least now I know I am not wasting life, because God found me. The greatest thing happened in my life is God brought me to this place and made himself known to me. It is really great to know there is a creator that not only created you, but he also loves you. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) I am also very glad because I have the chance to read God's Words or the Bible, because All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The Heavenly Man 天上人

Today I just finished reading a book entitled "The Heavenly Man" (天上人). It is a remarkable true story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun (云弟兄).


The title comes from the name by which Brother Yun was known amongst the house church networks. He gained that name from one night of interrogation when he would only answer "I am a heavenly man!", instead of revealing his true name, in order to protect other Christians from the police. This book is co-written and translated by Paul Hattaway and published by Monarch Publications. This book was awarded the Christian Book of the Year in 2003.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_Yun

My friend described this book as the modern-day version of the Book of Acts in the Bible. Indeed, it is like the Book of Acts. Brother Yun came from the Henan Province in China and came to Christ and start to preach the gospel in the age of 16. Through out the book we can see how he and other christians in China suffered from persecutions in China. During that time China is ruled by Communist Party, under the leadership of Mao Zedong. So to say "I believe in Jesus Christ" or "Praise to our Lord" is like suicide. Christians in China are considered as counter-revolutionists and will be thrown into jail. All the Bibles are confiscated, all foreign missionaries are not allowed.

But in spite of all the persecutions, Brother Yun still eagerly preaches the gospel throughout China and leads many people to Christ. The persecutions force the christians to run from towns to towns in order to escape the pursue from authorities, but when they run from towns to towns, the gospel also spreads from towns to towns. Christians who are in prisons also bring the good news about Jesus Christ to other prisoners and lead them to Christ. Ironically, under such persecutions and harsh conditions, the gospel spreads quickly to many areas in China.

Not only so, through out the book we can see how God works in Brother Yun's and other christians' life. We can see how God performs miracles through Brother Yun, we see how Brother Yun received his first Bible, we see many people were healed, we see how Brother Yun fasted for 74 days without food and water, we see how he miraculously escaped from the prison, like what happen to Apostle Peter, and we see how God brings him to Germany.

After read this book, I appreciate all the things that given by God. Compared to Brother Yun, my life is so peaceful. He prayed for three months to get his first Bible, but my first Bible was given to me, even though I never demand it from God. I can bravely proclaim the name of Christ without entering the prison, but just because of Christ's name, Brother Yun was thrown into the prisons for many times and was tortured by the authorities. Now only I fully realised that how blessed I am, because I need not to go through what Brother Yun went through.

But everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). I can feel that there are many persecutions waiting for me in the future, but blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)

A quote from this book:
Jesus is truly worth knowing. He is worthy to receive our whole lives. If you do give him your life, you'll surely never regret it.
Will you follow him?

Amazing Grace

~ Amazing Grace ~ How sweet the sound ~ That save a wretch like me ~

Many people should be very familiar with this hymn "Amazing Grace" written by John Newton. Today I just watch a film produced in 2006, entitled "Amazing Grace" directed by Michael Apted. It is about a true story of William Wilberforce and his 20-years courageous fight to abolish the British slave trade. Along the way Wilberforce meets intense opposition from the members of Parliament but his old preacher, John Newton, a reformed slave ship captain, urges him to see the cause through. Although he failed once and having severe chronic colitis, but with the strength from God he succeed in the abolition of slave trade in British.

The synopsis of the film:

The film begins with Wilberforce severely ill and taking a holiday in Bath, Somerset, with his cousin, Henry Thornton. It is here that he is introduced to his future wife, Barbara Spooner. Although he at first resists, she convinces him to tell her about his life. The story flashes back 15 years to 1782, and William recounts the events that led him to where he is now. Beginning as an ambitious and popular Member of Parliament (MP), William was persuaded by his friends William Pitt, Thomas Clarkson, Hannah More and others to take on the dangerous issue of the British slave trade which led him to become highly unpopular in the House of Commons amongst the Members of Parliament representing vested interests of the trade in the cities of London, Bristol, and Liverpool.

Exhausted, and frustrated that he was unable to change anything in the government, William becomes physically ill (in the film he is depicted as suffering from chronic colitis), which brings the story back to the present day. Having virtually given up hope, William considers leaving politics forever. Barbara convinces him to keep fighting because if he does not, no one else is capable of doing so. A few days afterward, William and Barbara marry; and William, with a renewed hope for success, picks up the fight where he had previously left off, aided by Thornton, Clarkson and James Stephen. In time, after many attempts to bring legislation forward over twenty years, he is eventually responsible for a bill being passed through Parliament in 1807, which abolishes the slave trade in the British empire forever.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace_(2006_film)

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)