SINGAPORE 60's: ANDY's POP MUSIC INFLUENCE IS A PERSONAL MUSIC, MEMORY TRAIL. BLOGGER DOES NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO VIDEOS, AUDIO TRACKS AND IMAGES. THEY ARE UPLOADED FOR FUN, EDUCATIONAL, ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES AND HAVE BEEN CREDITED. BLOG IS NOT SPONSORED NOR ADVERTORIAL IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. INFORM BLOGGER OF COPYRIGHT ISSUES AND POST WILL BE DELETED IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT COPY THE POSTS; GET PERMISSION N CREDIT ME IF YOU DO. ANDY LIM LA (NOVEMBER, 2008) -
(新加坡六十年代安迪的流行音乐影响力), SUDI MAMPIR !
It was only two days ago that I asked Phil Chan to write his thoughts for this blog's Good Friday post. With hardly much time in hand, he did, within a day.
Thanks very much, Phil.
Dear Andy,
My thoughts on this year’s Holy Week and Easter.
We are reminded that God hid His face when Jesus was painfully crucified to buy mankind pardon and forgiveness of sin.
Jesus cried out in a loud voice in his native Aramaic language, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' The English translation is 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' ” (Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46).
Actually Jesus’ words above is a direct quotation from Psalm 22:1: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
Also in Isaiah 45:15, Truly you are a God who has been hiding Himself, the God and Savior of Israel. Surely the Hebrews must be thinking of this verse during the terrible holocaust period in the Second World War.
During the time of Jesus, a Jewish father in his sadness would have torn his robe as a sign of grief and mourning if his firstborn son died. This is exactly what happened at the temple.
Matthew 27:50-55 : And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”.
This tearing of the curtain seems to pave the way for mankind to gain access to the Holy of Holies in the temple … The glory of God is now open to us. It implies that we can now look into the place where only the High Priest could go in the past. Jesus’ death has given us direct access to the living God.
In the above passage, the resurrection of the dead was also mentioned. Praise God, sometime after Saturday evening sun down (i.e. the beginning of Sunday for the Hebrews), Jesus resurrected. We can take comfort in being able to meet our loved ones again as we too will be resurrected someday.
Wishing you and your family a Blessed Easter. God bless you all as always.
"As Christmas comes around and buying presents may take center stage; may I humbly suggest the gift of your presence (pun intended) to those dear to you..."
“So this is Christmas, and what have you done?” sings Celine Dion. Given this privilege by Andy to pen an article, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on 2021. Perhaps a handful may have read my Easter article in this blog; if you have not, I’m sure it’s found in the archives (hint hint ;p).* This reflection continues my learning journey…
Post Easter, life continues to be impacted by COVID. But more significantly, by another “c”- a dear family member’s diagnosis of stage 2 cancer. ☹ It was on Maundy Thursday when we collected the routine health report from the clinic. Much to our surprise, a marker flagged something amiss and the full impact of it did not unravel till weeks after Easter as we ran tests after tests while dealing with the initial denial and fear of the unknown.
I have to say this has been the biggest game-changer in my life by far. Where is God when one is hit by a crisis (another “c”!)? Thankful I have Christ (the big “C”!) who has been my anchor thorough it all. Though assured of His good purpose for it to happen, I had my share of questioning and lamenting. It does not help that this family member is a fairly new Christian. How do I respond to “why me” questions without sounding insensitive? What words of comfort can I offer when the pain brings a torrent of tears? What wisdom can I offer when the team of doctors are tweaking medication to address post operation pain? This brings me back to the start of my article, “what have I done?” Many things have been scaled back not because of COVID measures, but because of being part of the care-giving team. On hindsight, I see how God lead me out of a teaching role so I would have more time to spend with this family member. Indeed, it’s a luxury to have time to just be around, not doing very much, but just being present. To be present to help with physical mobility. To be present to catch priceless flashback moments of joys and regrets. To be present to address questions like “who is there in heaven?”, “heaven so big, how will we find each other?” (I hasten to add I don’t have all the answers!). To be present to catch that tear, that painful cringe. To be present to pray. To be present for the rest of family dealing with this crisis in their own ways.
& PRESENCE
As Christmas comes around and buying presents may take center stage; may I humbly suggest the gift of your presence (pun intended) to those dear to you. One which money cannot buy and which only you can afford. The Bible states in Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”, may we steward time and the different seasons of our life wisely. Incidentally, these wise words can be found in the song “Turn, Turn, Turn” by The Byrds.
Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, “God with us”. May His presence be the greatest gift you will receive.
You are a treasured friend who ask honest questions. My thoughts to your question are given below.
a) At Christmas season, we modern Christians tend to talk about the signs of Christmas Star or wisemen/gifts etc but why did the Gospel mention that swaddling baby Jesus and lying in a manger a Sign of The Messiah. I shared this Christmas scripture a few years ago to a Christian group. Luke 2:7-12 : and she (Mary) gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
b) The possible clue may come from Micah 4:8: “And you, O tower of the flock, hill of daughter Zion! To you it shall come: the former dominion shall be restored, the reign of daughter Jerusalem”. (this place/tower in OT Hebrew is Migdal Eder … also mentioned in Gen 35:21 A place/tower where Jacob set up camp after the death of Rachel). This verse tells us baby Jesus’ announcement is related to the Tower of the flock. Migdal Eder is a place/tower in the fields of Bethlehem where shepherds care for baby sheep or select unblemished sheep for sacrifice/passover. As selecting unblemished sheep was the duty of priests, these shepherds are likely to be also priests (this is not surprising; Jesus and Paul were “spiritual teachers” who also had a second profession … Jesus was a carpenter and Paul was a tent-maker). New fawns are carefully wrapped with cloth (taken from shepherd-priest clothes) stay warm as in the womb and put into a manger so that the baby lambs will not be trampled on. Thus, when these shepherd-priests went into Bethlehem, they immediately recognised the baby Messiah.
c) Jesus was born to die to save the world. Interestingly, in the middle eastern culture, when someone goes on a long desert journey he will bring along special strips of cloth that was used for swaddling dead body for burial in case he dies. Some translations are more explicit about the strips of cloth, e.g. ESV translation of Luke 2: 7 “ She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger”.
Luke 2: 15-20 : When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Indeed, great is the Lord and greatly to be praised !
Wishing you and your family, a wonderful Christmas, good health and a Blessed New Year 2022 !Best Regards,
Phil.
A Christmas Letter:
Prof. Dr. Phil Chan
Thanks Phil for this illuminating and interpretive explanation.
Another year has zipped by and here I am, rambling again! Current situation contrasts with the environment when ‘Reflection 2020’ was written. Then, due to many cancelled events, I could send my write-up ahead of schedule. 1 year on, it’s a different scene! 4 days to Good Friday and I am at Draft #1! Though we are still in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, most activities have resumed in some form or other. Lessons learnt at the onset of the pandemic seems long forgotten… until Andy comes a-calling! 😊
Going to church was a Sunday routine…who would have imagined church doors to be closed due to the pandemic!! Seriously, God! At a time when people need You, need to hear Your Word, need to experience You – there is no access!! What’s the big idea? But, wait a minute…isn’t God omnipresent? He is everywhere, He is not confined to a building, His presence is not restricted to the walls of worship halls, He certainly can teach (and in my case, rebuke) anytime, anywhere!
Articles have been written about how God is using the online church services to reach homes, much like how the early church gathered. Some have also said this pandemic is God’s way of shaking us out of apathy and complacency. Regardless of one’s view, we can agree that all have been impacted by the pandemic. So, what has God taught me in the past year? I shall highlight 2 key lessons.
Well, for a start, I have learnt not to take going to church for granted!! Church has always been a place of solace for me. Schooled in a mission school, the chapel was my go-to place to muster courage before heading home with a colourful report book. Since coming to faith, weekly service is a time to pause and be quiet before Him and be refreshed by worship and God’s Word. How thankful and grateful I was when church doors could re-open albeit with restricted numbers and movement.
Secondly, ask not what the church can do for me but rather, what I can do for the church. Expectations are high with regards to how church should respond to the increasing pastoral and financial needs of the congregation. We grumble and fret at the slow response to improve the weekly online service, we want a slick production, we want live worship, we want text, we want graphics, many “we wants”. But, hey! We are in this together! Pastors and church staff are grabbling with new ways of doing things. All had to respond immediately to the changes despite reservations. I remember at the start of circuit breaker, Pastors had to preach from their homes! Some were clearly out of their comfort zone in front of the camera! But, they were willing, their heart was to reach the sheep God has entrusted them with. As a long-time church member, I should be asking how I can help in such a time as this. There are so many ways to step forward if only I would think less of my own comfort & convenience.
Is Easter different in a pandemic? No, because His message of the Cross is still the same, but the pandemic has increased the urgency to share God’s love to those who are hurting and in desperate need of the Good News. I as a child of God rise up to the occasion. Romans 15:13, Blessed Easter everyone!
Calvary (Golgotha) was, according to the Gospels, a site immediately outside the walls of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified.
UP TO 1,000 VIEWS
16 COMMENTS, POEMS
Reflections for Good Friday 2020
Strange as it may be, I am writing this “reflection of Good Friday” weeks ahead of schedule. (Andy, you would be so proud of me! :p) Another cancelled event due to the COVID-19 situation has freed up my schedule. I reckon this may be an opportune time to pen some thoughts down.
Much has been said and written of the virus. Amidst the constant flow of information and misinformation, endless questions surface. How does a lay person discern the truth? How should I, as a Christian respond? If I am fearful, am I deemed to have no faith? Though unspoken, am I judging those who stay away from church due to the inconveniences of temperature and attendance taking or are caregivers who can’t afford to fall sick? Do I cancel meetings? Am I genuinely concerned for others or caving into fear? If I insist meetings proceed, am I exposing attendees to unnecessary risks? Who has time to seek the LORD while having to implement immediate stop-gap measures? Do I pause all things to dash to the nearest supermarket to stock up on essentials? In the midst of all man-made precautionary measures, where is God?
Sitting in church the Sunday after Singapore raised the DORSCON code to orange was my first chance to pause. In the frenzy, I had relegated God to the backroom. Now, given time to pause, Philippians 4:6-7 came to mind, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In the quietness of the Sanctuary, I was overwhelmed by God’s peace and love. Here I was anxious and concerned over being exposed to the coronavirus yet having a laissez-faire attitude to a more insidious virus, the “sinovirus”! This virus has eternal consequences yet, staying clear of it is not high on my agenda! Why am I not reading and obeying God’s Word as diligently as I am washing my hands and staying away from crowded places! Why am I less concern with where my loved ones will end up verses where did they just return from? Talk about a warp sense of priorities!
Is my attitude nonchalant because I know Jesus Christ has paid it all for me? Jesus was sent to the epicentre of sinovirus to make a way out for those who believe. He willingly infected Himself with the virus bearing the consequences on the cross. His is the ultimate sacrificial love as written in John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
The season of LENT is days away, a good time to reprioritise, to recalibrate in light of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. May I declare like the psalmist in Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” and obediently walk the straight and narrow path to the road that leads to life.
Good Friday took on a new meaning 13 years ago when I became a Christian. The Cross became a symbol of God’s grace poured out for me, a symbol of His love. At the Cross, Jesus Christ paid it all…cliché…but so true. The Cross is also a surety that God’s promises will be fulfilled. Our God and King is victorious and our help in ages past, we need not fear. I had the privilege of sharing God’s Word with friends this week and the Holy Spirit brought to mind that The Cross also meant Rejection, Repentance, and Restoration.Jesus Christ was rejected by those He came to save, blinded by self-preservation, they subjected Him to the cross. Today, He is also rejected by many. Before I cast a stone at others, I look within. I reject Him when I choose my way instead of His Way. I lament and complain when He doesn’t answer prayers according to how I want them answered. I yield to pressures of the world instead of listening to the still soft voice. I refuse to take up His cross despite knowing it will grow my faith. I put my confidence in the seen rather than the unseen. One would think after 13 years, I would fare better!
A favourite Hymn, “How Deep The Father's Love for Us”
(Stuart Townend) sums it well:
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure thatMake a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss.
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders.
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life.
I know that it is finished.
I will not boast in anything:
No gifts, no power, no wisdom.But I will boast in Jesus Christ;
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart;
His wounds have paid my ransom.
So, I go to my Abba Father with a contrite heart, convicted of my wrongdoing, but ever thankful that when I repent and walk humbly before Him, I am restored to have fellowship with Him. Our relationship is never severed, but fellowship is amiss when I choose to harden my heart. Grateful to our loving Father who pursues me relentlessly and graciously heals my broken heart even as I have broken His time and time again! Oh! How I am thankful for His amazing grace! Thankful for the new life I can have in Him. Thankful that His mercies are new every morning. Thankful for the hope I have in Him. What a great God!
Easter will come and go, I remind myself to live conscious of the Cross in and out of season and make each day count for His Kingdom, because, truly Jesus Christ, my LORD, and Saviour are worthy of it all!
