BICF

I visited the BICF again today, and it was pretty good but then
something really weird happened at the end. We had an Tanzania
preacher, and it was really cool how he was really charismatic (not
theologically, just that he was a very charismatic person), and even
though I'm not use to that style, I thought it was really fascinating,
and his sermon was completely evangelical. He talked about how through
Jesus we have victory over sin, over the world, and over the forces of
darkness. Then at the end for some reason, after telling us to pray if
we want to accept Jesus for the first time, he said, if anyone is
sick, raise your hand and I assure you that God will heal you, whether
its cancer or a cold, because sickness is part of the works of the
devil, which Christ has overcome.

What the????

Photos from Beijing

My bed, desk, and TV

Alternate view of room

The Forbidden City (Former Home of the Emperor)

With my aunt outside one of the buildings in the Forbidden City.

With my mum in front of the Gate of Heavenly Peace. On either side of the massive portrait of Chairman Mao, it says "Long Live the People's Republic of China", and "Long Live the Unity of the People of the World", which I thought was rather nice.

Last Saturday we all went to the Great Wall for a field trip. I found out 2 weeks ago that what my parents had taught me - that the Great Wall was the only man made structure visible from space was a myth that had been inserted into Chinese Textbooks. I had believed that all my life!! Although I was doubtful after not being able to find it on Google Earth..

A couple of photos of me there..

BANNED!

Yes, Blogspot.com is a banned site and so is inaccessible in China. How pathetic! I have been trying to figure out how to access my comments, because my comments is with some other site.. I cant remember which. Anyway, some reflections after 10 days away from Sydney:

- the most disturbing sight I have experienced is the amount of unregenerate people walking through good evangelical churches. We see this in every church I suppose, such as in CCC, but in the past two Sundays, visiting Yan Fook in HK and today the Beijing International Christian Fellowship, with a total attendance in a single service of many many hundreds. Yes, no one knows who are the saved and unsaved, but it is so obvious that many are untouched by the word of God, even though both messages I heard were faithful to the Bible. To walk out of a congregation where the Word is preached, with hundreds and hundreds of people with no signs of the Fruit of the Spirit is truly a sorrowful sight. It reminds me of the importance of each of us speaking the word of God to each other. Again, I recommend the Encouragement course from matthias media, and the book Encouragement by Crabb.

- the way we are anal about Church is a luxury that only we have in Sydney. As important as correct theology is, it may be that sometimes we place truth over love - although there are also many who place love over truth, which is also blasphemous. Today I was so overjoyed to be about to go to church at a place where there was singing and prayer and the reading and exposition of the Word, that I was hardly fussed about people talking about music or worship or tithing in a slightly wrong way. I dont think they are sinful in doing that.

- At the same time, we have to be vigilant, although its a balance that I cant find. Last week at Yan Fook, the church which MTSers say is the best church in HK, I was appalled, really really really appalled to see a woman leading and teaching over a mixed-sex congregation. I really think I should have left but I was there with my Aunt and so I stayed for her sake (and as it turns out she quite enjoyed it; although it made still have been sinful for me to stay, I am not sure).

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As I said, I cant access my blog, so I can only comment here:

I think some of you guys would cut my limbs off for free!

Also my China mobile is 13611157595, but if you ring 81752584 in HK you will reach me as well, and you wont have to pay anything!

40 Days in Beijing

First Day in Beijing today. I checked into my BLCU dorm this afternoon, its quite nice, will post pictures later. Probably more than 10 sq metres, there's a TV, Bathroom, Fridge, and I think internet (not sure about pricing). I'm online now in my mum's Hotel Room in Shangri-La - going to crash on the floor here tonight; the floor of a 5 star hotel is better than the bed of a uni dorm!

The weather is -5ish degrees tonight, and it could soon get colder. Today I wear a thick long sleeve shirt, a wind-stopper double sided fleece, and a big down jacket. Its not nearly enough!!! I need to wear some ski pants on, not just normal jeans. My ears felt like they are going to fall off, and my lips are drier than sand paper.

After my mum leaves on Thursday I'm going to be here all by myself, and I'm going to be pretty scared, I've never lived by myself for that long, and its such a strange place, strange people, strange weather. I hope God will keep me safe and I will be able to keep up my quiet times etc.

A few of the sites have been censored already, I cant access bbc.co.uk, and also biblegateway.com. That is very frustrating! I wanted to read different versions, I only have ESV here atm. Hopefully all my emails are sent and received with no difficulties.

By the way, my SkypeIn number is 8175-2584, so feel free to call if you are in HK, it will be forwarded to my Beijing Mobile once I get one. My dorm phone number is 62398013 - ring this if you are in Beijing. I will be in class from 8-12 each morning, hopefully I will have a life in the afternoon. But not really looking forward to making friends in class.

Hope everything goes well; my insurance will pay A$100,000 if I die, or lose 2 limbs or 2 eyes, or 1 eye and 1 limb.

Back from NTE

I had a good time at NTE, unfortunately me and Grace regoed so late for NTE that we got put in another college dorm, away from all the other CBSers, so that at meals we were the only 2 UNSW people in the midst of USyd, Cumberland, UWS, and Melbourne students. Richard Gibson (Moore college lecturer) did talks on the Doctrine of the Church, and Richard Chin spoke on Deuteronomy. The more enduring memories were the two Richards knocking each other (RC calling RG spineless for being an ordained Anglican minister; RG calling RC legless - to fit in with the "Fellowship of the King" theme). RG spoke on God being the gatherer, builder, and the father, and challenged us to engage in evangelism, edification, and santification. RC's talks on Deuteronomy were pretty good except it just added a whole string of questions as to the purpose of OT law, and also to what extent they can be applied today (in particular I argued with Pete Lim about the Sabbath - some suggest it is wrong to not take a Sabbath). The most unfortunately thing about RC's talks were his excessive plagarism of Phillip Jensen jokes!! I could anticipate more than half his jokes because I've heard Phillip say it before!

I had to give a talk at the end on Deut 17:14-20 about the King. It was pretty bad, because in 7 minutes, I tried to discuss:
- the issue of God preemptively talking about Kings
- the sinfulness of Israel in 1 Sam 8 in asking for a King
- how material blessings in OT become spirit blessings in NT in Eph 1
- how Jesus' sinlessness meant he would rise from the dead
- how in Heb 12, we are in the promised land already

The feedback I got was, the material I had deserved a 40 minute talk, not a 7 minute one.

I got back from Canberra yesterday, got home at 6pm, and had to shower, do laundry, and pack, and leave home by 8pm. Had Oporto for dinner, and boarded plane at 10pm. Paid 5$ for a 1L bottle of Mt Franklin.. grrr.. Had a good trip on the plane, got one of those seats usually reserved for people with babies (front row, so more leg room), and watched Cindarella Man, before sleeping. So arrived today in HK at 5am and spent the day ringing up Beijing and arrange accomodation for next week. I am now leaving next Tuesday. I am quite worried about my safety in Beijing, and the well being of my laptop + other worldly treasures. Worried about the -10 degree weather, and about having no friends in China.

Also found out today that... I passed all my exams. Everyone I know passed, despite what we all said. I think I got closer than anyone to failing. A lot of people have said things like, I'm so lucky I passed (if non christian), or I'm so thankful to God I passed (if christian). I have prayed that I would pass, but I cant say I'm too over joyed because just because I passed doesnt mean I didnt deserve to pass. I think I deserve to fail, and God is far too gracious towards me.