Understanding the Darkness Within

Imagine yourself at the bottom of a very deep well. You are so far underground that you can hardly see the pinpoint of light that is the opening of the well. Both your feet are stuck in knee-high mud that impedes and slow your movements. The air around you is humid, hot and pungent. You find it difficult to breathe. The darkness that surrounds you presses heavily onto your body that you feel you are being suffocated. You feel tired and drained. You do not know how long you have been stuck at the bottom of this well and you just do not care. You wish you were dead. There is no hope, no future and no colors. Just never-ending darkness. Those of you who have experienced depression will understand what I have just described. It would be a struggle to get out of bed every morning and you dread the coming day.



Read complete article

Understanding the Darkness Within

Imagine yourself at the bottom of a very deep well. You are so far underground that you can hardly see the pinpoint of light that is the opening of the well. Both your feet are stuck in knee-high mud that impedes and slow your movements. The air around you is humid, hot and pungent. You find it difficult to breathe. The darkness that surrounds you presses heavily onto your body that you feel you are being suffocated. You feel tired and drained. You do not know how long you have been stuck at the bottom of this well and you just do not care. You wish you were dead. There is no hope, no future and no colors. Just never-ending darkness. Those of you who have experienced depression will understand what I have just described. It would be a struggle to get out of bed every morning and you dread the coming day.



Read complete article

Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers

1. Is Herod the Great from Esau’s lineage?

Yes, Herod the Great was an Edomite. The Edom were descendents of Esau. That was one of the reasons why he was not accepted by the Jews and why he tried so hard (rebuilding the Temple) so gain their favour.

2. The mention of burning coals.. on it in John 21:9-so did Jesus actually barbecue fish?

John described that the fish were laid (Greek -epikeimai ) on burning coals. Jesus was cooking the fish- grilling or barbecuing?

3. Those who left for Egypt to Joseph were 75 (Acts 7:14) but in OT 70 was mentioned.

Stephen in making his defense to the Sanhedrin mentioned 75 which included Jacob and his whole family (Acts 7:14). Gen 46:26 and Exodus 1: 5 mentioned the number 70.

The Septuagint LXX:
Greek and English
by Sir Lancelot C.L. Brenton
published by Samuel Bagster & Sons, Ltd., London, 1851

And Jacob rose up from the well of the oath; and the sons of Israel took up their father, and the baggage, and their wives on the waggons, which Joseph sent to take them.
And they took up their goods, and all their property, which they had gotten in the land of Chanaan; they came into the land of Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him.
The sons, and the sons of his sons with him; his daughters, and the daughters of his daughters; and he brought all his seed into Egypt.
And these are the names of the sons of Israel that went into Egypt with their father Jacob -- Jacob and his sons. The first-born of Jacob, Ruben.
And the sons of Ruben; Enoch, and Phallus, Asron, and Charmi.
and the sons of Symeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Aod, and Achin, and Saar, and Saul, the son of a Chananitish woman.
And the sons of Levi; Gerson, Cath, and Merari.
And the sons of Judas; Er, and Aunan, and Selom, and Phares, and Zara: and Er and Aunan died in the land of Chanaan.
And the sons of Phares were Esron, and Jemuel. And the sons of Issachar; Thola, and Phua, and Asum, and Sambran.
And the sons of Zabulun, Sered, and Allon, and Achoel.
These are the sons of Lea, which she bore to Jacob in Mesopotamia of Syria, and Dina his daughter; all the souls, sons and daughters, thirty-three.
And the sons of Gad; Saphon, and Angis, and Sannis, and Thasoban, and Aedis, and Aroedis, and Areelis.
And the sons of Aser; Jemna, Jessua, and Jeul, and Baria, and Sara their sister. And the sons of Baria; Chobor, and Melchiil.
These are the sons of Zelpha, which Laban gave to his daughter Lea, who bore these to Jacob, sixteen souls.
And the sons of Rachel, the wife of Jacob; Joseph, and Benjamin.
And there were sons born to Joseph in the land of Egypt, whom Aseneth, the daughter of Petephres, priest of Heliopolis, bore to him, even Manasses and Ephraim. And there were sons born to Manasses, which the Syrian concubine bore to him, even Machir. And Machir begot Galaad. And the sons of Ephraim, the brother of Manasses; Sutalaam, and Taam. And the sons of Sutalaam; Edom.
And the sons of Benjamin; Bala, and Bochor, and Asbel. And the sons of Bala were Gera, and Noeman, and Anchis, and Ros, and Mamphim. And Gera begot Arad.
These are the sons of Rachel, which she bore to Jacob; all the souls eighteen.
And the sons of Dan; Asom.
And the sons of Nephthalim; Asiel, and Goni, and Issaar, and Sollem.
These are the sons of Balla, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, who bore these to Jacob; all the souls, seven.
And all the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, who came out of his loins, besides the wives of the sons of Jacob, even all the souls were sixty-six.
And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in the land of Egypt, were nine souls; all the souls of the house of Jacob who came with Joseph into Egypt, were seventy-five souls.


Compare this with the NIV
“All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons. With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all.” (Gen 46:26).

My personal interpretation is that someone had edited the number of Joseph’s children to 2: Manasseh and Ephraim who are the significant ones and not to confuse people with the record that Joseph has nine children in the copy of Genesis (that someone could not count 66+2 is not 70). The septuagint was more ancient and carries more weight. It listed 75 males which Stephen quoted correctly.


4. Herod mentioned in Matt. 14:3- is he the same as Antipas (Philip’s brother).

Yes, he is Antipas also known as Herod the tetrarch (Lk. 3:19, etc.). Herod the Great died in 4 BC and in his will he bequeathed his kingdom to three of his sons—Judaea and Samaria to Archelaus (Mt. 2:22), Galilee and Peraea to Antipas, and his NE territories to Philip (Lk. 3:1).

In the Gospels Antipas is conspicuous chiefly for his part in the imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist (Mk. 6:14-28) and for his brief encounter with Jesus when the latter was sent to him by Pilate for judgment (Lk. 23:7ff.). Jesus is recorded as having once described him as ‘that fox’ (Lk. 13:31f.). He was the ablest of Herod’s sons, and like his father was a great builder; the city of Tiberias on the Lake of Galilee was built by him (AD 22) and named in honour of the Emperor Tiberius.

He married the daughter of the Nabataean king Aretas IV, but divorced her in order to marry Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Herod Philip. According to the Synoptic Evangelists, John the Baptist incurred the wrath of Antipas for denouncing his second marriage as unlawful; Josephus says that Antipas was afraid that John’s great public following might develop into a revolt. Aretas naturally resented the insult offered to his daughter, and seized the opportunity a few years later to wage war against Antipas (AD 36). The forces of Antipas were heavily defeated, and Josephus says that many people regarded the defeat as divine retribution for Antipas’ killing of John the Baptist. In AD 39 Antipas was denounced to the Emperor Gaius by his nephew Agrippa as a plotter; he was deposed from his tetrarchy and ended his days in exile.

Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers

1. Is Herod the Great from Esau’s lineage?

Yes, Herod the Great was an Edomite. The Edom were descendents of Esau. That was one of the reasons why he was not accepted by the Jews and why he tried so hard (rebuilding the Temple) so gain their favour.

2. The mention of burning coals.. on it in John 21:9-so did Jesus actually barbecue fish?

John described that the fish were laid (Greek -epikeimai ) on burning coals. Jesus was cooking the fish- grilling or barbecuing?

3. Those who left for Egypt to Joseph were 75 (Acts 7:14) but in OT 70 was mentioned.

Stephen in making his defense to the Sanhedrin mentioned 75 which included Jacob and his whole family (Acts 7:14). Gen 46:26 and Exodus 1: 5 mentioned the number 70.

The Septuagint LXX:
Greek and English
by Sir Lancelot C.L. Brenton
published by Samuel Bagster & Sons, Ltd., London, 1851

And Jacob rose up from the well of the oath; and the sons of Israel took up their father, and the baggage, and their wives on the waggons, which Joseph sent to take them.
And they took up their goods, and all their property, which they had gotten in the land of Chanaan; they came into the land of Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him.
The sons, and the sons of his sons with him; his daughters, and the daughters of his daughters; and he brought all his seed into Egypt.
And these are the names of the sons of Israel that went into Egypt with their father Jacob -- Jacob and his sons. The first-born of Jacob, Ruben.
And the sons of Ruben; Enoch, and Phallus, Asron, and Charmi.
and the sons of Symeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Aod, and Achin, and Saar, and Saul, the son of a Chananitish woman.
And the sons of Levi; Gerson, Cath, and Merari.
And the sons of Judas; Er, and Aunan, and Selom, and Phares, and Zara: and Er and Aunan died in the land of Chanaan.
And the sons of Phares were Esron, and Jemuel. And the sons of Issachar; Thola, and Phua, and Asum, and Sambran.
And the sons of Zabulun, Sered, and Allon, and Achoel.
These are the sons of Lea, which she bore to Jacob in Mesopotamia of Syria, and Dina his daughter; all the souls, sons and daughters, thirty-three.
And the sons of Gad; Saphon, and Angis, and Sannis, and Thasoban, and Aedis, and Aroedis, and Areelis.
And the sons of Aser; Jemna, Jessua, and Jeul, and Baria, and Sara their sister. And the sons of Baria; Chobor, and Melchiil.
These are the sons of Zelpha, which Laban gave to his daughter Lea, who bore these to Jacob, sixteen souls.
And the sons of Rachel, the wife of Jacob; Joseph, and Benjamin.
And there were sons born to Joseph in the land of Egypt, whom Aseneth, the daughter of Petephres, priest of Heliopolis, bore to him, even Manasses and Ephraim. And there were sons born to Manasses, which the Syrian concubine bore to him, even Machir. And Machir begot Galaad. And the sons of Ephraim, the brother of Manasses; Sutalaam, and Taam. And the sons of Sutalaam; Edom.
And the sons of Benjamin; Bala, and Bochor, and Asbel. And the sons of Bala were Gera, and Noeman, and Anchis, and Ros, and Mamphim. And Gera begot Arad.
These are the sons of Rachel, which she bore to Jacob; all the souls eighteen.
And the sons of Dan; Asom.
And the sons of Nephthalim; Asiel, and Goni, and Issaar, and Sollem.
These are the sons of Balla, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, who bore these to Jacob; all the souls, seven.
And all the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, who came out of his loins, besides the wives of the sons of Jacob, even all the souls were sixty-six.
And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in the land of Egypt, were nine souls; all the souls of the house of Jacob who came with Joseph into Egypt, were seventy-five souls.


Compare this with the NIV
“All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons. With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all.” (Gen 46:26).

My personal interpretation is that someone had edited the number of Joseph’s children to 2: Manasseh and Ephraim who are the significant ones and not to confuse people with the record that Joseph has nine children in the copy of Genesis (that someone could not count 66+2 is not 70). The septuagint was more ancient and carries more weight. It listed 75 males which Stephen quoted correctly.


4. Herod mentioned in Matt. 14:3- is he the same as Antipas (Philip’s brother).

Yes, he is Antipas also known as Herod the tetrarch (Lk. 3:19, etc.). Herod the Great died in 4 BC and in his will he bequeathed his kingdom to three of his sons—Judaea and Samaria to Archelaus (Mt. 2:22), Galilee and Peraea to Antipas, and his NE territories to Philip (Lk. 3:1).

In the Gospels Antipas is conspicuous chiefly for his part in the imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist (Mk. 6:14-28) and for his brief encounter with Jesus when the latter was sent to him by Pilate for judgment (Lk. 23:7ff.). Jesus is recorded as having once described him as ‘that fox’ (Lk. 13:31f.). He was the ablest of Herod’s sons, and like his father was a great builder; the city of Tiberias on the Lake of Galilee was built by him (AD 22) and named in honour of the Emperor Tiberius.

He married the daughter of the Nabataean king Aretas IV, but divorced her in order to marry Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Herod Philip. According to the Synoptic Evangelists, John the Baptist incurred the wrath of Antipas for denouncing his second marriage as unlawful; Josephus says that Antipas was afraid that John’s great public following might develop into a revolt. Aretas naturally resented the insult offered to his daughter, and seized the opportunity a few years later to wage war against Antipas (AD 36). The forces of Antipas were heavily defeated, and Josephus says that many people regarded the defeat as divine retribution for Antipas’ killing of John the Baptist. In AD 39 Antipas was denounced to the Emperor Gaius by his nephew Agrippa as a plotter; he was deposed from his tetrarchy and ended his days in exile.

Four Principles of Good Writing

Zinsser, William. 2006. On writing well: The classic guide to writing non-fiction. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

This classic on writing by William Zinsser has been revised and expanded in its 7th edition. This is also the 30th anniversary of the publication of the book. Hundreds of writers have benefited by his teaching.

Even after 7 revisions, Zinsser still stresses the 4 basic principles of writing:
(1) clarity
(2) simplicity
(3) brevity
(4) humanity

Zinsser reminds writers that their primary purpose to write "something that people will want to read."

The master has spoken

Four Principles of Good Writing

Zinsser, William. 2006. On writing well: The classic guide to writing non-fiction. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

This classic on writing by William Zinsser has been revised and expanded in its 7th edition. This is also the 30th anniversary of the publication of the book. Hundreds of writers have benefited by his teaching.

Even after 7 revisions, Zinsser still stresses the 4 basic principles of writing:
(1) clarity
(2) simplicity
(3) brevity
(4) humanity

Zinsser reminds writers that their primary purpose to write "something that people will want to read."

The master has spoken

Debunking Mulitculturalism

Dear Sir/Madam
The Star Newspaper

I refer to the article, “Debunking multiculturalism” that appeared in The Star (Aug 22, 2006).

Historically, the term "multiculturalism" came into wide public use during the early 1980s in the context of public school curriculum reform. Specifically, the argument was made that the content of classes in history, literature, social studies, and other areas reflected what came to be called a "Eurocentric" bias. Hence there was a reformed movement in education to move away from a “Eurocentric” bias to one where all cultures and traditions were respected. It was a praiseworthy movement in that the uniqueness and diversity of different cultures of different ethnic groups were recognised and valued. Another term used was “melting pot” of cultures. However, this was discarded subsequently because it implies that in a “melting pot” other cultures are assimilated by the dominant culture.

First, it is curious that the author has associated the historical background of multiculturalism with Christianity. Eurocenticity is not Christianity. In fact, in European history there have been numerous movements to separate the state from religion. The France revolution, the Russian revolution and the collapse of communism were not related to Christianity.

Second, multiculturalism is not an ideology; it is a way of life. This way of life involves respect and tolerance towards other cultures and traditions. It creates a space for our diversity and hence enriches our communal experiences. In Malaysia, multiculturalism has enriched our lives and we have been richly blessed by this. I find it hard to find examples in which this multiculturalism “strives to debunk Islam as a socio-political order.”

Finally, multiculturalism in Malaysia develops naturally in its almost 50 years history since independence. It was not imposed by any outside agent. Multiculturalism evolves in Malaysia as the various ethnic groups seek to live and prosper together. The Malaysia identity is the multiculturalism we are currently enjoying. It is not a “melting pot” identity.

Dr Alex Tang
Johor Bahru

Debunking Mulitculturalism

Dear Sir/Madam
The Star Newspaper

I refer to the article, “Debunking multiculturalism” that appeared in The Star (Aug 22, 2006).

Historically, the term "multiculturalism" came into wide public use during the early 1980s in the context of public school curriculum reform. Specifically, the argument was made that the content of classes in history, literature, social studies, and other areas reflected what came to be called a "Eurocentric" bias. Hence there was a reformed movement in education to move away from a “Eurocentric” bias to one where all cultures and traditions were respected. It was a praiseworthy movement in that the uniqueness and diversity of different cultures of different ethnic groups were recognised and valued. Another term used was “melting pot” of cultures. However, this was discarded subsequently because it implies that in a “melting pot” other cultures are assimilated by the dominant culture.

First, it is curious that the author has associated the historical background of multiculturalism with Christianity. Eurocenticity is not Christianity. In fact, in European history there have been numerous movements to separate the state from religion. The France revolution, the Russian revolution and the collapse of communism were not related to Christianity.

Second, multiculturalism is not an ideology; it is a way of life. This way of life involves respect and tolerance towards other cultures and traditions. It creates a space for our diversity and hence enriches our communal experiences. In Malaysia, multiculturalism has enriched our lives and we have been richly blessed by this. I find it hard to find examples in which this multiculturalism “strives to debunk Islam as a socio-political order.”

Finally, multiculturalism in Malaysia develops naturally in its almost 50 years history since independence. It was not imposed by any outside agent. Multiculturalism evolves in Malaysia as the various ethnic groups seek to live and prosper together. The Malaysia identity is the multiculturalism we are currently enjoying. It is not a “melting pot” identity.

Dr Alex Tang
Johor Bahru

Spirituality of the Caffeine Driven Life

We live in a fast track world where everything is zooming by us at great speed. Like a hamster on a treadmill, we need to be constantly running to remain in the same place. Just when we are coming to terms with a hand phone that has a camera, comes a new hand phone that take pictures and MMS them, surf the internet, receive television, update us on the latest football scores and still allow us to make a phone call. To survive in this world, many of us felt that we do not have enough energy to make it through the day. Hence the sale of stimulants such as “red bull” is skyrocketing. The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant. Coffee may the commonest ingested legal stimulant in the world. Surprisingly, many scientific studies discover that coffee is actually beneficial to health in most people. Coffee is addictive as those who did not have their daily cuppa can tell you. Is it possible then, in our caffeine-driven life to maintain a Christian spirituality?

Read complete article

Spirituality of the Caffeine Driven Life

We live in a fast track world where everything is zooming by us at great speed. Like a hamster on a treadmill, we need to be constantly running to remain in the same place. Just when we are coming to terms with a hand phone that has a camera, comes a new hand phone that take pictures and MMS them, surf the internet, receive television, update us on the latest football scores and still allow us to make a phone call. To survive in this world, many of us felt that we do not have enough energy to make it through the day. Hence the sale of stimulants such as “red bull” is skyrocketing. The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant. Coffee may the commonest ingested legal stimulant in the world. Surprisingly, many scientific studies discover that coffee is actually beneficial to health in most people. Coffee is addictive as those who did not have their daily cuppa can tell you. Is it possible then, in our caffeine-driven life to maintain a Christian spirituality?

Read complete article

Let's Talk about God-sized Projects

Text: Gen 6:11-14, 18-20; Exo 3:10-14; Matt 1:21-23; Luke 4:18-21


About 20 years ago, I was a member of the Rotary Club of Johor Bahru. Every year, the club will organise an Installation night dinner. That is to for the outgoing office bearers to step down and to install the incoming board. In Rotary, the term of office is one year. The Sultan of Johor is the patron so he was invited and he always came for all the Installation dinners. I remember one dinner in particular. The Club was reporting on what they have done that year which is in building a bus shelter for Fong You (Two) school. Suddenly during the report, Tuanku indicated he wanted to stay something. This was unprecedented because he usually attends but do not make a speech. Tuanku said, “You are a Rotary Club. Do not be so proud that you have built a bus stop shelter. That’s ‘chicken feed’. Do some bigger projects. Don’t do anymore ‘chicken feed projects’.” I remembered it created a commotion among the members. After that, our projects were bigger and more ambitious- a dialysis centre, a hospice and medical projects overseas. We did not do any ‘chicken feed’ projects anymore.

Read complete sermon

Let's Talk about God-sized Projects

Text: Gen 6:11-14, 18-20; Exo 3:10-14; Matt 1:21-23; Luke 4:18-21


About 20 years ago, I was a member of the Rotary Club of Johor Bahru. Every year, the club will organise an Installation night dinner. That is to for the outgoing office bearers to step down and to install the incoming board. In Rotary, the term of office is one year. The Sultan of Johor is the patron so he was invited and he always came for all the Installation dinners. I remember one dinner in particular. The Club was reporting on what they have done that year which is in building a bus shelter for Fong You (Two) school. Suddenly during the report, Tuanku indicated he wanted to stay something. This was unprecedented because he usually attends but do not make a speech. Tuanku said, “You are a Rotary Club. Do not be so proud that you have built a bus stop shelter. That’s ‘chicken feed’. Do some bigger projects. Don’t do anymore ‘chicken feed projects’.” I remembered it created a commotion among the members. After that, our projects were bigger and more ambitious- a dialysis centre, a hospice and medical projects overseas. We did not do any ‘chicken feed’ projects anymore.

Read complete sermon

You are My Child

You are my child,
I give you a great palace to live in, nice tiled floors and sheltered courtyards,
yet you love to play in the mud and prefer a house built of sand.
I give you great gifts and talents to enrich the world,
yet you would rather use them to entertain yourself and impress your friends.
I give you a great Counsellor to guide you in a path straight and true,
yet you prefer the counsel of idolaters and mediocrity.
Yet you are my child.

You are my child,
I say to you, “I am your Father”, all that I have is yours,
yet you cling to your few copper coins with clenched fists.
I say to you, “Be like your Brother”, with whom you have lived with all these years,
yet you chose to be your own self-centred being.
I say to you, “Drink deep the waters of life”, for I have provided rain-bearing clouds for your arid soul,
yet you prefer to dig your own wells and find your own water.
Yet you are my child.

You are self-centred, stubborn, weak willed and proud,
yet you are capable of great acts of love, worship, thanksgiving and sacrifice.
You tried too hard, worked too hard, loved too hard and prayed too hard,
yet all that you need, you already have.
Yes, you are my child.

You are My Child

You are my child,
I give you a great palace to live in, nice tiled floors and sheltered courtyards,
yet you love to play in the mud and prefer a house built of sand.
I give you great gifts and talents to enrich the world,
yet you would rather use them to entertain yourself and impress your friends.
I give you a great Counsellor to guide you in a path straight and true,
yet you prefer the counsel of idolaters and mediocrity.
Yet you are my child.

You are my child,
I say to you, “I am your Father”, all that I have is yours,
yet you cling to your few copper coins with clenched fists.
I say to you, “Be like your Brother”, with whom you have lived with all these years,
yet you chose to be your own self-centred being.
I say to you, “Drink deep the waters of life”, for I have provided rain-bearing clouds for your arid soul,
yet you prefer to dig your own wells and find your own water.
Yet you are my child.

You are self-centred, stubborn, weak willed and proud,
yet you are capable of great acts of love, worship, thanksgiving and sacrifice.
You tried too hard, worked too hard, loved too hard and prayed too hard,
yet all that you need, you already have.
Yes, you are my child.

A Christian Perspective on Biotechnology

The biotechnology revolution has already begun. With the completion of the mapping of the human genome in 2000, we are poised for many life-changing biotechnological discoveries and innovations. However despite its many promises, biotechnology has also generated many controversies.

This book is a modest attempt to clarify some of these issues which include the following:

• When does human life begin?
• Should abortion be allowed?
• Should Christian couples suffering from infertility consider in-vitrio fertilisation (IVF) or 'test tube babies'?
• How should stem cell research and therapeutic cloning be regulated?
• Should reproductive cloning be banned?
• Should scientists be allowed to make changes or 'improve' the human blueprint?

Publisher: Kairos Research Centre

Published June 2006