ok, so it's 3.30 in the morning & I want to go to bed, but I thought that this was interesting enough to post before hitting the hay...
So, I was riding the bus home from work today & a guy got on, paid his fare, walked past me & sat in one of the seats across the aisle a couple of rows behind me. All's good for a while. I'm sitting there minding my own business, reading my Bible on my PDA. The bus keeps going along on its route until some time later, the guy who got on out of the blue says, "So, you're the Lord's, eh?" I look up and over at the guy, who was obviously looking at me. He sounded a bit drunk, so I ignored him. A few seconds later, he says, "So, you're fighting for the Lord, eh?" as he mockingly smirks and chuckles, "So, what're ya gonna do? ... Drink a lot of beer! That'll help you fight for the Lord! ... A lot of beer!" The next thing I know, he's pulled the yellow "stop request" cord and gets off at the next stop.
I mention this instance because it was completely out of the ordinary, but it reminds me of several previous incidents I've had. What's striking about these circumstances is that there would have been no way that he could have known that I was a Christian by mere observation: I was quickly reading the preface to the NASV during his stay on the bus, so there was no Biblical passage in sight even if he was looking directly over my shoulder, instead of across the bus & opposite of my viewing perspective. So.... what's up? Here's the goods: intoxication lowers inhibitions, not only physically or mentally, but spiritually as well. It was not the guy who was taunting me. Yes that's correct, you read it right. Although it was his body, it was not him. A spiritual power within him was manifesting itself. How can I be sure? Well, I've seen, talked to and been around demon-possessed people before & I know what it's like: I've been involved in 2 exorcisms; I've seen the signatures of demon-possession in people's eyes when I "look into" them (ask me about this sometime if you're interested); I've heard the manner in which demons have spoken (at least the manner they've used when I've been around). Not only this, but we have documented instances of demon-possessed people interacting with Christ & even some apostles in the NT.
As a result of this experience on the bus, I kind of was hit by a feeling of "Oh yeah." I was reminded that there's a lot more going on around us in our daily lives than what we are aware of, and that we are actually in a battleground, with an a enemy that is not bound to this world & who is very powerful—yet not more powerful than He who lives within me.
It made me think again. Demon-possession is weird. It could be around us all the time & we don't even notice it... the spiritual world is real & it's something we as (post)modern Western civilisation gloss over far too readily. But--this experience is yet another instance of me being confirmed in the realisation that the God I serve is real & the spiritual powers out there actually do exist.
Are you on the winning side of the war? Are you fighting? Do you want to know more &/or to talk about it? Feel free to approach me.
The Lucid Elusion is out... for now.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Why the Original Matrix Was So Much Better Than 2 or 3
because it was stolen.
Or so I've come to believe [I say this just in case some uppity-up in the film industry comes after me for defamation :) ].
I just finished watching one of my favourite films, Dark City and I found it quite shocking to observe an uncanny amount of similarities between the two films. Both involve alter realities; both involve "the one"; both involve the programming of people's experiences; both involve sinister "agents"; both involve the manipulation of time; both involve extensive "machines". Here's the kicker though: Dark City was released to the general public in Feb. 1998. The Matrix didn't begin filming until March 1998. This means that Dark City which was in production for two full years before The Matrix even started its production run... Hmm... a little bit suspicious.
How come The Matrix' sequels didn't have the same edge, story-filled oomph? Because they ran out of material to lift, I suppose. Just browse The Wachowski Brothers' writing credits and you won't find much to be impressed about.
The one thing—if it provides any solace to Dark City's Witrer/Driector Alex Proyas, if not the ca$h that I think he deserves for his brilliance—is that Dark City itself is listed in the series of references that are attributed to The Matrix' production.
Why is it that all the good ideas are never attributed to those who come up with them, and why do those who steal the gems get all the glory? *sigh* life!
ps. I'll be posting a "real" entry about my adventures of the past severeal months sometime soon this week—I just have to finish my last exam, this Tuesday.
Until then, O faithful reader!
Or so I've come to believe [I say this just in case some uppity-up in the film industry comes after me for defamation :) ].
I just finished watching one of my favourite films, Dark City and I found it quite shocking to observe an uncanny amount of similarities between the two films. Both involve alter realities; both involve "the one"; both involve the programming of people's experiences; both involve sinister "agents"; both involve the manipulation of time; both involve extensive "machines". Here's the kicker though: Dark City was released to the general public in Feb. 1998. The Matrix didn't begin filming until March 1998. This means that Dark City which was in production for two full years before The Matrix even started its production run... Hmm... a little bit suspicious.
How come The Matrix' sequels didn't have the same edge, story-filled oomph? Because they ran out of material to lift, I suppose. Just browse The Wachowski Brothers' writing credits and you won't find much to be impressed about.
The one thing—if it provides any solace to Dark City's Witrer/Driector Alex Proyas, if not the ca$h that I think he deserves for his brilliance—is that Dark City itself is listed in the series of references that are attributed to The Matrix' production.
Why is it that all the good ideas are never attributed to those who come up with them, and why do those who steal the gems get all the glory? *sigh* life!
ps. I'll be posting a "real" entry about my adventures of the past severeal months sometime soon this week—I just have to finish my last exam, this Tuesday.
Until then, O faithful reader!
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Mohs Was Wrong
So, after what has happened today, I discovered the the great mineralogist Mr. Mohs was wrong. Diamond isn't the hardest mineral—but I'll get to that.
Fancy story: the most humbling thing in the world is when the Lord speaks through you, and you end up getting convicted by the message that comes from out of your lips. Guess what? Yup. That happened to me today. This morning, I was chairing my church's service—which involves all sorts of administrative tasks & collaborations, including the leading of communion & a devotional time centred around it. The message that I had prepared for communion ran along the same lines as my most recent post (yes, that one just below) on this here blog. The long &the short of it was that I challenged the congregation to look at their lives, to reflect upon where they were at & see if they (we) were giving Jesus as much as He deserves. Now, at the time, I wasn't really thinking too much about me & about my life—I mean, being "at the front," you're supposed to be "all together," right? Well, that's how many people perceive it. Truth of the matter is that it doesn't matter what side of the pulpit you're occupying. People are people. Christians are people. We are all flawed.
Okay, enough of the sermonette. Getting back to the point of this post. This evening, I went to the worship service that I usually attend on Sunday evenings, and as we began singing, I recognised that I could not sing the words that were up there on the screen. I was amazed to realise that I would be lying right to God's face if I were to tell Him at that moment that He meant everything to me. On the contrary, the opposite would most likely have been more true. I was shocked. Apalled. Scared. What in the world had happened to me in the past few (several) weeks?! God had been replaced in my life. We no longer was the centre. What took precedence, I asked. Me. School. My academic pursuits.
No wonder I had been feeling miserable for teh past while! No wonder my concentration & overall compsure was messed up. No wonder things weren't driving smoothly: there was something seriously wrong with what I was doing, with how I was approaching the world—I had begun to think that this world was my world. Mistake. Big, bad mistake. As I was sitting in one of the back pews at this worship service, the Holy Spirit threw the words that came out of my mouth less than 12 hours earlier on that day, right into my face. "Do we value Christ as much as He is worth?" "Sometimes we need to change. This may involve starting something that you know you should start; stop something you know you shouldn't be doing; approach something in your life from a different perspective." Whabammo! Right to the heart. I was slammed, clobbered, broken to the bone. The Lord revealed to me that I had not been giving him what He deserved from me.
I was spending so much of my time worrying about my academic pursuits, worrying about whether I would get my assignments done well & in time or not, that I completley pushed God to the side & choked Him out of my life. Completely. ...Well not completely, one cannot force God to do anything, to be honest.
Diamond cannot scratch the stone mentioned above. Nothing can affect (or effect) it. It is the pinnacle of adamant, the cream of resilience, the picture of eternality (if that's even a word). Mohs' scale of hardness would perforce rate this Mineral as 10³—ten cubed. Falling in this Rock, I am necessarily broken, He is necessarily unscathed. It was what I needed to recognise that I had been dumb. The Lord woke me up. Is He worth more than my degree? Yes, when I come to think about it. Then why do I not give him precedence? Good question. Change is needed. He said to me, "I am the desire of your heart; seek after Me & all these other things will be added." Don't worry about these other things, He will look after it all, as long as you have your priorities straigh. He holds the universe in His hands, so He definitely knows how to take care of you & of the desires in your heart.
I broke. I had been a vessel that had contaminated its contents by mixing in the mud from the floor. I had compromised my position with the One True Giver of everything. I had forced Him out, since He has a distaste for impurity. And what's worse is that the more I focused on what I wanted, the less I had a desire to have God to anything in my life, the less He meant to me, the less His absence was bad.
I was broken. The Lord humbled me before Him & made me realise that without Him guiding my life, all was for naught. All was useless. It was time to change. It was time to shift priorities back to where they belong. That is what I am determined on doing. No more muddying teh waters, no more tainting what is the Lord's, no more claiming it as my life.
The greatest part of a broken vessel is that it no longer is able to contain poisoned water. In brokenness, there is renewal. In brokenness, there is reformation. In brokenness there is recommission. In brokenness there is opportunity for a cleansed, purged vessel, ready for the King's service yet again, as He puts the pieces back together with His loving & masterful hands.
Fancy story: the most humbling thing in the world is when the Lord speaks through you, and you end up getting convicted by the message that comes from out of your lips. Guess what? Yup. That happened to me today. This morning, I was chairing my church's service—which involves all sorts of administrative tasks & collaborations, including the leading of communion & a devotional time centred around it. The message that I had prepared for communion ran along the same lines as my most recent post (yes, that one just below) on this here blog. The long &the short of it was that I challenged the congregation to look at their lives, to reflect upon where they were at & see if they (we) were giving Jesus as much as He deserves. Now, at the time, I wasn't really thinking too much about me & about my life—I mean, being "at the front," you're supposed to be "all together," right? Well, that's how many people perceive it. Truth of the matter is that it doesn't matter what side of the pulpit you're occupying. People are people. Christians are people. We are all flawed.
Okay, enough of the sermonette. Getting back to the point of this post. This evening, I went to the worship service that I usually attend on Sunday evenings, and as we began singing, I recognised that I could not sing the words that were up there on the screen. I was amazed to realise that I would be lying right to God's face if I were to tell Him at that moment that He meant everything to me. On the contrary, the opposite would most likely have been more true. I was shocked. Apalled. Scared. What in the world had happened to me in the past few (several) weeks?! God had been replaced in my life. We no longer was the centre. What took precedence, I asked. Me. School. My academic pursuits.
No wonder I had been feeling miserable for teh past while! No wonder my concentration & overall compsure was messed up. No wonder things weren't driving smoothly: there was something seriously wrong with what I was doing, with how I was approaching the world—I had begun to think that this world was my world. Mistake. Big, bad mistake. As I was sitting in one of the back pews at this worship service, the Holy Spirit threw the words that came out of my mouth less than 12 hours earlier on that day, right into my face. "Do we value Christ as much as He is worth?" "Sometimes we need to change. This may involve starting something that you know you should start; stop something you know you shouldn't be doing; approach something in your life from a different perspective." Whabammo! Right to the heart. I was slammed, clobbered, broken to the bone. The Lord revealed to me that I had not been giving him what He deserved from me.
I was spending so much of my time worrying about my academic pursuits, worrying about whether I would get my assignments done well & in time or not, that I completley pushed God to the side & choked Him out of my life. Completely. ...Well not completely, one cannot force God to do anything, to be honest.
He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed. --Matt 21:44
Diamond cannot scratch the stone mentioned above. Nothing can affect (or effect) it. It is the pinnacle of adamant, the cream of resilience, the picture of eternality (if that's even a word). Mohs' scale of hardness would perforce rate this Mineral as 10³—ten cubed. Falling in this Rock, I am necessarily broken, He is necessarily unscathed. It was what I needed to recognise that I had been dumb. The Lord woke me up. Is He worth more than my degree? Yes, when I come to think about it. Then why do I not give him precedence? Good question. Change is needed. He said to me, "I am the desire of your heart; seek after Me & all these other things will be added." Don't worry about these other things, He will look after it all, as long as you have your priorities straigh. He holds the universe in His hands, so He definitely knows how to take care of you & of the desires in your heart.
I broke. I had been a vessel that had contaminated its contents by mixing in the mud from the floor. I had compromised my position with the One True Giver of everything. I had forced Him out, since He has a distaste for impurity. And what's worse is that the more I focused on what I wanted, the less I had a desire to have God to anything in my life, the less He meant to me, the less His absence was bad.
I was broken. The Lord humbled me before Him & made me realise that without Him guiding my life, all was for naught. All was useless. It was time to change. It was time to shift priorities back to where they belong. That is what I am determined on doing. No more muddying teh waters, no more tainting what is the Lord's, no more claiming it as my life.
The greatest part of a broken vessel is that it no longer is able to contain poisoned water. In brokenness, there is renewal. In brokenness, there is reformation. In brokenness there is recommission. In brokenness there is opportunity for a cleansed, purged vessel, ready for the King's service yet again, as He puts the pieces back together with His loving & masterful hands.
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