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Some Books I Will Be Reading in 2023

3/1/2023

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My extended no-pay leave from the seminary has begun, and this gives me a bit of freedom to catch up with some reading. Here is a list of books I will be reading and engaging with in the months to come. 

What about your list?
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Small Fundraising Initiative A Success

27/8/2021

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During the recent lectures I gave on "Journey with the Apostles to Turkey" on 16 & 23 August 2021 (organised by Wolrd Discovery Travel), I thought that I would use the opportunity to make available about 50 copies of my recent book, "Following Jesus" (please click here for more information on the book), for sale to the participants as a small fundraising initiative. All proceeds from the sale will go to St Nicholas' Home for the Blind based in Georgetown, Penang. This home is a social outreach of the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia.
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Photo Credit: St Nicholas' Home
During the current pandemic, St Nicholas' Home for the Blind faces a number of challenges in their administrative operation, and funding being one of them. St Nicholas Home is a non-profit charitable organisation reaching out to the needs of the blind and visually impaired community (BVI) in Malaysia. The Home carries out  training for BVIs, equipping them with living skills so that they are able to find employment and lead independent lives. Some of these initiatives include massage training, basketry skills, and pastry and baking training.  

​I am very pleased to announce that 53 copies of my books have been sold, and the total amount received from the sale is RM4,100. This amount will be donated to St Nicholas' Home. Initially, I thought that I would use the months of August and September for this initiative. However, with such a good and encouraging response , this small fundraising exercise is now ended. 

Thank you to all who purchased my book, and some of you bought 2 and 3 copies. Thank you for joining me in this small initiative to make a difference in the lives of people who are visually impaired. ​
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New Malaysian Project to be Published Soon

24/7/2021

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A group of Malaysian scholars currently in Malaysia and other parts of the world come together to contribute to a book project entitled, "From Malaysia to the Ends of the Earth: Southeast Asian and Diasporic Contributions to Biblical and Theological Studies." This volume is edited by my colleague, Elaine Wei-Fun Goh, and others including Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan, Jonathan Yun-Ka Tan, and Amos Wai-Ming Yong. This project is now in the final proof reading stage and should be published by Claremont Press in the autumn of 2021.

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I make a small contribution to this project where I examine Paul's understanding of ethnic relations between Jews and Gentiles gleaned from his letters, and offer some contemporary reflections for nation building in Malaysia.

My essay is entitled, "“For All of You Are One in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28): Paul’s Social Vision Beyond Inclusivity and Diversity", in pages 83-116. This bulk of the essay was written when I was on sabbatical in the second half of 2019. In light of the current political climate and the COVID-19 pandemic, I have made further reflections on what I have written. Perhaps a short follow-up piece might be needed.

I look forward to seeing this significant project in print soon. 

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Following the Footsteps of Apostle Paul in Turkey

18/7/2021

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  • Do you know that 6 out of the 13 letters of Paul were written to churches/individuals located in modern Turkey?
  • Have you wondered what the cities and places the Apostle Paul preached the gospel look like? 
  • What was his hometown, Tarsus, like?
  • What happened to Antioch, the city where the followers of the Way were first called "Christians"?
  • Why did Paul choose top visit Pisidian Antioch in his First Missionary Journey?
  • What are some archaeological evidences that help us understand the challenges and opportunities for Paul's Gentile mission?
  • What was the impact of the gospel in a major city of Ephesus where Paul spent more than 2 years during his Third Missionary Journey?


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While it may not be possible to visit all these places in Turkey physically with our borders still closed, you can join me in a virtual tour as we follow the footsteps of Paul in Turkey, read the Scriptures in sites where the events took place, and reflect on some of the lessons we can apply in our context today.

Please register for the course by clicking on this link:
https://forms.gle/8kvpWNyJBzMwcoHz9
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Take a sneak peak of what we will cover in our sessions by viewing the slideshow below.

This event is organised by Footprint Travel Planner and Beit Shalom.
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Interview with Our Daily Bread

21/3/2021

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Our Daily Bread Malaysia recently released a devotional booklet written by me, Following Jesus to the Cross: An Illustrated Guide with 12 Devotionals for Easter. This devotionals follow the final week of the life of Jesus according to the Gospel of Mark.

Following this publication, a short interview was carried out where I talked about the importance of Lent, the Holy Week, and my personal journey of faith in writing the devotionals. 

Check out the interview here, or by viewing the YouTube clip below.
Writing this devotional booklet has a profound impact on me. I share about this at the conclusion:
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"During the course of writing this devotional, I was by Mum’s bed as her breaths became shallower and less frequent over the days. On the morning she left me, she choked a couple of times, then slipped peacefully into the presence of God. Her departure left a void that only memories of her could fill. Yet, as a family, we have this hope that we will be reunited with her one day. This is because we believe in the most significant event in the course of human history—the glorious resurrection of Christ on Easter morning. The apostle Paul declares that if Christ has not risen from the dead, our faith is futile (1 CORINTHIANS 15:12–19). Our hope and faith in God lie in the very fact of the resurrection of Christ."
May this devotional be a helpful tool for you as you prepare for the Holy Week.

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If you like to find out more about my other book, Following Jesus: An Illustrated Guide to the Places of the Holy Land According to the Gospel of Mark, where there are more photographs of the Holy Land and further biblical reflections, please click here for ordering information.

Currently, there is a special Lent/Easter promotion. 
  • 1 copy: RM75 + RM5 for shipping = RM80
  • 2 copies: total of RM150 with free shipping 
  • 3 copies: total of RM200 with free shipping (for West Malaysia only. For East Malaysia, please add RM10 to the total).
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Perlego Adds New Theological Publishers

17/3/2021

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Over the past one year or so, most theological libraries are either closed or opened with restricted access. Almost all our classes have gone online. This means that accessing online resources is critical for all of us to prepare our lectures and carrying on our research. For students, digital resources allow them to access text books online and also other reference books needed to complete their assignments.
At Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, the library subscribes to a host of digital resources such as ATLAS, JSTOR, Brill Online, Sage Journals, Global Digital Theological Library, T&T Clark library, amongst others. This gives us access to the latest top-tiered journals and publications (Please get in touch with the library if you need any help accessing these resources, if you are registered as our student)
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Yet, many books remain inaccessible to the students. One of the cheapest way to access theological books is to take up a subscription based online library with vast theological collection. Perlego is probably one of the best and cheapest available at the moment. At USD$40 per annum for residents in Malaysia, the subscription fee is less than the cost of a theological book, and this subscription opens up access to more than 34,000 theological books.
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Over the past weeks, Perlego announces that they have added another 10 theological publishers to their collection, and this includes Westminster John Knox, Baker, Fortress, and Eerdmanns. Together with Bloomsbury/T&T Clark, Taylor & Francis, Wipf & Stock, de Gruyter, Zondervan, Peter Lang, Baylor, and the list goes on, almost all critical text books and references for theological studies are now available with a few clicks and at a fraction of the cost of acquiring these books.
For students taking biblical studies/exegesis courses, they now have online access to many excellent commentaries such as those in the series of NIGTC, NICNT/NICOT, PNTC, Two Horizons Commentary, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, BECNT, Zonderven Commentary, and many more.
Check out what our library offers for your research, and also some of the online theological libraries available. I would say this is probably one of the most exciting times to do studies and research as almost all the resources we need can easily be accessed in the comfort of our homes ... or office!
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Devotionals for Easter by Our Daily Bread

19/2/2021

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"Following Jesus to the Cross" is now available from Our Daily Bread. This illustrated guide with 12 devotionals for Easter will guide our reflections on the passion, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus this Easter season. Based on the Gospel of Mark, each reading contains reflection questions and prayers to commit ourselves to God. 

Evoke our senses with photographs of the sites where the events of the final week are believed to have taken place, and let this devotional make the Scripture come alive for us in fresh ways.
A sample chapter of this booklet is extracted below.
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If you or your church would like to have copies of this devotional booklet, please contact Our Daily Bread Malaysia.
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For those of you who might be interested in my book, Following Jesus, where more reflections from the Gospel of Mark can be found, please click here.

Join me in this book where we journey through the regions of Galilee, Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, Bethany Beyond the Jordan, and many others in following the footsteps of Jesus. With more than 180 images and 13 maps and illustrations, readers will not only experience the sights and settings of the Holy Land, but also discover the biblical significance of these sites. Questions for reflection and prayers at the end of each chapter will help prepare readers for their own encounter with Christ.
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Free Online Public Lecture

16/4/2020

2 Comments

 
In less than 36 hours, I have to close the registration to this public lecture as we received overwhelming response.

I plan on running the same lectures again, perhaps in the of May or early June. 
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2 Comments

MCO and Social Distancing on the First Easter

11/4/2020

4 Comments

 
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed, hallelujah!
 
Good Friday ends in darkness and despair. But Easter is glorious. It gives us new hope. It gives us new meaning to our existence. It speaks of the victory of Christ against sin and death. Yet, Easter is different this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many of us who may be accustomed to Easter celebration, drama production, large-scale evangelistic campaigns, this year’s celebration certainly seems less triumphal, celebratory, and glorious.
 
However, if we go back to the first Easter, things seem less glorious too. In John 20 there seems to be no sense of rejoicing. No one shouted: “Christ is Risen!”, and no one replied: “He is risen indeed.” All the disciples were in hiding. They had their own Movement Control Order (MCO), practised social distancing, and locked the door for the fear of the Jewish leaders (John 20:19). They imposed on themselves some measure of self-quarantine. They were full of fear, anxiety, and worry.
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An example of what an empty tomb looks like today.
​It was not until the first Easter evening when Jesus appeared to the disciples in the place where they were staying that they were overjoyed. Yet, one of the disciples, Thomas, was not present and doubted the resurrection of Christ. The following week, the disciples were still under MCO, and continued to practise social distancing and self-quarantine. Jesus appeared the second time to the disciples, and Thomas had his doubt removed.
 
There was hardly any victorious celebration on the first two Easter Sundays according to the narrative in John 20. Although Jesus had already appeared twice to the disciples, there was fear, anxiety, worry, and doubt. All they did was to go into hiding for a whole week. They had their self-imposed lockdown. No one proclaimed, “Jesus is risen” despite Jesus appearing twice to them.
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Church of the Primacy of Peter by the Sea of Galilee, a site where according to tradition, the narrative of John 21 took place here.
​Moving to John 21, the disciples came out from hiding in Jerusalem and travelled to Galilee. Yet, there was no sense of rejoicing and celebration. Instead, there seems to be a sense of loss and confusion among the disciples. Peter and six other disciples decided to go back fishing. There are many speculative reasons as to why they did so. Some suggest that they were disillusioned. Others suggest that they were at a loss as to what to do next. Still others suggest that they were confused by recent events surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Whatever the reasons, the fishing trip turned out to be a fruitless effort. It was not until Jesus appeared for the third time (John 21:14) to the disciples and directed them to cast the net on the other side that they had a full net of fish.
 

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The altar inside the Church of the Primacy of Peter. The bedrock is believed to be the place where Jesus prepared breakfast for the disciples. Mensa Christi means "the Table of Christ."
Jesus then invited the disciple to have breakfast with him, with ikan bakar and roti bakar as the menu (John 21:9).

After breakfast, we read a moving account of the restoration and recommissioning of Peter after he came to terms with his own failure. Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” and three times Peter answered in the affirmative (John 21:15-17).

​Even though Peter had earlier denied Jesus three times, deep within, he still loved the Lord dearly. Jesus then recommissioned Peter by reminding him his calling: “Feed my lambs… Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep…” (John 21:15, 16, 17).  
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​After this, Jesus issued a final call to Peter: “Follow me” (John 21:19, 22). This is probably the most significant moment for Peter. Notice that these are the very same words used by Jesus in his initial calling of Peter and the other fishermen to leave their nets by the Sea of Galilee (Mark 1:16-18; Matthew 4:18-20). These disciples did so immediately. But after a series of failures to understand his mission and ministry at Caesarea Philippi (see Chapter 13), Jesus issued the second call to the disciples, including Peter, to deny themselves and take up their cross and “follow me” (Mark 8:34; Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23). After the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus restored Peter by issuing the third call to discipleship by the Sea of Galilee: “Follow me” (John 21:19, 22). Peter took this third call to discipleship seriously. After Pentecost, Peter became one of the pillars of the church in Jerusalem. Years later, he wrote a letter to a group of persecuted Christians located what is now known as modern Turkey. He reminded them:

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The statue of Peter outside the Church of the Primacy of Peter, depicting Jesus restoring him.
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. (1 Peter 5:1-4)

In exhorting the leaders of persecuted Church in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Peter reminds them the the words of Jesus to him: “Follow me. Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.”
 
Peter remained faithful to his calling till his martyrdom in the 60s CE. According to the early church tradition, Peter was crucified on the cross upside-down with his head down on the ground and feet raised on high, asserting that he was not worthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord.
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These heart-shaped stones are known as the Twelve Thrones, commemorating the twelve disciples, some of whom Jesus called by the Sea of Galilee.
​For the disciples, Easter is a new beginning for them. While there may not be much celebration on that first Easter, the impact of the resurrection of Christ changed them. The narrative of the restoration of Peter is an inspiration and encouragement to us today. If we feel that we are not worthy to serve the Lord because of our past failures, this passage reminds us that Jesus is not finished with us yet. Jesus called Peter again for the third time, “Follow me” after his resurrection. He was patient with Peter, and he gave Peter all the time and space for him to ponder, reflect, and respond. Jesus is calling us again today. Our current situation may also offer us the time and space needed for us to pause, reflect, and respond to the resurrected Lord. Easter is a new beginning.
 
Like the disciples, we may be at the crossroads of our lives, feeling lost and not knowing the next step we should take. We may be confused by recent events we have encountered. We may be worried about the post-COVID-19 aftermath. Some of us may be concerned with our business, employment, and our financial cash flow. In moments of frustration, disappointment, and discouragement, we may choose to go our own way and do things according to our own strength and effort. Some of us may have gone back “fishing” because it is the only thing we know what to do. Despite our failures, Jesus wants to reinstate and restore us to serve him. Easter gives us hope.
 
Like the disciples, in moments like these, it is time to accept the invitation of our Lord to have breakfast with him (John 21:12). It is time to renew our strength in his presence. It is time to sit at his feet again to hear his voice and guidance so that we can be his effective servants: “Feed my lambs… Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep… Follow me” (John 21:15, 16, 17, 19). 
 
This year’s Easter may be a bit quiet, and is certainly very different from what we may have been used to. Nevertheless, as we remember the confusion, the sense of loss, and the anxiety and fear of the disciples on the first Easter, may we be reminded that Easter is a new beginning and it gives us hope. May we be renewed on this Easter day. May we be reminded afresh why we follow Jesus. May we hear afresh his calling once again: “Follow me.” And most importantly, let us not forget to have breakfast with the resurrected Jesus – he is waiting for us. 
 
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Hallelujah. 
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Come, let us have breakfast with the risen Christ. He is inviting us and waiting for us (John 21:12)
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My Latest Book: Following Jesus

21/7/2019

6 Comments

 
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My latest book, Following Jesus: An Illustrated Guide to the Places of the Holy Land according to the Gospel of Mark, will be released soon by Armour Publishing under the STM Series.

There will be a launch for the book on September 21 at Luther Centre. More information will follow soon.

Tentative selling price is RM75 per copy during the launch for Malaysian market only.  The retail price is SGD$36 or RM110.

For those of you who would like to have a preview of the book, please click here. 
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    Lecturer in New Testament Studies at Seminari Theoloji Malaysia. You can find out more about me by clicking here. 


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    My engagement in conversation with issues, reflections, and concerns related to my vocation as a seminary lecturer and theological education in general. Opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my personal views and do not represent the official position of the seminary


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