My CASE FOR CHRIST

Hey everyone!

It's been 2 days since Christmas! And it's was good, because we(my family and I) started a new tradition this Christmas. What was it you ask? haha.. ;) Well this year, we started the tradition of saying what/who we are thankful for this year and prayed for the best for the following year, and we ended it with a glass(well.. a styrofoam cup) of wine ;) haha. As usual everyone was too shy to do it... or probably because they were unprepared.. so the person that suggested this tradition will have to do the honours ;) And the person happened to be ME. haha. So, I did it and summed it up for everybody on the things to be thankful for.. and I hope that next year, they will anticipate this tradition and be prepared for it! haha ;)

Not too long ago, i bought a book. Lee Strobel's: The Case For Christ... and my verdict for it was... EXCELLENT!

Some background info on this book:

A Seasoned Journalist Chases Down the Leads in the Biggest News Story in History If you were a journalist, how would you handle a news story so big it would utterly eclipse all other world events? How thorough would your investigation be? How many hard-hitting questions would you ask? How carefully would you consult with top experts to get detailed, accurate answers? Lee Strobel knows firsthand. It was as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and an avowed atheist that he first investigated the greatest news story of all--the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, in The Case for Christ, he presents compelling evidence and expert testimony for the claims of Christianity. As a seasoned journalist with a Yale law background, Strobel systematically tracks down his leads and asks the blunt, tough questions readers themselves would want to ask--questions that can make or break the Christian faith. He refuses contrived, simplistic answers. Instead, he pieces together hard facts through interviews with more than a dozen of the country's top scholars. Written in the style of a blockbuster investigative report, The Case for Christ is apologetics at its most imaginative--gripping, compelling, marshaling expert testimony and incontrovertible evidence. With unerring instincts, Strobel ferrets out Historical Evidence: Do we possess reliable documents concerning the life, teachings, and resurrection of Jesus? Scientific Evidence: Is there archaeological substantiation for the historical accounts about Jesus? Did Jesus perform miracles?

Psychiatric Evidence: Did Jesus really claim to be God? What evidence is there that he fit God's profile? Fingerprint Evidence: What does prophecy have to say about Jesus? Other evidence: Jesus' death, the missing body, eyewitness accounts, and claims of personal encounters. The Case for Christ reads like a captivating, fast-paced novel. But it's not fiction. It's a riveting journey to the truth about the most remarkable event in history: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And it's a revealing, personal testimony to his power to transform people yet today--even the most cynical, hard-bitten journalist.


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This book fascinates me because the way the argument was presented is in a no-nonsense format. haha. It even has a bibliography at the back of each chapter, so that you can do your own research if you are not satisfied with the findings in the book! Wow! ;) I tell you anyone that read this book, even if they are non-Christian, they will be convince of the truth Christianity brings! And Christians that read this book, their faith will be strengthen further! Truly an amazing book. :)

Buy this book. You will not regret it. :)

God bless,

Celestine <><

My Christmas 2003

Blessed Christmas everybody! ;)

I have just came back from Christmas Vigil Mass! There are many people there, until there are no more seats left inside the church, so many have to stand outside while some sit. :) Anyways, the Mass was enjoyable because today is the day where we remember the day of our Saviour's birth..

Isn't it amazing? Jesus; King of kings, Prince of Peace and Lord of lords came down all the way from heaven not to be an earthly king but to die in the hands of His own creation. Unbelievable? Believe it. Because God is love as stated in 1John 4:8! And one must know that God's love can never decrease or increase; to put it simple His love for us has an unimaginable magnitude! How imaginable? OK. Let's see... Our God, Jesus the one without sin came to earth; became man and was humiliated, rejected, tortured and... DIED. For who did He die? The answer: for you and for me.. for us!

So this Christmas, feel blessed. Because you are. Even if you feel the whole world is against you, rejoice because Jesus loves you! And how I know? He showed me so.

Blessed Christmas.

Celestine <><

My Child-like Faith

Hi everyone :)

It's been a loOoOong time since i last blogged... Miss me? haha. Just to let you guys know, I am already back in JB since last Friday(brought back by Kenneth, Martin, Anne and Father Larry; they were on the way to Singapore to attend Adrian Khoo's Wedding. THANKS GUYS! =) ) JB hasn't changed much for the past 9 months when i was in Selangor... except for the route for bus 52 and taxi stand rules & regulations near Tmn Daya area ;) haha.

My stay in JB has been proven fruitful, for I have discovered another testimony that prayer works! Praise God! Many months ago, Adrian(Ng) introduced me a new of using the rosary to pray, which is to include the person's name in the "Hail Mary".. which is, instead of "..pray for us sinners now at the hour of our death. Amen", I replaced it with "pray for [name] now, at the hour of his/her death. Amen.".. So anyway, I prayed the rosary for sometime(a month, perhaps) and included names of people I know(family, friends and foe; haha) on my 50 rosary beads and prayed for them.. One of them that I prayed for was my Uncle Thomas, and at that time I just felt that I want to pray for him. And little did I know, the Lord granted him the grace to stop smoking! Praise the Lord, he stopped smoking for 30 consecutive days, and it's still going on! I pray that the Lord will continue to shower him the grace to kick this addiction for good! Amen! Our God is an awesome God! :)

I have realised one really important thing during my journey to JB, which is "Why did Jesus wanted us to be like children?".. The answer is children have faith that could move mountains! I remember when I was a child, it is really unbelievable, how much faith I can put in to things and actually made it happen! From academically to my personal wants! Probably some of you guys might think, "yeah because you were a kid, plus maybe you were cute and that studies was easy".. to some extent that might be true. But not all true, you see I had faith.. very unshakable faith at that time.. ;) As I grew and went into adolescence, I was exposed to the cruel, so called "facts of life" and I grew conforming to that fact.. Sad huh? And since then, I have not been able to give my 100% faith in anything! Gosh!.. Untill.. this year(Praise God!), where I have started unknowingly pruning my once fact-conformed faith to a faith which is free to grow! Isn't that amazing?! But, my faith still has lots of room to grow.. :) To everyone out there: Believe that your faith in God can move mountains! Just believe! Jesus told us to be like children because, children are able to believe without much reason, but what they need is just a promise! Much like what God wants us to be! He wants us to believe in Him, because He can promised us eternal life.. but if we were to think of a reason, rational to our thinking, it is quite impossible because to put God's plan/logic in our minds is like taking the whole ocean and fitting all of those to a small hole dugged in the sand.. :) So be like children and believe, and be one of the heirs to inherit the kingdom of Heaven!

Anyway, I have got to go now.. :) So just in case I do not blog in the next few weeks.. I would like to wish everyone of you reading this, a very blessed Christmas and a Spirit-filled New Year!

Peace be with you always!

Celestine <><