Paul Long's Ramblings

*Sigh* 52 years of indpendence and Malaysia is in such a bad state. It is embarrasing to hear the catch phrase " Malaysia ... truly Asia" ... I hope that the message below will have an impact and be the turning point for Malaysia. It is so good that it is signed by so many organizations I was hoping and praying that Teoh Beng Hock's death might be the turning point. But his death seems to be going the way of so many other horrible scandals. ... And yes, I prayed specially for Malaysia today ... The Cow Head Merdeka Message Posted by admin Monday, 31 August 2009 17:07 MESSAGE TO THE NATION We, the undersigned civil society organizations are shocked, angered and saddened by the “Cow-Head protest” in Shah Alam last Friday (28 August) against a proposed Hindu temple in Section 23 of the city. The carrying of the head of a freshly slaughtered cow, a sacred animal to the Hindus, and the unvei...

With the Kartika case making Malaysian Muslims (and the country as well) look so riduculous in the eyes of the Malaysian public and the world, don't these leaneed people not see that this kind of stance is not helping at all? No disrespect meant against the Malay Rulers, but does the law that makes the Rulers Heads of Islam mean the the Rulers are experts on Islam? I always thought that the Rulers being heads of Islam was more a symblic position. Has this changed? If the Malay Rulers are considered like the Caliphs of old, then why are the Islamic councils the ones making all the rulings and public statements etc and not the Rulers? Here's the latest from the Herald Only rulers can decide on ‘Allah’, Islamic councils argue Published on August 28 , 2009 By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani KUALA LUMPUR : The state Islamic councils argued in the High Court today that only the Malay rulers and the King could rule on the use of the word “Allah.” The councils were ma...

Warning: RPK tends to use colourful language ... though he is well restraint in this piece ... The links in his article are worth reading as well. Very informational. This has not opened up a "can of worms" but hundreds of crates of worms! NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Shariah lawyers to critics: Don't mess with court decisions Malaysian Mirror Do not harass or put pressure on those who are trying to enforce Islamic laws, the Malaysian Syariah Lawyers’ Association (PGSM) advised critics. In a statement jointly issued with Pembela, an umbrella body of several Muslim NGOs, the association said everyone should adhere to and respect the decisions made by the syariah courts. Read the news item here: http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/26168/84/ ********************************************* I don’t know what these Shariah lawyers are so upset about. Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno has agreed to be caned. In fact, she said she wants to be caned because she is ashamed of her...

Next Sunday's sermon is 75% done. Whew. Been very tough preparing for it - andeven more so as it is a Father's Day sermon and I decided not to go the traditional route . Going to try to keep it under 30 minutes so am planning for a 25 minute sermon. Why 25 minutes - so I will speak slower and in case I ad lib too much :-) And going to attempt to have a 3 slide sermon ppt . Reason for this is my ever on going evaluation of my preaching as well as that of the preachers we invite and the topic chosen etc. Basically I try to squeeze too much into every sermon.... and then I speed up to squeeze in more so I do not go over time. But I still go over time as I get more and more excited when I preach. I suppose in a way it is a good as it does indicate that to me that God's Word is so incredibly relevant and rich. But I need to be more disciplined. One solution is to give myself more slots next year so that I can have more sermons to tackle the passages and topics.... Anyway wit...

Interesting how each school is dealing with their "rugby brawlers". KELSTON BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL The five 1st XV players must: Address school assembly to explain why their actions were inappropriate. Complete eight hours' of community service at Waikumete Cemetery and a further eight hours at the school. Attend anger management sessions. Participate in mentoring sessions. Sign good behaviour contracts. The two 2nd XV players must: Perform eight hours' community service at Waikumete Cemetery and 16 hours at the school. Attend anger management course. Participate in mentoring sessions. Complete six months on a good behaviour bond. Be placed on a "daily conduct book". AUCKLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOL Four students must: Complete a counselling and mentoring programme at school (completed last week). Enrol in an AUT self-management/goal setting course to complete at their leisure. Perform community service during the school's two-day mid-term break. Read the full rep...

Very disappointed with John Key .... Prime Minister John Key moved swiftly yesterday to stop a new smacking bill going beyond its first reading and reigniting a debate he believed could consume Parliament. He is confident his move will not be seen as thumbing his nose at the 87.4 per cent of voters in the citizens-initiated referendum who did not support the present smacking law. By coincidence, a measure legalising smacking was drawn from a ballot of 29 private members' bills yesterday, less than a week after the referendum. ... Read the full report here .

This is one of the stupidest "double speak" attempt at face saving I have read ... Report from The Nut Graph Kartika sentence postponed "until caning can be done the syariah way" 25 Aug 09 : 9.51PM PUTRAJAYA, 25 Aug 2009: The caning of 32-year-old part-time model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno for consuming alcohol is postponed until the Home Ministry has the expertise to carry out the sentence according to syariah laws, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. He said the Prisons Department did not have staff who were experienced to mete out the punishment according to syariah. "I have to admit we do not have experience in this case. From the aspect of responsibility, I understand that under the country's laws, we (the Home Ministry) are responsible; but I cannot allow it if we do not have the expertise [and] the skills, and do not follow the ways set," Hishammuddin told reporters after chairing a meeting of national main productivity i...

Posted my latest Pastors Notes (focus is on "in house stuff"). Click here. ------- I found this helpful to confirm and spur me on in my struggles related to the challenge of youth ministry The X Factor What have we learned from the rise, decline, and renewal of "Gen-X" ministries? Collin Hansen Monday, August 24, 2009 W hen the willows sway in South Barrington , the evangelical world notices. So Willow Creek Community Church provoked headlines in 2006 when leaders said they would end Axis as everyone knew it. As recently as 2001, about 2,000 young adults had gathered on Saturday nights for alternative music and relevant teaching. But before temporarily closing in 2006, Axis attracted fewer than 400 twenty-somethings. How could a trend-setting ministry decline so severely in just five years? Due in no small part to Willow's example, ministry leaders across the country once viewed separate, age-targeted services as the key to reaching a generation largely absen...

Interesting youtube video (uncut) which gives a lot more footage. Especially with the latest Herald report .... The only rugby player acquitted of wrongdoing after a rugby brawl that resulted in nine players banned from the sport was the one whose actions appear to have sparked the fight. Punishments as a result of the brawl, which occurred after the semi-final game between Kelston Boys' High and Auckland Grammar's First XVs on August 15, have left the Kelston community reeling. The five Kelston players - who face bans ranging from 45 to 71 weeks - yesterday lodged appeals against their punishments with the Auckland Rugby Union. Four Auckland Grammar boys were banned from two to seven weeks and the case against a fifth was not proven. Outrage over the punishments continued yesterday, with MP David Cunliffe calling them "grossly disproportionate" Click here for the rest of the story. Based on the video, I would think the punishments certainly is disproporationate. Kud...

Cabinet agrees to ensure smacking parents not criminalised Parents who lightly smack their children should not fear being treated like criminals, Prime Minister John Key said today. Mr Key took a series of proposals to Cabinet today following Friday's resounding referendum victory for opponents of the 2007 child discipline law change. Preliminary results found 87.6 per cent of those who voted ticked no to the question: "Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?" Mr Key said he would not ignore the referendum and Cabinet had agreed to ask police and Child Youth and Family to review their procedures to ensure good parents were treated as Parliament intended. click here to read the rest of the report ... But the government won't change the law and light smacking is still a criminal offence ... so what does this mean? "We" agree the law was mistake but will not back down so as not to lose face? Model Kartika re...

Rather than put up a new post ...just adding in some updated comments for Monday 24 August in red. So nice for a change to see my favourite ELP team Tottenham doing well! Jermain Defoe hit a superb hat-trick as Tottenham went top of the Barclays Premier League with a resounding 5-1 win at Hull. Defoe and Wilson Palacios both struck in the opening 14 minutes as Tottenham began brilliantly at the KC Stadium Yay!!! Top of the league . Cool, three in a row ... I hope this lasts!!! Tottenham maintained their 100% start to the Premier League season after West Ham gifted them Jermain Defoe's equaliser and Aaron Lennon's winner in a 2-1 victory at Upton Park. My house insulation and heat pump has finally been installed. A bit late as winter is ending but nice to have it done. The pink batts does make a difference. The Auckland schools rugby brawl has had a number of disturbing twists ... Labour MP David Cunliffe has hit out at the suspensions handed down to Kelston's rugby brawlers...

Got back from a Pastors Retreat yesterday. Sadly got sick before I left and so was sick ... and tired at the retreat. The 5 hour drive did not help, though it was actually a pleasant drive (scenery was great which makes a huge difference) and I enjoyed driving my new car and listening to both sermons and music on the journey. My colds normally last 24 to max 48 hours except a couple of times a year where they are prolonged (so I think that means it is the flu) and interestingly the times I have the flu coincided with the two pastors retreats I attended. I realise that one factor is the realisation that I come to the retreat tired and when I slow down for the retreat, my " resistance " drops, my body is more susceptible to all the wrong bugs.... Of course room mates who snore add to the tiredness during the retreat! :-) but that's another story ... Will blog more I guess on the retreat one day but one thing that was discussed was a recent survey done of Brethren pasto...

My sons school made national headlines for the wrong reason School rugby violence .... and another report ... *sigh* ... but I must say that I think highly of the Kelston Boys High School Principal Steve Watt and I do not think that the boys from Kelston Boys deserve to be stereo typed as "rough kinds" or "trouble makers".

I have been following this "story" with interest Hundreds get $1000 a week in benefits 4:00AM Monday Aug 17, 2009 By Claire Trevett Paula Bennett has revealed that 307 beneficiaries get more than $1000 a week. Of those, 168 are on the domestic purposes benefit. The top 50 recipients face an audit of their entitlements ordered by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett. She has revealed that 307 beneficiaries get more than $1000 a week. Many among the top 50 have more than eight children. They include a couple with 10 children who get $1200 a week. Both parents have been on the unemployment benefit for more than 15 years. Of those getting more than $1000 a week, 168 are on the domestic purposes benefit. The basic DPB pays $272 a week, but people receiving it can get extra allowances, such as grants for disabilities or sickness in families. Other top-ups include up to $255 a week in accommodation supplements, especially for those paying high rents in Auckland. The figures als...

A church member, Ken, took some photos during yesterday's S unday Service (as it was Youth Sunday). Among them where some photos of my wife and boys. So here they are ...

Just posted up this coming Sunday's Pastor's Notes . Early ... as I will be on leave tomorrow!! :-) If you are interested, you can download a free copy of Brother Lawrence's book here . It's just 20 pages if you want to print it out. Translation is not the same as my hard copy mine is in a slightly abridged version with some paraphrasing. Enjoy!

Next week I go off for a Pastor's Retreat. Tuesday evening to Friday morning. I am looking forward to the break. Been cramming in a lot of things to make sure I have everything covered so I can take off. Looks like a long weekend. Home group tomorrow night, ferrying my boys around for their activities as well as youth practices. On Saturday, a personal "consultation" related to missions, and then a major meeting to sort out some major issues related to our youth ministry, then a dinner to attend (this one is not work!! :-) ). Sunday after worship is our church leadership meeting. Some major items to discuss. And Monday I am working to make sure I get everything that needs to be done, done before I go for my retreat. And my poor wife will have to handle looking after the insulation workmen. I am trying to pace myself as when went last yea, I went very tired so I could not fully relax and benefit. I slept a lot there :-) And this hear I am driving so I don't get c...

My recent car accident has distracted me a bit from my routine. And though I am not scheduled to preach this month, I have been busy with a number of pressing ministry matters that have also been distracting. So I am grateful for a long preaching break where I have had a lot more time to pray, reflect and try to figure out what to do!!! Sometimes the tunnel seems pretty long and dark and there is no indication of any light showing that the tunnel is near. Anyway this is good as again, it forces me to remember that it is God who will take care of matters not me - my task is to do my best to discern his leading and move accordingly. So again I turn to my re-centering exercises and I find comfort in chapter 26 (How expensive is your church) . Why? Well, because our church building project journey has been difficult and I think will continue to be challenging BUT at the same time at this stage of the journey I can see clearly God's hand and guidance. Anyway, here's the chapter f...