With due respect: God cannot defeat chariots of iron!

The logo of the atheistic site, Iron Chariots

One of the attributes of God is His omnipotence. However in Judges 1:19 (KJV), this is revealed,

And the Lord was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

This verse seems to cast doubt on the power of God. Even the atheistic website, Iron Chariots adopt this Bible verse as their logo.

Objection!
As usual, even a cursory examination would reveal that the conclusions drawn for this verse (that God was unable to defeat iron chariots or that the Bible writers were making excuses for their lack of success) are shaky at best.

Pronoun
If you look closely, "he" refers to Judah and not God. When the reader is in doubt, he/she is more than welcome to look between translations. Often (but not always), God is referred as "He" and not "he".

Guaranteed success?
Some people may point out Judah should have been victorious since God was "with him". However, nowhere in the Bible says that when God is with us, we will be always successful. Let's look at Genesis 39:20-21:

Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

Granted, Joseph had been shown favour, but he was still in prison.

Conclusion 
Although it is easy to nitpick on Bible verses, we must take things in context.

For more detailed information
Holdings

Theology 1.0: Is a theology essential for a Christian?

During a one Alpha Weekend (a church camp designed for new Christians and non-Christians) the question of the importance theology arose among my small group. Does it matter if we view the Holy Communion a sacrament, a vehicle of grace or purely representative? Is it it important to allow or ban infant baptism?

The general sentiment was that theology was not as important as Christian unity. In my opinion, while a deep understanding of theology is not essential for salvation, it is an inevitable part of a Christian's journey with God.

The inevitable part of knowing God more
Just as in any human relationship, we may know little about the person at the start, but grow to know him/her person as our lives progresses.

As an analogy, let me use my relationship with my parents. When I was born, the concept of parenthood may not even be formulated in my infant mind, yet that does not change the fact that my parents exist. As I grow older, it was inevitable that I know

Just as so with our relationship with God.

The importance of theology
In having a theology, we clearly state that God has spoken. As Christians, the God we believe in is theistic-- God is actively involved with the world. What I mean here is that theology is not an extension of God's word, but simply our response to God.

In having a strong theology, we can live our lives as close to the gospels as possible.

Conclusion
As Christians, knowing God more is an inevitable part of Christian life. I invite all of you to find out more!

For further reading
The importance of confession

Pursuing illogical studies?

My Confession: I should write more about the Holy Spirit

Despite being a member of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit is something I have rarely wrote about. Maybe it is because the concept of it is less tangible than God the Father and God the Son. Maybe it is because I have never spoken in tongues. Maybe it is because that the word"spirit" makes me a bit sceptical. Maybe it is because so many "preachers" exploit its gifts for money that makes me a bit suspicious.

Regardless, I should not shy away from trying to understand this member of the Trinity. So do pray for me as I start to read and pray more on the Spirit.

Alternative Culture: Jerusalem the Biography review

I have never been to Jerusalem. However, the history of the city has always interests me. Why is the city considered the holiest city in Christianity and Judaism, and the third holiest city in Islam? Why is there so much violence over one city? Why can't the claimants share?

Covering Jerusalem from pre-Biblical times to the Six-Day War in 1967, Simon Sebag Montefiore breaks the mold of traditional historians by portraying Jerusalem like a real, breathing human rather than a grand city.

My favourite parts include the Soviet Union's interest in newly independent Israel, the Victorian Britain's relationship with Israel and King Richard I's battles in the Holy Land.

Some things to think about

What is challenging about the book for me is that it challenges me to think deeply about the significance of the earthly Jerusalem. For instance,

What is the role of the city in my theology?
Has Christian's view on the city change over time?
Does Jerusalem has any significance in Christianity now?
Is there a moral obligation to share Jerusalem?

Summary

I loved the book, and sincerely recommend it to people who ever wants to know more about Jerusalem.

Theology 1.0: Why is it important to engage with culture?

In the world but not of the world
Recently, my colleague commented that I take fictional works likes stories, plays and movies too seriously. He does have a point. Movies like Lego aren't meant to be taken apart and studied methodically like a textbook on invertebrate dissection.

So why have an alternative culture section?
Taking a page from the Medieval monks (Hanman, 2010), I think that engaging with culture (especially popular culture) is important.

Firstly it provides a common ground to talk about. If we begin a conversation to discuss the Bible with our non-Christian friends, they might lose interest quickly.

Secondly, I passionately believe that every piece of creation, whether human or natural, for good or for bad, is a talking ground for Christianity. This everything can be viewed through the lens of Christianity. Every piece of human art has some level of divine-connotation because the creation of humanity is God-breathed.

Summary
I am not saying that we should engage with culture purely for evangelistic purposes. I am saying that if we love our neighbours, we undoubtly know more about their interests, even if we disagree with the natural of their hobbies.

We can show that Christ even speaks to them in their culture.

References
Hanman, J. (2010) God's Philosophers

For further reading
Bethinking

With Due Respect: Aren't all religions inherently peaceful?

Introduction
In a secular Singapore (where I come from) inter-religious harmony is greatly promoted. While Singapore is the only non-communist secular state in Southeast Asia, Singapore is not immune to religious or racial tension. Hence there is an idea that all religions promote peace.

In this post, I want to challenge this "peaceful idea".

Some religions are inherently violent
The Aztecs believed that sacrificing human beings (especially their prisoners-of-war) is needed to sustain the universe. The Spanish explorers including Hernan Cortes and Juan Diaz recorded their disgust as Aztecs priests rip the hearts out of their victims and offer it to the sun.

Furthermore, the Aztecs were not a primitive tribe but the most advanced civilisation in the American continent at that time.

Some religions differ on their ideas of peace
Before and during the Second World War, the Japanese government incorporated Shinto Buddhism (which promoted loyalty to the Japanese Emperor) to garner support of the Japanese war effort. Unlike the idea of universal peace that the United Nations promotes, the idea of peace in State Shinto was Japanese nationalism (that the interests of the Japanese state was more important overrides all other interests).

Again, the Japanese were not some primitive people, but one of the major powers of the global war.

Conclusion
It has never been my intention to create inter-religious hatred or misunderstandings. However, peace cannot come at the expense of truth. And the truth is this-- not all our beliefs are the same. We should be encouraged to explore our beliefs and the beliefs of others in more detail.

Alternative Culture: Lego The Movie Review

I have to be honest with you-- initially I did not want to watch this film. I thought it would be too whimsical to my liking. Nevertheless, a few of my colleagues dragged me along to watch this, and I was glad I did.

Plot summary
Lego construction worker Emmet had always led an ordinary life. His daily life is filled with routines and instructions, leaving him little room for creativity. However upon finding a special item known as the "Resistance", Emmet learnt though a prophecy that he is no ordinary person. Teaming up with a thief, Batman, a wizard, a space engineer and a pirate, Emmet goes through an adventure of a lifetime to fulfill his true destiny.

Theological issues
Despite its childish presentation, the movie brings up deep theological themes. In this post, I would like to explore a few.

1) Finding the creator
In one of the scenes, Emmet breaks the fourth wall and meets his owner. Whether intentionally or not, this seems to run coherently with Christian theology-- God is involved in the world, although He cannot be found in nature and is outside the world.

As Pastor Tim Keller (2008) mentioned, to look for God in nature is like Hamlet looking at his attic for Shakespeare. While God's work can be physically found in the world, he generally cannot.

2) The importance of purpose
The overall theme of the movie seems to be the idea of purpose. In this postmodern era, it is generally preached that we humans have the ability to craft our own destiny (Wyatt, 2009), like Emmet comments to his fellow Lego.

I would argue that that our purpose is not self-determined, but divinely-determined. The only way for us to fulfill our true purpose in this world is to ask our creator (i.e. God).

Conclusion
Do watch this movie, even if you consider yourself a mature adult! I give this movie 70/100.

Reference
Keller, T. (2008) The Reason for God.

Wyatt, J. (2009) Matters of Life and Death