William Chong

Meet Dongdaemun, one of the city gates of 14th-century Seoul still standing today. I would imagine that to keep foreign nations and hostile invaders out, watchmen would be posted at these gates and other watchtowers along the city walls, on the lookout for any sign of enemy activity. The watchmen would need to be on the lookout particularly at night, when there’s more cover in the darkness. No doubt as the night goes on the job would be a tiring, sleep-depriving one. Dawn and the morning it brings can’t come soon enough, and so the watchmen would be waiting expectantly, with great longing for the morning, with great longing for the certainty of the sunrise.

The psalmist in Psalm 130:1-6 uses this same comparison to illustrate the depths of his faith in the Lord:

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.

Can you agree with the psalmist? None of us can stand with the weight of our iniquities. With Him there is forgiveness. In His Word is our hope. And a life with Him spurs a faithfulness and patience, and we can be as Christian watchmen on a night shift waiting for the Son to reappear.

———————

Driving to work after a good Bible study, I (and the rest of East Auckland commuters) was greeted with the sight of a rainbow that arched across the sky, and across the motorway entrance.

It felt like I was driving under a chromatone bridge that was ordained by the Creator Himself.

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling/mighty thunder,
Thy pow’r thru-out the universe displayed!

Have a good day everyone!

N.B.: This post will make no sense to you if you’re not a Christian, it’s just not that easy to explain in a snippet. (Just ask me.)

——————-

So I’m running. Displacing the air around me, surging upward and onward, and I tell myself I’m in control. Renewed zeal, nothing to war with in my life. I’m desensitised to the world around me bar my iPod, and the cadence of my strides.

And then, through Mark Driscoll, I’m being rightfully rebuked from so many different angles while pacing like a wannabe-harrier, through suburban streets in the evening breeze. His Word pierces me inside, and my priorities in life are unceremoniously realigned, much like a bouncer realigns a drunken soul. Pick it up. Fling him into oblivion.

And just when I’m about to stop running and collapse on my knees (and that’s not because I’m tired)…

… it begins to pour down from the heavens.

Gentle, comforting rain. Rain shy of cats-and-dogs, more like that Laser Eye Surgery TV ad…

But rain so beautifully on cue.

And then this urbane tinfoil voice, a spokesperson reading from God’s Word, strikes a gentler tone and reassures this broken Christian wheezing along Sunderlands Rd…

… “And therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ.” [Ro 8:1]

———————

Thank you.

This is a pared-down, guitar and voice number describing how beautiful the Lord’s sacrifice is.

 

 How Beautiful [3:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

How Beautiful – WILLIAM CHONG

How beautiful the rose, stranded in the earth
with thorns that pin it down
How beautiful the rose, buried yesterday:
it’s gonna rise again tomorrow

Now I know the reason He suffered for
And I know it’s not just a metaphor
What a way to bless us forevermore
Oh Lord I’ll worship you

For I’d have no protection
And no chance for correction
If not for His resurrection,
the most glorious thing there ever was
So this is my reaction
To praise Him for his actions
His undying love for me is still
the most glorious thing there ever was

How beautiful the Lamb seated on His throne
He was a sinless provider
How wonderful his plan, to sanctify our souls
And all we had to do was ask
Yes I know that I’m not worth dying for
Still I know His words now mean so much more
So I’ll sing to Him in praise once more
Oh Lord I’m in love with you

Hello! Trying this out, the full version of “Birthday Wish”. I uploaded a 10-second clip on my site’s previous incarnation, but yeah. That went away, and now a full uncut version is in its place! I tend to work this song on Easters, it seems – wrote it a few Easters ago, performed it for the first time some birthdays ago, and remixed it during the most recent Easter weekend (2007).

If you’re keen on more music, I’m working on it – in the meantime I’ve got http://williamchong.com/music-collection/ up.

Anyways, have a listen and comments and constructive crit would be much appreciated!

 

 Birthday Wish [4:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Birthday Wish – WILLIAM CHONG
Lyrics

You were selfless when you had Your will be done
Graceful when they didn’t know what they were doing
and perfect at “Father into Your hands You commit Your spirit”
I wish I could be as selfless as You
I wish I could be as graceful as You
I wish I could be as perfect as You
For a start I’ll praise You and wish You

Happy birthday dear Jesus
Born to take our sins away
Happy birthday to You Lord

You were helpless when you entered the world
Punished for our iniquities
Yet you loved us so much
You raised Your hands on top of a hill to give up Your spirit
Oh I will try really hard to be as loving as You
It’s the least I can do to show how grateful I am
And thank You for giving me the greatest birthday gift
to spend forever with You and wish You

Happy birthday dear Jesus
born to take our sins away
Happy birthday to You Lord