Pastoral Message (Page 24)

By Rev Dr Clive Chin I’ve been asking God over the past few months a recurring question—what are you saying to your church during this pandemic? Is this an act of divine judgment? Or, is it something else? The Lord has impressed upon me from his word such warnings as “pruning branches” so we may bear more fruits (John 15), and renewing our “first love” (Rev. 2). I have…

By Rev Dr Edward Goh The string of teachings on spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians hinges on Paul’s understanding of what the church is. As Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:17, “Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, . . .” The church is the body of Christ, a display of the Gospel. Eph. 3:10 also says God’s intent is to make known through the church His manifold…

By Pr Herna Kong Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way (1 Cor. 12:31). … but do not have love, I am nothing (1 Cor. 13:2). Love is a fruit of the Spirit that every believer must possess. Why? “… for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God,…

By Ps Ho Wei Liang Comparing our gifts and status to those of the person sitting next to us on the same pew (or in a time like this, next to us on the Zoom gallery view) is a very dangerous thing to do. Judging ourselves by this standard belittles or inflates what we have been given, which leads to either ungratefulness or pride. “There arose a reasoning among them, which…

By Pr Herna Kong Since the Pentecost, we have lived in the age of the Holy Spirit in which the Holy Spirit works miraculously to fulfil the Father’s plan. The apostle Peter says, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). The apostle Paul…

By Dr Agnes Tan “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”— this simple confession describes David’s relationship with the Lord and the secret behind his confidence. David grew up taking care of sheep. He knows that the quality of life for the sheep is dependent on the characteristics of the shepherd. By acknowledging the Lord as his shepherd, David puts into right…

By Rev Dr Clive Chin How can Christians recognise the true gospel from false or shallow ones? For informed Christians, a false gospel might include claims that Jesus was just a good man, a prophet, or a teacher, but he was not God. A shallow gospel might make claims that are true, but just does not reflect the whole Bible’s teaching on the subject, saying things like “God…

By Rev Dr Edward Goh I read an article years ago that defended the use of Rev. 3:20 for inviting Christ into one’s life. Such a usage of the verse was debated because the Lord Jesus was speaking not to unbelievers but His church. That door is the door to our hearts. He knocks because He wants to enter into our lives, to dine with us. As the article has rightly asserted,…

By Ps Ho Wei Liang Sit back and reflect for a moment. Is your life filled with thanksgiving or complaint? It is so easy to live a life of grumbling and discontentment with many things. It is so easy to be annoyed and irked by the littlest things which did not go the way we wanted it. It is so easy to “see the speck in your brother’s eye” (Matt. 7:3) and find fault with…

By Pr Herna Kong Our busyness in our ministry can turn out to be a danger to our spiritual life. We can unwittingly end up letting it take the place of our solitude with God. Sometimes, we can be so engrossed enjoying what we are doing for God that we prefer that to what God is doing for us. We would rather God do His work through us than in us. If we do not watch out,…