Pastoral Message (Page 85)

By Not Known New Year is a time of reunion meals. These are times to remember the past, celebrate the present and anticipate the future. At these meals we cement the ties that bind us to loved ones and re-launch our family for the New Year. The Old Testament Hebrews had a similar annual meal in the Passover festival (Exo 12:1-20). Passover was a great occasion when people…

By Not Known By now, we would surely begin to see a better picture of what the Corinthians are really like. It is so easy for us to point our fingers and say, "These people give Christianity a bad name!" Before we point our accusing fingers, let us remember Jesus’ words, "Let him who has no sin, cast the first stone." (Jn 8:7). In 1 Cor 5:11,…

By Not Known We presently have some reminders of the multi-cultural and multi-faith aspects of Singapore. The colourful spectacle of Thaipusam reminded us of the Hindu community. The upcoming Lunar New Year testifies to the power of traditional beliefs in those following the lunar calendar. And so it continues with the festivals of the Moslem and Buddhist communities at…

By Not Known Our first calling is to put our faith in Jesus and live out the gospel in every part of life. Every believer is then called to serve the gospel by putting our time, talents and treasure at God’s disposal. In this sense, we are all ambassadors and ministers of the gospel according to our individual gifts and calling (1 Cor 12). Our service of the gospel…

By Not Known It has often been said that one becomes like who he or she follows. This suggests that people influence one another and that we are shaped by certain charisma in its broadest sense. The proverb “birds of the same feathers flock together” further suggests that people often click around some strongly felt commonalities. Putting both factors together…

By Not Known As an avid coffee drinker, I love this story. The beans of this certain coffee come from a remote part of Java although several other Southeast Asian countries also claim to have such coffee. It is supposedly the most exquisite, exotic, and most expensive coffee in the world. At US$300 for 450 grams, it could well be. Those who can afford and are able to…

By Not Known For many of us this time of the year is significant in the overall rhythm of life. Some things do not change – the beating of our hearts, the breathing in and out, the rising and setting of the sun. Although our hearts may skip a beat or two at times leaving us thankful for life itself, some things do change for good – leaving home for a new…

By Not Known The Christian gospel is well summarised by the words of John the Baptist and Jesus: Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. (Mat 3:2) Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Mat 3: 17) These sayings make an announcement and give an imperative. The announcement is grounded in a quote from the prophet Isaiah. The gospel message of the New Testament is…

By Not Known This is the day for lessons and carols! The selection and arrangement is not at random. The selected lessons take us through vital parts of the Christmas gospel and the carols lead our heartfelt response to what we hear in Scripture. The first lesson (Gen 3:22,24) tells us of our need for the gospel. We were created to know and enjoy God forever in his place…

By Not Known Matthew writes well. His telling of the Christmas story keeps our attention as he moves from one dramatic scene to another. But in all this he keeps our focus where he wants it to be – on Jesus. Consider the way Matthew treats his characters. In just two chapters he introduces at least 45 identifiable characters, plus an unknown number of Jerusalem…