Articles (Page 104)

By Not Known At both services today we share in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Our Confession of Faith defines a sacrament as follows: Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately institued by God, to represent Christ and his benefits, and to confirm our interest in him… (Westminister Confession 29:1). As our Confession goes…

By Not Known Live in harmony with one another (Rom 12:16). The English word ‘harmony’ has the sense of things being brought into right order or balance. This is true with sounds (music); shape (design); and colours (art). It is also true between people. Harmony between people means a right balance in which we respect and celebrate the distinctiveness of each.…

By Not Known Being on a crowded bus is something of an art. There we are, squeezed into the intimate space of another person. Decency and psychological space are maintained by studiously avoiding any word, any eye contact or any other action that acknowledges the other person. Being at church is sometimes like that. There we are, sitting in our pew, all focussed forward…

By Not Known Many years back there was a popular book called: How to be a Christian Without Being Religious. When I first read it, I was religious, with a Christian flavour, but not a Christian. The book's title intregued me. Its contents annoyed me and then changed me. The Apostle Paul describes a similar process in an autobiographical writing: If anyone else thinks…

By Not Known What if God had given up on humanity and not sent his Son? What if Jesus had turned away from Jerusalem or fled the garden? What if the first disciples had stayed in the upper room? What if Philip never asked the Ethiopian what he was reading? What if Paul said ‘No thanks’ when asked to leave home comforts for the mission field? What if the…

By Not Known Much practical education is now given by case studies, whether training professionals or improving corporate or organisational performance. We also learn much about God and godliness from the case studies presented in the Bible. Our focus this month is on King David. David is a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14). David’s heart is shown to us…

By Not Known Our celebration of National Day is a good occasion to reflect on civil government through God’s eyes. Singapore is not a Christian country. Our majority population is not Christian. Neither is Christianity our main cultural legacy. Nor is Christianity given a privileged position by legislation. However, this is a country with a significant Christian…

By Not Known Our culture is fascinated with appearances. Our media is saturated with images of outwardly beautifully people. Advertisers urge great attention to all aspects of physical beauty and promise the world to us if only we use their products or services. The Bible speaks much about beauty but has little concern for physical appearance. In fact it warns against its…

By Not Known It is a common human desire to ‘fit in‘ with those around us. Most of us dislike being different to others and prefer conformity. Against that we must consider God's call to live as aliens and strangers in the world (1 Peter 2: 11). This is not a call to be different for the sake of being different. The context makes it clear that this is a…