The Blessings of the Cross
By Rev Dr Edward Goh The cross was an instrument of execution, perfected by the Romans to inflict torture and humiliation. Prior to crucifixion, its victims would be scourged by whips with bones or glass attached, ripping off the flesh, leaving sinews and bones exposed. Some would die from such scourging. The criminals were then made to carry their cross beams to the…
The Message of 1 Corinthians
By Rev Dr Clive Chin Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written around AD 55 to a spiritually troubled church. The church was actually comprised of various house churches, but Paul refers to them collectively as the church. Corinth was a major port city, with many temples devoted to Greek and Roman gods, and an affluent economic centre. It is no wonder that…
“New Year,” New Rhythm
By Ps Ho Wei Liang Today marks the first Sunday of 2020, the beginning of a new year and a new decade. This is at least true for the major part of our world today in which most countries have adopted the Gregorian calendar for civil purposes. But let us pause to think for a moment. Have you ever wondered how much our lives are determined by the calendar we adopt?…
Number Your Days Wisely
By Pr Herna Kong As we are reaching the close of the year, we will do well to number our days wisely because we do not know how many of them we are still left with. The gift of each day to us is a blessing from God. We can use it and live it only once. Once it passes, we cannot get it back, so every today is an opportunity, and it is precious. It is no surprise then…
Celebrating Tradition
By Dr Agnes Tan During this time of the year, our church celebrates a service called A Festival of Lessons and Carols. Let me share with you the story behind this special service. In 1880, Edward White Benson, the first Bishop of Truro in Cornwall, England and later the Archbishop of Canterbury, created a new service called The Nine Lessons with Carols for…
“Be Like Christ in His Incarnation”
By Rev Dr Clive Chin An important message of Christmas is that God is with us. Jesus Christ came into this world and became one of us. The evangelist writes in Matt. 1:23, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). For followers of Jesus Christ, that means we are to be like Christ in his incarnation.…
The Shalom of God
By Not Known Today marks the second Sunday of Advent when we light the candle of peace. It reminds us once again of the peace that comes through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Bible tells us in the Gospel of Luke 2:14 that when Jesus was born, a great company of heavenly hosts proclaimed the glad tidings for all people, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth…
The Blessedness of Staying Faithful
By Rev Dr Edward Goh On this first Sunday of the Advent, we light the candle of hope, in remembrance of the Old Testament prophets, especially Isaiah who foretold the birth of our Saviour. What should this hope inspire in us? May I suggest faithfulness? This call to faithfulness in the light of the Messiah’s coming was the message of Malachi as he saw from afar the Lord…
The Blessedness of a Godly Marriage
By Rev Dr Edward Goh We just had our Marriage Enrichment Retreat over the weekend of 8 to 10 Nov, Rev David Burke was the speaker. The key message impressed upon us is the constant need to work on our marriage regardless of our life stages, and to do so in accordance with “the Maker’s Manual”. Three reasons are given. 1. We must work on our marriage because God has…
A Call to the Heart of True Worship
By Pr Herna Kong False worship comes in two main forms. The first and easiest to identify is the worship of false gods. The second is the worship of the one true God in a manner that He does not approve of. The second, which is subtle, is difficult to identify at times. What is worse is when the strongest proponents of worshipping the Lord in ways that He does not approve…