PASTORAL MESSAGES (Page 40)

By Not Known “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.” (Psalm 32:1-2) These verses invite us to consider the blessedness of being forgiven. Alexander Francis Kirkpatrick, in The Book of Psalms mentioned that Psalm 32 was Augustine’s…

By Not Known How do we recognise miracles as miracles?  For often even when one happens right before our eyes and still we may not recognise it.  Or for that matter, even when we do recognise it, we may not believe that it is real. Miracles are happening every day.  However, with our sceptical mindsets and with our prejudices, miracles simply pass us…

By Not Known “He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30 Helder Camara, a prominent archbishop, once said, “When I am about to go out and face a huge audience which is applauding me and cheering me, I turn to Christ and say to him simply, ‘Lord, this is your triumphal entry into…

By Not Known On this day in history, on 9 July 1963, the leaders of Singapore, Malaya, North Borneo (now Sabah) and Sarawak signed the Malaysia Agreement to establish the Federation of Malaysia, which was formed shortly after on 16 September. However, less than 2 years later, on 9 August 1965, Singapore became a sovereign, independent nation. The rest, as they say, is…

By Not Known So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” Gen 32:30 In my recent reading on the book of Genesis 32, I was fascinated with Jacob’s account of his meeting and wrestling with God.  I think of the times when fear and anxiety plagued us unnecessarily simply because we allowed them to paralyze…

By Not Known It is a common sight in church to see people diligently attending the Sunday worship service, praying, giving tithe and offering, and even actively serving in a ministry or ministries. Do all these please God? Yes, if all these are carried out with the right motive in the heart and with God as the main focus, rather than carried out as empty formalities or…

By Not Known No doubt you have heard the expression “a friend in need is a friend indeed.”  The origins of this idiom is unclear, and seems to date back centuries, such as ancient writers Ennius, “A sure friend is known in unsure times,” and Euripides, “It is in trouble’s hour that the good must clearly show their friendship; though prosperity by itself in every case…

By Not Known “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.” Gen 1:31 Human being is the apex of God’s creation of the world. He is created in the image of God. God highly values them. That is why God counted it very good after man and woman were created.  Furthermore, God…

By Not Known Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God (Ex 34:14). How well do you know God? How many of His great names have you experienced in your life? The Bible lists numerous examples of people who have given God names as a result of their encounter with Him.  Hagar called God The God who sees when the angel of the Lord…