The Gospel-transformed Life
By Not Known Have you listened to interviews given by professional athletes? You would notice that a common goal being articulated is to be at the top of their sport and be the best there ever is. You will never come across a professional athlete who just wants to be mediocre or ordinary. It is then common to see them adhere to a strictest regime of training, dieting and…
Caring and Praying For The Sick
By Not Known In the New Testament, our Lord Jesus ministered to the sick by healing Peter’s mother-in-law (Mk 1:30-31) and many who were ill (Mk 1:34). While we are often unsure whether God will to heal miraculously or by conventional means, we are sure that He wants us to care for the sick as a primary way to love Him and the brethren (Mt 25:36, 40). The…
Die-hard Discipleship
By Not Known “Rocky”, a 1976 Academy Award-winning film, sensationalised the American Dream with the journey of a club fighter to becoming a world heavyweight boxing champion. In the climactic match to his stardom, Rocky fought with a far more skilful Apollo Creed, earning his first broken nose, shocked-eye, and multiple bloody injuries. Yet, Rocky has, as one…
No Boundaries? No Respect for Personhood
By Not Known I was at the Botanical Gardens “underground” car park café recently. While in the queue waiting to order I stood behind a young girl, probably JC or first year uni student who was eating with other similar-aged youths. As I stood behind this girl, a young boy, about same age came and stood beside her chatting as she…
Ending Well
By Not Known Steven Covey once said, “No one at his deathbed wished they had spent more time at the office.” Rick Warren also told his congregation, “As a pastor I have stood at the bedside of literally thousands of people as they took their last breath. I have never once had somebody at their dying moment say, ‘Bring me my bowling…
Passion
By Not Known Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Holy or Passion week and ends on Easter Sunday. From the triumphal entry of Jesus riding on a donkey into Jerusalem to his crucifixion is only a span of five days. The crowd moves from hopeful cry of “Hosanna!” (Lk 19:28-40) to the angry shout, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Lk…
Spiritual Discernment
By Not Known Much of today’s church has a continuum mindset, ie a mindset that has no discernible division into parts. Rather than seeing things as right or wrong, true or false – it prefers to see things in infinite shades of grey. In C.S. Lewis’ satire ‘The Screwtape Letters’, a senior demon instructed an apprentice demon to keep his human…
True Blessing
By Not Known If you were to ask someone: ‘Do you feel blessed by God?’ they would probably answer with either a ‘Yes!’ or a ‘Not yet.’ Common causes would then likely include: good/bad grades (if you are a student), good/poor relationships with colleagues or with family, a secure/troubled career, financial security/burden, etc. It…
Pride Goes Before Destruction
By Not Known Uzziah was crowned king of Judah when he was only sixteen years old. For many years, he sought the Lord and was a king celebrated for victories against her enemies − the Philistines, the Arabians, the Meunites and the Ammonites. God gave Uzziah great prosperity and power, building towers, fortifications, cisterns and war machines. He also…
No More Recycling!
By Not Known Today is the last of the 15-day Lunar New Year celebrations. Festive decorations and dining cutlery will be stored away afterward, perhaps to be re-used next year. Empty drink cans and bottles will be sent for recycling, only to find their ways back into our fridges again. “Masks” of cordiality that have shielded dislikes and disagreements between…