The Pitfall Of Us Versus Them
Psalm 4 was written by David during a season of deep frustration. He was facing opposition and was deeply distressed. David displayed a human side of himself that we can all identify with. But he also came to a conclusion that gives us the key for how we’re to respond to people, such that we do not reduce our interactions with them to a ‘me versus them’ scenario.
Balaam’s Donkey Is Speaking
Balaam is perhaps one of the most enigmatic characters in the Bible. The narrative about him contains contradictions, the legends passed down are fascinating, and archaeology verifies his true existence. Put these things aside and we wonder if there’s a primary, cogent message that Israel’s encounter with him brings to us? Let’s hear what his donkey has to say about it.
When Elijah Self-Sabotages His Call
In the Bible, only One fulfilled all that God had purposed for Him, and that’s Christ. Everyone else missed something of what God had for them. Abraham produced an Ishmael, Moses did not enter the Promised Land, and even David confessed that his house was not fully in order at his death. While we may never be perfect, nonetheless, we’re cautioned that we must not self-sabotage the call of God in our lives. Elijah’s experience speaks into this subject vividly.
<strong>The Tower of Babel and The Upper Room</strong>
Key moments in the Old Testament are invariably seen in the New Testament. These inter-Testament parallels are important for various reasons. Principal amongst them is that they bring depth of understanding otherwise overlooked. The Tower of Babel incident is paralleled by the Upper Room outpouring. The latter serves as the anti-thesis of the former, without which, cannot be fully understood.
A Merciful Warning
It’s amazing how when we change our focal point on a subject matter, we may end up seeing something we’ve never seen before. This is true especially of Scripture. The key to understanding God’s Word is to turn from seeing things from our own point of view, to seeing it from His Divine perspective. In the case of the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers in Luke 20, this is distinctively so.
A Parable Based On True Events
The Parable of the Minas or Pounds is often interpreted as relating to our stewardship of the gifts that God has given to us. However, it really mimics real events in the days of Jesus where a king went to a distant country to receive his kingship. By drawing from current events of His days, Jesus sought to bring a challenge to His followers that goes far beyond just the stewardship of one’s gifts and opportunity.
Red Tie Society
When it comes to following Jesus, it’s not a set of rules or requirements. Neither is it about becoming a member of the church, but being in relationship with Jesus.
Evangelism – Go Fish!
Just as prayer, the reading of the Word, and fasting are essentials for every believer, evangelism is something that we’re ALL called to do. It can be daunting at the onset, and we may sometimes feel intimidated by the thought of sharing our faith with another. But it doesn’t have to be so. PlusONE is a multi-pronged initiative to help us build a lifestyle of evangelism in Cornerstone. Be inspired and empowered as our pastors share about this great task […]
Our Will vs God’s Will
It’s the desire of every follower of Christ to know the will of God and rightfully so. But many times, our theological statement on this sounds like a convenient platitude when we’re faced with real life circumstances. What’s helpful is for us to realise that many of the heroes of the Bible also failed to follow the will of God, and pursued their own defaults and passion. What’s the end result and what can we learn from their experiences?
A Master And His Servants
From the parables Jesus told, the relationship between a master and his servants were dramatically redefined. None more so than the Parable of the Serving Master in Luke 12. While servitude is something we might not be familiar with in today’s context, it was a common practice in the days of Jesus. This parable defies everything convention dictated in His days. Understanding it is much more than just understanding servanthood, but to grasp what Jesus is offering us in our […]
