A Revolutionary Prayer (Part 1)
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He set out not just to teach us a format for how we’re to pray, but He set in motion an understanding of His heart. The Lord’s Prayer has such far-reaching impact that it revolutionises how we should see our faith as Christians. Beyond a routine recitation, we need to see what Christ has embedded in this prayer.
When Discontent Brews
Discontent isn’t something foreign to us. If we’re to be honest, discontent can be found in every single person. When a decision is made that does not favour us, when we feel overlooked, underappreciated, passed over for a promotion, or when our expectations are left unmet. The rebellion of Korah in Numbers 16 takes us on a deep dive into what happens when discontent is left to brew. At the same time, the antidote to discontent is subtly prescribed to […]
Virtues Not Desired
The Beatitudes stand in deep contrast to the state of the world that we live in today. To speak the Beatitudes to a modern-day crowd would evoke ridicule and disbelief. Yet in the light of aggressive activism, cancel culture, justice movements, and an ever-increasing appetite for consumption, the Beatitudes bare relevance for us as Christians and how we’re to respond.
Jesus Does Q and A
Everyone loves a good Q&A session. Ask the burning questions on your heart. Imagine being able to have a Q&A with Jesus. Well, the Bible records for us a Q&A session that Jesus gave. But the context was hostile. The Pharisees and religious leaders were out to trap Him. Yet, Jesus turned the session into one that answers some crucial and critical issues that has relevance for us even today.
When The World Goes Down
Just when it seems like we’re getting out of the pandemic, the world is plunged again into another crisis with the conflict in Ukraine. When world events dominate the news and everyone has an opinion about what’s happening, how should we respond as Christians? Should we take sides? How should we pray? Who are we to listen to? The Bible surely will shine some light for us on this.
We Got Christmas All Wrong
Christmas is often preached in December in the midst of the holidays, and because of this, I think we need to hear a message on Christmas away from the holiday we’ve become so familiar with. Instead of the fancy light-ups, gifts, good food, and a fuzzy warm feeling around friends and family, we need to see the atrocities, the pain, the ominous warnings, and the agenda that God conceived when He gave His Son, Jesus Christ. We’ve missed so much […]
A Mad King Speaks
King David’s life was not all glorious and triumphant. In fact, there were moments where it was downright embarrassing. Times when he had to feign insanity, sport a dishevelled look, and became no better than a homeless vagabond. Yet, it was from this experience that Psalm 34 was penned – a psalm of victory and insight that offers us comfort, assurance, and a view of the long-term.
Between Faith and Faithfulness
As Christians, we see the importance of both faith and faithfulness, but have probably not delved into the difference between both and how they work together in our lives. Faithfulness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, while faith appears as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirt. Both are intricately-linked to each other, and it’s easy to focus on one while neglecting the other. Finding the right balance to both is crucial.
The Power Of A Foolish Message
Paul said that the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. This is a strong statement. In fact, the word here is more appropriately translated as ‘madness’ or ‘insanity’. That is what the Cross is as a means through which God would bring salvation to all mankind. We must not seek to embellish the message of the Cross to make it more palatable or presentable, or we might inadvertently rob it of its power.
The Saint and the Sage
The law of the Nazarite in the Old Testament is a strange law. On the one hand, the Nazarite vow was esteemed as an admirable consecration, such that a Nazarite is equated to a prophet. However, the conclusion of a Nazarite vow required a sin offering to be presented. Beneath this internal contradiction lies a conundrum that those who seek after the Lord will all face. This is the dilemma of a saint and a sage.
