Shofar, So Good!
Last Friday, Jews in Israel and around the world celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the start of a New Year on the Jewish calendar. The festival marks the beginning of a very special and holy time known as the High Holy Days: Rosh HaShanah (also called Yom Teruah – Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles or Booths). These feasts and fasts are called ‘moadim’ in Hebrew, meaning appointed times. The Book of Leviticus in the Torah specifies the reason for […]
A Homeless God?
“Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, He said, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Luke 9:58 How ironic when Jesus Christ, the Creator of the Universe who entered this world in flesh – and who not only made all things, but for whom all things were made – Himself said He had nowhere on earth to lay His head. From Genesis to Revelations, God has wanted a ‘house’ – a place […]
<strong>We’re On The Same Team! </strong>
The New Testament uses many metaphors to depict the Church – a body, bride, family, one new man, vineyard, army, etc. What do these have in common? They’re all living entities! One reason why multiple imageries are used is because the Church is too comprehensive and rich to be represented by a single description. And, if she’s living and healthy, growth is a natural by-product – both internally (spiritually) and externally (numerically). The Body of Christ is called to display […]
Follow The Cloud
We just concluded our Annual Cornerstone Family Camp last week in Johor Bahru, and personally, I think it’s one of the key highlights of the year for us as a church. Like many other Covid-caused disruptions, it’s been three long years since we last had a church camp. To say that we’ve all missed meeting like this with all the physical and spiritual food and bonding is truly understating. But the sweet cherry on the cake? The Presence of God dwelling […]
The Apple Of His Eye
The idiom, ‘The apple of my eye’, is often used to express how precious a person is to us. The Hebrew translation says, ‘The little man of the eye’. Try looking into someone’s eye – you’ll see yourself reflected in the pupil of their eyeball. The eye is also the most vulnerable part of your body. You protect it by blinking or turning your face away from a ball whizzing your way, or if an opponent sends you a ‘knuckle sandwich’ (also known […]
To Know Him And Make Him Known
Of all the ministry slogans I’ve heard, my favourite must be YWAM’s ‘To Know God And Make Him Known’. We need to know Him so as to share His love for people. The question is, do we really know Him? And what does it mean to know Jesus? Personally, there’s been a fresh hunger and renewed passion in my heart to know Jesus like never before. To fall in love with Him all over again. In two weeks, I watched 3 seasons […]
The Fear of God
Recently, I discussed with a father the subject of parenting teenagers. His interesting remark got me thinking – “It’s good that our children fear us.” As a father of three daughters, I’ve always made it my aim to progress from a fear to friend-based parenting style. So I asked my daughter, “Do you fear me?” To which she replied without hesitation, “No, I don’t.” What she meant was, “I’m not scared of you.” As I sighed with relief, I thought of […]
What’s In A Blessing?
We often greet one another with ‘Blessings’ on special occasions and hear people say, “I received the promotion that I’ve been waiting for… I feel so blessed!” or “We just bought the home of our dreams – we’re incredibly blessed!” or “We’re blessed to live in a country of such safety, freedom, and opportunity…” and the list goes on. But what happens when life presents you with not so ‘blessed’ circumstances? When a child is born with a disorder, leaving […]
His House Is Us!
Rick Joyner wrote in his book, ‘Apostolic Ministry’, a question that was etched in my mind – ‘What would the Church look like if it were built not to attract people, but God?’ This is not a slam on any seeker-friendly church, but a reminder to us that our primary ministry is first unto the Lord. Jesus must be so centric in all that we’re doing in the church and, as a church, for us to be effective in reaching […]
Born With A Mission
I recently heard from a church member that a few of his peers had left the church because they were offended by a preacher saying that this church was not for those who didn’t believe in missions. I couldn’t help but think – Is there a church that does not believe in missions? When Jesus’ time on earth was ending, He gave His disciples a mission that would affect the entire world to this day. When we become Christ followers, […]
