An Eternal and Excellent Offering
There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment. He was a devout man, one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming and saying to him, “Cornelius!” When he observed him, Cornelius was afraid and said, “What is it, lord?” The angel […]
The Circle Dance of Love
Faith in God is deeply personal. It draws each person into a saving, transforming relationship through Jesus Christ. But our Christian walk is never meant to be individualistic – we’re meant to co-exist with others in relationships. How countercultural! To the post-modern mind, authentic relationships may not always be a first consideration. “Who needs it? I want to be a self-made man.” Without even realising it, the assumed baseline for life today is the trinity of ‘me, I, and myself’. When Jesus […]
The Lord Is My Keeper
“May the Lord bless you and keep you”, the familiar Aaronic Blessing in Numbers 6:24-26, is considered one of the most beautiful blessings in the Bible, and perhaps the most widely-used benediction. The word ‘keep’ is translated as ‘shamar’ in Hebrew, and found in Genesis 3:14 where the Lord sets a ‘guard’, a cherubim and a flaming sword, at the entrance of Eden to protect the Tree of Life. It communicates the idea that God is keeping, caring for, and protecting […]
Follow The Finisher
During this Holy Week, Christians across the globe reflect on the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ while the Jewish community observes the pesach, which is the Feast of Passover, on Friday. On a more personal note, I set aside time yearly to read and reflect on the account of Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion in the Synoptic Gospels. During my reflection, I was astonished by three simple and final words of Jesus, “It is finished.” John 19:30 Our Saviour was on the Cross for about six […]
The Angelic Miracles
Recently, my daughter said excitedly at the dinner table, “I think I met an angel today.” She went on to ask, “Dad, do you think it’s an angel?” I tried to hold back my theological exposition of angels and listened attentively. She shared, “I lost my way and one kind soul just pointed me to the right direction and, when I looked back to thank him, he had disappeared.” Simple or non-spectacular this may sound, I reckon this is an angelic miracle which we […]
The Morning Miracle
Last year, I faced one big challenge in our family – waking my daughter up for school. We tried threats and treats but to no avail. To make things worse, she’s as grumpy as her dad. So each morning, we find ourselves literally scrambling our way from home to her school, which is thankfully just across the street where we live. At the start of the year, a miracle happened. She woke up on her own, got ready and waited […]
The First Miracle
Jesus’ first ever public miracle is recorded a little differently in the synoptic Gospels. Mark has Jesus casting out an unclean spirit, thus demonstrating His power over the forces of evil. But Matthew records the healing of the leper as His first miracle. When the leper said, “Lord, if you WILL, you can make me clean,” Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and touched him, uttering those eagerly awaited words, “I WILL, be clean.” The word WILL in the leper’s request […]
Why Do We Come to Church?
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” (Jeremiah 18:1-2) The latest easing of social distancing measures brought much cheer in letting families gather in larger numbers. In Cornerstone, our ever-faithful Facilities Team again re-arranged the seating with joy, anticipating a larger congregation, now that we can. Just the thought of it makes me smile, seeing more of you, meeting folks I’ve not seen for some time due to circumstances. The weekend’s starting […]
The Darkroom
Remember the times of Kodak, before digital photos were stored in our devices? Photographs were captured on dark strips of ‘negatives’ and developed in a darkroom. I found some negatives in my daughter’s room last week and was reminded of the genius and science behind film photography. Ever wondered why they were called ‘negatives’? The thing about negatives on film is that they eventually become ‘positives’. In fact, in the early days of photography, prints were often called ‘positives’! Cool, right? My […]
Course Correction
One thing many people don’t know about me is my dream job to be a pilot. Although the bubble was burst after I failed the Air Force medical test, my current role as a pastor puts me in contact with all kinds of pilots. I’ve learnt many life lessons from them, and course correction is one essential skill that can save us in navigating these perilous times. Midcourse correction is defined as a navigational correction made in the course of a ship, […]
