A Slithering Snake

By Koh Siang Kiang, Singapore The mere mention of snakes sends shivers down the spine of many, including myself. When you encounter one you have to think and act fast. A few weeks ago, some workers saw a snake in our garden. They wanted to know if I worship snakes or kill them. The latter, [...]

It’s Okay To Ask

It’s perfectly natural for fear and doubt to creep into our minds at times. “What if heaven isn’t real after all?” “Is Jesus the only way to God?” “Will it matter in the end how I lived my life?” Questions like these should not be given quick or trite responses.

Who’s Behind It?

At a cultural show in Bandung, Indonesia, we enjoyed a wonderful orchestra performance. Before the finale, the 200 people in the audience were each handed an angklung, a musical instrument made of bamboo. We were taught how to shake it in rhythm with the conductor’s timing. Soon we thought we were performing like an orchestra; we felt so proud of how well we were doing! Then it dawned on me that we were not the ones who were good; it was the conductor who deserved the credit.

Believe and Receive

By Caroline Poon, Singapore Recently, my friend was finally baptized. How I rejoiced with her as I saw her stepped out of the baptism pool, smiling radiantly. For I knew it hasn’t been an easy road for her. But her persistent prayer was finally answered. My friend accepted Christ when she was a teenager. But [...]

The Viral Gospel

The term “viral video” refers to a short clip posted on the Internet that spreads rapidly as the link is sent from one person to another. The video may be funny, inspiring, or thought provoking, and it can quickly spread around the world and be seen by millions of people. It’s an advertiser’s dream, but few marketing experts are able to exploit it. Lacy Kemp wrote: “How do you make something spread like wildfire? The answer is that you can’t. It’s not something to plan for or else everyone would be doing it. It has to be awesome enough on its own to get there.”

Looking Back

George Matheson, best known for the hymn, “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go,” wrote another song titled “Ignored Blessings,” in which he looks back to “the road gone by.” It was by looking back he could see that his heavenly Father had led him all the way.

Spiritual Radar

By Ian Gustafson, USA Have you ever heard that Moses’ wife was a demon worshiper? No? We’ll get back to that in a minute. In the meantime, consider this: any teenaged guy who attends a coeducational school spends a great deal of time girl-watching. I’ll be the first to admit it. There were several ladies [...]

My Buddy William

As we got off the bus at a home for mentally and physically challenged children in Copse, Jamaica, I didn’t expect to find a football player. While the teen choir and the other adult chaperones dispersed to find kids to hug, love, and play with, I came upon a young man named William.

Fireworks And Freedom

Thanks to the ingenuity of our Chinese friends, we here in the US celebrate our independence this month with massive displays of colorful fireworks.

Lost beauty: the love of God at work

By Alexander Carmichael Lee, 29, Malaysia Many of us seldom take time to gaze at the orange-hued sunset or the starry night sky. Often, we do not realize that in everything—whether it is a drop of rain or a little baby—God is at work. Perhaps we have grown complacent or outright desensitized by all that [...]

Putting our burdens down at the foot of the cross

Tuesday, July 3, 2012, Part 3

“Submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5:21-33).

IDEA: To misinterpret or misapply a passage of Scripture always has consequences.

PURPOSE: To help listeners realize the dangers that may grow out of bad exegesis.

E-Mail Prayer

Not long ago, a friend of mine was facing surgery. Two disks in his back and a detached Achilles tendon were creating a lot of pain. After assuring him of my prayers, I was struck with the idea of sending him something in writing to further encourage him. So I sent the following e-mail:

Are Funeral Customs in the US Biblical?

What, if any, is the biblical basis for the funeral customs practiced today in North America?

Are Homosexual or Pedophilic Desires Sinful?

Are homosexual or pedophilic desires sinful?