Loving God is the first commandment for any believer. Many things in this world jostle for our love and attention, notwithstanding our own church communities. Churches become our idols when we feel more connected and devoted to them than to Jesus. This drifting away from loving God first in church...
It is not a sin to be tempted. It is only a sin when we give in to the tempter, Satan, and rebel against God – whether knowingly or unknowingly. Yet we ought not to glorify the devil for his potential to deceive us. It is God, in fact, who...
Jesus called us to become childlike in order to experience God and His Kingdom. Imagine a child holding its arms up to call for his daddy or running as his father calls. There is such innocence, awe, and expectation in its radiant smile. Is that the kind of faith we...
Protests, revolts, and violent confrontations are on the rise around the world, as ordinary civilians stand up against injustice, social ills, and oppression. Jesus Christ was also born into a time of severe oppression and social injustices. Yet He stood against His political oppressors in non-violent ways. What can we...
The ninth commandment in the Bible calls us not to testify falsely against someone. What if that someone is ourselves? At some point in time, we have all denied or downplayed some stressful emotions and thoughts to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. In other words, we testified falsely against ourselves....
No matter how long we expect to live, the truth is we will have the same life span – that is eternal. We also have the same choice of three fathers. Where we will spend our eternities will be determined by which father we choose to follow; our earthly father,...
Every workplace promotes a set of corporate values that it expects its employees to follow. Yet no matter how altruistic an employer’s values may be, it will always be in the company’s interest to promote some selfish ambition and greed. Greed may not have to be about money, it can...
Parents and guardians will normally pay more attention to certain qualities in their children for different reasons. Even when they try their best to love all their children well, their subconscious biases will manifest and lead to unintended outcomes. Unfortunately, favouritism breeds comparison, guilt, and insecurity in children over time. Whether favoured...
Our desire for greater knowledge can lead us to sin. In fact, it is the first temptation listed in the Bible. Satan appealed to Eve’s intellectual curiousity and lured her to do what God had forbidden her to do; to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and...
Christian self-improvement is highly pervasive. This is evidenced by the plethora of “how to” over “die to” teachings. We are taught how we can grow confident in our identities, discover our potential, and live more meaningful lives in the name of Jesus Christ. These are all very positive-sounding aspirations. Yet...
Every day is 24 hours closer to eternity. How have we been preparing ourselves? Will our decisions on earth lead us to heaven? Will we arrive in heaven poor or rich? Are there things we need to get right on earth first? The Bible reminds us to fix our hearts...
The prosperity gospel claims that faith and obedience to God will bring earthly blessings and physical healing. God’s Word promises us every spiritual blessing through the Holy Spirit, but it also tells us that we will suffer and be persecuted for following Jesus. Jesus tells all His disciples to consider...
Rarely does gossip represent the full story, it’s simply the side of the story we like to talk about. Most people are drawn to gossip because it seems to build social credit. Yet we dislike being the target of gossip ourselves. God’s Word says that gossipers are like those who...
The Bible talks a lot about God’s power. It also talks about the power He gives to those that believe in and obey Him. God’s power gives us the ability to rise above our circumstances, overcome sin, heal the sick, and destroy the works of Satan. In his letter to...
From young, we are all taught what manliness is all about – which usually involves being well-built, tough, and emotionally impenetrable. Taken one step further is the macho man who is full of bravado. The macho man will aggressively protect his “invincible” image and not back down from any confrontation....
Jesus commands all His followers to love others perfectly. Yet this is something each one of us struggles to fully obey. We understand the commandment in our minds, but our hearts may be pulled by invisible strings towards things like fear, resentment, envy, and judgment instead. Romans 7 describes this...
“The use of fetal tissue from elective abortions is commonplace in the pharmaceutical industry and in medical research,” states an article from the National Center for Biotechnology Information in the US*. Many common vaccines, for instance, have been developed using the fetal tissues of two aborted foetuses from the 1960’s,...
God has created every human being with survival instincts. Suicide is not a natural choice. Research shows that most who survive suicide attempts do not attempt it again. Let us pray that no one acts impulsively and takes their own lives because suicide, or self-murder, separates us from God. As...
The Bible provides a lot of practical advice on money, including warnings about the things that bring financial poverty and spiritual curses. Our attitudes about money will always reveal the true nature of our hearts; whether we love God and love people more than riches. Here is a quick list...
The world chases after “bigger, better, faster, stronger” in the name of progress. We are told we can achieve anything as long as we try hard enough. Sadly, we can bring this same performance-based mentality into our relationship with God. We believe we can achieve spiritual “enlightenment” through our own...