Undeterred by obstacles, the four friends went through much trouble to help their paralytic friend receive healing (Mark 2:1-12). When the paralytic was lowered from the roof, Jesus saw not only his faith but also the faith of his four friends. And their faith and efforts were richly rewarded. One of the hallmarks of Christians…
Goliath was naturally confident of victory when he faced the Israelites. And rightly so. In his worldly thinking, he had everything that made him unbeatable – his size, strength and weapons. ( 1Samuel 17 ) But David understood God’s ways and believed God could help him win even with a stone and a sling. Psalm…
Jonah ran away from God because he felt injustice in the way God showed mercy to Nineveh (Jonah 4). Though he eventually obeyed God, yet in his heart, he believed the Ninevites deserved judgment. Christians often behave like Jonah. We don’t obey God for our own reasons. We think some sins are more sinful and…
All four gospels share the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish (John 6:1-13) and the 12 basketful of leftovers. But only the gospel of John mentions the boy (John 6:9) who gave up his meal that led to the miracle. And the boy was not even named. There are…
The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) tells of a father’s great love. But it is also about one who, despite his shameful acts, did not let shame hold him back from seeking reconciliation. He embraced his wrongdoing, went on to get forgiveness, prepared to face the consequence. The prodigal son could have stayed…
One night as I looked out into the sky before going to bed, I saw the heart-shaped cloud which disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. In that fleeting moment, I caught God’s personal message to me, my Abba Father sending His love. It warmed my heart for I was reminded my God is a…
The miracle in 2Kings 4:1-7 happened because the widow believed God’s word even when it didn’t make sense. Imagine her neighbours’ queries as she went about collecting empty jars before she had any oil to fill them. And imagine how, one by one, she kept on pouring from her small jar of oil into the…
There are 1,000 hearts in the artwork -they represent King Solomon’s 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11). When Solomon became King, God gave him great wisdom, insight and tasked him to build God’s Temple. However, as he grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods and he did evil in the…
Daniel was put into a den of lions left to die but he was unhurt as God sent His angel to shut the mouths of the lions! (Daniel 6) This story reminds us that danger and harm may be very real in our midst but God can cause them to be powerless; so that “a…
It seemed like the end when the Israelites were stuck between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. But God showed up in a most dramatic way! Exodus 14. There’s a song* that goes “Cause if I never had a problem, I wouldn’t know that He could solve them. I wouldn’t know what faith in…
When a spark of light is present in a dark room, the darkness disappears. Similarly, Christians should not be intimidated by darkness as we embrace Jesus, the Light of the world (John 8:12). And we can make an impact on people and places facing darkness when we carry God’s presence and bring in the Light!
One cannot easily see Adam & Eve in the artwork (take a closer look!) – very much like Adam & Eve in Genesis 3 who went into hiding after they disobeyed God. Though the serpent seemed to be the bad guy who’d first tempted Eve but to God, Adam and Eve were personally responsible for…
“Look up at the sky and count the stars—so shall your offspring be.” Gen 15:5 At 100 years old, Abraham who was ‘as good as dead’ had Isaac after a 25 years’ wait. He died without seeing Gen 15:5 fulfilled but every day since, his offspring are still being added! God always keeps His promise.
God’s faithfulness is often featured in Noah’s story. But it is also about a man’s great faithfulness to God’s word. Imagine the ridicule and criticism Noah endured for 100 years! Sometimes when others do not understand what you are doing, it doesn’t mean you are wrong. Persevere and hold on to God’s word to you. Noah…
David did not always have it easy in his walk with God and he often brought his difficulties and distress to Him. In Psalms 22:6, he declared “I am a worm”, expressing his sense of abandonment, helplessness and pain. Some Christians feel it is not right to say “unpleasant” things to God. We just accept…
