As we follow Jesus in Christian discipleship, it would be helpful to reflect a bit on the meaning of the cross of Jesus Christ. The biblical writers assume the historicity of the crucifixion of Jesus and focus their attention on its significance. Paul, for example, portrays Jesus as: “Who, being in very nature God, did…
Posts by Rev Dr Clive Chin (Page 2)
Many Christians are reluctant to prayer for various reasons. Perhaps we feel a bit self-conscious at times, especially praying in public. Maybe we compare our prayers with the prayers of others, who seem to be more articulate. But prayer, in the Christian life, is as important and natural as breathing. Think about it for a…
“The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” (Eccl. 1:1-2). Thus begins the reflection of Qohelet, translated “Teacher” (NIV) or “Preacher” (ESV), on the meaning of life. Why does he render such a bleak conclusion that everything is meaningless? And is this…
C.S. Lewis once said, “We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attend to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” In our troubled world, many people are sceptical about God and Christianity. The common…
What does it mean to live a good life? Solomon writes from the vantage point of an elderly man and offers wisdom on how to live. So, let us consider how to live a good life. As he looks backwards, he says in Eccl. 1:2-4, “Meaningless! Meaningless! says the teacher. Utterly meaningless. Everything is meaningless.…
Luke 11:5-10 Monday is usually my day off when I try to get away and rest. By “get away,” I mean turning off my phone after answering early morning text messages. This last Monday, however, I received a slightly above average number of messages from members of the congregation. One concerned member mentioned about our…
Paul writes, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” I recently read an interesting article entitled, “Can You Question the Resurrection and Still…
I have been a Christian now for 40 plus years, with 34 of those spent in full-time Christian ministry. I have witnessed many tragedies and heartbreaks among fellow believers of Jesus Christ. And I have experienced many trials and hardships in my own life. So, I often wonder why I am still Christian today in…