By Not Known 1 Timothy 2 is a difficult chapter because it raises numerous issues that rouse gender sensitivity. When read plainly, Paul seems to prohibit women from teaching and having authority over men in the church (v12). But before the battle line is drawn for or against Paul’s instructions, let’s keep in view the…

By Not Known The first thing I learnt about prayer many years ago was that God does not depend on me to pray.  Yet he wants me to keep the lines of communication with him open faithfully and consistently.  I used to think that prayers are what I bring to God and depend solely on…

By Not Known For those who follow the NBA or NFL, you would no doubt be familiar with MVP.  The one-time great basketball player, “His Airness” Michael Jordan won it numerous times and also three All-Star MVPs in his career.  It stands for Most Valuable Player ― one who single-handedly motivated teammates to play cohesively…

By Not Known ‘Time, Gentlemen please’ used to be the closing time cry by the landlord in English pubs. Only six months ago I was writing my introductory pastoral message, and I can scarcely believe time has flown so quickly. You may feel differently! Time is a fascinating concept and our perceptions of time differ…

By Not Known When it comes to prayer, numerous buzzwords compete for superiority ― power prayer, synchronised prayer, prayer walk, prayer warrior, prayer encounter, etc. On one hand, each of these helpfully elevates the practice of prayer. On the other hand, each unhelpfully associates the efficacy of prayer to how it is done and who…

By Not Known A friend recently sent me the following story entitled ‘Walking the Dog’.  It was about a flight from Seattle to San Francisco which was unexpectedly diverted to Sacramento. And it was announced that there would be a delay for an hour but  passengers could get off and re-board. Everyone got off the…

By Not Known The Kingdom Tower in Jeddah is about to begin construction.  It will be the tallest building in the world at more than 1 kilometre high.  This massive project is part of a 23-hectare waterfront district and will have a total construction area of 530,000 square metres (Singapore’s largest mall: VivoCity has an…

By Not Known There is of course no “Acts 29” in our Bible.  The Acts of the Apostles closes with Acts 28:31 when the Apostle Paul “boldly and without hindrance… preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Yet, in a way, Acts continues (with “Acts 29” which becomes a shorthand…

By Not Known I grew up in an era in the West when authority in all its forms was being radically challenged. The authority of the monarchy, of government, of the forces of law and order, of teachers and schools and of the church was being collectively questioned. And traditions were under threat and scrutiny…

By Not Known Much of missions programming in churches today are concerned with goal setting, budgeting, itinerary planning, health declaration, event rehearsing, etc. This is especially the case in missions exposure trips where time is short and participants are often eager to make the most of it (to the anxiety of missionaries at the receiving…