WHOSE WILL?

GENESIS 39:1-6, 20-23 A common greeting at Chinese New Year is “may all things happen according to your will.” Even if it sounds very good, things work out best when God’s will, rather than mine, prevails. If given the option, Joseph would not have chosen to become an Egyptian slave. He was “successful” despite his captivity because … [Read more…]

RETURNING FROM THE DEAD

EPHESIANS 2:1-10 After being ruled legally dead, can a man still claim to be alive? When a man who had been reported missing for more than 25 years turned up in fine health, the question gained attention on a global scale. He was unemployed, abusing drugs, and severely behind on his child support payments at … [Read more…]

THE WORLD UNSEEN

NUMBERS 22:21-31 Did you know that there are more microbes on one of your hands than there are people on the planet? or that a needle’s eye could hold millions of microbes? Despite being too small for humans to detect without a microscope, these one-celled, living organisms can be found in the air, soil, water, … [Read more…]

THE RAY OF LIGHT

ISAIAH 6:1-8 The fact that I felt more sinful as I progressed in my relationship with God used to trouble me. Then I became enlightened by a phenomenon I noticed in my room. My window’s curtain had a tiny hole in it that let light into the room. I noticed some dirt moving in the … [Read more…]

WHO IS THE BOSS?

ROMANS 6:1-14 Joy was watching her two young grandchildren when they started fighting over a toy. “John, go to your room!” insisted the younger brother (by 3 years). The older brother, shoulders hunched under the weight of the scolding, started to slink off to his room. B Joy answered, “John, you do not have to … [Read more…]

THE EXTRAORDINARY SON

COLOSSIANS 1:15-20 It is easy to think of Jesus as “baby Jesus” when we celebrate Christmas. But Paul paints a breathtaking portrait of who Jesus is in his epistle to the Colossian church. Paul identifies Jesus as the exact representation and reality of God, the supreme ruler of all creation, the center of the world, … [Read more…]

BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE

GENESIS 45:4-8 I continue to give God thanks for the opportunity to serve, even 25 years after being ordained as a deacon in the Anglican Church. Over the past few years, I have been asked numerous times how I feel about being a clergyman. My response was usually short and simple: “Blessed.” I am grateful. But … [Read more…]

A DEEP NEED FOR RESCUE

MATTHEW 1:18-25 A new take on the Superman narrative was presented in the 2013 film Man of Steel. It brought people to movie theaters all over the world because of its spectacular special effects and nonstop action. Some claimed that the film’s impressive technology was the main factor in its attraction. Others highlighted the “Superman mythology’s” … [Read more…]

WHAT MONEY CANNOT BUY

EPHESIANS 1:3-14 There are some things that money cannot buy, though not very many these days. A prison cell upgrade, a political office, contact information in a company, a physical address, or a mobile number can all be purchased. Almost everything seems to be for sale. However, there is one thing that money cannot buy: redemption, … [Read more…]

A CHINESE PROVERB

2 TIMOTHY 2:1-6; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:58 Chinese proverbs are popular and frequently have origins in stories. An impatient man in the Song Dynasty is the subject of the saying, “pulling up a crop to help it grow.” He was anxious to watch his rice seedlings develop swiftly. He therefore came up with a solution. He would … [Read more…]