FEARFUL FISH

JOHN 1:1-14 I realise that managing a fish pond is not an easy task. Regular water changes are required. I give them antibiotics and vitamins. To make sure their tank is clean, I wash it. They must be fed every day. You would think my fish will become grateful. Not so. They duck for shelter when my … [Read more…]

OIL IS CHEAP; ENGINES ARE EXPENSIVE

PSALM 5 When I learnt how to drive, I was also taught some fundamental car care. I learnt that I should check the oil each morning. Years later, I still often reflect on the six-word slogan I was given, “Oil is cheap; engines are expensive.” A quart of oil added is nothing compared to an engine replacement. … [Read more…]

QUESTIONS THAT PROBE

1 PETER 3:15 General Lew Wallace of the Union Army met Colonel Robert Ingersoll while traveling on a train after the American Civil War. Wallace was a man of faith, while Ingersoll was one of the most prominent agnostics of the 19th century. Wallace became aware that he was unable to respond to Ingersoll’s questions and … [Read more…]

WHAT IS IN A NAME?

MATTHEW 16:18 In a letter to his newborn son that he intended for the child to read in the future, a Chinese man expressed the following wish: “My beloved son, Daddy and Mummy named you Xin Xuan, wishing that you will find and remain focused on the Light. Xin means faithfulness, contentment, and integrity; Xuan means … [Read more…]

THE STORM ON THE SEA OF GALILEE

MARK 4:35-41 At the age of 27, Rembrandt painted the seascape, Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee. It shows Jesus calming the sea’s waves and preserving the lives of the fourteen men on board. Rembrandt included a self-portrait of himself on the boat, close to Jesus and his twelve followers to make them … [Read more…]

WELCOME!

JAMES 2:1-9 His hair was dirty and bushy, and his face was horrible. His filthy clothes made the air around him smell bad. They ignored him when he entered the church one Sunday morning. They were shocked when the man walked up to the pulpit, removed his wig, and started preaching. They discovered he was actually … [Read more…]

WANDERING NATURE

PSALM 119:10 Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.  —Robinson Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, composed in 1757 by 22-year-old Robert Robinson, is one of my favourite classic hymns. There is a line in the hymn’s lyrics … [Read more…]

JOB TITLES

EPHESIANS 4:11-16 Once, a restaurant dishwasher identified herself as an Underwater Ceramic Technician in her introduction. Some jobs have been given important-sounding, obscure, and even bizarre job titles in an effort to make them seem more significant. In Ephesians 4:11, the apostle Paul listed some of God’s gifts to the church. He did not intend for these … [Read more…]

WITHOUT POWER

ISAIAH 40:29 Strong winds, lightning, rainstorms, and other forms of extreme weather can knock down power lines, blow objects into overhead power lines, flood equipment used to generate electricity, damage insulation, and other things that result in power outages and disruptions. Our lives can experience power outages due to personal tragedies or difficulties. God’s Word promises us … [Read more…]

A HEART FOOD

JEREMIAH 15:16 Do you share my passion of food? I would eat more frequently than I should if it were up to me, even though it would be detrimental to my health. So it is good that my wife lovingly reminds me to consume the proper kinds of foods in the right amounts. I wonder if I … [Read more…]