Seasonal
How can we know God’s power in us? (Eph 1:18-23; Psalm 110)
Eph 1:18-23; Ps 110:1-7 A common greeting at Easter is the jubilant little exchange of ‘He is risen!’ answered with ‘He is risen indeed!’. But why does the resurrection matter at all? Is not the cross and atonement for sin…
The need for cleansing: Healing our blind spots
Matt 21:12-17 Some years ago, Transport for London put out a short ad for their awareness test, a humorous whodunnit, to alert drivers to the dangers of not noticing what they do not expect to see. I won’t give the…
Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem: The unexpected way of salvation
Matt 21:1-11 As I mentioned elsewhere on this blog, my father was barred from entering university by the Communist regime back in 1950s’ Hungary. Every year for fifteen years, he sat the entrance exam with success but failed in the…
Who is Messiah: Jewish and Christian expectations
Isa 9:2-7; Zech 9:8-10 As we are approaching Easter, I am interrupting our study of Habakkuk to engage with questions relating to what Jesus came to achieve and the various expectations around it. As Christians, we look to Jesus as…
The secret of living life well (Psalm 8)
Ps 8:1-9 The beginning of the year is the time for making New Year’s resolutions but unless we reflect on the deeper causes for what we want to change and why, we are likely to repeat the same mistakes and…
God’s Word will never fail (Luke 1:37)
Luke 1:26-38 I was recently contacted by a former classmate of mine from secondary school who was organising a class reunion and consulting with everyone about possible dates. Given that about a third or more of us live abroad, it…
Preparing for the coming of the Lord
Luke 1:16-17; Isa 40:3-5 I love the Christmas season with its wonderful decorations, music and food and enjoy the different aspects of preparation from putting the Christmas tree up to baking mince pies while singing along to carols. Yet for…
How to understand the sign of Jonah (Matt 12:38-42)
Matt 12:38-42 Knowing that I believed in God, a classmate in school challenged me, ‘Tell God to appear to me and I will believe in Him’. God, however, is not at our beck-and-call to come running, as if we were…
The secret to renewing our walk with God (Psalm 103)
Ps 103:1-22 The New Year is traditionally a time of stocktaking and making resolutions, but so often these peter out within a few weeks. Our determination for a renewed walk with God (more Bible reading, prayer, becoming more loving, humble,…
Christmas: The King whose power can be trusted
Dan 7:13-14; Mk 10:32-45 Western secular culture seems obsessed with the question of power today. Young people are often suspicious of authority and refuse to submit to it and want to make their own way, irrespective of authority figures and…