On the way back from our mission trip to Ormoc City, we had a ten-hour layover in Seoul. Instead of just sitting out the whole time at the airport, Grace and I decided to avail of the free Korea transit tours offered travelers like us. We chose the five-hour tour. One of the places we …
What should be the basic self-identity of a follower of Christ? A very common phrase used as a self-description is “just a sinner saved by grace.” On the first instance, it may be a humble recognition that no human being can stand in the presence of the holy God without the absolute dependence on the …
A recent Facebook (FB) post of a friend of mine caught my attention. It went something like this: “What matters is our Obedience to God, more than the posting of profound statements on FB.” It caught my attention because the times I do check the “news feed” on my Facebook home page, I often am …
As we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, I’ve been thinking about two implications of the resurrection that are seldom considered. First, because Christ is risen, not only do we have the promise of “going to heaven” but also the affirmation that heaven has come down to us. The resurrection confirms that the power of sin …
I recently became aware of the practice of “collateral hacking.” In essence, it is the means by which hackers access a company’s sensitive data through a third party. For example, it is said that the hackers who accessed the data of Target last year did so through the company that provided refrigeration and HVAC services …
Success. We all want success in our life and endeavors—even for those who call themselves followers of Christ. Our goals may be commendable, even biblical. Yet human desire for success can get in the way of fulfilling God’s purpose for us and for our ministry. This is because our concept of success is all too …
Thrilling times and exciting experiences spice up our lives. They become memorable moments that add color to the repetitive ordinary occurrences of our days. And so we order our lives around such extraordinary events. We plan special breaks and vacations that we hope will provide a “deserved” escape from the drudgery of ordinary tasks. Drudgery—work …
In a recent interview, Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty was asked about his family’s willingness to “let go” of all the fame and material success for the sake of Christ. His answer is instructive: “We’ve done this [maintained faith] without success. And even not [having] as much money … we’ve always had our inner core …
March 9th is the beginning of Daylight Saving Time (DST) for this year. What, exactly, is DST? DST is the practice of advancing clocks during the months when the sun rises earlier and sets later. The basic notion of DST is to make the most of daylight for productivity, and to reduce the use of …
I recently was reading the account of David’s encounter with the Philistine giant Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. Certain details of the story caught my attention and directed my thoughts to simple lessons for Christian living and ministry, as we face the challenges that they bring. Eliab’s attitude. David went to the battlefront because his …
