Category: Christian Living

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. (Isaiah 6:1-4 ESV)

Two things we can gather from this text.

First: God is immovable. He is permanent. Despite the changing of times and seasons of the nations of the earth, God is still seated on his throne. He is not moved by our highs and lows. He retains His kingship and Lordship over all creation even when world history is shifting.

Second: God’s presence is so great that it filled the heavens to the point of shaking. Notice how this great display of the majesty of God stood in stark contrast to what was going on down here on earth. King Uzziah just died. He was a proud and unfaithful king. He usurped the duties of priests and offered in the altar of God. As punishment, God struck him with leprosy that he died an outcast. (2 Chron. 26: 16-21). Continue reading Despite the Changing Seasons

Clark H. Pinnock on the Holy Spirit:

There is a growing interest in spirituality and religious experience in modern culture, owing no doubt to the extreme dryness of secularism. People cannot go for long without raising questions about meaning and transcendence. Church statistics go up and down, but interest in ultimate questions do not. It stays high.

If Christians are to be effective in mission, they must offer a faith that is vibrant and alive. People want to meet God and will not be satisfied with religion that only preaches and moralizes. Knowing about God is not the same as knowing God. Christianity was born on the day of Pentecost because a question was asked about a transforming experience: “What does this mean?” (Acts 2: 12). Speaking about God is meaningful only if there is an encounter with God back of it. Only by attending to the Spirit are we going to be able to move beyond sterile, rationalistic, powerless religion and recover the intimacy with God our generation longs for. Continue reading Tear Open the Heavens!

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” –Matthew 5: 20

I marvel at this cutting remark that Jesus hurled at the religious leaders of His day. How can he, a mere son of a carpenter in the eyes of the locals, lash biting words at the entire religious system of the Jews?

Once again, I am amazed at the way Jesus preached. He doesn’t mince words when it comes to the truth. He was not preaching to please a crowd. He was declaring the full counsel of God and He did it fearlessly, as if the sensibilities of His hearers were just secondary to the urgency and truth of His message. Continue reading Sharp Tongue

Charles Spurgeon on learning how to shut up:

Priceless as the gift of utterance may be, the practice of silence in some aspects far excels it. Do not think me a Quaker. Well, be it so. Herein I follow George Fox most lovingly; for I am persuaded that most of us think too much of speech, which after all is but the shell of thought. Quiet contemplation, still worship, unuttered rapture, these are mine when my best jewels are before me. Brethren, rob not your heart of the deep sea joys; miss not the far-down life, by for ever babbling among the broken shells and foaming surges of the shore.

Pastor Joey Bonifacio on fasting:

The Pharisees’ idea of fasting was to deprive the flesh in order to strengthen the spirit. They were focusing on the wrong thing. Jesus was telling them that fasting is not about depriving yourself. Rather, it is about desiring [Jesus] more.

The idea of preferring Jesus over anything else baffles the mind. I must admit that for the longest time I thought of fasting as nothing more than legalistic self denial: to beat the flesh so the spirit can be strengthened, to deny my cravings so I could tell my body that he is not the most important part of me. Continue reading The Reason Why We Fast

“And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.” Job 1:5

What Job did early in the morning after the family festivities, we should also do as we are about to conclude our Christmas celebrations this week. In the midst of all the cheerfulness and parties, it is so easy to slide into sinful actions and forget our character as Christians. In festive celebrations like Christmas, we probably hope to get away with a little deviation from our usual virtuous living and hope that not many people would mind. Continue reading When We Sin in our Celebrations