Photo from Flickr I was reading the other day from Eugene Peterson’s, The Message of Matthew 11:28-30. It captured my attention and helped me to reaffirm what I have been sensing from God throughout this whole year. Peterson writes, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. […]
Failed Commitments
Photo by The North Face I have always been teaching people in our church that you know what is important to a person not by their words, but by their actions because words are cheap, but actions are costly. It has been a rough several weeks for me in the area […]
World AIDS Day
Photo from bioethics.net Yesterday was World AIDS Day. It got started back on December 1st, 1988 with the vision of bringing awareness to the AIDS pandemic and to fight prejudice against people with AIDS. Over the years, they have tried to raise money to find a cure and also to improve […]
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Photo from dunia-kita All over Indonesia, Muslims are celebrating Idul Adha today. The Idul Adha is known as the “Festival of Sacrifice.” It highlights, Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael to Allah. The celebration will last throughout this weekend. It is a time where many people go back to their […]
Thanksgiving 2010 Reflections
Photo from PC World As I am getting older, I am seeing the correlation between gratitude and remembrance. In essence, the more we remember, the more we can develop a heart of gratitude. Now, one caveat in this simple principle is the assumption that we have learned how to see life […]
Hearing God’s Voice
Photo on WordPress I have always been fascinated with moms who are able to hear the cry of their baby in a room filled with crying babies. It has to be a special gift because for most fathers, all crying sounds made by babies sound the same. The intimate relationship the […]
The U.S. Can Learn a Few Things
Photo from worldofstock.com The world is changing; and it is changing at rapid speeds. When it comes to global issues such as the military, healthcare, environmental concerns, the economy, and etc. the United States has always led the way and the discussions. But the winds are slowly changing and it seems […]
Reconnecting, Refreshing, and Recasting
It’s been a while since I have posted something on my blog; therefore I wanted to post a quick entry. I am in Singapore’s Changi Airport waiting for my flight back to Jakarta. It has been good to just catch my breath in light of the six-day whirlwind trip back to the States. Even […]
The Problem with Power
Photo from Myers Elementary School This past week, I have been thinking a lot about the issue of power or authority. Everywhere you look there are people who have power and authority – the power to make decisions, the power to direct people, the power to open up opportunities and the […]
The Reality of Spiritual Warfare
Photo by weeklyrob I remember growing up as a new Christian in high school and some of my spiritual leaders would tell me the catch-22 that Christians face, especially when it comes to spiritual warfare. The catch-22 goes like this – “If you are growing spiritually, Satan will come against you […]
Prelude to Revival
Photo from chrisbraymusic.com A. W. Tozer wrote, “Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late–and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work. To pray for revival […]
From the Crowd to the Core
Photo on dpnow.com In all new church plants, one of the biggest concerns or dilemmas is trying to figure out how to get people who visit your church to become committed disciples who will take on the role of leadership. Usually the linear process is: bring visitors in, reach out to […]
Obsessed with Fame
Photo by AP The whole world was riveted with the thought of a boy stuck in a runaway balloon. But horror turned into shock when evidence slowly emerged with the possibility of the whole ordeal being a hoax made up by the parents. The shock then turned into disbelief and anger. […]
Preaching the Gospel to Ourselves
Photo from images.com Over the years, I have been trying to teach our congregation(s) the importance of the Gospel. The Gospel is critical in our journey with Christ, not only when we get saved, but in the present and into the future. So often we apply the Gospel message towards a […]