CHRISTIAN VIEWPOINT FEATURE #12

Missionaries Cannot Send Themselves: Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Go:
The urgency and complexity of missionary work demand that churches look for more than a felt sense of calling. We need those who are well-equipped for the task.

(For more info, do click the link – https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/missionaries-cannot-send-themselves by Nick Whitehead |15th Jan 2024 | inside Desiring God)

The Rapture: Left Behind or Taken Away?
Dispensationalism is a relatively new view that teaches that history is divided into different stages of salvation history, and that Israel has a prominent place in the end times. It teaches that there will be a rapture (based on 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) that will take place before the period of the great tribulation. The dispensationalists believe that after Christ returns, He will rule on earth literally for a thousand years.

The word rapture is derived from the Greek word harpazō (to be snatched, rescued) in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Proponents of the rapture theory often refer to the Latin translation – rapturo. The dead in Christ will rise first when Jesus return.

(For more info, do click the link – https://ethosinstitute.sg/the-rapture-left-behind-or-taken-away/ by Bishop Emeritus Robert M. Solomon | 15th Jan 2024 | inside Credo)

Leaders Rise for the Occasion – The Opportunity of Early Mornings:
Why would God tell us, again and again, that Joshua rose early in the morning? Perhaps to teach us that good leadership often begins before our people wake up.

(For more info, – https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/leaders-rise-for-the-occasion by Andrew Ballard| 4th Jan 2024, inside Desiring God)

Signs of an Emotional Affair and How to Avoid One:
No marriage is affair–proof. If we allow our marriage to slide or to remain stagnant, it is possible to get involved in an emotional affair.

What are the tell-tale signs of an emotional affair? How can we protect our marriage from infidelity?

(For more info, – https://www.family.org.sg/resource/signs-of-emotional-affair-and-how-to-avoid-one by Swee Fen Chan, author| 8th Dec 2023, inside FAMILY FOCUS/BLOG)

What Does it Take for a Successful Transition to Secondary School?
For both teens and their parents, a student’s move from primary school to secondary school is a big transition – and as parents, we hope to see our children grow well and succeed in their new phase of life.

Developing a healthy sense of self will set our children on the path of success.
How can we empower our teens to become happy, confident and secure individuals?

(For more info, – https://www.family.org.sg/resource/what-does-it-take-for-a-successful-transition-to-secondary-school/ by Mark Lim, author/Director @ Social Factor| 20th Dec 2023, inside FAMILY FOCUS/BLOG)

How Play Can Improve Your Parenting:
Play is a means to help children learn and connect, and is powerful in deepening the connection they share with their parents. If you’re looking for fresh ways to level up your parenting game, check out these fun ideas!

(For more info, – https://www.family.org.sg/resource/how-play-can-improve-your-parenting/ by Wan Xin Ng, author|7th Dec 2023, inside FAMILY FOCUS/BLOG)

He Did Not Revile in Return: Following Jesus in an Age of Anger
In Christ, we do not sin in response to sin. When insulted, we endure. When reviled, we bless. When slandered, we pray, forgive, and follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

(For more info, – https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/he-did-not-revile-in-return by David Matthis| 26th Nov 2023, inside Desiring God)

Asking Better Questions with C.S. Lewis:
Genesis 1–11 is a narrative, but not all narratives are the same. This narrative certainly doesn’t aim to be complete: no matter how much time we think these chapters cover, there were many more events that the narrator didn’t tell. Indeed, all narratives are selective, and no biblical narrative claims anything like comprehensiveness (not even the Gospels; see John 20:30–31). Beginning in Genesis 12, there is much more narration for a much shorter time span, so the sparse narrative of Genesis 1–11 creates for us a sense that the events lie in the distant past.

(For more info, – https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-read-genesis-1-11 by C. John Collins – Professor, Covenant Theological Seminary| 14th Nov 2023, inside Desiring God)

The Noahic Covenant and the Role of the State:
To enable it to fulfill its purpose under the Noahic covenant to maintain the conditions which makes human flourishing possible, the state is given the responsibility to enforce justice. This justice is based on the principle of proportionate retribution that is premised on Genesis 9:6 (“whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image”).

Although the state has the right to enforce the law and punish perpetrators of crime, it is not given the task of criminalising wrong belief. The only exception is when that belief and practice cause harm to others. As Jonathan Leeman explains: “The God of the Bible gives governments authority to prosecute crimes against human beings, not the authority to prosecute crimes against himself. As long as people remain unharmed, false religion should be tolerated publicly and privately. This is the call to free exercise.”

(For more info, do click the link – https://ethosinstitute.sg/the-noahic-covenant-and-the-role-of-the-state/ by Dr Roland Chia | 6th NOV 2023 | inside Pulse)

How To Rekindle The Sparks Of Marriage:
We all enjoy a good love story, especially stories of deep, faithful love that is built over the decades; yet in reality, it can be challenging to keep the fire going as life gets overtaken by routines and responsibilities.

How can we keep the flame alive in our marriage?

(For more info, – https://www.family.org.sg/articles/how-to-rekindle-the-sparks-of-marriage by Jerrold Hong, Author, 20th Oct 2023, inside FAMILY FOCUS/BLOG)

The Spiritual Discipline of Sky – How the Heavens Shape a Heart:
And yet, the sky was wonderful only because it was something else first: personal. From clouds to constellations, from eastern rise to western set, the sky was God’s work. He names the stars and nightly bids them shine (Psalm 33:6; Isaiah 40:26). He raises the morning sun and scatters midnight shadows (Matthew 5:45). He throws thunderheads across the horizon and aims their every drop (Psalm 29:3–4; 147:15–18). And therefore, to our fathers in the faith, the shapes of the clouds always found a way to spell one word: G-L-O-R-Y (Psalm 19:1; 29:9).

(For more info, – https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-spiritual-discipline-of-sky by Scott Hubbard| 1st Nov 2023, inside Desiring God)

Christian Perspective on Global Uncertainties and Disruptions:
Dr Joseph Liow makes three broad points for us to approach these problems from a Christian perspective: realizing that disruption is not foreign to Christianity; disruption should not be new to the Christian and while Christianity was born out of disruption, ours is a God of order and peace.

(For more info, do click the link – https://ethosinstitute.sg/globaluncertaintiesanddisruptions /by Dr Joseph Liow |3rd June 2019| inside Feature).

“Once Saved Always Saved” and Other Controversies;
Are we “Once Saved Always Saved”, or is it “impossible for those who have once been enlightened... and have fallen away to be brought back to repentance” (Hebrews 6:4-6)? In “Once Saved Always Saved” and Other Controversies, Dr Leow Theng Huat addresses this question by examining the broader issue pertinent to this question.

(For more info, do click the link – https://ethosinstitute.sg/once-saved-always-saved/ by Dr Leow Theng Huat | 18th Mar 2019 | inside Credo)

Inter–Religious Dialogue – Compromise of Faith or Expression of Conviction:
Emerging from inter-religious conversations with a disquieting sense of having in some way compromised our faith is not unfamiliar to many of us who have engaged in these conversations. In Inter – Religious Dialogue – Compromise of Faith or Expression of Conviction, Dr Leow Theng Huat addresses this uneasiness, expounding on how we might face these conversations in a way that peaceably and compellingly makes a stand for our beliefs.

(For more info, do click the link – https://ethosinstitute.sg/inter-religious-dialogue/by Dr Leow Theng Huat | 19th Feb 2019 | inside Feature)

What is the Role of Science in a Christian Life?
Dr Phil Chan explores the possible role of science in a Christian life, and how a Christian should regard science, especially in seeking out God’s design for the universe and mankind.

(For more info, do click the link – https://ethosinstitute.sg/role-of-science/ by Dr Phil Chan | 7th Jan 2019 | inside Feature)