Brian grew up feeling insufficient and always longed for approval from others. He was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder in his mid-twenties, which caused him to doubt God's love for him. An encounter with the Holy Spirit led Brian to seek professional help from a Christian counsellor. He...
Our society has become more and more individualistic. "Everyone for themselves" seems to be the modus operandi. It's all about me. It's my right. This, however, is anything but Jesus' teaching. Jesus says, "by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John...
Galatians 2:20, NIV: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." ... And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved...
When I was in high school, I developed a huge crush on a girl. When we met, we became fast friends and we talked all the time. On the phone. At school. At McDonald's (yes, it was a big hangout back in our home town). And when we couldn't talk, we would write letters to each other. I don't know...
It is a myth that we naturally and intuitively know how to love. Here, I am not talking about just romantic love, though it is also included. Instead, I am talking about another kind of love that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 22:39, “love your neighbour.” Neighbour? What...
And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy...
In His last hours with His disciples, Jesus gave them one final command for them to follow: to “love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) Loving our neighbours these days feels a little different than before. A global pandemic has swept across the Earth and everything has...
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1...
Since we’re on a Charles Dickens theme at Island ECC, I couldn’t help but think of one of his most memorable lines and scenes. In the story “Oliver Twist,” Oliver and the other children at an orphanage are only fed three bowls of thin gruel (like a very watery oatmeal...
But you, a man of God, flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of...