Opinion

A FAMOUS minister was scheduled to preach at a small church out in the country. When that Sunday came, every seat in the sanctuary was filled, and a crowd was standing outside. As the church was a small one, it didn’t have a PA system. So just before the preacher was about to begin his […]

Is the recent spate of natural disasters “the signs of the end” about which Jesus spoke in Matthew 24? THE recent spate of natural disasters and the serious threat of the avian flu pandemic have led some Christians to think that perhaps we are living in the period when the predictions of Jesus in Matthew […]

FLEMMING ROSE just doesn’t get it. Flemming Rose is the Culture Editor of the Danish Jyllands-Posten newspaper that printed 12 cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad on Sept 30, 2005. As I write this, Rose has crazy plans to even things up by printing caricatures of Jesus. That will calm people down for sure, especially as […]

Methodist Message is launching a new column, “Now That’s A Good Question” with this month’s issue. Readers are invited to send in their questions on any topic, and we will answer them where possible. Write in to The Editor at this email address: [email protected] CAPITAL punishment is a divisive issue today, even among Christians. Fundamentalist Christians […]

From Gangway to Gharry … A Bright New World Author: Ow Wei Mei The Fairfield Methodist Schools Alumni Association 280 pages. $30 Available from Fairfield Methodist Secondary School (Tel: 6778-8702, General Office)   WHAT caught my eye when the book was first handed to me were the unique cover design and the title which read: […]

LETTER TO CHRISTIAN STUDENTS RECENTLY there has been a surge in the interest of the issue of “Intelligent Design” (ID) particularly in the United States but also elsewhere in Europe. What exactly is this idea of “Intelligent Design”? Here is a short history of the movement and two questions the ID movement raises for us. […]

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” WHEN one thinks of Christmas what often comes to mind are the tender and innocent images of the baby Jesus […]

LETTER TO CHRISTIAN STUDENTS TWO past issues touched on the topics of how to read and where to find things to read. What if you hate reading? What alternatives are there? First of all, it is important to note that God gave us a Bible to read. He might have chosen pictures or icons or […]

YOM KIPPUR, or the Day of Atonement, falls on the 10th day of Tishri. This year, the sacred day begins on the evening of Oct 12. It signals the release of the human being from the past. On this day both the individual and community will receive pardon regardless of the past mistakes or errors. […]

LETTER TO CHRISTIAN STUDENTS PREVIOUSLY we looked at how we choose a book at the bookstore. However, arguably that is more like helpful pointers on how to browse. In this article, we look at a more general way of finding recommendations of books to read. Authors Again, one cannot stress the importance of knowing various […]

“ …since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.” — 1 Cor. 14:12b THE key to understanding the purpose of the gifts and the purpose of the gift of speaking, according to Paul, is to build up God’s people. It is to bring that which had […]

Jesus in Beijing David Aikman Regnery Publishing, Inc. 344 pp.US$27.95     ONE of the most remarkable books published in 2003 is David Aikman’s “Jesus in Beijing”, the provocative title of a volume which deals with how Christianity is “transforming China and changing the global balance of power”. For many years a Time magazine reporter stationed […]