RajahJun

The Covid-19 pandemic which has been raging for two years has disrupted every part of our lives. The disruption has been unsettling. We try to find ways to live with the situation though it hasn't been easy. Every day, for two years, we struggle to cope.  Countries around the world have turned to medical science to control the virus. Though there have been some progress, the fight through science is far from over.  There is still so much to learn from the virus which continues to mutate. Meanwhile, man-made laws are being introduced with the goal of controlling the virus. But the new laws not only tried to control the spread of the virus but controlled basic human rights like movement and choices. We are seeing emerging clashes of viewpoints on this. Ideas on how to fight the virus continue to surface everywhere especially in social media. Even wild and fake news about the virus add to the confusion. It seems like we're on a boat tossed around by wild waves with the possibilit...

After Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Jesus later assigned Paul to bring the good news about him to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21). Jesus gave that mission to Paul because he possessed attributes that made him the best man for the job.  Foremost, he was a devout Pharisees, therefore, he was well-informed about the Jewish faith, scriptures and Pharisaic movement. He would use that knowledge to convince Gentile and Jews everywhere of Jesus' divinity.  He knew the inner workings of the Sanhedrin which he would use to get him out of a tight spot. Paul was Roman citizen which he would use to his advantage. He spoke Greek which enabled him to speak Gentiles outside Jerusalem who mostly spoke in Greek.  Those attributes allowed him to travel and spread the good news outside Jerusalem. He made his first missionary journey across Asia which is modern Turkey and Greece. He was successful in his mission because of the advantages of his personal attributes. During his mission outs...

Joseph the husband of Mary and the father of Jesus played an important part in our redemption from sin. Perhaps, if Joseph had been an unwilling participant, our redemption from sin through Jesus Christ would not be possible.  Although, there were few accounts about him, Matthew, one of the gospel writers, shared some insights about Joseph's background, character, and circumatances. Joseph came from the lineage of David. Actually, his ancestry goes all the way back to Abraham. Matthew wrote in detail the genealogy of Joseph (Matthew 1: 1-16).  Because of his ancestry, we can conclude that he is pious in the Jewish faith. He surely knows the  scriptures and perhaps he was aware of the prophecy about a savior. When unsettling events started happening in his life, Joseph could have pieced together the fulfillment of the prophecies in the scriptures about Jesus. He probably sensed that he had a role to play in that prophecy.  His suspicions about the prophecy could have ...