Chiangmai Christian Fellowship

In the age of consumerism the main question it seems we ask is “what can the Church do for me?” Certainly, the Church will hopefully do a great deal for us in helping us grow and keeping us strong in our faith and spiritually healthy! But the problem with this question, when asked from a consumer point of view, is that it gives the wrong impression that the Church is simply an institution that pro...

What is the Church and how are we to relate to it, connect with it, participate together as it’s members? The Church is the people of God, in all times and all places. But, it is not just that. It is the people of God together, not simply individuals who all happen to be God’s children, rather, the Church is the assembly, the people of God gathered in relationship to each other, and together as a...

Jesus concludes His teaching about the end times with a parable and an exhortation. The point of parable of the fig tree is that, just as you know when summer is approaching when the trees put forth leaves, so you will know when the time of the end has arrived when the signs He has given come about. When the end comes, things will move very quickly, and within one generation it will be over. Jesus...

Why is God angry? Wrath and vengeance are the proper and correct attitude of a judge who has been given the task of upholding justice. Justice demands punishment for a wrong done, and it is the role of the judge to dispense justice. Only the criminal wants a judge with a soft heart - who has only compassion for the criminal subdued in chains, looking remorseful, maybe even pleading for his life. I...

As Jesus was teaching in the Temple, His followers comment about the grandeur of the Temple. It was indeed a spectacular sight, and inspired awe in those who saw it. But Jesus makes the startling announcement that a day was coming when the Temple would be completely destroyed! The Jews could not imagine that the destruction of the Temple could mean anything other than the end of the world! Jesus’...

When God examines our life, our work, our play, our service, and our worship what does He think about it all? The Bible is clear that God does examine every part of our life, and He evaluates it and makes judgments about its value, meaning, and worth. How does our life measure up? If we are serious about following Christ, then we will want our life to count with God, and we should desire that all...

After stepping out of every trap the Jewish leaders had tried to catch Him in, Jesus now takes the offensive, first by exposing their inadequate understanding of the Messiah, and secondly by pointing out their glaring character flaws. Jesus warns His followers to evaluate those who teach based on their doctrine and character, not by their position or reputation. We are to be very careful about who...

Is there life after death and how can we know? It is beyond empirical proof, so how can we know or have any confidence that there is life beyond the grave? Do we cease to exist, does our soul, or spirit live on? The Sadducees are convinced there cannot be life after death, and they imagine that a wife with seven husbands here on earth, will find herself in a tangled web of polygamy with all seven...

The Jewish leaders continue in their effort to trap Jesus so they can arrest Him and put Him to death. In this account they seek to trap Jesus with an either/or question that will put Jesus at odds with Rome if He answers one way, and at odds with the crowd, if He answers the other. The question is simply, "Is it right before God to pay the Tribute Tax to Caesar?" The Jews were overwhelmingly agai...

Jesus coming changed the world in so many ways. Most significantly, it changed the way people related to God. But, that change was not always a positive one. His coming changed the nature of God’s longstanding relationship with Israel. In this passage, Jesus makes clear that God will no longer deal with Israel as has had done for so many long ages. The coming of Jesus changes things! It also would...

The Jewish leaders attempt to trap Jesus, but Jesus shows that He is in control of things, not them. They cannot outwit, or outsmart Jesus. In the end they are the ones who get caught in a trap from which they cannot escape. Jesus outwits them, not simply because He is smarter (we don’t know how His human IQ compares to others), rather Jesus is without sin, His character is perfect, His heart is f...

Immediately after His grand entrance into Jerusalem as King, and His lament over the City that was doomed for judgment, Jesus enters the Temple and drives out all the merchants selling animals for Temple sacrifices, and the money changers exchanging currency for the half shekel Temple tax. Much like the Triumphal entry, it is what Jesus does that is intended to communicate a clear message. But, He...

In the previous verses Jesus has carefully orchestrated His entrance into Jerusalem to make the point that He comes as her King. But, the religious leaders make it clear, they reject Him as king, and are plotting to destroy Him. What is Jesus response to those who reject Him? Beyond that, How does God Himself respond to those who refuse His offer of love and grace? The human response to this kind...

How are we to think about Jesus? What is His role, and how are we to relate to Him in that role? Who He is has everything to do with how we relate to Him and in the end, what it means to be a Christian. If He is only a sacrifice for sin - one who came to solve my moral failures, I must be thankful for His sacrifice, and honor Him for His kindness, but beyond that He has no real claim over my life....

Chiangmai Christian Fellowship

Chiangmai Christian Fellowship

Chiangmai Christian Fellowship

Chiangmai Christian Fellowship

The Disciples still had visions of Jesus entering Jerusalem and setting up His earthly rule, defeating the Romans, and creating a new Israel. We know that the Disciples also had aspirations to the positions they would hold in this Kingdom as they would rule alongside Jesus! But, that was never Jesus’ plan and as they draw near to Jerusalem, He tells this parable to explain how the future will unfo...

Why has Jesus come - what is His mission in the world? Zacchaeus wants to know who is Jesus. Zack had no agenda to prove how close he was to salvation, or for Jesus to confirm his goodness like the rich ruler. He was seeking simply to get some idea, or notion about who this Jesus was, and what He was about? He wanted to know “Who he is.” Jesus makes it clear that who He is, is the savior of the wo...

One of the major themes in Luke is that we are sick, and it is only those who realize they are sick can find help. To put it another way, we are all blind, but only those who SEE that they are blind can ever truly see. We all have varying degrees of spiritual blindness - the greatest danger is being blind to our blindness!

For many Christians there is a huge gap, even a gulf, between the Old and New Testaments. Apart from a few specific prophecies that seem to point to Jesus, the story of the OT can seem so foreign and detached from the story of the NT. But Jesus claims to be the end goal, the final completion of all that is written in the OT? So, How is he the great turning point in history? In what way and by what...

Who can be saved? If God alone is good, and we cannot let go of the idols that grip our heart and hold us captive in their power; If we are all, at heart, in defiance of God's Lordship and rule over our life, in spite of our most valiant efforts at religious devotion; then who can be saved? No one can be saved if it is up to us, but praise God, it is not up to us! God saves us by His power and gra...

What kind of attitude is required to be right before God? It requires a humility that is able to see, and be completely honest about the true condition of our heart before God - That we are wicked in His sight, That we are ashamed and sorrowful for our rebellion and rejection of Him, That we acknowledge there is nothing we can do to make things right, only by His grace can He restore us to a right...

Chiangmai Christian Fellowship