Chiangmai Christian Fellowship

Often lost people do extraordinary deeds of kindness and generosity, but there is a built in limit to human love. At the root of it, perhaps buried very deeply, so deep the owner does not even see it, there is a root of selfishness and self interest in it. It could be argued the same is true for the Christian - but the moralist does it ONLY for its personal benefit = to get merit or gain at some l...

If we choose to follow the path that leads to the Kingdom, it will bring hardship and we will have enemies. We may not even need to be all that vocal about our beliefs – just being Christian may bring the wrath of society down upon us. But, we are to respond to all such animosity with extraordinary love and kindness. The Gospel will be an offense to some and they will hate us. It is specifically t...

All roads do not lead to the same destination, even if the destination is God. Roads lead to very specific place, so if it matters where you want to go, then it does matter where you start! Jesus lays before us two very different paths – each with its own unique starting point and each with its own drastically different destination. One has as its starting point poverty, hunger, sorrow, and reject...

These few verses would be quite easy to skip over, and just jump right in to Jesus’ Sermon. But, the placement of these verses is vital and strategic. The Sermon will lay out what is demanded of one who claims to be a true follower of Jesus. But, the Sermon can be easily misunderstood, if we fail to see that Jesus must first save us – we must be set free from sin, Satan, and death, before we can b...

The Gospel brings something radically new and different from the old ways. But what exactly is Jesus suggesting is new a different? The parables of new wine and new cloth are followed up with one more conflict over how to keep Sabbath rules. In this conflict with the Pharisees it is clear that Jesus is seeking to change the very “corporate culture” of Israel. He brings a very new attitude and prac...

As Paul looks to extend his mission outreach in to a whole new region, far from his home base, he looks to forming new a partnership with the Church in Rome as a new base of operation. This explains the purpose of Paul’s letter to the Romans. It is one important role of the established Church – to partner in strategic ways with those called to proclaim the Good News in new lands and to new culture...

Paul has spent 14 chapters writing about the Gospel, now as he closes the letter we get a glimpse of how his life and ministry has revolved around the Gospel. No one else is called to the ministry Paul was as The Apostle to the Nations, but it would do us good to measure our life and ministry against the core values and ministry strategy of Paul. Here we get a glimpse off his sand box, so to speak...

The final word on how we deal with the doctrinal differences that separate us – serve each other for the sake of God’s glory. The strong are to carry the weak by serving them, because that is exactly what Jesus did! And, just as Jesus served us for a purpose, so we to have a grand overarching purpose in it all, namely so that with one heart and one voice we would give glory to God! IF anything les...

The Gospel has provided for us an amazing freedom – freedom in Christ to live and serve God without the burden of laws and regulations. But, this freedom is such a radical idea that to many it’s just seems too good to be true, and in the weakness of their faith they cannot enjoy that freedom. Those who are strong in their faith and mature in their understanding must be very sensitive to those who...

On the one hand, we are called to unity – to have the same mind about things. Paul urged us to be transformed by renewing our minds. Therefore, we ought to all be in perfect agreement on doctrine and practice in the Church – right? We are anything but that! To make matters worse, the Gospel has moved us away from the Law – a unified code that describes exactly how we are to practice our faith. Now...

As followers of Christ we are to live with the eager expectation and anticipation of the coming of God’s final work of salvation. Jesus is coming back and He will accomplish all that He promised for us. After 2,000 years of waiting, it can feel like the end will ever come and has no relevance for us, but it is nearer that it ever has been, and even during the time of Paul the sense of its imminenc...

This is a very relevant and practical look at the Triumphal Entry of Jesus as He begins His Passion week.

One of the ways we can know what the will of God is – that which is good, pleasing, and perfect is in the area of following the laws of the land. Generally speaking, it is good and pleasing to God to respect Government rulers and institutions and live “under” the law. This is not simply a practical instruction, because it is expedient to keep the law, but because all authority comes from God and i...

It is hard enough to love our friends, how much more difficult to love our enemies, but that is exactly what the Gospel requires of us. Loving our enemies means we do not get even or seek to give them what they deserve, but it goes beyond that. We are actually to look for ways to bless them and help them. This is a love beyond human ability, it is a love that comes out of a heart and mind that und...

If we are truly being transformed by the renewing of our minds it will be most evident in our love for others. God is love, and that which is good, pleasing, and perfect in the life of a believer will be a fruit of His love moving in us. True love, love that is not just a show, takes action. This is some of what love does – it is not a definition of love, rather a picture of what love moves us to...

If our true worship is giving of our very lives in service to God and living life in every way to please Him, then the question must be asked – what does God want? What would it mean to live in a way that is truly pleasing to Him. Rather than giving us a list of rules and demands (law), God wants to so reorder or thinking that we instinctively know what He wants and what would be the right and ple...

Paul began Romans by showing how we did not worship God, or give Him thanks. So, once God has made us right with Himself by His great mercy, that should be one of the first things that is put back in right order. But, now that Jesus has become the perfect sacrifice for sin, how are we to worship Him? We are to lay our very lives on the altar as a living sacrifice. This is not a sacrifice that we g...

What is God’s plan for Israel in the future? How is God’s plan in the present regarding Israel and the Nations? Paul spells out God’s grand design, both in the present time and in the final act of the unfolding drama of human history. God will bring in to His salvation all those from the Nations he has called to be His own, then through His kindness to the Gentiles He will stir up jealousy in the...

In the midst of this lengthy discussion about the failure of Israel to embrace the Gospel, Paul confronts an unhealthy and wrong attitude of Gentile Christians who wrongly think that God has pushed aside Israel and replaced Israel with a Gentile Church so the Gentile Christians, therefore, must be better than the Jews. This kind of thinking is in no way compatible with the Gospel.

God is absolutely faithful in His character. He is true to His Word and He stands by every promise. So, He has not and will reject Israel, in spite of her rejection of the Gospel. There is a remnant in Israel whom God has saved by grace. If He is faithful to stubborn and hard hearted Israel, we can count on Him to remain faithful to us – not because we have earned it, but by grace. At the same tim...

Paul says that God provides the means to build and grow faith – it comes through the very message of the Gospel. Not only are we saved by faith, but the message of the Gospel is itself the very means of appropriating a faith that can save us. Not only must we believe IN the message, we also believe BY the message – faith comes from hearing, hearing by means of the message of Christ. The more we li...

So why does God allow suffering in the world? Why does he not stop the killing of helpless children? Of the pure and innocent? Of those who cannot or will not fight back – the weak and powerless? He created such a place, so that He could step into it, and become weak, powerless, innocent, and pure and hand himself over to wicked and cruel men, in order to save us.

The Magi found Jesus because they were searching for Him. God revealed Himself to them and they responded with a faith that led them forward. Are we seeking Jesus? If we truly seek Him, we will find Him!

Even in the short Christmas narrative in Matthew, the focus and purpose of Jesus mission is clearly stated - His mission to save us!

After all that Paul has said about God’s right and freedom to choose whom He will and Harden whom He will, it would be easy to think that God has set everything firmly in place and there is nothing we can do about it bust accept our fate. But, that is not a correct understanding of the Gospel. Paul moves on to show that election is only part of the picture. All people are responsible for the truth...