Straight From Pastor Ey

This Sunday, April 4, we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This made our faith unique. Our gospel message rests on this truth. However, there are those who seek to deny the resurrection. One Muslim scholar said, “On the subject of crucifixion, the Muslim is told in no uncertain terms, in the Holy Qur’an… that they didn’t kill Him, nor did they crucify Him. But it was made to appear to them so.” (Source: http://answering-islam.org/) Most Muslims believe that somebody else other than Jesus was crucified. Thus, when the disciples saw Him, they thought that He had risen from the dead. But the Muslim writers are divided as to who got crucified in His place. Some said it’s one of the disciples. In a debate with a Muslim scholar, Josh McDowell, a leading Christian apologist (defender of the faith), questioned that point of view, “Then, others feeling that it might be a little unfair to put an innocent man there, say, well, it must be Judas Iscariot who was placed on the cro

“The broader your smile and the deeper the creases around your eyes when you grin, the longer you are likely to live”. That’s the conclusion of a study conducted by researchers from the Wayne State University in Michigan. Studying photographs of US major league baseball players from the 50’s, the researchers grouped them according to “ ‘no smile’ if they were just looking deadpan at the camera… ‘partial smile’ if only the muscles around the mouth were involved in their grin… [and] ‘full smile’ if the mouth and eyes were smiling and the cheeks were both raised.” (Ibid) On the average, the “no smile” group lived up to around 73 years old, the “partial smile” group lived up to 75, and the “full smile” group lived up to around 80! According to the smile study, published in Psychological Science this week, “To the extent that smile intensity reflects an underlying emotional disposition , the results of this study are congruent with those of other studies demonstrating that emotions have

We fondly call him “Daddy Johnny” or “Tito J.” People remember Architect Juanito Carlos as the 60 plus-year-old who untiringly played badminton or tennis with those old enough to be his children, encouraging them to keep on playing when they could not keep up with his seemingly boundless energy. We also remember him as a prayer warrior, a soul-winner in our visitors’ room, a discipler with his wife, Mommy Deng, in our seekers’ team and a Circle of Care shepherd. To all of us, he was a dear brother in the Lord. He was so passionate in serving God. It all started when he noticed his gums bleeding more than a week ago. He went to his doctor for consultation. Blood tests showed that his platelet count is way below normal. Immediately he was confined for blood transfusion and to determine what caused the low platelet count. His blood pressure was erratic. His platelet count remained critical. He went through further tests. Even before the result of his bone marrow test was released, he we

Eleven-year-old Casey Rogers will literally bring down the house… actually, a sports stadium. As a prize for winning the Kraft Foods’ Project Cheddar Explosion essay contest, Casey will press the trigger for an implosion that would demolish the Texas Stadium. But this was no ordinary contest. It was “for kids who have made a difference in their communities.” (Source: http://dallasnews.com/) And Casey is no ordinary boy. Three years ago, Casey saw his father, Pastor Russel Rogers, shooing away a homeless man. His heart went out for the panhandler. Reflecting on his past as a foster child, Casey thought, “I was just like, look how great y’all helped me… Why don’t I help them?” So, he pioneered the Casey’s Heart, a ministry of Trinity Life Baptist Church of Garland, Texas, where his dad serves as the senior pastor. The charity collects goods and then distributes them to the homeless people. “Dallas’ homeless recognize [Casey] as the warm-hearted kid who often shows up in a downtown parkin

With all the mudslinging going on right now in the campaign for the national and the local elections, what columnist Andrew Jackson wrote in his “How to Engage in Politics without Losing Your Soul” (Christian Research Journal, volume 31, number 4, 2008) is very timely: “ Don’t demonize anyone. Every person has been created in the image of God, and Christians must not demonize or dehumanize other people, whether we agree with them politically or not”. When we throw mud, we ourselves get dirty also. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29, ESV) Yes, character is a political issue. However, keep in mind that each candidate is neither the God incarnate nor the Devil personified. Focus on issues. Don’t attack a person’s character or motives. No name-calling or insulting rants. Weigh whether a certain accusation has a basis or just wet soil. Of course, candidat