October 2025: Harvesting for Our King
Published on 10/01/2025 by Dr-Shirley-Cheng.
On one "ordinary" day in the life of our Lord, he conversed with a Samaritan woman who's despised by the Jews and shattered by men. There at the water well, he brought her hope and healing, and made a most remarkable revelation of himself that he seldom made...
The Revelation of the King
"The woman said to him, 'I know that Messiah comes,' (he who is called Christ). 'When he has come, he will declare to us all things.'" (John 4:25, WEB)
As the conversation between Christ and the Samaritan woman continued, the woman declared that they (she and her …...Read more
September 2025: The Water That Makes You Thirst No More
Published on 09/01/2025 by Dr-Shirley-Cheng.
Are there coincidences?
When God is involved, there's only God-incidents.
The apostle John was the only Gospel writer who wrote about Jesus' early ministry in Judea, whereas the other writers began Jesus' ministry account in Galilee after John the Baptizer was taken into prison. We saw from our previous lesson that for a time, John and Jesus baptized the repentant Jews at the same time, though likely some distance apart to give each group some space. In John 4, we're told that Jesus himself wasn't baptizing anyone but his disciples were.
Jesus' increasing popularity with the people became an issue …...Read more
August 2025: Do You Bask in the Light or Wallow in Darkness?
Published on 08/01/2025 by Dr-Shirley-Cheng.
What kind of people appeal to you?
I think it's safe to guess that you're attracted to those who are loving, caring, understanding, smart and funny. Am I not too far from the mark?
You know what? Our Lord Jesus is all this in perfection, and so much more! (Funny? Is Christ funny? He sure has a sense of humor when he had Peter fish up a coin to pay their taxes out of a fish's mouth! [Matthew 17:27].)
The only reasonable response to Jesus' perfectly goodness should be to love him. Yet the world hates him! Before his sacrifice, …...Read more
July 2025: Looking Up to the One Who Was Lifted Up for You
Published on 07/01/2025 by Dr-Shirley-Cheng.
How do we enter God's Kingdom?
By the rebirth of the Spirit, as we studied last month. In this spiritual rebirth, God pours out His Holy Spirit upon you to wash you of your sins. Like the wind, the Holy Spirit is invisible but its effects are visible. When we review the past two thousand years since Lord Jesus graced the Earth, we see accounts of millions of people whose lives have gone through remarkable transformation. People who Once steeped in sin are living lives that benefit others and glorify their Creator. Thousands upon thousands have even willingly submitted to …...Read more
June 2025: The Sprinkling Spiritual Rebirth
Published on 06/01/2025 by Dr-Shirley-Cheng.
What does it take for a righteous person to make enemies?
Though his ministry had just begun, Jesus started making enemies, as we saw that the Jews in Jerusalem questioned his authority, just as they had questioned John's authority. How could the purely sinless Son of God make any enemy, let alone so quickly and so easily? The reason lies in the fact that he is purely sinless, as ironic as it may sound.
We may think that it's easy to make enemies when we have done wrong to others or don't behave in a proper way. While this may …...Read more
May 2025: Should Miracles Be Self-Seeking?
Published on 05/01/2025 by Dr-Shirley-Cheng.
If you had supernatural powers to perform miracles, how would you use those powers?
Maybe you'd use such powers to help a loved one get healed, or "rain down" money for yourself. Some people may like to perform wonders to show off, to receive awe from people, to glorify themselves. Such powers can also be used frightfully in the hand of bad actors--like doing something terrible to get back at a perceived enemy.
Being the divine Son of God, Jesus is no doubt the greatest miracle worker of all times. But did he perform miraculous deeds to show off, or …...Read more
April 2025: God's Friend or Foe?
Published on 04/01/2025 by Dr-Shirley-Cheng.
There's power in number. So when Jesus was ready to start his ministry after successfully passing all of the devil's temptations, he began electing men to be his disciples who would continue his ministry after he departed from Earth. His and their main focus was preaching about the Kingdom of God, and they performed signs and miracles to validate their ministry as coming from Yahweh.
It can be tricky or even impossible to follow Jesus' life and ministry entirely in the order that events in his life took place, because the Gospel writers often grouped events topically rather than chronologically. …...Read more
March 2025: Shortcut to Glory?
Published on 03/01/2025 by Dr-Shirley-Cheng.
Do you take shortcuts to achieve God's purpose?
If we think it's clever of us to take shortcuts in divine missions, today's lesson will help us reconsider.
The job of John the Baptizer was to prepare the way before Jesus' arrival. Now that John had declared that Jesus' the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world and the Son of God, it's time for Jesus to begin his ministry.
Luke indicated that Jesus was about thirty years old when he was baptized and began his ministry. Unlike Matthew, it appears that Luke traced Jesus' ancestral line …...Read more
February 2025: The Logical Allegiance
Published on 02/01/2025 by Dr-Shirley-Cheng.
"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"
This is the message that John the Baptizer proclaimed as he baptized the repentant in the Jordan River. While many civilians flocked to him in contriteness, the religious leaders scoffed at him. Yet, instead of turning the other way in indifference, they faced him with hostility, and this animosity foreshadows the animosity they would later show toward the King of the Jews. Indeed, John was the forerunner of Christ in multiple ways--in birth, in ministry, in the face of opposition and in innocent suffering for the sake of righteousness.
Inquiry into …...Read more
January 2025: Fruit of Repentance
Published on 01/01/2025 by Dr-Shirley-Cheng.
God is gracious.
This is what the name "John" means, and it is quite an apt name for John the Baptizer. He is the answer to the prayer of Zacharias and became a blessing to Israel by the grace of God.
Just as the prophets of old foretold Jesus and his ministry, the ministry of John was also prophesied:
"Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord!
Make his paths straight!" (Mark 1:2-3, WEB)
The first prophecy from …...Read more
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