ALL OF US have met people who  appeared in the most ordinary moments of our lives and did something so unexpected and thoughtful that set them apart from others. They seem to possess a certain ability to perceive and respond spontaneously to human needs without ministry platforms, programmes or personal acclaim. This ability comes naturally to some who are more intuitive in making human connections that make a difference. For the majority of us, it is a skill we gradually acquire over time.

True greatness of faith is not measured by how much we know, but by how completely yielded we are to God. It is ironic that we have more faith in a $20 electric toaster to produce brown and crispy toasts without fail than we have faith in Jesus to do what He does best – creating miracles and moving mountains! Yet, when it comes to facing life and relational challenges, our faith in God fluctuates like a roller-coaster! 

Pastor Lai Keat Keong laid out four types of faith that Jesus considered great.

When four men brought a paralytic into full view before Jesus, everyone took one look at the man’s physical handicap and thought they knew exactly what he lacked and what he needed. Often, that’s how we sum up each other’s struggles, strengths and successes – by drawing inferences from their present situations and presenting symptoms. We rely on visual cues instead of making deeper connections.

We all like to know how a story, a situation or an event ends. By nature, we are both curious and have a deep need to bring things to a close. We expect things to always fall into place without prolonged uncertainty. That’s why we gravitate towards streaming platforms to see how human dramas unfold (even if based on fiction). And that’s why we ask each other for updates about things we are not even remotely involved in. After all, a good ending gives meaning to everything that came before it.

All relationships involve rights, responsibilities and risks for the parties involved. In terms of rights, we can all expect respect, honesty and concern from each other, while upholding the mutual responsibility to be truthful, transparent and thoughtful. However, relationships also run the risk of being one-sided where one person’s preferences and needs are prioritized over the other, leading to alienation and  hurt. God is acutely aware of all the threats that can lead to relational breakdown. It is why Jesus made this the first and greatest command for all believers: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And for the second most important command, He emphasized, “Love your neighbour as yourself.

People today tend to remember only what they last saw on the news or on social media. In contrast, we have a God with rich memories. Hence, the Bible is an important source of record to help us remember who He is in our response to life. There are numerous commands in the Bible telling us not to forget His instructions and His commands. Depending on the version, the word “remember” appears in the Bible from 148 times in the King James Version (KJV) to 231 times in the New International Version (NIV). Some translations use synonyms like “do not forget”, “call to mind”, or “recall” instead of the word “remember”.

SENSE-MAKING is about how we give meaning to what’s happening to and around us. For believers, it often sounds like this: if we practice strong faith in God, we should see prayers answered quickly or it won’t make sense. If we are faithful in serving God, the best outcomes should happen to us or else our lives are a weak testimony of His goodness. If we live a quiet and godly life, we should not expect to be struck by unexplained illnesses. If we do not offend anyone, we should enjoy healthy relationships.

From the start, BeInReach has never been an online ministry to substitute a believer's need to be part of an offline community of faith. It aspires to nurture spiritual growth by provoking believers to think deeper about how they will live each day as disciples of Jesus Christ. Through its teachings, the online ministry hopes to see your names in the spiritual ‘hall of fame’!

To follow someone on social media requires little effort and commitment. All it takes is a click on the mouse or a tap on our phone screens. Many of us follow or are followed by people who have no personal connection with us. Together, we form an imagined community (a term coined by Benedict Anderson) consisting of people who respond to each other’s posts. It is no surprise that many believers follow Jesus in pretty much the same way: they join a church or a faith group like they join Facebook, Instagram or TikTok), they log in to online ministries like BeInReach like watching a ‘live feed’ on social media with others, and they cite verses here and there like posting online comments. Unfortunately, people mistake their felt connectivity for actual relationships. 

Storms in life describe times of personal trouble, hardship, conflict and suffering that everyone experiences one time or another. They point to chaotic times when it is hard to discern fault lines in the face of unpleasant realities. To be sure, storms in life can be brought on by the poor decisions or wrong actions we made that impact those closest to us. Storms can also be a result of actions by other people that impact our ability to feel safe. Finally, there are storms permitted by God to teach or refine us. 

According to ChatGPT, “main courses are usually the centerpiece of the meal and can include dishes like roasted meats, grilled fish, poultry, or vegetarian options. They are often accompanied by side dishes like vegetables or starches but the main course itself refers to the main protein or substantial dish served”. People linger over the main course or the entrée as they call it in the US. Outside the US, however, entrée refers to starters or side dishes that are served before the main dish. 

When the world was experiencing the prolonged disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, people were forcefully separated from each other when social activities and regular gatherings abruptly came to a halt. Suddenly, the routines and superficial interactions that we relied on to cover up the lack of meaningful connections disappeared. We had to figure out how to make interpersonal connections with each other, or if we even wanted to make the effort. Now, we can say we have arrived on the other side of the pandemic to realities we never imagined possible just a few years ago.

Businesses today are strategic in the deployment of scents in offices, hotels, shops, restaurants and even in clinics to reduce patient anxiety. The use of fragrance is a powerful way to influence how people experience their time in different places.

People today pursue a variety of activities that give them the “dopamine rush”. We experience a flood of pleasure when we get our hands on a desired object in a Pop Mart blind box. It is the momentary feeling of satisfaction when we set out on another expedition or adventure. It is the emotional pay-off for being the ‘saviour’ who once again "picks up the balls" when others slack off. While a good dose of dopamine is good for mental health, we are all vulnerable to the danger of not examining any reliance on quick-fixes for happiness.

Many of us are familiar with common refrains like ‘Not now’, or ‘Not today’. But without saying exactly when, they become tactics that people use to escape an obligation, or avoid doing something important that they are not willing to do. People who view any demand on their time and effort as unwelcome interruptions to their laidback way of life often engage in the same tactic with God. Ordinarily, they struggle to check in with Him on what truly matters before reacting to the demands of life. While declaring their faithfulness to God, there is little evidence in their lives of cultivating Kingdom principles, or yielding Kingdom harvests.

It is funny how bad things seem so permanent and good things seem so transient. Maybe it’s because we tend to avoid pain and associate all pain with negative outcomes. We may ask, what good can come out of an event that decisively disrupts our lives. As believers, we can become prone to using our faith for quick fixes to life problems. We expect instant healing. We activate prayer groups and everyone wants to see undesirable situations turn around quickly. We evangelize with the hope of instant salvations. We believe that powerful testimonies must demonstrate how swiftly God works on our behalf.

When children hear parents and teachers use the word ‘until’, it is often received as a threat that is intended to instill fear and hopefully, result in compliance. When God uses the word ‘until’, it is both a condition and a promise.

The word ‘despise’ means to loathe, scorn, reject and feel contempt towards someone or something. We can despise a person or group of people, ideas and beliefs, some professions, or certain attitudes and behaviour.

We keep our eyes on what's important to us. This includes poll results during an election, the stock market indices, our individual or organisational key performance indicators, our children’s academic progress, suspicious-looking people in our neighbourhoods, the weather when we are planning travel, and the list goes on. We want to watch things and people closely to stay informed and avoid undesirable outcomes. Whether they appear on our device screens or in front of us, we tend to act on visible cues because we simply hate surprises.

David was running for his life, away from a jealous king who wanted to make him disappear from people’s praises and their perception of military leadership. The narcissistic King Saul would not allow himself to be upstaged by anyone – even those loyal to him.