Month: May 2023

TRUSTING THE HOLY SPIRIT’S GENTLE WHISPER!

(May 30, 2023) Maureen McQuillan, by special request, shares her last article again, with a new intro…

On  Sunday past many churches, both Pentecostal and mainstream, celebrated Acts 2 Pentecost Sunday when the Holy Spirit fell with holy fire on those first believers and the church was born!

From that amazing day in Christian history, every born again Christian has been filled with the Holy Spirit and able to boldly reach out to the lost, and be a blessing to many. To move in the anointing, and to receive guidance from this blessed helper of Christians (John 14:16ESV). No wonder Jesus promised He’d be our Friend (John 14:16NIRV).

One thing we need to realise is that helping us sometimes can mean directing us, especially in building confidence in us to fully trust this great friend. And that sometimes He does this through secular experiences, even unusual ones, and by a simple whisper.

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MAY RLPB UPDATE

(May 30, 2023) Elizabeth Kendal, RLPB, updates May news, and requests prayer for…

BANGLADESH [RLPB 692 (3 May)]
The Bangladesh Armed Forces is waging a counter-terror operation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Because the BAF accuses the Christian Kuki-Chin minority of providing aid and support to al-Qaeda-linked jihadists (JAFHS), the Christian Kuki-Chin – who are seeking autonomy so they might preserve their people, lands and culture – are also under attack. Thousands have been driven from their homes, with the help of a tribal Buddhist militia that has forged a peace deal with the Bangladeshi government. This is an on-going – and indeed, existential – Christian crisis.

LIBYA [RLPB 693 (10 May)]
Six Libyan nationals arrested for apostasy (leaving Islam) and Christian proselytism (missionary work) could face the death penalty if found guilty. The authorities have broadcast video footage of their recorded ‘confessions’; one believer had already broken under torture.

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SHOCKING RULING FREES CHRISTIAN IRANIAN COUPLE

(May 29, 2023) GodReports shares good news…

Iranian authorities released two Christian leaders from prison last week after a judge broke with common judicial practice in the country and ruled that home church participation was not illegal, sources said.

Throwing out a 2020 conviction, a judge in Branch 34 of the Appeals Court in Tehran on May 9 found there was no evidence the couple had violated Iran’s national security laws by participating in a home meeting, according to advocacy group Article 18.

In his ruling, the judge found that belonging to or participating in a ‘home-group’ with people of the same faith was not illegal but ‘natural.’

‘The reports by the officers of the Ministry of Intelligence about organisation of home-groups to promote Christianity, membership, and participation in home-groups, are not considered as acts against the country’s security, and the law has not recognised them as criminal activity,’ the judge wrote.

The ruling was in some ways similar to a November 3, 2021 Supreme Court judgment that stated that nine converts could not be charged with acting against national security merely for belonging to a house church.

The acquittal struck down a November 2020 conviction in which Ahmadi, accused of being a house church leader, was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison for ‘founding or leading an organization that aims to disrupt national security’ and ‘membership in organisations that aim to disrupt national security.’ In December 2020, Ahmadi’s original sentence was reduced to a total of eight years in prison.

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JOHN – THE PENTECOSTAL BAPTIST

(May 28, 2023) Stuart Reynolds shares a revelation…

From the presumed monopoly by denominations to the limits of our clever labelling, the Holy Spirit has been hijacked and sabotaged!

The sharp-sighted evangelist Vance Havner described the result of this misunderstanding, mishandling and misapplication: ‘Satan has scored a point in making us so afraid of extremism about the Holy Spirit… that we may miss the true in our fear of the false. We can be so wary of getting out on a limb that we never go up the tree!’

We need to let the Holy Spirit be Himself, and that we may become and do all we were intended to.

May I introduce you to ‘The Pentecostal Baptist’ – someone the Bible records having these Holy Spirit credentials: ‘Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true.’ And in that place many believed in Jesus’ (John 10:41-42).

1) An inviting clarification
We believe in ‘full salvation.’ The reality of God in the gospel of Christ is radical – God’s book teaches it… truly knowing Jesus demands it… the presence of the Holy Spirit enables it.

Sadly, we have long since lived in a church-day when and where the focus is not so much on being radical for God as on being ridiculous for God! In some church circles the mentality is that the more bizarre something is, then the more it must be God. It is this that has caused the fear-filled fall-out Havner described.

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GOD’S BREAK OF DAWN!

(May 26, 2023) Angeline Selvakumari encourages us to discover God’s dawn light…

Great is God’s faithfulness!

He has led us thus far and will continue to carry us through! Psalm 46:5 is one of His great promises of protection – ‘God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.’

This scripture refers to ‘the city of God’ (v4). In Matthew 5:14, our Saviour, Jesus, referred to His followers as an important city: ‘You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.’ 

As such in these troubled times we need our faithful God’s protection! And we can relate to Psalm 46:2 which depicts why the verse five promise is so significant. It’s our assurance of God’s faithfulness, to be grasped in dark times that cause fear… even when if the –

  • Earth moved,
  • Mountains are carried into the midst of the sea,
  • Waters are troubled and roar and
  • Mountains shake!

When everything is moving, shaking and we are very troubled, the Bible confirms that our God is there for us! Even if everything around us ‘moves’ we will not. God is in the midst of every storm and will help us at the break of dawn.

Our God is a good God! Whatever He does is good! He’s the God of impossibilities, the God of the new dawn.

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AMOS – GOD’S MESSENGER

(May  26, 2023) Brian Bell shares  from his heart… 

‘This message was given to Amos…’ These are the opening words of Amos 1:1NLT.

Possibly not one of the most frequently read books of scripture, here in my homeland of Northern Ireland the words in Amos 4:12 ‘… prepare to meet your God…’ have often been used as the basis for ‘evangelistic sermons.’

 Like other men God had chosen to speak His word, Amos had a very humble background. A shepherd, not what was regarded as an illustrious occupation, he came from a little town called Tekoa, some 12 miles (19k) south of Jerusalem.

God’s choices
Yet when it comes to choosing men to speak for Him, God is not primarily interested in their occupation, its status or lack of it, or their physical location. Remember how God called Noah to build the Ark and later Abraham from Ur to found the nation of Israel.

Move into the New Testament scriptures and we find Jesus chose a mixed bag of men, mostly fishermen but also a former tax collector, that have been described in scripture as ‘ignorant and unlearned men’ – a rather disparaging reference to the fact that they had not been tutored in the Rabbinical schools of the day!

God does the choosing and gives His word to those He chooses, so really all other factors are of secondary importance. Encouraging for you and me is that the Lord may enable any of us to speak on His behalf when the Holy Spirit enlightens our understanding to His word.

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THAT PENTECOSTAL WILDFIRE!

(May 24, 2023) Robert and Maureen McQuillan comment on some Pentecost realities…

It was an amazing day for the early church!

Scripture records the incredible breakthrough those frightened, uncertain 120 believers experienced on the Day of Pentecost – ‘Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force – no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them’ (Acts 2:2-4 Message).

In reality, they were changed, charged, challenged, committed, commissioned!

More than just worship
This was something more than just worshipping God in new languages, glossolalia! It mightily changed those first disciples – they became daring men and women of faith who immediately witnessed the gospel and saw many converts genuinely repent of sin and turn to Jesus for salvation!

May 28 is Pentecost Sunday and many churches (not just Pentecostal) will be celebrating it as the…

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PENTECOST SUNDAY REFLECTIONS

(May 22, 2023) Dr Robert McQuillan recalls Pentecostal memories…

May 28 is Pentecost Sunday when it’s expected Pentecostal and charismatic churches will celebrate that Acts 2 occasion when the Holy Spirit fell powerfully on those first Christians.

Pentecost (pentēkostē – fifty) is the Jewish holiday festival of Shavu`ot.Originally firstfruits of the wheat harvest were presented to God 50 days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread (See Leviticus 23:16-17), celebrating the expectation of a great agricultural season ahead. Its theme became one of revelation – of God Himself, His power and His Torah (teaching, direction, guidance, law).

Reverberating
Traditionally where Jesus followers gathered in Jerusalem has been known as ‘the upper room.’ Acts 2:1 calls it a ‘place’, but interestingly this word is a reflexive pronoun linked with ‘a baffling wind.’ Little did those faithful believers image the roaring wind ahead!

That windstorm (NLT) blew through on that first Pentecost Sunday! Acts 2:2CJB records the ‘place’ as a home – ‘Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house…’ 

Act 2:3-4 records, ‘They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues…’ They were a changed, charged and challenged people!

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THE ANOINTING

(May 22, 2023) Dr Robert McQuillan shares some more thoughts on the Holy Spirit…

Dear Dr Robert
Last month you told me you’d share on the anointing. Kelvin.

Hi Kelvin

There’s much to share about the anointing… such as the Old Testament mashach anointing of priests,  kings and prophets and of course the New Testament chrio anointing you want to know about, indeed the one every Christian should know about. There isn’t enough space here to list the many linking scriptures, and quote examples, so I’ll just draw your attention to the following brief notations…

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HOW ARE YOU?

(May 22, 2023) Richard Winter enquires…

If asked the above genuine question, how would you answer?

Some of us might say: ‘Not too bad’ – with a fragment of truth in our answer. But the asker’s quick rejoinder probably might be ‘So you’re not too good, eh?’

And if they were to hear ‘I’m great, everything’s fantastic!’ they might doubt the veracity of that response.

An apt answer
In reality most of us are learning life lessons, so a more apt answer to the question ‘How are you?’ most probably would be: ‘I’m learning and growing.’

Now there’s nothing to be ashamed of about growing and learning – we all process life at different speeds, and with some different responses. Sometimes we learn quickly, at other times it is slow and possibly downright painful. It could look like three steps forwards and two steps back.

Being a Christian is not like going to a spiritual Disneyland –

  • You don’t get every prayer answered your way.
  • You don’t always get a miracle when you ask for it.
  • But you do get to pray for God’s will to be done!

Spiritual flaws
Life is not always easy and you can wonder does anyone else ever have it like me?

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