Author: Life Focus Ministries

Who are we? Dr Robert McQuillan is recognised as an inspiring encourager, counsellor, mentor to ministries and Bible teacher ministering meaningfully on the prophetic edge. Robert and Maureen, a gifted communicator with an uncanny insight into knowing 'where people are at', delight to bless and encourage God's people and ministries... and touch the hearts of the unchurched in the marketplace. Contact: OnlinerConnect@gmail.com

WHO WILL TAKE THE SON?

(February 21, 2024) GodReports shares a pointed parable…

In New Orleans, in the mid-1800s, a wealthy merchant, a widower, and his son were known for their rare collection of Old Master paintings, including a Raphael.

Often, after dinner, they would sit together and admire them.  
                                                                                                                                      
Great distress
When the Civil War broke out, the son went away to fight. He was very courageous and died in battle in the Shenandoah Valley while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply.

A few months later a young man came to the door with a large package. The father answered the bell himself. ‘Sir, you don’t know me,’ said a young man carrying a package. ‘I am the soldier your son died to save.’

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ENCOURAGEMENT IS PRECIOUS – AND NEEDED!

(February 20, 2024) Wayne Swift calls it as it is – and challenges…

We live in increasingly difficult times. Let me qualify that…

I’m saying that it is different today than it was 20, 40 or 60 years ago. The economy is different, in some ways our standard of living is better, our expectations are higher, people are generally wealthier, even the poor are better off than those from 50 years ago.

Why then am I saying we live in difficult times? Several factors –

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SOWING AND REAPING FOR GOD – SEVEN LAWS OF HARVESTING

 

(February 15, 2024) Richard Winter challenges…

Many times you will hear preachers begin some point with ‘Jesus said…’

The truth is that Jesus said a lot of things!

  • Some were direct commandments, such as ‘Leave your boats and follow me’ (Matthew 4:18–22).
  • Some were instructions, such as ‘Worship God only and serve people’ (Matthew 22:37-39).
  • Some were easy to understand… and some were hard.

To help His hearers understand things, Jesus often took an event from life that everyone should be able to comprehend and see the spiritual application. These have been recorded as short teaching parables… earthly lessons with a heavenly application.

But… did listeners always comprehend?  
Take Matthew 13:3 for example – ‘… He told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.”’ Then He tells the parable of seed sowing concluding with this challenge, ‘Are you listening to this? Really listening?’ (Matthew 13:9Mge).

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HOW FLEXIBLE ARE YOU?

(February 12, 2024) Mama Lava calls for an honest answer (and shares openly from her own heart)…

Come on, then… How flexible are you? 

I’m not asking if you can do the splits or itch your own back, although if you can, I hope you say so in a Comment! 

I’m referring here to your schedule. And while I’m asking, do you have a favourite day of the week to relax? (If so, what makes it your favourite?).

Mine is Saturday
Personally, I really enjoy the flexibility of Saturday. I wake up naturally and enjoy a slow morning. I’m free to lean in to my family’s ideas of things to do. If someone asks for my help with something, I jump in. Interruptions don’t feel inconvenient. I don’t pay attention to the clock. 

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GOD’S HAND IS ON YOU – FOR GOOD!

(February 06, 2024) Angeline Selvakumari shares scripture-based encouragement…

Nehemiah declared to his hearersthat ‘The hand of my God had been favorable to me (Nehemiah 2:18NASB).

The concept of the hand of God is intriguing. In the King James Version, the phrase ‘hand of the Lord’ appears 39 times, with 36 occurrences in the Old Testament and three in the New Testament. Additionally, the phrase ‘Hand of God’ is found 16 times in the Bible, seven times in the Old Testament, and nine in the New Testament.

Not only in biblical times did this phrase hold great significance but does so even today for our lives! These three scriptures alone tell us why…

  • Our times are in His hand (Psalm 31:15).
  • We are God’s handiwork (Psalm 138:8).
  • Our life’s breath is in His hand (Daniel 5:23).
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ROADBLOCK

(February 05, 2024) Dr Jim McClure challenges…

I have been reflecting lately on the unexpected journey my life has taken over the years and I would never have guessed the direction it would take. It truly has been an amazing journey of discovery on roads that have been generally unplanned.  

Life can be compared to a journey. Sometimes the road resembles a journey down a 6-lane motorway and sometimes it is more like travelling down an unsealed, pot-holed lane.

In my last article, A Road Untravelled, we considered the account of the miraculous crossing of the Jordan river by the Israelites who were leaving their wilderness wandering of 40 years to begin the challenge of a new life in Canaan.

Of course, their journey did not end when they entered Canaan – they had many other roads ahead of them as they settled in, such as this one… 

Shortly after they had entered the Promised Land, they encountered their first roadblock in the form of the city of Jericho.

Considered to be one of the oldest cities in the world, it was rich in resources and its location was strategically important as it controlled the routes between north, south, east and west. Jericho was also one of the world’s first walled cities.  And what walls they were!

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WARMTH IN WINTER

(February 02, 2024) Norman and Margaret Moss reflect…

At our ‘advanced age’ we have just discovered a new word! It is ‘apricity.’

Apricity comes from the Latin apricitas, and it’s a good word to employ in January and February because it means the warmth of the sunshine in winter.

So we hope you will enjoy some acpricity if you’re in winter now… or when your winter comes round!

This month we want to share two scriptures that we were meditating on. One is Exodus 6:7 and the other is Matthew 11:2.

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WHY? WHY? WHY?

February 2, 2024) Richard Winter questions and challenges …

I was in the 9th Grade Science Class… it was a new year, a new class. We were going to learn about experiments, how to find truth and how to test a hypothesis. And we were given directions –
(I’m sure you’ll remember something like this…)

  • Define a question to investigate.
  • Conduct research, make observations and collect data.
  • Based on research and observations, come up with a hypothesis.
  • Gather and analyse data, draw conclusions, make predictions.
  • If you feel to, ask more ‘Why?’s.

Why?
To summarise this process you could say it’s a case of many Why? Why? Why? enquiries to make you wiser with each step until you finally get the truth in a repeatable way.

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AN UNANSWERED PRAYER ISN’T THE LAST WORD

(February 01, 2024) Carol Round encourages…

‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God’ encouraged Paul in Philippians 4:6.

As I’ve grown spiritually, I find myself praying more often. Throughout my day, when someone or something comes to mind, I lift them in prayer. However, before I leave the house, I start the morning with prayer and my favourite hot drink – Earl Grey tea.
 
I’ve created a special place to meet with my Abba Father each morning. In the corner of my spare bedroom are several devotionals, a notebook for jotting down my thoughts and prayers, pens, pencils, highlighters, and – most importantly – my Bible. I have 11 Bibles, but my favourite is The Prayer Bible.

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WHEN ‘GIRLS GONE WILD’ BECAME ‘GIRLS GONE BIBLE’

(January 29, 2024) Daniela Argueta shares …

In a twist on the worldly term Girls Gone Wild, glam girls Angie Halili and Ari Reitsma launched a YouTube podcast called Girls Gone Bible. It encourages young women to be bold for Jesus.

‘We’re a couple of girls who used to be wild,’ says Angie, who refers to her friend as a ‘spiritual Navy SEAL.’

‘This girl is a Navy SEAL for Jesus!’ Angie says about Ari. ‘I look at this sweet, feminine angel, who wears floral dresses from Reformation (store) and makes floral arrangements in her free time. But, guys, if you see this girl, she will go to battle for the Lord.’

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