Encouragement

WISE PARENTS – WAYWARD CHILDREN

(October 13, 2022) Maureen McQuillan shares good advice…

Wayward children!

I know, I know… Psalm 127:3 says children are the blessing of God in that they are an inheritance from Him. ‘Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him’ (NLT). But… how they can cause parents trouble at times!

Worries
Some heartbroken parents shared with me recently that their child is an adult and, naturally, they have no control over them. Now they don’t want to tyrannically control their child… but, being good parents, want the best for their ‘inheritance’ regarding certain situations. Unfortunately the ‘child’ won’t be counselled by them!

I won’t go into a long list of things that are troubling these particular parents. However, some of you will relate to the following short list –

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BADLY NEEDED TODAY: GOD-AMBITIOUS, GOD-ORIENTED CHRISTIANS!

(October 05, 2022) S. Sam Selva Raj shares about serving Jesus ambitiously and goal-orientally…

There are many people today who live with specific ambitions. As Christians we must not only have ambition in our worldly life, but also have specific ambitions in our spiritual life. One must have a strong spiritual foundation to lead a very special life.

If Christians have no spiritual ambition, they cannot lead a victorious life. James said that ‘Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do’ (James 1:8NLT).

If you want to have something special in your life, you must have good ambitions and set goals in your life to not change according to the times! Such people stay strong in the spiritual vision they have. The reality is that unless we are clear in what we believe, we cannot lead successful lives!

People who keep on changing their convictions can be compared to snakes that wriggle around. Only those who are steady in their convictions can become great servants of Christ and live as channels of blessings to others. Ambition in a goal-oriented person is greater than their life itself.

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GOD IS A BIG GOD… SO KEEP IT SIMPLE

(September 27, 2022) Maureen McQuillan shares and challenges…

Okay, Robert wrote about me this month… Now I’ll write about him!

In his article Robert admitted to doing something stupid. Here’s another example… I needed a towel rail fitted upstairs. A simple towel rail, mind you, but a frustrated Robert (I know… he’s human!) was having difficulty with this job and, a bit edgy, finally gave up.

Finding me downstairs, he reported – no, moaned: ‘How am I ever going to get those two rails into their holding brackets and fitted to the wall! I’ve followed the instructions… there’s no leeway I can manipulate everything into position.’ 

God assists
Instantly I saw the simplicity of the solution to his ‘problem.’ (Or rather God the Holy Spirit was assisting by showing me the answer, one which Robert had missed). And so I casually shared it with him.

Well, Robert just stared at me. I, naturally, didn’t say a thing! Then, wordless, he snucked off back upstairs. A few minutes later he was back with me all smiles and happy, job completed. I smiled too and we laughed at the simplicity of it all.

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PROBLEMS!

(September 24, 2022) Robert McQuillan shares a recent incident… er…problem.

Problem – situation, person, or thing that needs attention and needs to be dealt with or solved (Cambridge Dictionary).

A few weeks back I had a problem, to me a big problem!

Don’t exactly know how it happened, exactly what happened… but suddenly it had and I was rocked for a moment! Blood was flowing unstopped from the long slice in my middle right finger. No pain but unstoppable bleeding!

Peace
I had been feeling so relaxed after encouraging a friend on the phone. My mobile had buzzed when I upstairs about to change into my pyjamas and intending to return to Maureen to enjoy some old (Yes, those who know me have guessed it!) John Wayne DVD before retiring for the night. (No doubt Maureen would sighingly comment, ‘Not John Wayne… again.’ But, bless her, agree to watch).

Anyway, I took the call, sitting on the edge of the bed to relax as I listened to my friend’s concerns… and to drink from a cold glass of juice that I had with me, as our conversation went on.

I spent some time encouraging the caller, giving wise advice and counsel – and biblical explanations and examples. Then I prayed and he had felt becalmed and released and we’d said goodnight. And I stepped into the ensuite to place the now empty, heavy glass on the vanity bench top.

Panic
I was feeling quite at ease – maybe I was feeling too at ease with myself having been used by the Holy Spirit to help someone at a late hour and wasn’t watching what I was really doing– I don’t know. But suddenly I was aware of the noise of breaking glass – a resounding racket to me – and that I was only placing half a glass on the benchtop, that broken glass was ‘everywhere’ on the floor at my feet and blood was running from my finger!

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SLAVERY TO SERVANTSHIP TO SUCCESS

(September 15, 2022) S. Sam Selva Raj shares about a Godly leader and challenges us whether Christian churchgoer or leader…

After Moses’ death, Joshua became leader of Israel in his place. Joshua 1:1 refers to him as a mere servant of Moses, but Joshua 24:29 says that he was a servant of the Lord!

God’s timing
God permitted Joshua to be the servant of another and later made him His own. Joshua means ‘The Lord is salvation’ and his mission in life was to possess the land which the Lord promised the Israelites.

Joshua was not born into a rich family – he was born to a slave in Egypt. But God exalted him when he was eighty years-old and gave him leadership authority and, as it were, the keys to heaven!

Out of a burning bush God had called Moses. When Saul was on his way to Damascus, he heard a voice calling, ‘Saul, Saul…’ Joshua was neither called by name nor had any vision or sign. But God made him assistant of Moses who taught him about the Lord, and he received God’s power through listening to an old man, and being obedient to him.

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THE MOST POWERFUL THING IN THE WORLD

(September 11, 2022) Carol Round encourages us to think of others…

Recently I came across an article titled, 10 Of the Most Unexpectedly Powerful Things in The World. Scanning the article, I was amazed at the information provided by the author.

Evidentally some of the most powerful things in the world are related to the animal kingdom.

And on a mission trip to Costa Rica several years ago, I was to experience one of the most powerful things in the animal kingdom.

Watching ants marching in a line across the dry soil, I was astonished to see each one toting a leaf on their backs. Later, I learned they are called leafcutter ants. These ants can lift up to 50 times their body weight, which – according to this article – is the equivalent of a human casually lifting a truck!

I’m convinced, however, that love is the most powerful thing in the world. Not the love of romance novels and movies, but the kind of love that led Jesus to surrender to a bloody death on a wooden cross. It’s called agape love.

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NEHEMIAH – GOD’S CALL TO BUILD THE WALL (Part 6)

(August 30, 2022) Hope Flinchbaugh shares some more insights about Nehemiah’s wall- building journey, bringing a challenge to leadership!

The heart of this month’s part six is A Leader’s Faith for Finances.

My friend, whatever God calls us to do will require faith in some realm or another because without faith it is impossible to please him. God looks for faith in action and leaders should be setting examples!

Let’s give God what is due Him and offer your faith, not your friends’ or your congregation’s wallets, in respect of the project in front of you.

God is the supplier of needs
Let me pause here and talk to all of us with platforms and microphones in churches! God called Nehemiah to lead to rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. As a leader, if we’re feeling a twinge of guilt about asking for another offering, we need to talk to God. God never ever said that the church would pay our way, He said that He would supply all of our needs.

If you’re feeling a twinge of guilt, stop right there. Don’t take one more offering until God’s leading you to do it. Talk about a leap of faith.

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BRRR! BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE

(August 24, 2022) Maureen McQuillan shares some ‘wintery’ thoughts…

Each new morning the sun shines brightly and it looks so summery outside… trees and other plantings growing so well. But as I step outside to do some trimming, I shiver and rush back indoors!

Why? Because, like that old 1944 song popular with Dean Martin fans goes: ‘But, Baby, it’s cold outside!’ I haven’t been singing it but I’ve certainly been feeling it. Some mornings it’s even zero degrees or less. Brrr!

Roll on next Thursday, September 1! Why? It’s the first day of spring here! Then December 1, officially the first day of summer.

Not just the weather!
But it’s not just me looking for change… lot of people are, and I don’t mean just the weather. People are still concerned about covid and other ‘bugs’ around at this time (wise folk wear masks when mixing with others); TV news usually has more bad news than good…

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ARE YOU CRAZY? I’M NOT DOING THAT!

(August 22, 2022) Robert and Maureen McQuillan ask…

Ever had a challenge, even a simple one and your decision was along the lines above? Huh? Even though it had to do with your ministry, current or future?

Or simply a life choice.

Decisions… choices!
Life is full of them! Every new day we have to make them! Right from the moment we awake… deciding to get up, what to wear, which brekkie, then decisions whether at home or at business about this and that throughout the day!

Come to think about it, we had to decide to write this article!

Dictionaries tell us that ‘decision’ means ‘a choice that you make about something after thinking about several possibilities.’ So decisions and choices link together. Scripture too mentions this word ‘decision’… as you’ll find in various versions.

Decision-making isn’t always easy… but it has to be done for various reasons, some easy, some difficult. 

Even Jesus had to make hard decisions
There came a moment in His life, His ministry, when Jesus had to make a very hard decision – whether or not to move ahead, even at great personal cost.

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WHAT BREAKTHROUGH DOES YOUR MIND MISS WHEN YOU’RE TOO BUSY?

(August 6, 2022) Mama Lava challenges our minds to hear God’s voice…

Have you ever been too busy to notice what was happening around you? Can you recall a time when you were so deep in thought you completely overlooked details that were right there? I sure have!

And it makes me wonder what breakthroughs our mind misses when we’re too busy?

Blinded by busyness, Example 1
Here’s an example from a recent experience (My apologies if this is TMI  ie too much information). I was seated on the porcelain throne at the time next to the bathtub. The shower curtain was closed and hung mere centimetres from my right shoulder.

I lingered there, physically. But my thoughts were elsewhere, occupied with mental lists, strategies and plans. When my business was done, I leaned over to flush. Because of the tight space, my face practically brushed the shower curtain.

My mind suddenly dropped all other thoughts and joined me in the moment! Something was not right! You know that feeling? My scream was choked into silence by my heart as it jumped into my throat to hide from the hockey puck-sized black spider just chillin’ on that white curtain.

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