Encouragement

SPIRITUAL JUNK FOOD!

(November 15, 2016) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share some things that some concerned Christians are sharing with other concerned Christians…

‘Where do they get such non-biblical rubbish from?’ asked one concerned young lady.

‘What “rubbish”?’ we asked. ’Do tell.’

‘Well, for example, I’m concerned that certain Christians are always claiming they see Jesus. Seems like someone is always “seeing” Jesus but it’s like who can tell the biggest whopper!’

Another instance of wackiness we hear is someone claimed that Jesus has told them they must hold their hands together and stick their arms straight up in the air to pray and a greater anointing would drop! So other silly Christians, not knowing God’s word nor the Spirit intimately, nodded and agreed, ‘That sounds good’ and the group followed in blind obedience!

Someone else shared that they attended a home group that is into chanting, trying to call down the Holy Spirit. ‘But it sounded more like murmuring,’ they said. (more…)

EVERYDAY FAITH? – IT’S EVERYDAY TRUST!

(October 28, 2016) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share …

Chatting to a friend recently it was a delight to hear him share what was a fresh revelation to him: ‘At last I know what faith is really all about – it’s about trusting, really trusting Jesus. I know you guys have been telling me that for years – but I didn’t get it! I never realised that I had to let go and let God! Now I am… no matter even if something I need God to do, have prayed about in humble faith, doesn’t seem to be working out, I can still trust him, knowing that Jeremiah 29:11 scripture you keep reminding me about is for real, for me!’

Good news revelation indeed. And something we all need to get a grip of… after all, any new day can bring forth some storm clouds out of the blue, something unexpected can eventuate, something can go wrong. And that’s life! (more…)

GENUINE FRIENDSHIP

(October 12, 2016) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share some observations…

Every now and then someone’s blog runs photos of groups of people (supposedly in company with each other!) looking intently at their mobile phone screens but not at each other! Young people – particularly in restaurants, kids – even in church, lovers on a date, even seniors are depicted.

The one thing they have in common is that they’re ignoring one another and are oblivious to their surroundings. And these pics are usually accompanied with a quotation credited to Albert Einstein: ‘I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.’

Reality
Although there is no substantive evidence that Einstein made this statement (For example, there’s no mention of it in the comprehensive collection highlighted in The Ultimate Quotable Einstein (Princeton University Press ¹), nevertheless such depictions are a reality today! (more…)

GO ON… DARE TO MOVE IN THE SPIRIT!

(September 30, 2016) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share …

A sincere young person asked us last night, ‘I want to serve the Lord and want to be led and used by the Holy Spirit. I know I have to trust that I am actually being led by him, that it’s not my imagination. Can you share something that’ll help me?’

It’s October tomorrow – Grand Final Day, a special footie celebration time in Oz. Our thoughts immediately went back to another Thursday night one October some years ago.

Late at night we had an unexpected call. The caller didn’t apologise for the lateness of the hour but quickly requested: ‘We’ve learned you’re the speakers at a church leaders’ camp Saturday, but … when finished would you come over and speak to the Russians. They meet Saturdays but would you also minister to them tomorrow, Friday night?’

Speak to the Russians? Intriguing request to a westerner’s ears as we’d never ministered to Russians before and didn’t know what to expect. (more…)

‘…AND A KIND WORD’

(September 9, 2016) Robert and Maureen McQuillan drop a hint …

Mentioning in a July Facebook that we’d just celebrated our 55^th wedding anniversary, we received many congratulations from not only friends but also from strangers!

Non-Christians, even some Christians, we shared with about our celebration were very surprised. In some instances it was a case of jaw dropping and eyes opening wide, and comments of ‘Gosh…these days that’s a record.’

Naturally we were pleased. We knew the major reason behind our many years together – what we call the BMT – Blessed Marriage Triangle…God is the head at the apex and we’re at each corner of the base. He continually reaches down to each of us, connecting with us and ensuring we’re firmly connected with each other and with him. (more…)

GOD’S WRINGER — AND SPIRITUAL PARENTS

August 28, 2016 – Robert and Maureen McQuillan share some recent experiences…

We often receive requests for prayer, mentoring and counselling. Emails, mobiles, SMS and Skype are great tools the Holy Spirit uses!

Or we find he sets up God appointments — ‘God-incidents’ — not always within a local church’s ‘sacred’ four walls but ‘out there’ where ordinary people live, work and relax. We’ve always claimed that ‘out there’ is the real marketplace of mission activity.

But then we see mission activity worldwide not only as opportunities to witness Jesus as Saviour but as one who cares for the hurting, misunderstood, disillusioned, disappointed and the sick. Ordinary people, Christian and non-Christian, need caring, understanding, unselfish love and an arm thrown around them! (more…)

SPRING’S COMING – AND GROWTH

August 17, 2016 – Robert and Maureen McQuillan reflect on the season…

In the 1979 classic, Being There, Chance, a simpleminded gardener who has resided his entire life in the Washington, DC townhouse of an unnamed wealthy employer and only been educated by television, is brilliantly played by Peter Sellers.

Forced to vacate when the old man suddenly dies, wearing the deceased’s expensively tailored 1920/30s clothes, Chance wanders the unfamiliar streets. An accident leads to meeting Ben Rand, a business mogul and confidant/adviser to the president.

His manners old-fashioned and courtly, Chance is presumed to be an upper-class, highly educated businessman, and mistakenly called Chauncey Gardiner. His simple words are repeatedly misunderstood as profound; in particular, his simplistic utterances about gardens and the weather are interpreted as allegorical statements about business and the state of the economy.

Growth has seasons
One conservation goes this way… (more…)

WAKEY, WAKE-AAAAY…LET’S BUILD TOGETHER

August 6, 2016 – Robert and Maureen McQuillan challenge both ministers and churchgoers…

Recently we’ve heard Christians comment that they feel God is giving them, their church, our nation, America and the world a wake-up call. Wake-up calls are meant to be acted on!

Decades ago, English bandleader Billy Cotton was particularly known for his rousing catchphrase intro to his BBC radio and television shows – ‘Wakey, Wake-aaaay! ’

A London choirboy, Cotton was awake to living life. Not yet 19 he had seen action in World War 1, become a pilot, worked at several jobs and commenced his own orchestra (even though he couldn’t play an instrument or read a word of music).

Billy Cotton went on to become a boxer and a racing driver and lived life to the full. His was a life regarded as ‘a life less ordinary.’

This first August Encouragement article is a wakey,wake-aaaay call to both ministers and churchgoers!

Don’t miss out
Paul encouraged Jesus’ followers not to miss out on life: ‘So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded’ (1 Thes. 5:6NLT). (more…)

EATEN BREAD SOON FORGOTTEN (July 25, 2010)

Robert and Maureen McQuillan share on the importance and value of being thankful…

As mentioned in our earlier Encouragement (https://connectingwithyou.net/2016/07/11/time-a-wasting-seize-the-day/) on July 7 we celebrated our 55^th wedding Anny. We had a great day, as mentioned on Facebook!

We thanked each other for a wonderful lifetime together built on love, openness, understanding, respect, trust, faith, believing prayer and, of course, long-term commitment.

And we especially thanked God for each other, for all that he has done of us, enabling us to achieve much in life, and also graciously assisting us to use our abilities, skills and experiences to bless others and assist in building the kingdom.

Some things we did that day included going to a local morning opera – the brilliant La Prima Opera – Encore, then down the coast to a superb celebratory luncheon in Terindah Estate where we were hosted in a special celebratory way, and later back home relaxing over the delightful 1995 romantic drama, A Walk in the Clouds.

But something else, leading to this blog
First up we had collected our ‘old’ 2001 car after its service and new tyres fitted by good mechanic friend, Andrew. Despite the day being overcast with heavy rain falling, our vehicle went like the proverbial dream and we felt so safe and secure travelling along the busy, wet roads. (more…)

TIME A-WASTING? SEIZE THE DAY! (July 11, 2016)

Robert and Maureen McQuillan reflect on ‘time’ …

We humans are definitely creatures of time! We’re preoccupied with it… measuring our days in time, wearing watches to keep check. At some point each day, we wonder ‘What time is it?’ Or ‘How much time do I have left to do this task?’

We may even lament ‘Gosh, time goes on’ or comment to someone, ‘Seems time stood still since we last met’ or ‘It’s been a long time, where did it go?’… and so on.

It’s been said that the concept of time has been problematical for philosophers, even biblical scholars in the divine scheme of things. (more…)

Connecting with You!

words of encouragement from us