(June 30, 2024) Robert McQuillan sincerely shares…
Many years ago when a Pentecostal pastor whom I had never before requested me to teach his church on faith healing, I really threw him when I initially declined. When asked why, I replied that although faith is involved, godly healing is not faith healing but divine healing.
I went on to share that there had been times when I prayed for healing for those who either had no real faith or very little, even non-Christians, and by God’s grace they got relieved, either at the time – in the case of pain – or as I learned later.
Several scriptures in both Testaments shine with God’s compassion – and His Son’s. I’d simply exercised faith as I claimed God’s compassion, quoted His word and prayed in Jesus’ name.
Compassionate Divine Healing Faith in God is tops… but even Christians can be weak in exercising of faith!
There’s an old saying –‘Life is life… and bad things can/may happen even to Christians!’ And there’s a number of things that can result in people being sick, such as the following –
(June 27, 2024) Richard Winter encourages sharing Jesus’s good news…
It’s amazing to be immersed in a new culture. As a young man I was posted with the RAAF to Malaysia – I was surrounded by new sights and smells that at first seemed to be an assault on all my senses… and the people had better suntans than me!
It became obvious I’d better learn the Malay language very quickly! I was to discover one interesting word that was added to everything said in virtually every sentence – Lah. Just a small word, but one of emphasis: a statement and a question in one-word ie…
‘Want to drink, lah!’ can also be ‘Want to drink, lah?’
‘Want to eat, lah!’ – ‘Want to eat, lah?’
‘Can you see that,lah!’ – ‘Can you see that, lah?’
Many of us are operating in a different culture than that we grew up in and we need to know the cultural differences so we can understand and operate in that new culture. I was to spend a lot of time immersed culturally so that I would know what to do, what to expect, how to fit in!
(June 12, 2024) Angeline Selvakumari encourages us to be available to the Lord, to ‘be donkeys’ for Him…
I can’t believe we are already completing the first half of 2024 so quickly. Time flies so fast. I think that is why the Bible teaches us to use our time wisely: ‘Making the very most of your time’ (Ephesians 5:16Amp). Message Bible emphasises ‘Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!’
Purpose No one can know time better than Jesus. He knew when to keep His purpose for coming to the world a secret, and when to declare it openly.
(May 19, 2024) Robert and Maureen McQuillan encouragingly share…
Today is Pentecostal Sunday, a day when many churches will celebrate the day that Jesus’ promise of power to enable us to spread the gospel with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Dr Jim McClure mentions in his article this month – The Power of Pentecost – that ‘Pentecost has often been described as the “Birthday of the Church.” Why? Because Pentecost was the day when the mission of the church was born.’
Question: Have you ever wondered what that early church’s gatherings were like? As time went by they were dangerous places to attend! You could be picked up and carted off to the local jail awaiting stuffing inside a lion’s carcass!
Oh, despite the current troubles here, the bad news we’re seeing some much about on TV, we have it so easy in this country. Christians here haven’t seen what that first church would face! They really had to stand up for their faith back then!
As that first church developed. it proved to be one that greatly loved, lived and loosened Jesus –
Loved Jesus Greatly In his classic book Darkness to Dawn, Dean Farrar tells of a young Roman boy who was drawn to the faith. Taking a chance, some Christians took him to a meeting in a granary. Had you gone too, like that teenager you would have observed at least five particular things –
1. The unity of the people Of one mind and purpose. They were so obviously in love with Jesus and had a great desire to share Him with others through witnessing. 2. The preaching of the word It was clear, expository, enlightening, and life-changing. Those gathered had an obvious hunger for the taught word. They so obviously wanted to be taught what God’s word really said. And to know more about Jesus. 3. The worship of Christ Reverberating, glossological, rapturous. It was evident that Jesus was Lord (the king, boss), not Caesar nor any of the leaders. 4. The response of God Readily shared testimonies confirmed that confident prayers were magnificently and amazingly answered. 5. The ministry of the Spirit Supernatural, revealing, releasing. The 1Corinthians 12 nine gifts of the Spirit operated orderly and the touch of God was evident with various blessings.
In effect that first church was a growing church, one filled with expectancy, where anything in God’s supernatural could happen – and did! It was a people fulfilling their destiny in Christ.
Lived Jesus Greatly It wasn’t about buildings and programs – the early church would meet in homes, underground, wherever. It was about people maturing in Christ and letting go of worldly thinking and contamination, and living life to the full by the power of the Spirit.
They lived and grew in Jesus! They knew that living Jesus greatly would enable Christians to live the life they were meant to have! And in professing Jesus they were desperately hungry for the touch of God, and for the word of God. And they were ready and willing to die for their faith in Jesus. He was Lord, nothing else mattered, only Jesus, God’s word and His commands and purpose for their lives.
Their security was in soundly in Christ. They feared no authority and were of the mind to share their testimony with the lost, whatever the cost. They did so boldly, in the power of the Holy Spirit whom they allowed to direct their lives and everyday experiences.
Everything that was not of God – habits, wrong attitudes, gossip, criticism, anger, unwholesome language and thoughts, selfishness and such had to go from mind, heart, and mouth.
Only Jesus, their love relationship with Him and with each other, and their eager desire for the whole world to know Jesus and the saving power of His shed blood counted. And, although constantly in danger, they were consistent in living lives worthy of Christ’s horrible Calvary sacrifice for them.
Loosened Jesus Greatly That is they determined to share the gospel message of Jesus as Saviour with neighbours and strangers just as Jesus had commanded in Matthew 22:37–39Mge, ““Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.” This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: “Love others as well as you love yourself.”’
This ‘loosening’ Jesus to those around soon spread everywhere as the church grew. It was the honouring of the great commission of Matthew 28:18-20. In time it would reach across the world, even today, touching many causing them to be thankful for God’s love and Jesus’ sacrificial death on Calvary.
As a Thai gentleman we met years ago who told us, ‘When I realised what Jesus had done for me on Calvary, what else could I do but give my life fully to Him in gratitude?’
That’s like the great English cricketer, CT Stud who allowed himself to be disinherited from his rich family inheritance to follow Jesus, said: ‘If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for to make for Him.’
The early church’s driving force was to –
Be aware of the times.
Have an all-consuming love for Jesus and His teachings.
Serve the Lord of all with a burning desire.
See Satan defeated in the lives of others
Carry the good news go to the entire world.
Live in the victory Jesus had gained for them on Calvary.
Fulfil their destiny!
Hear Jesus’ ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ on judgment day.
That first church was a people who are not afraid to move in faith. They would rather attempt something big in God and risk failing than do nothing because it was safer! May we, 2024’s Christians, follow their example and be directed by that same driving force!
Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3-4, ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.’
And as someone from the Jesus Film Project (www.jesusfilm.org) wrote some years ago: ‘If you love the Lord, you want to please Him. It just comes with the territory. Thankfully, we know the kind of things that please the Lord.
On that first Pentecost Sunday, those Holy Spirit filled Christians hit the streets with the gospel! Let us follow their example – let’s love and live for Jesus! And ‘loose’ around His good news message of love and salvation.
The refrain of a happy little hymn by Sydney Carter comes to mind – ‘It’s from the old to the new I travel: keep me traveling along with you.’
(May 15, 2024) Wayne Swift again calls it as it is, sharing some thoughts about those united first Christians who excelled in obeying a particular command of Jesus, and witnessed the birth of the church!
To excel in something, even a leisure pursuit – golfing, surfing, fishing – you have to follow a certain process.
Now when it comes to living as Christians – including whatever God wants us to be involved in – we are often quick to think that we can ‘produce the goods’ simply by wishing or hoping. And there are many times when we think all our dreams will come true without any effort or change on our part.
Our goal as Christians is pretty clear – to win people to Christ. But it takes prayer, time, involvement… and that’s the process before the event.
Greetings dear readers, in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who blesses us with heavenly blessings.
This article holds special significance asEcho of His Callextends heartfelt wishes for a happy Mother’s Day tomorrow to all the mothers worldwide.
While such occasions bring joy to many, they may also evoke feelings of sadness for some. But before dismissing this message, thinking ‘I’m not a mother, so why bother reading,’ consider this: Mother’s Day is a celebration for all who embody the nurturing spirit of motherhood.
And, whether you’re a father, brother, uncle, sister or aunt who has assumed the role and responsibilities of a mother, Sunday May 12 is your day to commemorate and rejoice in your sacrificial love.
No – not about a sin, but about a place I used to go to, to make me a better person. Before Covid I went to the gym – many times, and I didn’t like it all that much.
You do the same things to get in shape, understanding it’s not just vain repetitions with weights and exercises but about your future. You do It again and again and one day you marvel at your change – you’ve lost weight and, hey, you’re looking good.
You’re able to do many more things, you’re breathing more easily… and your clothes fit you in a very enhancing way.
Needed: Spiritual Exercises! But there is another side to us all beyond the physical. We are spiritual beings, and the apostle Paul wrote about another ‘gym’ that he attended – and so should we.
If you hang around with Australians for just a few moments you will hear them say to just about anything you say, ‘No worries, mate!’
Attitude ‘Mate’ is the ‘Ozzie’ slang term for ‘friend’ and this expression is widely used representing a feeling of friendliness, mateship, good humour, kindness, and optimism – like the American ‘No problem.’
It’s a great attitude to have! But… did you know that Aussies weren’t the first to say this when things looked difficult – that Jesus was the first to say, ‘No worries, mate!’
(April 19, 2024) Brian Bell shares ‘get real’ thoughts drawn from reading Paul’s 1Thessalonians 2NLT…
Perhaps like me, when you were growing up, you may have tried to imitate other people at times. In my generation it was not unusual for young boys to have a ‘cowboy suit’ which they would wear to ‘act’ like a real cowboy.
A television series The Lone Ranger was very popular then. In order to hide his real identity, the Ranger wore a face mask, although he was in his character role one of the ‘good guys.’ Zorro, another one of the good guys, also wore a mask to disguise his real identity.
When we come to Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, although the word ‘real’ is not used by Paul, he reflects on how he sought to live without any pretence or disguise… and get real, be real!
(April 15, 2024) Wayne Swift again calls it as it is, challenging us to seek peace by prayer when panic hits…
The world we live in is beset by drama so often causing panic!
Panic Grabs The media need consumers… and nothing grabs a consumer like an urgent situation. Media headlines always work to bring you closer so that you need their insights.
One day a while back I checked The Age website for the cricket scores. But what caught my eye, grabbing me, was the headline highlighting Australian share market slumps following US trend. Out of interest, I read the article Australian share market slumps, tracking Wall Street losses and found that the S&P/ASX200 had fallen 29.6 points, or 0.39 per cent, to 7493.6, weighed down by 10 out of the 11 sectors.
Connecting with You! 