THEBUZZ

GLEANINGS (March 9, 2017):

MELBOURNE – Disturbing slow erosion and silent churches!
MIDDLE EAST – Prayer and Christian love in action
PERTH – Strenuous stairway to heaven or easy highway to hell?

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THE INSIDIOUS WORK OF THE ENEMY

Erica Grace challenges changing the definition of marriage…

I had just finished writing to my local state and federal Members of Parliament letting them know I was not in favour of changing the definition of marriage to include same sex marriage.

Their answers arrived back and basically they both said the same thing: ‘Changing the definition of marriage will not change your life one iota!’

Oh really? (more…)

ARE YOU A PROCRASTINATORS CLUB MEMBER?

(March 8, 2017) Carol Round challenges…

‘Later the others also came. “Lord, Lord,” they said, “open the door for us!” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I don’t know you”’ (Matthew 25:11-12 NIV).

Did you know there’s a Procrastinators Club?
They’ve never met because they keep postponing their meeting. We can laugh about putting things off. Some procrastinate because the project is daunting or boring. Others find better things to do.

There are, of course, those who have procrastinated so long the pile of tasks grows into a mountain they’re afraid to tackle.

People procrastinate for different reasons. Psychologist Joseph Ferrari, PhD identifies three basic types of procrastinators: (more…)

MARTYRS BY PROXY?

(March 8, 2017) Stuart Reynolds brings another timely challenge …

A pig and a hen were walking down the road when they saw a poster advertising the forthcoming Harvest Supper. It reported that bacon and eggs would be served. The hen said to the pig, ‘How nice it is that we can help the church.’

The pig replied to the hen, ‘It’s all very well for you – you’ll be making a contribution, but I’ll be making a sacrifice!’

It was Alexander MacLaren who wrote: ‘Martyrs by proxy, who have such strong convictions that they think it somebody else’s duty to run the risk for them, are by no means unknown.’

A location considered
We rightly pray much for the ‘Persecuted Church’ – often feeling small and inadequate alongside them because of what they are living out and proving in the midst of oppression and we’re not. (more…)

THE SECOND STEP IN RESTORATION

(March 6, 2017) Tim Edwards brings a timely, challenging kingdom word…

Church – and the kingdom – is not about me; it’s about God and all of us together. 2017 is the beginning of a new season, a new chapter, a new day and I personally can’t wait to see where God takes us all on the journey.

Every Christian shares a clear purpose that is given to all who love and obey God. As Christians who who are aiming to live a Christ-like life, we all have the same purpose as recorded in Matthew 22 and 28…

The great commandment – asking us to ‘love God and love one another’
The great commission – asking us to ‘go’, to take that love out to the people, into life, and offer everyone the opportunity to connect to God
Loving God, people and life summarises our shared purpose as Christians.

(more…)

THE MAKING OF A MISSIONARY CHURCH

(March 6, 2017) Missionary statesman George Forbes shares from experience on a successful mission’s strategy…

Missionary churches do not just happen!

They are born of a vision, founded by a pastor who has heard from God and grow to become a missionary church over a good period of time. They do not simply or suddenly appear. They are the outcome of multiple factors in the plan and purposes of God for the extension of his kingdom. (more…)

DARE TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE…

(March 6, 2017) Robert and Maureen McQuillan reminisce and share a challenge to dare …

An article in a magazine about movies/TV shows/comic characters grabbed our attention last week –taking us back to the fifties, yet speaking about a real need today!

In a day when some serious-minded Christians, including church leaders, are saying that we need a fresh revival, here was an article by the delighted editor about another revival, that of the renowned 1950s British comic book hero – Dan Dare.

encouragement-03-17a

First Eagle, April 14, 1950

Okay… many, especially our younger generation and non-Brits will wonder who’s he? Who was Dan Dare? This editor (not an aged senior, by the way!) stated it simply – ‘Before there was the science fiction Quartermass, before Doctor Who, before … there was Colonel Dan Dare – Pilot of the Future.

Boldly going places
We can easily add that decades before Star Trek and the Klingons or Star Wars and Dark Vader, there was Dan Dare and his arch-nemesis, the evil reptile-looking Mekon of Mekonta, ruler of the Treens! Decades before James T Kirk ever declared the Enterprise’s mission to ‘boldly go where no man has gone before’ we who were kids in the fifties can reflect and boldly declare that Dan Dare has been there, done that! (more…)

GRACE MISREPRESENTED!

(February 24, 2017) Dr Jim McClure, highly esteemed theologian, expounds a present danger…

A few years ago I wrote a book which I titled Grace Revisited. The reason behind my research on this subject and the writing of the book was the inadequate understanding that was prevalent concerning this most important word in the Christian faith.

The distinguished 16th century theologian, John Calvin, helpfully made clear varying aspects of grace, such as, Common Grace, Justifying Grace, Sanctifying Grace, Election Grace, Irresistible Grace, Unconditional Grace and Irrevocable Grace. (more…)

THE BUZZ

GLEANINGS (February 17, 2017):

TEN WAYS TO LOVE – No commandment greater
MIRACLE AND SALVATIONS IN VIETNAM – Prayer and Christian love
MOVING ON – From dream to reality!

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NO OTHER COMMANDMENT IS GREATER!

(February 17, 2017) Carol Round, Special to ASSIST encourages…

‘”And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” The second is equally important: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” No other commandment is greater than these’ (Mark 12:30-31NLT).

For over 11 years, I’ve sat down at my computer each week to write this column. It wasn’t part of my retirement plan after leaving education in 2005. But God had other plans. (more…)

A TIME OF DROUGHT

(February 17, 2017) Harold Harvey encourages keeping a good relationship with God and avoid (or overcome) spiritual droughts…

I remember learning in primary school Dorothy McKellar’s poem about Australia. The first verse goes –

‘I love a sunburnt country
A land of sweeping plains
Of ragged mountain ranges
Of droughts and flooding rains.’

Australians are familiar with droughts and the hardships that go with it
There is little or no water to quench the thirst of livestock, pastures become sparse and stock are hand-fed, the hay stocks are soon used up and livestock are sold off cheaply to the slaughter houses rather than allowing them to die. Many of the stock do die of thirst and starvation while farmers have the unenviable task of shooting the starving creatures that are already dying an agonising death because there is no food for them. (more…)

WELL-INTENTIONED DRAGONS – THE CHURCH’S REAL BEAUTIES AND BEASTS

(February 17, 2017) Stuart Reynolds brings a timely warning and challenge to newly appointed shepherds of the flock …

The 2017 version of Disney’s popular romantic fantasy Beauty and the Beast is released next month. But – hey churches, and newly appointed pastors, are you aware of a beauty and beast in your church, maybe even more than one? They’re real, not a fantasy or so romantic, in many a church!

We train pastors to look after the people in the church – absolutely right! – but when are churches ever trained in how to look after their pastors, to help guard them, especially from dangers within their very own congregation?

The apostle John expressed a concern in his third letter about something that still occurs in some churches today, one that newly appointed pastors must be aware of!

‘Diotrephes, who loves being in charge, denigrates my counsel. If I come to you, you can be sure I’ll hold him to account for spreading vicious rumours about us. As if that weren’t bad enough, he not only refuses hospitality to travelling Christians but tries to stop others from welcoming them. Worse yet, instead of inviting them in he throws them out’ (3 John 1: 9-10 Message).

Diotrephes types today
Churches, and especially newly appointed pastors, need to be aware that there are Diotrephes types – well-intentioned dragons in their midst! (more…)

Connecting with You!

words of encouragement from us