(October 11, 2024) Carol Round encourages trusting in Jesus in these ongoing troubled times…
Right now, the aftermath of a devastating hurricane that hit the southeastern part of the United States dominates the news. Amid the hurricane’s destruction, the current presidential election season leaves us reeling with concern about the outcome.
Adding to the chaos, we hear constant updates of wars around the world — and the damage and fear war causes mentally, destruction, negativity.
Trouble fills our world. We can’t escape it! Besides avoiding social media and the 24/7 news cycle, how can we find peace in a broken world?
It was August 2024 when I last shared some thoughts about Deborah the prophetess who became a judge in Israel. By way of context, and to briefly refresh the background—
Following their entrance into the promised land the children of Israel began to take possession and subdue the occupants, but this proved difficult. In addition, the people of Israel also went through ongoing cycles of sinful disobedience to the Lord. Despite this when they cried out to God for help, He raised up a series of people to be their leaders who were known as judges of which Deborah was one.
(October 08, 2024) Angeline Selvakumari encourages knowing what God thinks of us and how we should think about ourselves…
Benjamin Franklin, regarded as a founding father of the United States, once stated, ‘If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.’ Profoundly impactful words! Planning is a crucial aspect of our lives.
Some individuals excel at both planning and execution.
Others may plan but struggle to implement their strategies.
Sadly there’s another group that doesn’t plan at all, just chooses to go with the flow.
I wonder, dear reader, which category do you belong to?
Reality The Bible reminds us that ‘Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails’(Proverbs 19:21); Proverbs 16:9 states: ‘In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.’
October 04, 2024) Norman and Margaret Moss share another precious meditation…
Do you remember waiting for examination results? Year after year Britain’s BBC gives time to the anxiety, agony and ecstasy of the day when the results are posted.
In our day, which was when the Royal Mail was the main source of communication, we were on holiday and I (Norman) was waiting for the letter to arrive which would give the results of my second degree. We lived in a small English town back then and as we looked from the window we could see the postman coming down the street.
Not only did he move slowly, but he would actually pause, look at the address on a letter and go back to the other side of the street to deliver it. So his progress was a zigzag journey.
After a couple of frustrating days, my beloved Margaret rang up a friend in London and asked her to go to the university building where the results were displayed. After all what’s a bridesmaid for? So she kindly set our minds at rest and all was well. She had the word we were waiting for and it was good!
Carry God’s Word in Your Heart We were meditating on 2Kings 3:12,‘Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him”’ and we felt the Lord was saying—
‘Every true servant of mine carries my word in their heart and mind. My Holy Spirit dwells within you and will speak my words through you.
‘Just as Elisha needed to quieten his heart and to wait on me for my word, so you need to be in the secret place if you would bring prophetic words in time of need.
‘Do not despise prophecy but heed the words that are spoken either by others or by yourself. Yet weigh all things and walk in humility before me.
‘To have my word with you is the best thing that you could have.For my word—
Brings peace and contentment.
Conveys blessings and fruitfulness.
Shall be given and those who ask for it.
Is altogether the very best that you could ask for.
Gives grace and enables those who otherwise would be near to giving up.
‘For my word brings clarity to a situation, it brings understanding and peace for those who are anxious and worried. It brings comfort and solace to those in despair and brings life to those who are in exhaustion.
‘My word is everything and brings increase. Only believe with all your heart and it shall be done — most certainly!’
Dear readers — seek God’s word that will bless the discouraged. Have it in your heart, carry it straight to the needy one and deliver it. And don’t zigzag enroute!
___________________________________________________ Norman and Margaret Moss — Link: charlesnmoss@gmail.com— pastored Queen’s Road Baptist Church, Wimbledon for over 30 years, experiencing charismatic renewal since the 1960s. Desiring still to encourage ministers, churches and groups hungry for more of the Holy Spirit, although ‘retired’ they preach and teach by Zoom, and contribute to Dr. Ayodele Afuye’s Vessels of Virtues Fire Ministries. They recommend Vessels of Virtues’ YouTube weekly presentations. __________________________________________________
So sorry to hear that you went through such agonies with your toe (Trusting the Holy Spirit in Painful Times). What a lovely testimony to the gift of tongues. We’re sure that like ourselves you have encountered many people for whom a prayer in tongues was actually a known language. We rate that precious gift very highly! Thank you, Lord. Bless you for all your work and ministry. Norman and Margaret.
(September 24, 2024) David McGuire has been called The Missionary With The Camera and often conveys reports from Romania and Ukraine to readers with his camera, not a lot of words!
Below David shares regarding yet another mercy trip to Ukraine, particularly to a danger area…
I would like to give praise and thank you to Jesus and everybody who was prayed and supported our recent trip to Kharkov,eastern Ukraine some 20 hours, 860 miles (1,380 km) — close to the Russian border.
(September 22, 2024) Dr Robert McQuillan happily shares a recent woe to encourage.
Yes, I know, I know… even quote Psalm 27:1b to troubled people: ‘The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?’
So I’m human, and was now sort of fearing not the ‘whom’ but the ‘what’… yes me! Me who is forever telling Christians not to fear, was now fearing! Well… maybe not fear as in frightening fear, but was a little apprehensive!
Pain And why shouldn’t I be anxious? I was having great hallux unguis incarnatusonychocryptosispain — left big toe ingrown nail pain! And… I knew from previous experience with my right big toe that just before my doctor would give me several ‘relaxing’ needle injection shots into my toe and surrounding area, he’d be saying, ‘Robert, this is going to hurt!’ And that my response would be ‘I know, doctor, and I’ll try not to scream but I will.’ And scream I would!
Great subject to be sharing, huh! Told my darling wife Maureen what would happen: Her comforting word? ‘Oh you wimp.’ Great too, eh? So off to the doc’s I go with Maureen’s farewelling ‘You’ll be okay. I’ll be praying for you.’ Yes, I think… but not suffering. Help, Lord!
Checking in with the clinic’s new receptionist I jokingly said, ‘Well, here I am for the torture chamber’ to which she suppressed a giggle 😊. She’s from northern India and I asked, ‘Oh, by the way, do you know what your name means?’ She answered ‘No’ and I really surprised her by saying, ‘It means “Lucky” so I going to think of you as my lucky charm and avoid the torture pain.’ Now she really giggled 😊. Me? Knowing what was ahead, I was weakly half-smiling ☹!
Pearl Hey… bear with me: I do have a good testimony here. Mama Lava shares great insights this month about pearls — Precious Pearls of Prudence — particularly sharing that‘prudenceis theability to make intelligent decisions especially in everyday matters.’ I recommend Mama Lava’s excellent article… and now share about ‘my surgery pearl of great price’ experience.
Come the ‘operation’ time, I was not smiling! I confess that I did scream a few times and gripped the operation table so tightly as my doctor injected several shots into my big toe area. The pain was not his fault! Just me whinging! The receptionist was definitely not ‘my lucky charm’ and yes, it’s easy to be funny, to joke now that it’s all over!
I apologised to the doctor if I was disturbing patients in the adjoining waiting area! After a moment or two I felt all right and he inserted the blade into my toe to cut the ingrowth, but I screamed again, biting my lower lip!
The doc warned me that there was only a little antiseptic left in the needle and if that didn’t work, well… When he jabbed me once more, I ‘aaahed’ again biting my lower lip. Yeah… Doctor Wimpy, that was me… and I don’t mean Doctor WimpyIce-cream!
Preciousness Then suddenly I remembered Mama Lava’s article andrecalledmy precious prudence pearl — the blessed Holy Spirit, my best friend! Why hadn’t I called on Him before? After all, I’m always telling people that He’s there to help us in everything.
I started asking the Spirit to help me… and also to guide the good doc, a friend who so loves it when I lay hands on him and pray for him as I leave his clinic.
And by asking I mean calling out quietly in the gift of tongues, unconcerned that the practice nurse and the doctor were hearing me speak in an unknown language!
It worked — the blessed Holy Spirit helped me and I didn’t feel any more pain as the needle went further in, not even when the sharp knife was used. I was as quiet as a mouse, no more loud ‘aaahs.’ And in no time it was all over including a huge bandage wrap-up. Time to relax after thank-you to the doc and nurse.
Plentiness I would add that scriptures, even ones I often give to troubled individuals had come to mind about God’s comforting promise to not fear! I haven’t space here to list the hundreds of scriptures indicating to ‘Fear not’ but it’s been said that there are plenty of scriptures about this most repeated command in the Bible. Lloyd Ogilvie in Facing the Future Without Fear even said there are 366 ‘Fear nots’ in the Bible, one for every day of the year, including Leap Year!
In this troubled and sinful world, none of us, even Christians can avoid painful encounters of various kinds that can even paralyse with fear! But God is powerful and we His children can claim the protection of our heavenly Father!
The Holy Spirit quickly reminded me to claim my pearl and pray Psalm 46:1-2a, ‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…’ Also my Saviour’s comforting John 14:27 command: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’
I lay there not screaming but quietly resting in the Spirit’s arms and praising God in tongues. And then it was all over! Was I one happy chappy!
Later at home I found Isaiah 41:13NASB, ‘For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand [big toe, I thought] and says to you, “Do not fear; I will help you!”’(Message Bible: ‘That’s right. Because I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I’m not letting go. I’m telling you, “Don’t panic. I’m right here to help you”’).
Pleasure Sure I had to rest up when I came home but to my delight my grandson-in-law Matthew brought three-year-old great-granddaughter AvaleighGrace round to cheer me up. And was she the fun-of-the- party!
Hopping off her first-ever bycycle, with her coy ‘What’s up, Poppa?’ look, Avaleigh was my second pearl of great price!
Something bothering you, that’s upsetting and causing some dreading, some edgy anticipation health-wise? Thank God for the medical profession, but do remember that you can also ask His help.
Or is something else bugging you? Know that you know that you know you can give every trouble over to the Lord!
Check out Romans 5:5, ‘… we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary — we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!’
Mama Lava’s icon comes to mind —
_________________________________________ Dr Robert and Pastor Maureen McQuillan’s links are OnlinerConnect@gmail.com and Facebook _________________________________________
(September 20, 2024) Mama Lava shares some precious insights…
Are you familiar with the origins of pearls? I admit I was a bit mistaken in what I thought I knew.
Did you know it’s nota scratchy bit of sand which typically begins the process? A pearl is more commonly a mollusc’s defensive reaction to a parasite.
Natural History Museum informs us that — ‘Pearls are made by marine oysters and freshwater mussels as a natural defence against an irritant such as a parasite entering their shell or damage to their fragile body. The oyster or mussel slowly secretes layers of aragonite and conchiolin, materials that also make up its shell. This creates a material called nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, which encases the irritant and protects the mollusc from it. When pearls are cultured commercially an irritant is manually inserted into a mollusc to promote the production of mother-of-pearl. Nacre can form naturally around almost any irritant that gets inside the shell, creating some very unique and precious pearls.’
(September 18, 2024) Wayne Swift once again calls it as it is…
Picture this scenario — a young man like many young men feels a strong and ambitious call to change the world. He lives in a safe environment, and has been privileged compared to the rest of the world’s population. He has been well educated, and people like him, even admire him. But so far he hasn’t yet carried a great deal of responsibility.
Then one day as he’s out and about his impetuous nature compels him to begin the process of changing the world and he does so by buying into disputes that are not his to buy into. Worse still his inability to control himself leads him taking the life of another while trying to sort out a dispute. Character flaws were very quickly unveiled in the heat of a battle. The very next day another dispute occurs before his eyes and suddenly before he can take any remedial action both parties in the dispute turn to him and accuse him of murder.
(September 15, 2024) Dr Jim McClure concludes this series on The Greatest Story…
What lies ahead of us? We are all keen to know what the future holds. Even Jesus’ disciples were curious and one day they asked Him, ‘What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ (Matthews 24:3). In reply Jesus gave them a glimpse of some of the things that will happen in the future.
We shall explore this further but before we do, let us be clear about this. Despite the disclosure Jesus gave to His disciples and the information that Paul, Peter, John and others have given in the Bible about the end, we do not know precisely when those events will take place nor can we be wholly certain about their order!
Connecting with You! 
