WILLINGLY SERVING OTHERS, WHATEVER THE COST   

(November 15, 2021) Robert McQuillan reminds readers of an ongoing challenge…

Every now and then, in ministering to Christians, I feel to quote Dr Toyohiko Kagawa (1888–1960) who not only wrote and taught about the teachings of Jesus Christ but lived them out even in a troubled society and world itself, often at great personal cost.

In 1938, in The Challenge of Redemptive Love he wrote declaring that the world was full of rebellion against God, that the human race has gone morally insane: it has lost sight of standards of integrity… that evil was proclaimed as good, and wrong is right… that class morality was not the least concerned for any other class. He could have been writing about 2021! (See Geri B’s Cancel, Condemn or Cherish?).

Toyohiko Kagawa c1920

Kagawa likened this situation to that of the first century Roman Empire, adding the good news that ‘… but just the time when God, undismayed by the corruption of the human race, in order to reconcile man to himself, opened the way of redemptive love… Christ paid the price with his blood.’

He wrote much about the blindness of human corruption and rebellion against God, wanting every person to know about the one who allowed himself to be placed under the death penalty on the cross, paying the price of righteousness by a unique act of redemptive love. He would set an example by reaching out himself at great personal cost to the down and outs, to criminals, to the weary, to those shedding tears in distress, the needy around him.

And possibly this brilliant but ever so humble man of God’s greatest challenge was ‘Are you going about doing good… or just going about?’

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CANCEL, CONDEMN OR CHERISH?

(November 13, 2021) Geri B challenges Christians to live righteously…

We live in a very troubled world today!

And not just the ongoing worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. New terms have become an embedded part of our culture, including a most troubling one originating out of America … ‘Cancel Culture.’

For the uninitiated the definition of this is: The practice or tendency of engaging in mass cancelling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure. This practice of ‘cancelling’ or mass shaming often occurs on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

This is where the assassination of a person’s character, no matter who they are, is permissible, acceptable and at times, applauded.

Even when someone has committed an offence, it is acceptable to hold the person up for public scrutiny – to be judge, jury and executioner all at once. Complex issues are cut down to the lowest common denominator – us and them.

Very current hot examples:

  • Vaccinated and Unvaccinated
  • Black Lives Matter
  • Me-Too Movement.

Cancel?
If someone comments on an issue or a current event, and that comment does not agree with your viewpoint or value, you have the ‘right’ to ridicule, attack, vilify or belittle that person in any way you see fit.

I think Jesus called that murder…  ‘For out of the heart come evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander’ (Matthew 15:19).

And indeed some people who have experienced such open (and sometimes very public) attacks have taken their own lives, unable to bear the onslaught of hatred and shame. And I am not talking about worldly individuals (who have done this for many years), I’m talking about Christian brother against Christian brother, Christian sister against sister!

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WHEN GOD WAKES UP A NATION!

(November 12, 2021) Erica Grace, ex-missionary to South America, challenges us to pray for our nation…

Have you been praying for revival in our nation? It looks like the Lord is answering our prayers. Sometimes it is necessary to define words that we commonly use and presume we all know what it means. By definition ‘to revive’ means to make someone strong, healthy, or active again. To restore from inactive to active, from unconscious to conscious. In other words, to wake up!

The worldwide ‘pandemic’ has shaken us from our complacent sleep and revived many across the world. This unbelievable event has disrupted our homes, our jobs, our travel, our education, every aspect of our lives. What made it even more surreal is that it took place all over the world at the same time, spreading fear and panic.

Why did we need a wake-up call?
It is very easy to become complacent in a nation like Australia. Life here is easy in comparison to other places. The lackadaisical Aussie lifestyle places few demands on its citizens. But what does it mean to become complacent? It is defined as ‘self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.’  

It reminds me of the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, ‘When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep (Matthew 25:5).

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CHURCH MINISTRY TO DISABLED SURGES IN GROWTH

(November 11, 2021) Michael Ashcraft shares good news and a challenge about reaching the disabled in churches large or small…

Gina Spivey’s church is reaching the biggest unreached people group in America, and you may not know they’re an unreached group.

They are people with disabilities, and tragically many churches don’t want to focus ministry attention on this group – which constitutes about one-fourth of America – because they require extra facilities, special attention and sometimes disrupt the service, says Ryan Faulk of Joni & Friends.

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Gina Spivey

‘Of the 61 million American adults living with some sort of disability, there are about 2.25 million who –statistically speaking – should be attending church, but don’t,’ writes Ryan on the Joni & Friends website. ‘A 2018 study from Clemson University shows that children with any kind of disability are less likely than their peers to attend church, and children with autism are nearly twice as likely to never attend a religious service.’

Concerted effort to invaluable people
For the last decade, Gina’s church, Calvary Community of Westlake Village just outside Los Angeles County, has made a concerted effort to accommodate people with ‘special abilities.’

‘They’re invaluable. People with special abilities have such a simple clear understanding of the love of God,’ says Gina, pastor of special abilities at Calvary. ‘They’re not as bogged down by noise and politics and the world and all of the things that can confuse who God is. They have a childlike faith that we can be reminded how simple the love of God can be.’

She added, ‘Beyond that, they help us to understand what it means to serve someone who can’t serve us back quid pro quo. It shows us how it is to love someone and lay down our lives for them.’

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COP BUSTED FOR SELLING DRUGS GOT COURT SURPRISE

(November 10, 2021) Michael Ashcraft shares an amazing testimony…

On the 17th day of solitary confinement in jail, cop John Clichy broke down and made a confession – not to the crime of which he was accused but to his need for Jesus Christ.

‘I realised I needed help because there was no way I was getting out of this, there was no way I was getting through this,’ he says on a Psalm Forty video. ‘January 31, 2013, right after midnight, I wholeheartedly called out to God. I saw everything that I was doing wrong that was displeasing to God that was harming me, and I realised I got myself into that mess. I said, “God, I don’t want to live that life no more.” I wholeheartedly repented of that life.’

Taking his newfound faith seriously
The former undercover detective who lived a high-flying life – with spinning rims, free drinks at bars and 19 girlfriends – was accused with two other Schaumburg Village, Ill, detectives of re-selling part of the drugs they confiscated from busts.

But while the two other cops accepted plea bargains for lesser sentences, Cichy took his fledgling faith seriously. He had heard God say to not break down in fear of getting a longer sentence and to go to trial. He faced 18 counts which, if convicted, could result in a minimum of 24 years in prison, yet he refused every plea bargain they offered because God told him to.

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IF TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

(November 9, 2021) Mama Lava shares a thoughtful challenge…

I just had a conversation with the youngest and oldest of my five children. For context, they are 18 and 26 years old.

We sat down at the same time for breakfast and began to discuss what we would do today if we knew it was our last day to live. I thought the discussion was hilarious, stereotypical, and insightful. It went like this:

My own answer was simple.

‘What would I do if I knew today was my last day to live? I’d go to the beach, my happy place! I’d communicate my gratitude and encouragements and goodbyes from the sand, serenaded by crashing surf. I’d pray, and later be calling, texting, and writing.’

My son’s helpful ‘abandon’ list
My youngest had a completely different take. He asked, ‘I’m going to die tomorrow… for sure? Then I can’t die today, right?’

My oldest and I looked at each other. We hadn’t thought of that. I was completely amused by his line of thinking. He continued…‘I’d go skydiving without a parachute’ he started.

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AN INVITATION FROM JESUS

(November 9, 2021) Carol Round reminds us of Isaiah’s godly challenge…

‘Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?’ (Isaiah 58:7 ESV).

Driving by a deserted store front, I did a double take. Underneath the overhang was a mishmash of stuff. Someone’s meagre belongings. An empty cart. A lump of humanity huddled under a blanket.
 
In a town with a population under 20,000, it’s not a common sight here. I’ve seen people passing through with backpacks or pushing carts, but I’d never experienced a homeless person living on the streets in our community. In larger metropolitan areas, yes.
 
Overcome with sadness, I prayed, and continued to finish the errands I was running that afternoon. But the image of someone trying to stay warm under a thin blanket kept me company.

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EFFECTIVE GOD-GIVEN DAYS

(October 25, 2021) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share an encouragement…

We had a tear in our eyes when reading a comment by Henry Winkler last month. Renowned for his iconic role as the Fonz in the hit TV series Happy Days, after years as Arthur Fonzarelli, he questioned whether his career effectively used his ‘God-given talents.’

According to www.movieguide.org, having been trained as a classical actor, he had always meant to be a ‘serious’ actor – doing drama, not comedy.

‘Occasionally I would wonder: Was playing the character of Fonzie doing anybody any good? I’d been raised in the Jewish faith and still felt a real peace and closeness to God when I worshipped in a synagogue,’ he said. ‘Was I doing what I was really meant to do? Was I using my God-given talents in the best possible way?’

One day an answer came in the most unexpected way. Back in the 80s Henry Winkler had been chairperson of an annual event called the Special Arts Festival held at the Music Center in Los Angeles. Children came there with mental and physical handicaps come to perform in their own amateur theatrics, to show their talents, and exhibit their artwork.

‘Children are there from all backgrounds and all walks of life, and as I walked through the crowds, I’d do a lot of hugging. I’d hold the hand of a little girl in a wheelchair. I’d joke with a young boy without a leg,’ he said. 

‘Fonzie!’
In a  www.guideposts.org 1985 article, Henri Winkler said he remembered one interaction with one of the children that confirmed for him that faith and entertainment were not separate. He wrote: Several years ago there was such a racket that it was amazing I heard the voice at all. ‘Fonzie,’ someone said. A small, shy voice in all the hubbub. ‘Fonzie!’

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JOURNEY TO HOPE AND HEALING

(October 24, 2021) Caloundra, Qld, Mercy Ships shares more good news…

Operating a fleet of floating hospitals means managing a host of moving parts. From building relationships with other nations to staffing a crew of volunteer professionals – and, of course, serving our patients.

You might say the work on board a Mercy Ship requires a journey. Vessels moving from port to port. Volunteers travelling from their homes to our ships. And, of course, patients and caregivers finding their way on board from all corners of their country.

What does travel mean to Mercy Ships? Let’s explore.

Travelling Far and Wide for Surgical Treatment
How far can you imagine travelling to receive healthcare?

For many of the patients we serve, access to care isn’t only limited financially – it’s also physically out of reach. Without trained medical specialists in the region, small issues can quickly grow into life-threatening conditions with no hope in sight.

When our ships sail into port for a 10-month field service, healing is finally within reach – but the journey often isn’t over there. First, Mercy Ships patient screening teams typically travel extensively across each nation in order to screen and select which patients can receive surgery on board. These upcountry screening trips often involve days or weeks on the road to reach patients in remote regions.

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DO YOU HEAR THE CHILDREN CRY?

(October 24, 2021) Erica Grace, ex-missionary to South America, challenges us from her weeping heart…

It was Vladimir Lenin who once wrote: ‘Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.’

Without the need for a bloody revolution or a violent take-over he did just that! This bloodless coup took place right under our noses in countries we think are free, rational, and rich.

Let us take a brief closer look…

The aborted western society
The first strategic move was to remove God from public schools. That took some time, but with the proliferation of the theory of evolution, God was discarded, and ‘pseudo-science’ took his place. One end-result of evolution is that human life is not worth more than animal life or even the environment, we all are of equal value.

It follows then that an unwanted foetus can now be ripped out of the mother’s womb and discarded simply because they are inconvenient, though if you were to destroy animal eggs in a zoo you would be criminally charged.

In today’s world more babies are killed inside their mother’s womb than outside it, all with the sanction of the government and taxpayers funding. Sixty-two million babies have been slaughtered in the womb since abortion was made legal by the United States Supreme Court, the gold standard for the rest of the world.

Broken family structures
Removing God from the school curriculum also involved removing the Bible and its teaching. The first domino to fall has been the family, God’s masterpiece. There has been an unrelenting attack on the family nucleus beginning by removing those nasty ‘patriarchal’ fathers and making sure all male generations are coerced into docility and passivity.

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