THE BIBLE ISN’T BANNED READING

(October 22, 2021) Maureen McQuillan encourages a concerned person…

Pastor Maureen… I’m hearing from America, England and even here that there’s a rapidly growing conspiracy to demean, indeed block Christianity, cancel church and other Christianity charities, that Christian schools will be forced to accept non-Christian teachers, and such. I’m particularly concerned to hear that any Christian who seeks to help someone find Jesus as Saviour by sharing the gospel with them and pointing out that we’re all sinners and need to repent could be taken to court, fined and even imprisoned… if the person doesn’t like what they hear. Does this mean that we will be banned from sharing about God, Jesus and the things we hold dear? Marie (Not real name).

Gosh, ‘Marie’… whoa, wait a minute, hold it there. Sounds like you’re panicking! Yes, all that you mention sounds very concerning but we mustn’t be afraid… or deceived by any satanic ploy. Australian Christian Lobby (natoffice@acl.org.au) in particular and praying Christians/churches aware of such subversive ‘conspiracies’ are endeavouring to counter such matters (as are others speaking out in America and elsewhere).

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HARVEST – A TIME FOR REFLECTION

(October 21, 2021) Brian Bell reflects …

As Moses approached the end of his earthly life, he reminded God’s people about the festival of harvest (Deuteronomy 16:10) which was one of the three festivals they were to celebrate each year. These festivals were an opportunity for God’s people to reflect, remember and recognise the Lord’s blessing on them.

Here in Northern Ireland, ‘Harvest Sunday’ is for the most part, still a fairly traditional celebration, usually in the colder, wetter, and darker months of September and October and held especially for folk in our farming/agricultural communities.

God’s handiwork
Last Sunday, October 17, we celebrated harvest in my home church and while we would not be described as being folk who live in a designated farming/agricultural community, some of our folk do come from such backgrounds. The church sanctuary was therefore modestly yet tastefully decorated and as I looked at the various displays they reminded me not only of the harvest of creation – fruit, vegetables, and such, but also of the harvest of salvation.

For me, the harvest of creation can be seen in the words of David J Mansell’s song Jesus is Lord which say, ‘Jesus is Lord, creation’s voice proclaims it, for by his power, each tree and flower was planned and made.’

Creation is God’s handiwork – but he has given us a fairly significant role in managing it and we see this in the rewards as we reap what is sown.

The harvest of salvation is also God’s handiwork. As the good seed of God’s word is sown, the Holy Spirit can lead people into a saving experience and he reaps a harvest of those who respond in faith.

This theme of reflection is also found in Jeremiah chapter 8, from which I will share some brief thoughts…

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EIRENE PEACE

(October 18, 2021) Dr Robert McQuillan responds to this query about the Holy Spirit special brand of peace…

Dear Dr Robert
It’s me, Mitch. Again. I appreciate the help you been giving me over recent months… advice and prayers. I want to ask you something… I was really struggling with something that I couldn’t get free from; it was hanging on me like some sort of trap. But then you prayed for me… in what I thought was unusual at the time… you strongly prayed for a special peace to come on me, drop on me, aneirenepeace. And I know that I know something happened! I felt so released and have been feeling good since. I know you wrote about this peace as being one of the fruit segments of the Holy Spirit, but please explain further (I still feel so good!).  Mitch.

Dear Mitch

Firstly, I praise God that you’re feeling released in your mind and heart. Yes, back in July I explained this peace as Eirene… inner peace is ours, a very special assurance that all will be well… as Jesus assured his frightened disciples. Eirene is mentioned some 90 times in the NT and was (think Irene) a very popular girl’s name. Eirene related to serenity enjoyed under a good and just government ruler. Villagers would call the keeper of public peace, ‘the Eirene’ the one who would justly look after them. Think about this in respect of Jesus… the hand that holds the universe also holds us!

Perhaps if I share the following with you, it’ll help you further understand – and appreciate how releasing and what a blessing this special peace is…

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MEMORIES…

(October 17, 2021) Maureen McQuillan recalls some fond life memories…

‘Oh no. Not that “Memories are made of this: The sweet, sweet memories you’ve given me” song again! Not Perry Como again, Bonnie!’

How many times, so long ago, Robert or I would jokingly exclaim this to our precious granddaughter, Bonnie-Jane when she was so little. And not only when she was so very young and tiny, but for many years to come. Of course we really liked Perry Como and his excellent music and delightful, clean-cut TV shows, especially the Christmas ones where he’d go to different parts of the world.

But let me share what would happen regarding our collection of CDs…

At some point little Bonnie had really taken to Perry Como and worked out how to get into our CDs drawer, and locate our Perry Como disc – and had cleverly worked put it on the player and would listen to it as she played with her toys. Every time she visited us, especially when she stayed over, all we would hear was Perry Como! And this would go on for some years! To our delight of course! And she would giggle when we exclaimed, ‘Not Perry Como again, Bonnie!’

Yes, Bonnie-Jane has given us many, many sweet, sweet memories, in various ways (as did Wendy her mother and now her own daughter, Avaleigh Grace, our cute little great-grandaughter).

Location memories
Sweet, sweet memories are precious, such as those of places one has been and enjoyed. And memories not only of places but of people and incidents. No doubt you can recall many yourself.

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TRUSTING GOD, SURVIVING CANCER AND COVID

Mark Ellis shares a heart-warming testimony…

In 2020 Geane Prado, 51, was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. She started chemotherapy and had a bone marrow transplant. But when she went for her second round of chemotherapy, doctors discovered Geane had covid-19, according to a report by Aleteia.

Admitted to the hospital, her condition deteriorated rapidly. After the second diagnosis, she fully surrendered her life to God.

Strong faith
God gave her a strong faith, but prior to being intubated, she wrote goodbye letters to her family. She sent them all to a friend and asked her to deliver the messages if she died.

In one of the letters, Geane (right today) gave the following exhortation to her children:

  • Under no circumstances separate from each other. Be united, live for each other. Take care of your spiritual life, educate your children in the fear of the Lord, be strong, and continue to be beautiful, loving children of good character. There are no words to describe how proud I am of you. Never abandon your father, take care of him with love.

Geane’s condition got worse!

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SPIRITUAL DIAGNOSIS

(October 16, 2021) the late Georgia Cohen RN was famous for her book, Nurse Georgee (see link below). The following is an excerpt, which shares her caring heart …

In my profession as a nurse I’ve had the privilege of assisting many great doctors help patients recovery from illnesses. It’s good to know that many medical professionals believe in God’s healing power or at least are open to the benefits of faith and what is often regarded as ‘spiritual healing.’

In every conversation we engage in to help troubled sick people, our mind should always be focused on looking for a spiritual diagnosis. When an individual does not know Jesus as Saviour, they are spiritually sick. They need the right medicine to treat their illness.

Jesus – the best diagnostician
Jesus is the great physician and has the cure for every spiritual disease and the medicine to cure spiritual sickness is the Bible. Sick people need to meet the great physician, the best diagnostician in the world.

Before I surrendered my life to Christ, my spiritual disease was hopelessness. My sister, Barbara, encouraged me, daily saying, ‘There’s a better way, Georgia, and his name is Jesus.’ I knew the way I was going was disastrous.

Barbara treated my hopeless spiritual disease with the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

We are all doctors for Jesus!
Good doctors always do a complete history and physical on their patients, leaving no stone unturned. In daily encounters, we also need to do complete assessments when talking with others.

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STRUGGLING WITH DISAPPOINTMENT?

(October 14, 2021) Mama Lava shares great hope…

This post is going to write itself because I write it with tears running down my cheeks!

I had awakened with happy expectation. This was the day I had been looking forward to for quite a while because it had been entirely set aside for the enjoyment of a long-awaited opportunity. It had been circled on the calendar of my heart and anticipated with a child-like giddiness.

But… it quickly became apparent that the day wasn’t going to happen according to plan. Disappointment surged in, uninvited and unruly.

God could also change the circumstance… but I didn’t want to be further disappointed if he chose not to. I wanted him to change my attitude. Quite frankly, that day was simply the most recent in a string of struggles with disappointment. I wanted God to show me the lesson I had been needing to learn so that these kinds of situations would not hinder me anymore.

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GOD IS PERFECT IN ALL HIS WAYS

(October 12, 2021) Carol Round reminds us that…

… God is indeed perfect! And that his Son, Jesus, declared it in Matthew 5:48, challenging us to be perfect too: ‘Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’

Confession time
I’m a Christian, but not perfect. I make mistakes and I mess up – sometimes big time. But God’s grace is bigger than my sins. And, for that, I am grateful.

As a recovering perfection seeker, I know what it’s like to strive to do and to be perfect. The only thing I accomplished, in the end, was my own unhappiness. The more I tried, the more I was burdened to maintain what I thought being perfect meant – ‘a state of flawlessness, without defect.’ For humans, that is impossible!

Jesus is talking to his disciples – the Sermon on the Mount, and Matthew 5:48 however can be puzzling to some. It was for me… until I read different translations of this verse and a commentary.

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THE ‘BIG QUESTION’

(October 11, 2021) Dr Jim McClure, noted theologian, shares in-depth on what can be a distracting issue…

Here is a topic that has often distracted Christians and divided home Bible study groups – Did God select in advance those who would be saved or is the exercise of our free will to accept Jesus as our Saviour the deciding factor?  How many fruitless hours have been wasted in argument that has often been dogmatic, hostile and divisive!

The ‘Big Question’ which often stirs people is this: Is our salvation determined by God’s decision or by ours? The problem is finding an unambiguous and unequivocal answer because there is an apparent conflict between the biblical concepts of God’s sovereignty and human free will. Does God decide in advance who will be saved and who will be lost? 

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This is a massive theological issue that has been addressed in multiple books by many profound theologians so I admit that my comments here are most inadequate.  However I hope that they may be of some help.

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THE WORLD MAY BE IN A MESS BUT JESUS OFFERS ABUNDANT LIFE!

(September 18, 2021) David McGuire missionary to Romania, shares…

The world is in a mess but with Jesus there is life and life in abundance!

He makes a way where the world says stop!

Our thanks to who have praying for us… your continued care and support has made so much come to pass.

A very busy summer indeed with no stopping!
I have so many pictures from this summer! Such the one below showing one of two houses that were built in Tigmandru, one for a family of six and the other for a single elderly lady.

Both situations were cases of homelessness and completed with provision coming from American Christian friends and a northern Irish charity (Project Romania), praise the Lord.

And here’s a photo showing Tigmandru church trip out to the zoo for the kids who come to the weekly Bible group we do. Provision also came in to bless the teenagers who attend the same church go to a three-day Christian camp.

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