‘WE ARE FREE!’

(February 1, 2020) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share …

‘We are free!’ That was the rapturous cheer by so many flag-waving Britons today, happy that their country is exiting from the EU after almost 50 years of union with Europe.

Thousands had flocked to a muddy patch of grass outside parliament on Friday night to toast their moment of history, singing patriotic songs and waving Union Jacks.

‘The crowd erupted into cheers as the clock hit 11 pm, the moment of Britain’s exit. After a barrage of fireworks, smoke filled the area as onlookers hugged, popped champagne corks and filmed the moment on their phones’ reports Elizabeth Howcroft and William James, Reuters.

Choruses of God Save the Queen and Land of Hope And Glory swung round Parliament Square, where revellers toasted in a new post-Brexit dawn.

(more…)

TIME FOR YOUR BAGGAGE CHECK?

(February 1, 2020) Carol Round has a timely 2020 suggestion…

In Ecclesiastes 3:6 the wisest teacher gave good advice about life – that there is ‘a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away.’

While some people like to clean out their clutter in the spring, this is my time to toss out anything unnecessary. When I start going through manila folders of paperwork and organizing my taxes, I’m also motivated to declutter.

If you notice the store ads after Christmas and through January, there are a plethora of organisational tools for sale. Shelving, storage boxes, and office supplies tempt us to get our life in order.

While going through home office files and closets this month, I faced more clutter than usual. I’d accumulated tax records going back to 2005. Why had I waited so long to dispose of them? I checked online to see how many years’ worth I really needed to keep – my records were way overdue for shredding! (more…)

THE CHURCH AT WAR Part 1 – The Early Days

(January 26, 2020) Dr Jim McClure, straight shooting theologian, shares a sobering reminder…

Around 67 AD the Apostle Paul was in a Roman prison awaiting execution under the order of the Roman emperor Nero who intensely hated Christians. As Paul waited for the sentence to be carried out, he wrote to Timothy, ‘The time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’ (2 Timothy 4:6-7).

About ten years earlier Paul had written a letter to the Christians living in Rome. In it he wrote, ‘First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world’ (Romans 1:8).

How amazing it is that within about 25 years from the resurrection of Jesus the ‘Good News’ of his saving love and his gifts of forgiveness and eternal life had spread ‘all over the world.’ There were Christians even in Rome!

 

Without the help of mass evangelistic rallies and without the modern aids of radio, television and Facebook or Gmail the Christian gospel spread like a fire by ordinary Christian men and women by the simple and effective method of personal witnessing. (more…)

IN THIS TIME OF NEED

(January 24, 2020) Robert McQuillan encourages continued prayer and caring for Australia in this time of need …

The bushfires ravaging our nation, the total devastation of towns, businesses, homes and forests; the loss of livestock and nature’s animals – and sadly some lives including brave firefighters, two from the States – has seen Australia foremost in the news recently and even declared a war zone.

In short, Australia is currently in great need! And I’m reminded of Psalm 136, that psalm that rings loudly of God’s unceasingly love. Verse 25 (Message) declares: ‘[God] Takes care of everyone in time of need. His love never quits!’ That’s so precious, so reassuring to those who trust in God.

Worldwide caring prayer
It’s been great to hear from friends overseas sincerely enquiring about our safety – and we can advise that we’re not in the fire danger areas. Their caring becomes even more precious when they say that they’re praying and caring not just for us only but for our nation, that the bad news on TV has touched their hearts! (more…)

2020: 24 ACROSS – ANTICIPATES (7)

(January 17, 2020) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share 2020-centred inspirational thoughts…

Wondering what on earth that title 2020: 24 Across – Anticipates (7) is all about?

As our articles’ themes this month are encouragements to move ahead boldly in God this new year the ‘2020’ bit is obvious… but what about the rest?  Well, we’re crossword (not Sudoku or other puzzles) addicts and our title comes from today’s puzzle.

The answer? Why ‘expects’… of course. But then, you knew that of course – didn’t you?

A prime meaning of this transitive verb ‘expect’ is to ‘think or believe something will happen’ (Cambridge Dictionary). We like that! Merriam-Webster Dictionary explains it this way – ‘consider probable or certain.’

‘Expect’ is regarded as a word that ‘implies a high degree of certainty and usually involves the idea of envisioning.’ It’s a verb we need to consider in regard to 2020 – and in relation to the supernatural movings of the Holy Spirit as we call on him to enable us to build/expand our local churches!

Envisioning in 2020!
For some time now we’ve been saying that 2020 is going to be a year of 20/20 vision for those hearing from God and daring to be of kingdom service, expecting and seeing great things happen such as souls saved, miracles and healings and more of the (genuine) prophetic word!

Now don’t misunderstand us – 20/20 vision isn’t, as some think, perfect vision. Rather it refers to our visual acuity, which is the clarity or sharpness of our vision.

So then, think spiritually, clearly regarding 2020 and your consideration of your church and its future/vision this year, thinking also about your own vision of what you want to achieve for yourself this year… and what God wants of you.

We encourage everyone to be perfectly clear, keenly sharp in respect to God’s vision for ourselves in 2020. Know it, live it! Believe in your destiny, the calling of God on your life – and don’t let anything, any ‘thinking small’ or even ‘gigantic towers’ (see Norman and Margaret Moss’ Ignoring Gigantic Towers) hold you back. (more…)

LIVING LIFE IN VIEW OF ETERNITY

(January 16, 2020) Carol Round challenges…

A recent post by a Facebook friend posed this question: ‘Do you suppose our life here on earth is a training program for eternity?’

After thinking about her question, I responded, ‘Yes, I absolutely believe this, Jan! I am so grateful God doesn’t stop loving us when we mess up.

He takes our messes and turns them into a message… a masterpiece to glorify him!’

We can try to hide our messes from God but he knows! This anonymous quote says it all: ‘Our life here on earth is going to determine what our eternity is going to be like. God knows the real truth about each of our lives. We may fool our friends about our goodness, but we can’t fool God.’

We can’t fool God
If we think we can hide or run away from God, we’re not fooling anyone. Remember the very first couple who tried to hide from him. Adam and Eve, after eating the fruit from the forbidden tree, had their eyes opened to their nakedness.

Trying to hide their nudity, they covered themselves with fig leaves. Then, when God came looking for them in the garden, they hid from him.

‘One of the greatest truths in life which we all know, but which we all must come to learn, is that there is no escape from God,’ says Pastor Steven J. Cole. ‘Like fugitives, we may run, but we cannot ultimately hide from the God who penetrates even the darkness with the gaze of his light. If we manage to dodge him in this life, we must still stand exposed before him on that fearful Day of Judgment. There is no place to hide from God.’

Staying focused on God
We take for granted our next breath. (more…)

TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN…

(January 15, 2020) Dr George Forbes, missionary statesman, reminds us of Jesus’ challenges and warnings …

We’re already almost halfway the first month of 2020! Christmas is over… and whatever gifts we were given are parts of last year’s history.

However, thinking of gifts given reminds me strongly of the greatest gift ever, that of God’s gift of salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

What a glorious free gift from God, all because of his love for us (Ephesians 1:4) and his incredible grace (Romans 5:15)! Unworthy though we are, we have received so much!

As I meditate on God’s goodness, I recall afresh just how much we’ve been given. And I’m also reminded that as disciples of Christ it is our responsibility to share this good news with others – as required by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20, those scriptures known as the Great Commission.

Much given, much required!
In Luke 12 Jesus told a parable about responsibility that speaks of blessings to those who have been given much when the master returns… but also of warnings. (more…)

THE GOD OF PARDON, PRESENCE AND PROVISION

 (January 14, 2020) Brian Bell reflects on David’s life experiences…

Although I try not to give too much attention to it, it occurs at the same time every year, on January 1 – my birthday – New Year’s Day; it’s one of those more memorable dates in our calendar.

This birthday I was reminded of Psalm 37:25 where David says, ‘I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.’

The Message puts it this way: ‘I once was young, now I’m a greybeard – not once have I seen an abandoned believer, or his kids out roaming the streets.’

While I’m sure this verse wasn’t related to David’s birthday, he reflects on his past: ‘I have been young’ but also on his present ‘…now I am old.’

David’s life experiences – four snapshots

Irrespective of the age range of those who  read this little meditation, whether we class ourselves as ‘young’ or ‘old’, at the most basic level this verse speaks to me about David’s experience of life. It’s in the natural progress of life from birth to its end that we too acquire experience.

Here are four ‘snapshots’ from David’s life experience –

1. Time as a shepherd –
Spent in the hills around Bethlehem and I believe most likely the time when he formed an intimate relationship with the Lord; when he composed many of his ‘songs’ or ‘psalms’ as we know them. (more…)

IGNORING ‘GIGANTIC TOWERS’ IN 2020!

(January 9, 2020) Norman and Margaret Moss encourage us to fearlessly move ahead in 2020…

Last month, December 6, so many people were enthralled as they watched four 400ft high gigantic cooling towers of the former powers station at Ironbridge, near Telford in Shropshire, England adjacent to the River Severn, being demolished.

Those unused, colossal towers, which had dominated the landscape for almost 50 years, came crashing down.  Carefully controlled explosion meant that all four collapsed in four seconds! 

Demolition leads to proposed advancement
Of course it was obvious that there had been months of preparation, and that there would be an ensuing massive clearing up operation lasting a long while. But those four seconds were amazing to watch.

The reality is that most of us enjoy a good demolition!  You can see it too – Ironside Towers Demolition. (more…)

‘AMEN’ (AND OTHER MEANINGFUL WORDS)…

(December 14, 2019) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share Christmas and beyond-centred thoughts…

Had interesting phone calls last week from Israel – very early in the morning(!) being evening up there – from a Bible college in Jerusalem inviting me (Robert) to be involved in one of its language programs.

That’s timely, I thought, especially as a Middle-Eastern church had recently suggested I take on the deanship of a proposed Bible college and I was aware that language knowledge/interpretation would be involved there too. In both cases understanding and explaining certain words would be important; especially as some countries’ grammar is limited whereas English is so expansive!

That affirmative ‘Amen’
Now Hebrew is the language most commonly used in everyday life in Israel and this Israeli lady (let’s just call her Sarah) asked me if I knew what certain biblical words really meant in modern everyday Hebrew language. I didn’t have a chance to say anything for she promptly reeled off ‘Do you know what “Amen” really means, Dr Robert?’ And before I could say that I did, ‘Sarah’ went into an in-depth explanation… to which I quickly got in an ‘Amen’ indicating my agreement.

Some people have wrongly considered the word to indicate a soft, quiet ‘Selah-type pause’ or merely the right thing to say after prayers… but it’s actually quite a strong word, meaning ‘to agree.’

It’s a declaration of affirmation, used colloquially to express strong agreement, thus affirming that we firmly believe in what has just been said.

For example the ’Amen’ of the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20 indicates vigorously agreeing with Jesus to get the gospel ‘out there.

That popular ‘Noel’
Of course one thing leads to another!  Later we were tinkering with our new versatile Google Home musical unit and heard the most beautiful rendition of that well-loved The First Noel Christmas carol. (more…)