A TALE OF TWO KINGDOMS

(August 3, 2017) Dr Jim McClure, renowned theologian, challenges churches to their responsibility to alert people to the demonic activity around them that is cloaked in what appears to be ‘nice.’

In 1859 Charles Dickens wrote a book that he called, A Tale of Two Cities.  It is set in the conditions that led to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror and the two cities are London and Paris. It begins with the famous sentence: ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.’ (more…)

PENTECOST POWER FOR SERVICE

(July 23, 2017) Charles Gardner shares how an Arabic message in tongues confirmed calling for Jewish vicar…

A Jewish follower of Jesus was having second thoughts about being ordained into the Church of England ministry when he got the surprise of his life.

A message in tongues ( A New Testament phenomenon foretold in the Tenach  [Old Testament] – see Isaiah 28.11, Acts 2.4, 1 Corinthians 14.21) was given during a home meeting which Ralph Goldenberg immediately recognised as Sudanese Arabic.

Challenged by that message in tongues
Having grown up in Sudan with the ability to speak several languages, he knew exactly what it meant. And it could not have been a clearer confirmation of his calling –

‘Allah be’hebak – Inta min al dam beta Ibrahiem – Al Angiel fi fomak’ translates as: ‘God loves you. You are from the blood of Abraham. The gospel is in your mouth.’ (more…)

THE KEY STONE

(July 23, 2017) Maureen McQuillan encourages any who feel discarded …

An impossible task!

That’s what the project that I had set myself suddenly seemed as I looked down at the pile of rocks – or to be technical – large pieces of cut or sawn stones.

I had been working on the back garden we had some years ago and, being creative, had envisioned an attractive dry stone wall. And I had decided that I could build that wall by myself and save costs.

The various shaped stones arrived, several quite heavy. But I wasn’t desponded, even though I had never built a dry stone wall before and had neither instruction manual nor helper – Robert was away ministering.

Well, here goes, I thought (plus ‘Help, Holy Spirit’ and similar prayers!). In my mind I planned it all out and then began to build so creatively. And all went well until a certain point …

I just couldn’t find the right piece of stone for the next joint. Nothing would fit the breech in the design. I searched and searched to no avail. There just wasn’t a beautiful shapely stone that would fit in. (more…)

WORDS OF LIFE (#G4) KINGDOM – BASILEIA

(July 23, 2017) Dr Jim McClure, noted theologian, continues his series on selected Greek words…

The first mention of ‘kingdom’ in the Bible is Genesis 10:10 where it states, in reference to Nimrod, ‘The first centres of his kingdom were Babylon.’ In biblical thinking Babylon often represented that power that was constantly opposed to God.

While many nations were ruled over by kings, for many years after the Israelites had settled in Canaan they had refused to appoint a king of their own because they accepted a theocratic system of leadership in which Yahweh was recognised as its king.

In this lay the secret of Israel’s uniqueness and its strength as a nation. From time to time other leaders were appointed on a temporary basis – we read about many of them in the book of Judges – however those leaders were never recognised as kings nor was their leadership hereditary. At other times a high priest or a prophet appears to have had a leadership role – such as Eli and Samuel – but God was still regarded as the ruler of his people. (more…)

TIME TO TAKE POSSESSION!

(July 21, 2017) Missionary statesman George Forbes challenges the church:

‘If the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us’ (Num.14:8).

These words of Caleb and Joshua, spoken on their return from spying out the Promised Land, are powerful and true. When ten of the twelve men chosen to investigate Canaan returned with a negative report, Caleb and Joshua demonstrated a different heart and mind.

Well able!
They did not allow the difficulties in the land to cause them to despair, as the ten other spies did.

Another of Caleb’s God honouring statements was ‘Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it‘ (Numbers 13:30). (more…)

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ALICE!

(July 16, 2017) Stuart Reynolds challenges some ‘Alice’ type notions…

‘Let’s consider your age to begin with — how old are you?’
‘I’m seven and a half, exactly.’
‘You needn’t say “exactly”’, the queen remarked. ‘I can believe it without that. Now I’ll give you something to believe. I’m just one hundred and one, five months and a day.’
‘I can’t believe that!’ said Alice.
‘Can’t you?’ the queen said in a pitying tone. ‘Try again: draw a long breath, and shut your eyes.’
Alice laughed. ‘There’s no use trying,’ she said ‘one can’t believe impossible things.’
‘I daresay you haven’t had much practice,’ said the queen. ‘When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.’

What strange mis-realities declarations indeed … ‘Wonderland jam’ notions by the queen to Alice, in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. And aren’t they just ridiculous notions?

Ridiculous ‘Gospel According to Alice’ notions in today’s church
Yet how often in some churches today have many encountered ridiculous notions… mis-realities of a gospel misrepresented?

Such is The Gospel According To Alice, where suggestions are accepted and accommodated without question and nothing is rejected because, like the queen’s ‘wonderland jam,’ what was true yesterday and may still be tomorrow, somehow isn’t today! (more…)

MOVING FORWARD – ON THE CUTTING EDGE

(July 15, 2017) Missionary statesman George Forbes boldly declares:

Anyone who is moving forward is moving into new territory, new experiences, new challenges and new opportunities.

This is applicable in all areas of life, including world evangelisation. If ever there was a time to move forward, it is now as we move into the second half of 2017!

Obedience
Obedience is the key word as we consider the world situation of the growth of the church of Jesus Christ. There has been much moving forward over the centuries as his church has grown.

When David Livingstone, the great missionary to Africa, said, ‘I am prepared to go anywhere, provided it be forward,’ he was expressing a heart of faith and commitment.

Dr Livingstone was prepared to face change, uncertainty and unlimited opportunity, to reach people who had never heard the gospel.

Passion, vision, dream, mission, inspiration
Livingstone had set his heart on China, however the opium war blocked his plans to leave England and go to that nation. (more…)

THE CRY OF OLIVER TWIST – AND SOME CHRISTIANS!

(July 12, 2017) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share a challenge on commitment in following and serving Jesus…

‘Please, sir, I want some more’ from Charles Dickens’ second novel Oliver Twist are words so famous that virtually everyone remembers them.

The outraged response of Mr Bumble, the workhouse supervisor, is well known too.  The musical Oliver portrays Bumble’s enraged reaction as ‘More? You want more?!’

In other words, ‘What you have already received is enough, more than enough!’

The Christian catchcry of ‘More’
Some twenty-five years ago ‘More, I want more’ became many a Christian’s Oliver Twist catchcry in various church circles.

Today as we minister around various denominations and engage in pastoral care/mentoring, we still hear another cry for more, and not  just from a mere few Christians.

It’s a cry of longing for something better than …

  • An unsettled heart
  • Discontentment with current personal circumstances or marriage
  • Churches not displaying friendliness and Christian love
  • A lack of taught ‘real’ biblical truths of meaningful ‘meat’
  • Weird so-called ‘new’ teaching
  • No personal relationship with our loving heavenly Father
  • Not knowing the written promises of God, and neither reading or grasping their truths
  • The absence of the supernatural Holy Spirit in church life and people’s lives (even leaders).

The above short list and other things result in that Dickensian expression of ‘More. I want more’ but for more of something precious, meaningful and wholesome. (more…)

A DEBORAH IN OUR MIDST?

(July 11, 2017) Dr Jim McClure, renowned theologian, challenges a current argument about moral values…

Currently the ethical values of the Western world are being turned upside down as moral relativism (that is, that there are no universal moral therefore all views are equal, that there are no values that are categorically right or wrong and that the views and behaviour of others should be respected even if we totally disagree with them).

There are a number of problems that flow from this argument. For example:

  • If there were no agreed values, society would disintegrate into anarchy and chaos, and
  • If all views are of equal value, why do those who push the philosophy of political correctness, so vehemently disagree with, abuse, attack and demonise those who maintain a different point of view? Isn’t there a glaring inconsistency here?

Apart from anything else, common sense tells us that two opposite values or views cannot equally be right! And that is confirmed even by the moral-relativists/politically-correct brigade whose views are foisted upon others by any possible means and who brook not dissent or disagreement. (more…)

WORDS OF LIFE (#G3) FELLOWSHIP – KOINONIA

(June 5, 2017) Dr Jim McClure, noted theologian, continues his series on selected Greek words…

 One of the words that often finds its way into Christian vocabulary is ‘fellowship.’ It is one of the great New Testament words but is has been used so often to describe such a variety of Christian groups that it has become devalued!

What is ‘fellowship’?
Is it just a term given to differentiate Christian groups from non-Christian groups, such as, Men’s Fellowship, Women’s Fellowship, Youth Fellowship and so on?  Or does the New Testament use the word in a different way? That is what we are going to explore.

In the KJV the Greek noun koinonia has been translated by the words…

  • fellowship (12 times)
  • communion (4 times)
  • communication (once)
  • contribution (once)
  • distribution (once).

The verb koinoneo has been translated partake of, communicate and distribute. It is clear that it is a much more significant word than is suggested by the way we frequently use it. (more…)