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PRACTISING HOPE LEADS TO BOLD FAITH

(December 5, 2021) Carol Round reminds us to activate our faith…

‘Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful’ encourages Hebrews 10:23.

As the first candle of Advent was lit this past Sunday at our church, it set the tone for this season – a season of hope. For those unfamiliar with the Christian liturgical year, Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and ends on Christmas Eve.

For Christians, Advent is a time to reflect. It’s a time of anticipation, a time of waiting. During this busy season, we seek the quiet reflected in the starry night, thanking God for what he has done in our lives, wondering what God is doing, and… for what he will do next.

While Advent celebrates Christ’s birth – his first coming, it’s also a time of excitement and preparation as Christians anticipate his second coming, his return as Christ the King. It’s a time for imperfect people – all of us – to look forward to something greater to come, something greater than ourselves. The hope of better things to come.

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A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

(November 23, 2021) Maureen McQuillan has a different slant to reaching out…

Not the A Night to Remember movie about the Titanic tragedy, rather an unusual summer evening when Robert had been invited to minister at a European church outside of Melbourne. Maybe I should call this article A Night of Surprises, or… Suffering.

We have great articles this month reminding us to reach out to people, even strangers, and bless them whether they know Jesus or not. And taking opportunities to witness him, the only light in this dark world.

Such reaching out to bless someone closeby – that ‘love thy neighbour’ matter Jesus highlighted (Matthew 22:39) – reminds me of how our Christian neighbours bless us meaningfully. They kindly bring our bins up, even taking them down if see Robert struggling with them.

And I’d like to remind us that reaching out isn’t always about ‘spiritual matters’… it includes being practical and doing so even if it’s inconvenient, embarrassing. So let me share about such an opportunity to bless a stranger… from a different point of view.

Sinister
That particular Sunday evening was many years ago and coming out our frontdoor, my first surprise was seeing Robert looking down at the patio at a strange, cultic-like object, made of Wicca-type sticks! Who had left them? Robert picked them up carefully and suggested we pray again before setting off.

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CHRISTMAS – AN OPPORTUNE TIME TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS

(December 11, 2018) Missionary statesman Dr George Forbes reminds us that Christmas is an opportune time for sharing the real Christmas message… here at home!

It’s virtually Christmas! This is a time when people are expecting good things and encouragements by way of cards and gifts. The gospel speaks of the greatest gift of all – God’ gift of his Son, Jesus Christ who would become our Saviour.

Paul made it very clear in Romans 3:23 that ‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ – John 3:16 is still the most relevant of all scriptures: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’

Having been associated with world missions for decades, naturally overseas missions and missionaries are very much on my heart. But, bringing my blog closer to home at this Christmastime I would say this to every Christian at home: We may not be a missionary overseas but as missionaries abroad share the good news of Jesus as Saviour even here at home we can be missionaries by fulfilling the great commission in our local suburbs!

Let’s be Christians of action – moving in faith and seeing the impossible become possible! We can find opportunities to share the good news of the gospel, the real reason for the season.

A time to be daring in sharing
A little but great booklet God’s Little Instruction Book, has a powerful saying in it – ‘Faith is daring the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see!’

Now that’s a saying that tends to stick in one’s mind as it encapsulates a fundamental truth.

Jesus taught us that God’s word is truth (John 17:17). God’s word is his instruction book – the Holy Bible! And it declares that …

  • ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God!’ (Hebrews 11:6).
  • It is not possible to be a Christian without faith.
  • It is equally impossible to live the life of a believer without believing.
  • With the assistance of the Holy Spirit the first disciples began fulfilment of Jesus’ Great Commission commandment of Matthew 28:18-20 in their local suburbs – in Jerusalem! (See Acts 1:8).

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TROUBLING TIMES? KNOW THE POWER OF HOPE IN GOD!

(July 17, 2018) Tim Edwards shares on some scriptures he found challenging…

So what guides us through tough times? How should we focus and navigate the journey?

A couple of weeks ago in my daily Bible reading a particular verse really caught my attention – ‘Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help’ (Ezekiel 29:16).

False hope
The Israelites were having their difficult times – aware that they could not match the power of the advancing Babylonians. But they did something which ultimately they would regret – they chose to put their hope in Egypt to save the day for them.

It was false hope, misplaced hope – a hope in politics and economics, not in their God. And God didn’t want his people trusting in, hoping in, and putting their confidence in anything, anyone other than him. Nor does he want us to do likewise!

So, how am I going to move forward with God in my life in my troubled times? How are you? (more…)

THEBUZZ

GLEANINGS (January 12, 2017):

  • COLOMBIAN AIR CRASH – Soccer team survivor ‘under God’s wings’
  • THE LAWS OF THE LIGHTHOUSE – Pure wisdom!
  • A HAPPY NEW YEAR? – Make it one of prayer!
  • HEROES OF FAITH – God can use anyone
  • SATAN’S STRONGHOLDS – Smash his footholds now!

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SURVIVOR HELD BIBLE DURING SOCCER TEAM AIR CRASH

buzz-01-17-a
Mark Ellis, Senior Correspondent for ASSIST reports a great testimony…

One of the few survivors of a crash involving a Brazilian soccer team’s charter flight to Medellin was holding his Bible and reading Psalm 63 at the time of the crash.

Helio Neto (31) was one of six survivors of the crash, which claimed the lives of 71 people, including many players and staff from the Chapecoense team from southern Brazil, one of Brazil’s top teams.

A strong Christian (more…)

ACTIVE FAITH

George Forbes 2010(December 12, 2016) Missionary statesman Dr George Forbes reminds us that wherever we live, we must be active Christians…

‘Faith is daring the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see!’

I came across this powerful saying in a great little booklet titled, God’s Little Instruction Book. It tends to stick in one’s mind as it encapsulates a fundamental truth.

We know that God’s word declares that…

  • ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God!’
  • It is not possible to be a Christian without faith.
  • It is equally impossible to live the life of a believer without believing.

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WON’T YOU BE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR, A GOOD SAMARITAN?

Ed Delph

Ed Delph shares another thought-provoker…

From time to time, most of us feel left out. We feel like misfits. Others seem so confident, so sure of themselves, ‘insiders’ who know the ropes, old hands in a club from which we are excluded.
So, what do we ‘outsiders’ do? We form clubs too.

‘Them’ and ‘us’
These clubs range from informal to formal. Here is at least one place where we are in and they are out. Identity or worth is achieved by excluding all but the chosen. The price that we pay for this is a reduction of reality, a shrinkage of life. (more…)

CHRISTIANS CARRY A MEANINGFUL MESSAGE

Ed Delph

 

 

Ed Delph shares another thought-provoker…

The phone rang. The lady of the house answered. It was a salesman from a mortgage refinance company. ‘Do you have a second mortgage on your home?,’ he enquired.

‘No,’ she replied. The salesman then asked, ‘Would you like to consolidate all of your debts?’ to which she said, ‘I really don’t have any.’ (more…)

BOXES, COMFORT ZONES AND OTHER FREEDOM BLOCKAGES

Dr-Robert-&-Maureen-McQuillan_Photo

Robert and Maureen McQuillan write:

Okay, okay…it’s not new, those urgings to ‘Get out of your comfort zone; Think outside the box; Get a life; Remember Jeremiah 29:11…’ and similar challenges to move ahead into new spheres with God’s help.

Yet we keep coming across Christians who still haven’t made the positive move and got on with living life to the full in God-given freedom! (more…)

NEEDED TODAY – SPIRITUAL GIFTS OPERATING IN THE BODY

Shaun Mawson

Shaun Mawson is excited about something he believes God wants for his church:

I began to think of what the church would look like if every Christian started to develop and use his or her gift to its full potential.

Now I know there are many people within the church right now that are well and truly operating in their gifts, but I believe that number is way below what is acceptable and God’s expectation.

Six valid questions
As I started to open up this reality of days gone by in the church, questions started to come: (more…)