darkness

GOD’S BREAK OF DAWN!

(May 26, 2023) Angeline Selvakumari encourages us to discover God’s dawn light…

Great is God’s faithfulness!

He has led us thus far and will continue to carry us through! Psalm 46:5 is one of His great promises of protection – ‘God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.’

This scripture refers to ‘the city of God’ (v4). In Matthew 5:14, our Saviour, Jesus, referred to His followers as an important city: ‘You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.’ 

As such in these troubled times we need our faithful God’s protection! And we can relate to Psalm 46:2 which depicts why the verse five promise is so significant. It’s our assurance of God’s faithfulness, to be grasped in dark times that cause fear… even when if the –

  • Earth moved,
  • Mountains are carried into the midst of the sea,
  • Waters are troubled and roar and
  • Mountains shake!

When everything is moving, shaking and we are very troubled, the Bible confirms that our God is there for us! Even if everything around us ‘moves’ we will not. God is in the midst of every storm and will help us at the break of dawn.

Our God is a good God! Whatever He does is good! He’s the God of impossibilities, the God of the new dawn.

(more…)

EASTER 2023: PRAYING IN THE LIGHT OF THE CROSS

(April 06, 2023) Elizabeth Kendal, RLPB, shares…

What is humanity’s greatest problem?

Our problem is sin, the consequence of which is death. How did God deal with it? He dealt with it by sending His Son – the Logos (Word), the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ – to live the life we could not live and die the death we deserved.

  • In full humility Jesus Christ surrendered Himself to be devoured by evil. On the cross He shed His perfect blood by which we are covered, forgiven and saved.
  • From the grave He defeated death and rose again, demonstrating that all who are covered by the blood of the Lamb will follow Christ to eternal life.
  • Through this, the cross – an instrument of torture and execution – is itself redeemed. Today, crosses adorn necks and crown steeples around the world as a symbol of life and amazing grace.
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GOD’S GREAT RESET

(December 19, 2020) Dr Jim McClure, straight shooting theologian, reflects on attempts to remove Almighty God from society…

This has been a difficult year and a phrase that we are beginning to hear more frequently in the media is ‘The Great Reset.’ This refers to the goal of a worldwide coalition of big business and big tech working in association with the unelected members of the World Economic Forum whose goal is – to use their own words – ‘improving the state of the world’ and ‘to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.’ In their attempts to ‘improve the state of the world’ we have already experienced the loss of many of the freedoms we once enjoyed and took for granted.

1984 totalitarian society
Today we are seeing so many parallels with George Orwell’s novel 1984 which was written almost 70 years ago. It is an almost prophetic book that gives a vision of a totalitarian society where individuality is stifled, and basic freedoms are forbidden, and dissent is prosecuted.

On top of this we have experienced the promotion of corrupt and distorted morals in which what –

  • has been acknowledged for centuries to be wrong, has now become right,
  • was once recognised as corrupt, is now considered acceptable,
  • was denounced as immoral is now accepted as normal,
  • was once regarded a thing of shame, is now a cause for celebration.

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CHRISTMAS OR CHRISTMYTH

(December 9, 2018) Dr Jim McClure, straight shooting theologian, once again challenges us to think outside the proverbial box…

I admit it! There is no such word as ‘Christmyth’ in the English dictionary but I have formed it to make a point of contrast.

The word ‘Christmas’ is first found in Old English, in 1038 and was called Cristes Maesse. It referred to the festival that celebrated the coming of Christ into the world. Maesse, which means ‘dismissal’, refers to the sending out of the worshippers who had celebrated the good news of the birth of the Saviour.

I find that to be so appropriate for the message of the Incarnation is one of redemption and hope that Christians need to ‘go and share’ throughout the world.

My ‘made-up’ word ‘Christmyth’ refers to what I see to be the dominant expression of the festival today. A glorious, unrepeatable, rescue event expressing the loving heart of God has been transformed into a happy myth-laden tale with jolly Santas, red-nosed reindeers and fun!

And in so many ways the church has bought into this sanitised and shallow version of the biblical story by placing an emphasis on the sweet baby in a manger, the heavenly choirs and the ‘silent night.’

Don’t misunderstand me. I really am not a Grinch!  I too enjoy the ‘myth.’ At Christmas time it is so good to see the excitement in the eyes of children and the coming together of friends and families and the singing of the old familiar carols. But I sense that along the way we have so developed the ‘myth’ of Christmas that we have sold-out on the essential truth of the event.

Let’s take this further. (more…)

BRINGING LIGHT TO INACCESSIBLE PLACES

Norman and Margaret Moss(February 17, 2017) Norman and Margaret Moss share this encouragement and challenge…

Recently I (Norman) visited a place of impenetrable darkness and gloom.

A place that is frequently unbearably hot, and at other times difficult to reach because it can only be visited on one’s knees.

I had never gone on this journey before, because I was hindered by feelings of total inadequacy. I felt that I had nothing to contribute to those gloomy nether regions.

Who was I to bring light to such an inaccessible place? 

But as Tennyson declared triumphantly, ‘Old age hath yet its honour and its toil.’ (more…)

THEBUZZ

GLEANINGS (October 28, 2106):

  • MANDAN, USA – Be neighbourhood carriers of the light this Halloween
  • GROVE, Oklahoma – Let your light shine!
  • ERBIL, NORTHERN IRAQ – Run over by a tank, this monk now ministers to refugees
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MANDAN, ND
Halloween – Light a candle or curse the darkness!

Becky FischerBecky Fisher challenges: ‘Halloween – do you ‘sanitise it? Hide from it? Or confront it?’

For years I was one of those Christians who hid in the basement and turned off my lights to avoid participating. Or I joined my church with sanitised ‘Christian alternatives’ … ‘Halloween’ became Harvest Parties.

In a brief post like this, it’s hard to say everything I believe about Halloween. Just be assured I despise it. I have done several blogs on the topic and have come out strong against Christians participating with it. (Go to my website and search for ‘Halloween’ to see them.)

Time to shatter the darkness!
So, while some Christians still may not agree, a few years ago I thought why do we let the world spit out its demonic messages unchallenged to our kids? Why are we not telling the truth to kids in an age-appropriate way that they can grasp – both Christian kids and unsaved kids? I’m not looking for a ‘sticky lolly’ way to participate to be ‘religiously politically correct.’ I wanted to shatter the darkness and get in the face of evil with the truth! (more…)

THEBUZZ (July 29, 2016)

GLEANINGS:
WORLD – Global craziness! A call not to be silent!
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IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD INDEED!
Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldThe title of that old 1963 movie is so appropriate today! Again and again it’s observed that so many people – and the world itself – are dashing madly somewhere but where? (more…)

OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS (May 20, 2016)

Dr Robert & Maureen (2)Robert and Maureen McQuillan reflect on a life choice …

I (Robert) have a thing about steam trains!

My dad was an engineer – the official title for locomotive drivers in those yesterdays of steam trains.

I’ll never forget the day he took me – just a ‘little fellow’ in short pants – down to the local, large city rail station and explained about the, to me, ‘huge monster’ that was technically called the engine. And then being lifted up onto the platform, his working domain. What a thrill, and such excitement for a small boy.

R&M trainDad explained the controls, how the engine operated. It was a cold morning but the heat from the blazing firebox quickly warmed physically – my heart was already on fire with curiosity. I had stared at the huge wheels, now I gazed at the control levers, so much bigger than little me, so heavy looking, and back at the tons of coal in the tender. I was elated to be on that platform. (more…)

PARABLES – FAMILIAR STORIES WITH SPIRITUAL LESSONS

Harold HarveyHarold Harvey shares…

Metaphors, similes and parables are forms of speech that many people use every day in their communication with each other. The New Testament uses these forms of speech quite often with regard to its message.

In fact, I think it nigh on impossible to understand the word of God unless one is familiar with these speech forms because the writers of scripture used them so frequently. (more…)