(May 03, 2025) Norman and Margaret Moss share another precious meditation…
We went into a restaurant recently and found our table. On it was an imitation rack for Scrabble letters, the tiles spelling out the word RESERVED.
Our son- in-law who enjoys a game of Scrabble said, ‘That’s wrong.’ Of course we asked why and the reply was ‘You can only have up to seven tiles at a time on your rack.’
Well… it gave us something to meditate on for a few moments.
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(November 24, 2024) Dr Richard Winter challenges…
Imagine walking by the sea of Galilee and witnessing the following…
Jesus meets some fishermen and says, ‘Leave your nets, guys, and follow me.’ Then He gathers them with ten others to talk about something He’s going to start called ‘church’ and you overhear the first meeting—
First Disciples’ Meeting?
‘Meeting to order, please!’ Jesus declares adding, ‘I’ve called you gentlemen here today to assist me launch a new enterprise. Of course, you must realise how difficult it is to get a new commodity on the market. Competition in our field is rather stiff these days and it’s going to take the best of our resources if we’re to be successful.’
(July 29, 2024) Mama Lava admits an issue, sharing a challenging thought…
I am a stuffer, how about you? Do you have stuffed stuff?
Let’s talk about craft supplies. Feel free to substitute whatever it is you tend to stuff out of sight and out of mind.
Stuffing Stuff!
My issue is that I threw away some craft supplies when I moved a few years ago. And since then, I’ve needed them. That’s the way it works, right?
(February 01, 2024) Carol Round encourages…
‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God’ encouraged Paul in Philippians 4:6.
As I’ve grown spiritually, I find myself praying more often. Throughout my day, when someone or something comes to mind, I lift them in prayer. However, before I leave the house, I start the morning with prayer and my favourite hot drink – Earl Grey tea.
I’ve created a special place to meet with my Abba Father each morning. In the corner of my spare bedroom are several devotionals, a notebook for jotting down my thoughts and prayers, pens, pencils, highlighters, and – most importantly – my Bible. I have 11 Bibles, but my favourite is The Prayer Bible.
Every December I pray for a word and a verse to hold on to for the coming year. I call such a scripture My Handle Verse and my New Year’s handle verse is One for More in 2024!
* That is to say, I’m one who’s going for more this year – more truth this year – and I trust you are too.
And my word for 2024? It’s John 17:17… ‘Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.’
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(February 19, 2022) Maureen McQuillan responds to a friend who’s feeling concerned…
Dear Pastor Maureen
I have a problem, something that is really troubling me. I’ve been a Christian for many years now and still read my Bible every day. But for weeks now, I no longer feel passionate about reading it and feeling I’m getting nothing out of it, that nothing is ‘going into me’ as if were. Yours, Henrick.
Dear Henrick
That’s a strong word you’ve used… passionate. It actually means to have very strong feelings or emotions. And that’s how you want to be feeling about God’s word as you read it but that you’re not. Right? I’ll endeavour to help here.
Yes, one of the devil’s tricks is to have us stop reading God’s word… but let’s not think too much about that. I remember you, Hendrick, and that you love God’s word! You’ve been reading it for many years… so it’s already in your heart – and lively!
Let me go straight to the point and ask this question: Whose word have been reading?’ Why, God’s of course! Therefore even if you think nothing is ‘going in’ and that you don’t feel ‘emotional’ at times, the fact remains that it’s His word and alive! That means something must be going that’ll come back to you later. Why? Because, I repeat, it’s His word… and God’s word is life!
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(November 27, 2021) Maureen McQuillan encourages an anxious ‘Sarah’…
Pastor Maureen… you’re great at answering questions in a very clear way, and easy to understand. Please help me with this query I have… How do I know that I’m really hearing from God? Sarah (Not real name).
Well, ‘Sarah’, to put it briefly… You’ll know that ‘you know that you know that you know!’ Here’s the key: As we grow in the ways of the Lord, we learn to become so sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, to his gentle voice. And we’re aware that it’s he who is guiding us and that we’ve nothing to be afraid of.
Let me share something that I felt in my inner being to say to… oh, let’s call her ‘Jean.’ This lady, a Christian too, had determined to move on in life, leave her suburb and start afresh as it were. But as she was telling me that she didn’t think she would get much for her old home as it needed work done to it, I immediately felt to say, ‘No, I believe you’re going to get an amazing price for it, Jean. You believe it too.’
A simple word of encouragement but I felt was from the Lord and didn’t hesitate to speak it… in faith, Well, she couldn’t quite take it on board at first as it seemed impossible… but guess what happened? Yes, her home sold quickly and for many, many thousands of dollars more than she had perceived! Jean is now a changed lady, with great hope in her heart for a much better lifestyle.
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(November 26, 2017) Stuart Reynolds challenges the church about subtle ‘twilight talk’ …‘The place is here, the time is now, and the journey into the shadows that we’re about to watch could be our journey….You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension – a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into the Twilight Zone….’
Many of us from more than a generation ago will recall these words from Rod Sterling, as he would introduce another episode of that cult classic TV show, The Twilight Zone, where there is no ‘up’ or ‘down’ or ‘out.’
Reality
The world without God has always lived in a Twilight Zone of darkness, desperation, destruction and death.
The burden of this article is over the increasing journey of retreat and regression the church has made back into that same zone of vagueness, uncertainty, and indistinctiveness, where …
Connecting with You! 