good soil

BREAKING MANMADE RELIGIOUS RULES

(November 29, 2024) Wayne Swift once again calls it as it is…

Often our speech is filled with promises, hopes, and New Year resolutions— all of which are soon forgotten or deliberately ignored or broken, especially the latter! And the older we get the more we’ll stay safely within the parameters imposed on us by our upbringing and experiences. ‘Breaking-out’ is a term for the often midlife crises.

I actually want to share with you about breaking-out from certain rules, not promises, hopes or resolutions! Deliberately stepping out and intentionally going against some rules that are imposed on us takes a special sort of attitude.

Now many people break rules every day— road laws perhaps by speeding or using mobiles while driving. Many an adult breaks even simple dietary rules. Every day TV news tells of rules being broken not just by adults but even by students, by teenagers regarding certain things.

Some rules when broken create a sense of guilt, some a sense of freedom. But… before you work out which rules you might be guilty of breaking today, let me share about the sort I think should be broken.

(more…)

MOVING ON IN GOD – ATTRACTIONS AND DISTRACTIONS

(June 25, 2023) Angeline Selvakumari encourages us to be attracted, not distracted.

Joshua chapter one marks the beginning of a new season the freed Israelites. Following Moses’ death, Joshua was ordained his successor – but had he big shoes to fit!

One cannot imagine what must have gone through his mind, even though he had been mentored by Moses.

Although Israel’s great leader had ordained him to carry the leadership baton (Deuteronomy 34:9), God repeatedly reminded Joshua to be bold, strong, courageous (Joshua 1:6-7), that ‘As I was with Moses, so I will be with you’ (v5).

Embrace your 2023 ‘big shoes’! 
Today God is encouraging some of us into a new season of our lives. Yes, the old is good, and we must embrace whatever God’s new season, new ministry, may be.

I highlight some words from Joshua 1:2 – ‘Moses… is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them…’

(more…)

NEGATIVITY… TIME FOR A CHANGE IN THINKING!

(March 11, 2022) Maureen McQuillan challenges:

Negativity… it can be so rampant among many people but we Christians don’t need to be negative!

The reality is that if we talk negatively we’re dishonouring God… and also causing others to be wrongly influenced.

We mustn’t dishonour the Lord!
The reality is that if we talk negatively we’re dishonouring God… and also causing others to be wrongly influenced.

Off all people, Christians should know scripture and be living a life of trusting God. We’re meant to be living above and beyond all negativities!

Oh I know, life has its negatives and reversals but, with the Holy Spirit’s supernatural help and by trusting God’s word – even as our greatest example, Jesus, did – we too can overcome such blues and be a good influence on others.

Afterall, it’s not good for any Christian to be acting, talking or even thinking negatively. Doing so must hurt and disappoint our loving heavenly Father God who expects us to fully trust him (as Robert wrote about last month: Trusting God in Everything)!

(more…)