inspiration

STUNNED, SCARED, SHEPHERDED

(October 08, 2023) Robert McQuillan shares a breakthrough experience to encourage others, especially young believers feeling inadequate in serving Jesus…

According to Dr Fred Luskin, Stanford University, we have approximately 60,000 thoughts per day – 90% being repetitive!

Well, I woke up with one repetitive thought going round and round in my mind… and couldn’t switch it off! A simple but so meaningful eight-word scripture that’s had my back for decades. Then I started recalling the time some 50 years ago when that verse’s reality hit me, becoming an inner strength that I’ve never forgotten.

‘Which scripture?’ you ask, probably thinking everyone has some Bible verse that’s so meaningful to them.

  • True… John 3:16 for example: ‘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.’ 
  • Maureen,  my darling wife, delights in Romans 15:13 – ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ 
  • What’s your favourite that you cling to in times of troubles?
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TRUE FRUIT – FROM UNSUNG HEROES

Erica Grace, ex-missionary to South America, challenges us to remember unsung Hebrews 11 type heroes!

Born in Sandviken, Norway in 1878, Marie Monsen became a schoolteacher. She went to China in 1901 to help the missionary couple sent there by her Lutheran church needing a teacher for their children.

But shortly after she arrived those missionaries left due to the national unrest and turn of events in China The mission agency back in Norway didn’t have the funds to send for Marie as well, so she stayed back waiting for her ticket to arrive.

Following Bible examples
Meanwhile, people kept coming to the mission home looking for help but Marie was the only one there.  She would face squalid conditions of starving, sick children and not knowing what do, felt helpless and overwhelmed… the situations she faced each day seemed insurmountable. Marie’s only solution would be to pray.

One emergency would be followed by another, then another in a nearby town. Everywhere she went Marie (right) would just open her Bible and read especially the gospels where Jesus performed miracles. Then she would pray for people with all sorts of problems, diseases and oppressions. She hadn’t seen this being done back home in her church, but she followed the examples in the Bible.

Not quite sure where she even was, she was woken one day by pleas for help by distraught parents. When she reached their home, she saw their only son, around nine years old, lying on a mat – dead. They begged her to pray to her God.

Miracles!
With childlike faith Marie opened her Bible, read where Jesus raised a young son from the dead and prayed: ‘Lord, you are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Please raise this son from the dead.’

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PROPHECY, DREAMS AND VISIONS

(March 10, 2021) Brian Bell shares a meditation…

Scripture often speaks of these three topics. It is not my intention to ‘major’ on them as individual topics but to share some thoughts from those well-known words of Joel 2:28 (NLT 1999) where the prophet says – ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophecy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.’

Prophecy
It is generally accepted that prophecy falls into two general categories… ‘foretelling’ when God gives an insight to what is yet to take place. And ‘forth telling’ when God gives a word speaking into a specific situation very often to bring encouragement to his children.  Prophecy is also a gift of the Spirit which several exercise today: God’s word, however he chooses to speak it, is foundational.

Take, for example, Joel 1:16(NLT) where the prophet declares, ‘No joyful celebrations are in the house of our God.’ I believe he was speaking of an experience prevailing at that time. The people’s spiritual experience of God had waned. Could it be that we see a parallel in our recent experiences?

For many months there hasn’t really been the same joyful celebrations in the house of God – wherever that may be for you – as in the best interests and well-being of our congregations we have resorted to live streamed services conducted by a small number of people in a controlled environment. Or to a computer application such as Skype or Zoom or similar tools which enable ‘virtual’ meetings.

I know that many faithful believers have struggled with this, saying we should never have given up our liberty to meet in fellowship. Whatever view we may take, the most important aspect is that our personal relationship with the Lord must be encouraged and enriched, as we continue to live for him without the support structure, we were used to in our church fellowships (which, God willing, we may soon resume, perhaps with renewed appreciation and enthusiasm). (more…)

BILLY GRAHAM –THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PREACHER OF THE 20TH CENTURY DIES

(February 22, 2018) Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST News Service, shares some very personal reminisces…

American evangelist Billy Graham – a confidant to presidents, a guiding light to generations of American Christians and a world-travelling preacher who saw millions give their lives to Christ, died today (Wednesday, February 21), at the age of 99.

Dr Graham, who was known as ‘America’s Pastor’ passed away at his home in Montreat, North Carolina.

‘The skinny preacher with the booming voice evangelised to nearly 215 million people over six decades and prayed with US presidents from Harry Truman to Barack Obama,’ said CNN. ‘Several presidents, including Lyndon Johnson, George W Bush and Bill Clinton, relied closely on his spiritual counsel.’

 

 

 

 

 

A dynamic young Billy Graham preaching

 

 


Billy Graham was the reason I got into journalism
But on a personal side, it was 50 years ago in London, England, when I got my first job in journalism. It was with The Christian, an historic British newspaper that the Graham Association had bought and modernised. (more…)

THE BUZZ

GLEANINGS (February 17, 2017):

  • TEN WAYS TO LOVE – No commandment greater
  • MIRACLE AND SALVATIONS IN VIETNAM – Prayer and  Christian love
  • MOVING ON – From dream to reality!

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NO OTHER COMMANDMENT IS GREATER!

Carol Round(February 17, 2017) Carol Round, Special to ASSIST encourages…

‘”And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” The second is equally important: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” No other commandment is greater than these’ (Mark 12:30-31NLT).

For over 11 years, I’ve sat down at my computer each week to write this column. It wasn’t part of my retirement plan after leaving education in 2005. But God had other plans. (more…)

ENCOURAGING

Dr Robert & Maureen (2)Robert and Maureen McQuillan encourage readers…with some more encouragements:

Encouragement! We all need to hear from time to time words that inspire us. Life is life and throws challenging curves at us (even the best of people) that can easily throw us if we’re not trusting the Lord.

One great advantage Christians have – beyond committing every potential upset to Jesus, is to have good friends with whom we confidently trust to share things and seek their counsel and prayer support and encouragement. (more…)

HOLY SPIRIT INTERCESSION

Mike Shreve
Mike Shreve, evangelist, pastor and author, reminds believers of the Spirit’s work in the church…

According to 1 Kings 8:59, God maintains the cause of his people at all times. How? By the constant intercession ascending to him – flowing like a river from the Son of God and from the Holy Spirit.

Most believers know that Jesus is our high priest who ‘ever lives’ to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:25; Rom. 8:34). Few realise that the Holy Spirit also petitions the Father on our behalf. This is a sound biblical truth that we need to know. (more…)