John 3:16

THE WORLD NEEDS MORE AUDRAS

(July 8, 2022) Carol Round challenges us to shine God’s love in these dark times …

Her bright, sequined clothing captured my attention. So did her jewellery. Wrapped around her left arm had to be at least a half-dozen sparkling bracelets.

A little along on my left in church, this precious girl was seated in a wheelchair. A man, whom I assumed was her father, sat in the pew next to her.

During our church’s short ‘meet-and-greet someone you didn’t come to church with’ time, I met them. When I walked over to shake their hands, the girl looked down, as if she were shy. She didn’t even acknowledge me when I said, ‘I love your glittery clothes.’

I introduced myself to her father. He then introduced me to Audra, saying, ‘She’s hard of hearing.’ Leaning down so I could get closer to Audra, I repeated my words, adding her name this time. Raising her head, she smiled at me.

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ASSISTING THE DISPLACED KA-REN PEOPLE

(July 8) Ross and Donna, Mandate Ministries, share greetings – and concerns – from Chiang Mai, northern Thailand…

With a boat load of supplies for the displaced Ka-ren people living in Myanmar, we travelled with our team up-river from the Thailand side to a camp on the Myanmar side.

For decades, the Ka-ren people have been under attack from the Myanmar military. Aerial bombing and ground troop attacks have decimated many of their villages. Many men, women and children have been killed – and now land mines are being placed around churches.

Last week a young boy went to a church to ask for help, stood on a mine and had his leg blown off!

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YOU’RE A TREASURE!

(July 5, 2022) Mama Lava shares from her heart…

Hello everyone!

I hope you’re feeling loved today! Because, you know what? You are!

Think about this for a minute…

Jesus, Creator of the whole universe, loves you so much that even if you were the only person on earth, He would have willingly died on the cross to make a way to spend eternity with you.

You’re God’s treasure!
The apostle Peter wrote, ‘“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls’ (1 Peter 2:24-25).

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WINTER’S HERE… DEPRESSION SINKHOLES AHEAD?

(June 11, 2022) Maureen McQuillan shares some wintery thoughts…

Recently we were warned by various weather newscasters that summer was over and the days ahead would be colder. They certainly are! Brrrr!

Robert keeps asking me each new morning, ‘Where would you like to go today, Darling? Short drive around the countryside, have a meal or even a cuppa somewhere?’

I normally reply, ‘But the sun’s not shining, it’s cloudy and dull.’ To which Robert says, ‘We’ll be in the car, nice and warm’ and I – not depressed, mind you – respond, ‘It may look okay outside but it’s overcast. It may not be snowing but just open the front door and you’ll feel the cold. Let’s wait until a better day, we’ll enjoy it more. Here at home we can enjoy a nice meal or coffee… by the fire.’

Winter woes
Now I deliberately mentioned above that I’m not depressed by cold weather, nor any dark thoughts about winter time. But cold days could have some people longing for springtime, dreaming of warmer locations… and depressed.

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HEART-ROCK LIFE IN A HARD-KNOCK WORLD

(June 10, 2022) Mama Lava again shares personally and deeply from her heart…

‘It’s the hard-knock life!’

I’m sure you’ve heard the sentiment, made famous by the popular Broadway musical Annie. It is relatable as it focuses on the difficulties of living…

  • Empty belly life
  • Rotten smelly life
  • Full of sorrow life
  • No tomorrow life (Excerpted from the lyrics of It’s the Hard-Knock Life by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin)

Hard knocks focus
I went to the store last night and found the price of eggs has tripled in the last couple of weeks. So much for inexpensive protein! Empty belly life? Not quite. But I briefly considered a chicken coop in my small space, which could make for a more rotten smelly life for sure!

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CHRISTIAN PENTECOST – THE FEAST THAT NEVER ENDED

(June 1, 2022) Ed. Note: Honouring the late George Forbes, highly respected former missionary statesman, we rerun one of his special messages on Pentecost …

This weekend many churches and indeed countless Christians around the world will be celebrating Pentecost Sunday!

The Feast of Pentecost (also known as the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks) was observed by Israel over many centuries. It was an important time each year to celebrate the beginning of the early weeks of harvest with thanksgiving to God. Also a time to celebrate God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt.

After His resurrection from the grave, Jesus had given His followers a command to not depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father. He told them: ‘John truly baptised with water; but you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’ (See Acts 1:4-5).

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FIVE RELIABLE REASONS TO REJOICE THROUGH UNEXPECTED TEARS

(May 18, 2022) Mama Lava shares personally and deeply from her heart…

I got down on my belly, forehead to forehead with him. I petted him and spoke softly to him, reassuring him and telling him how much he was loved. I texted my son and husband to come quick, but I felt his last breath on my cheek before they got downstairs.

I am surprised how hard this hit me. Makali’i (AKA Maka) had just turned 12 and because of his breed, pug mixed with Japanese Chin, he’d already exceeded lifespan expectations and had been slowing down. I knew this was coming, yet is anyone ever really prepared?

(Photo right: Maka, on our first snowy walk, in our new hometown)

As sad as today has been, I have found five reliable reasons to rejoice through the many – oh so many – unexpected tears.

1. God’s Timing
‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die…’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a).

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HOLY – EMPHASIS HOLY – COMMUNION

(April 08, 2022) Dr Robert McQuillan responds to a friend troubled by certain ‘pushed’ teaching…

Dear Dr Robert

I always delight to take communion. But many times our ministers talk so much about receiving ‘other blessings’ beyond being forgiven of our sins, rather than solely remembering and honouring God and the Lord Jesus Christ for His tremendous sacrifice of paying the debt on our behalf. It seems to me that they just keep pushing other blessings, not what communion is all about. As it’s almost Easter, please comment on this. Kelvin.

Dear Kelvin

Yes, you’re right… Easter is a special time to Christians when we should remember and honour our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. But then we should always do this. You’re right too about communion… it’s a momentous time when He should be honoured for all He has done, especially securing forgiveness of our sins, and not other blessings alone being constantly pushed (or ‘constantly hammered’ to use a current catchcry).

Communion… Holy Communion, The Eucharist, Last Supper, Lord’s Supper, The Sacrament. Holy Sacrament or whatever name your church may use for this special service is indeed a very precious time.

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STUPIDIEST QUESTION EVER ASKED!

(April 07, 2022) Maureen McQuillan shares that Jesus truly cares…

When good friend Hope Flinchbaugh (Nehemiah-God’s Call to Build the Wall 2) enquired last month how Robert was going after several sleep-interrupted nights, he shared that he was now sleeping right through each night.

Hope then sent this note: ‘It sounds like you’ve learned to sleep in the boat when the big storm is on you!’ Robert had replied along the lines of ‘Not as restful as Jesus was… but I fully trust in Him.’

With various storms of life round us at this time, one needs to be at rest by knowing and trusting our Lord. Meditating on being at rest by trusting Jesus had me reflecting on Mark 4… Jesus asleep in a boat when a huge storm hit.

Jesus needed rest Himself
Verse 35 tells us that one evening Jesus had requested His disciples to take Him across the lake by boat.

He’d already had a very busy day teaching kingdom truths to crowds lined up along the shore. Now He was not only tired (Yes, ministry can tire us!), but maybe His mind was on the next day’s even busier one of supernatural ministry… finding and freeing that poor Gerasene man bound by many evil spirits, travelling dust roads, raising a little girl from the dead, and encountering that desperately troubled woman who would dare to boldly touch the hem of His robe believing to be healed, not to mention more criticisms (Mark 5).

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FINDING JESUS WHILE STUDYING FOR HIS BAR-MITZVAH

(April 06, 2022) Charles Gardner shares…

An innocent question about Jesus from a primary school classmate set a 10-year-old Jewish boy from London on the road to discovering his Messiah.

Gerry Cohen, now 63, looks back on the monumental effect this has had on his life, and why he is still passionate about the need for fellow Jews to find Jesus for themselves.

Searching
In an interview with Jane Moxon for the CMJ (Church’s Ministry among Jewish people) website, Gerry recalled that time, 53 years ago, when his friend Nigel asked him: ‘What’s Jesus when you’re Jewish?”

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