John 3:16

TITANIC ‘IF ONLYS’

(April 06, 2022) Robert McQuillan shares some April thoughts…

110 years ago on Sunday 14 April 1912, the massive White Star liner RMS Titanicstruck an iceberg. That catastrophe is generally reported as happening at 23.39… Three hours, one minute later, at 2.40am Monday morning the so-called unsinkable, luxury liner was gone in the calmest but coldest seas (28 degrees under).

Only 750 were plucked from the frigid sea. Sadly, 1523 had perished.

 It was indeed, as the Walter Lord‘s prolific 1955 book and subsequent 1958 movie called it, A Night to Remember.

Titanic’s ‘If Onlys’
Among other beliefs – and ‘believed mysteries or conspiracy theories’ – the following have been associated with that horrifying disaster.

If only…

  • The British Board of Trade ruling had called for more lifeboats.
  • The crow’s nest spotters binoculars hadn’t disappeared.
  • Iceberg warnings had been taken more seriously.
  • Bruce Ismay, White Star managing director, hadn’t pressed for a speedier (24k) crossing.
  • First officer Murdoch hadn’t reversed the main engines, handicapping the turning ability.
  • The ship had had a double hull.
  • The watertight doors had been higher than three metres (and there had been more doors).
  • There had been more red flares on board.
  • The mysterious ship nearby had responded to the distress signals
  • The Carpathia hadn’t been so far away to steam to the rescue (four hours away).
  • ‘We’ hadn’t booked on the maiden voyage.
  • Morgan Robertson’s 1898 romantic novel The Wreck of the Titan or, Futility had been taken seriously. (Later this book would be regarded as ‘prophetic’ as it centred on ‘the largest craft afloat… unsinkable, indestructible she carried as few boats as would satisfy the laws’ being sunk by an iceberg. ‘Fourteen years before the greatest civil maritime disaster of all time, this story eerily prefigured the actual calamity’ of the Titanic).

That’s 12 ‘If Onlys.’

Thirteen is often regarded as unlucky. Christians don’t believe in ‘luck’ as we trust God (or should!), but here’s a thirteenth ‘If only’, a sad one…

  • God hadn’t been mocked! Seems it was mockingly, jokingly claimed that even God couldn’t sink Titanic (not that He would have!).
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GOD STILL LOVES ALL THE NATIONS!

(April 01, 2022) Honouring the memory of the late missionary statesman Dr George Forbes, we run one of his blogs, bringing an Easter reminder that God still loves the world…

Nations around the world have experienced so many troubles these past few years – and still are! But God truly loves them all!

God cares for all nations, just not Israel
David, who knew his God’s heart wrote, ‘O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for you [God] shall judge the peoples righteously and govern the nations on earth’ (Psalm 67:4).

When this short psalm was written and then sung in Israeli households and other places, the truth of God’s love for all nations, as well as His eternal purpose for them was expressed well.

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REMEMBERING CALVARY

(April 01, 2022) Brian Bell challenges us to remember and really know that God loves us…

In the United Kingdom last week, we ‘put our clocks forward’ a reminder that for us we are moving into the spring season.

If you’re anything like me, your memory may have good recall in some things, not so good on others. God knows our human tendency to forget and takes steps to help us remember.

One example of this is found in Deuteronomy 15:15ESB: ‘You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you.’

As we approach this Easter season, I offer some very simple thoughts from this verse to help us remember.

1. A season to remember
In Ecclesiastes 3:1KJV the writer tells us that ‘To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.’

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MR BEAN – AND GOD’S MYSTERIOUS WAYS

Robert and Maureen McQuillan remind us that we don’t know everything … but that God does! 

Experienced those moments when we want to ask God, ‘Why?’ or ‘What’s going on?’ or ‘How come You answered my prayer as You did, not how I had prayed and expected?’ 

Did you get an answer to certain prayers? Or did you conclude that it’s better to appreciate and enjoy the benefits than to query God about His ways? 

We forget that God is God! 
The reality is that often we get so caught up with asking (in faith and trust which is good and necessary, of course!) and expecting God to bring about the answer exactly how we asked. And we forget that He is God who sees everything outside the box and knows what the best course of action should be! 

Yes… He is God – almighty God! God full stop! As such He doesn’t have to explain anything – we’re merely His creation. 

But, hallelujah … He’s also the heavenly Father who loves us so much that He does sometimes kindly  explain things – as in (Genesis 18:17NLT, ‘”Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked’). 

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JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN

(March 13, 2022) Robert McQuillan shares about an intrepid missionary’s bold decision…

When I received a brief email a few days ago from missionary to Romania, David McGuire, I was immediately reminded of that old snowclone intro to the original 1966 Star Trek TV episodes – Where No Man Has Gone Before (Changed in the Next Generation series to the gender-neutral Where No One Has Gone Before).

Why? Why was I so thrown that I reminisced about that old classic intro? Well, with all the reports on TV news programs about what Ukraine is suffering from Russia’s invasion, likened unto Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland back in 1939, one wonders ‘Who would want to travel to Ukraine at this time!’

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Russia might use chemical weapons following its invasion of Ukraine and that such a move would be a war crime, according to an interview in German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

He added that although the Ukrainian people were resisting the Russian invasion with courage, the coming days are likely to bring even greater hardship.

‘That’ brief email
Let me tell you some things about my friend David McGuire. He doesn’t waste words, preferring to be about the Lord’s business! Consequently his short email simply said this…

‘About to leave home with medical and humanitarian to go and join with team from Cluj YWAM. From there we will travel up into Ukraine overnight to base ourselves where we can serve many needy people.

‘Pray for strength love and courage to bless and strengthen these we meet and have needs. The team will be led by Pastor Alin who will decide how and which way we travel and in what from Cluj. I travel with Project Romania van to Cluj and from there we see how leadership want best to go with vans.

‘For Jesus we live and love. Thank you for prayers.’

Let me tell you more about David…

Firstly… straight to the point
As intimated above, he’s not really one for words (so with pleasure I’ve reworded some lines, adding capitals… although his mission Reachout articles are great, such those mentioned below).

Rather David (right) uses his camera to let supporters and interested people like myself know how the Lord is leading him and what, with the Holy Spirit’s help, his missionary activities are achieving practical as well as spiritual needs (Read the article link highlighted below).

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OUR DAYS ARE ALREADY DETERMINED

(January 01, 2022) Carol Round reflects…

I know, I know… Christmas is over!  But on Christmas morning, as I was reading one of my daily devotionals, something I’d never thought about grabbed my attention. Forty days and forty years are significant in the Bible. However, while reading my devotional, the number forty weeks was mentioned.

The devotional, written by O.S. Hawkins, appears in his book titled, The Believer’s Code. He writes, ‘Jesus came to earth as a helpless, tiny seed planted in the womb of a young Jewish virgin. Forty weeks later, Jesus was born in a filthy stable.’

When I googled the length of a pregnancy, I discovered differing opinions for this gestation time. Some sites base the time period on the number of days in a month. However, according to several sites, the average length of pregnancy is counted at 40 weeks.

Jesus wasn’t average!
We know, however, that Jesus wasn’t your average child. Born of a virgin as God’s only Son, He came to save us from ourselves. ‘Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!’ (2 Corinthians 9:15).

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CHRISTMAS – PERFECT TIME FOR FORGIVENESS
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(December 23, 2021) Mercy Health’s #MomentsofHealth shares a great Christmastime insight on why forgiveness might just be the best gift you can give yourself this season…

The holidays can be stressful. But what can make the holiday season even more stressful? Tiptoeing around family members, harbouring resentment, or picking and choosing holiday gatherings because you’re avoiding someone.

Holding a grudge toward a loved one can be exhausting. The good news? There’s no better time for forgiveness than the holidays.

We get it. You might not be convinced just yet. There was likely a reason you became angry with this person to begin with, and if they had apologised this would already be over. But while there will always be a reason not to extend forgiveness toward someone, there will also always be an even better reason to forgive. Here are our best tips for mending fences this holiday season.

Here’s three reasons to extend forgiveness at Christmastime…

1. Conflict leads to physical stress; forgiveness lessens panic and anxiety
First things first – forgiveness is not about doing a favour for the other person. It’s about doing a favour for you.

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Whether it’s a small argument with your significant other or a decade of not talking to a sibling, conflict is bad for your wellbeing. The stress associated with conflict can increase your risk for a heart attack, raise blood pressure, reduce sleep quality and more. Turns out, forgiveness is one of the best things you can do for your health.

Instead of refusing to forgive because you don’t think someone deserves forgiveness, choose to forgive because you deserve to live with less stress. Quite simply, forgiveness is practical.

2. Choosing to forgive sets the right example for your kids
Modelling behaviour is one of the best ways to teach our children how to behave.

Forgiveness helps us better respect and understand others. While it doesn’t always mean forgetting, it does mean letting go.

We all want our kids to grow up and be successful, which is a lot harder when we’re holding on to feelings of negativity. Teaching our kids to let go helps them excel in the areas of their lives that matter most.

3. Forgiveness is what the holiday season is all about
Many of us have heard the adage ‘Jesus is the reason for the season.’ Jesus may have been born on ‘Christmas’, but he died for the forgiveness of our sins.

Jesus died on a cross so that we could all experience forgiveness from God. God wants us to live a life of forgiveness, and he gave us that gift through Jesus. By choosing to forgive, we are embracing a gift greater than anything that could be put under the tree this season.

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Forgiveness might not always be easy, and it might not always go as planned. The lesson in forgiveness isn’t the reaction from the person forgiven, it’s the change that takes place in you.

When we learned the definition of mercy earlier in this series, we learned that it’s all about showing compassion toward those whom within it’s our power to punish. Forgiveness is one of the best ways to show mercy. How will you show your moment of mercy this week?

Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to share with the hashtag #MomentsofMercy on social media. We promise – this is one thing that can truly put you in the holiday spirit!

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Mercy Health is an extensive caring American organisation that states ‘Our Mission drives us to provide the highest quality health care possible to our patients and communities. Our exceptional team of doctors, nurses and caregivers whose expertise and talent help make a difference in our patients’ lives every day. We extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities and brings good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved.’ Link: https://www.mercy.com/

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τέταρτος μάγος – THE FOURTH MAGI

(November 26, 2021) Robert and Maureen McQuillan, as with other contributors this month, again encourage blessing others…

As many know, we relax watching good movies, particularly film noir, and wholesome TV shows. Recently, although it’s only November, we kept finding great Christmas-centred YouTube ones highlighting the Christmastime season as one of generosity and giving.

Next month, of course, brings around that time of year when we celebrate the coming to earth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, born of the young virgin Mary, fulfilling Isaiah 9:6.

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Celebrating Christ’s incarnation
Sadly, to many it’ll just be a holiday season but to those who know the gift of our gracious, loving God, we’ll celebrate it remembering we owe him so much for the miraculous incarnation of his Son who would willingly sacrifice himself on Calvary’s cross to pay the penalty of our sins (John 3:16).

And, of course, we owe much to the Holy Spirit who, as Romans 8:11 declares, ensured that Jesus rose from the grave (‘With healing in his wings’ to quote from that Wesley/Whitefield hymn that became the carol Hark the Angels Sing), as well as birthing the church (Acts 2).

Looking ahead, most Christians will be making Christmastime special, getting together with family, enjoying fellowship and good food, gift-giving, relaxing and happiness-finding and making. But… unfortunately some will miss out next month because they’ve heard myths generated around what we call the Christmas story and been disillusioned!

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WALKING THE TALK

(August 8, 2021) Carol Round challenges us to ask God’s will for our lives…

Our pastor often asks the congregation the following question: ‘Do you know who you are and to whom you belong?’

In other words, do we belong to the world, or do we belong to Jesus Christ?

Belonging to the world means we’re not following the example of our Saviour and Lord. If we claim to be a Christian, yet let ourselves be swayed by the world’s values, we can’t walk the talk. While none of us is perfect, it requires us to walk in love to follow Jesus’s example.

In 2020, contemporary Christian artist, Josh Wilson released a song called Revolutionary.  I love the lyrics. In part, he sings about our differences and that we don’t always agree on everything. He says that doesn’t mean we have to be enemies. Maybe we need be brave, take a leap of faith, call a truce, and find a better way, he adds.

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THE GENERAL’S UNANSWERABLE QUESTION
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(April 01, 2021) Robert McQuillan recalls an Easter reflection…

As many know, Maureen and I often relax by watching old movies and TV series. Anyone remember that avant-garde classic cult British series from the 60s The Prisoner?

The late Patrick McGoohan, its creator, played an unnamed secret service agent who for no apparent reason resigns only to be taken captive to a mysterious coastal locale in Wales known as The Village. Here he is technologically interrogated as to his real motive for resigning – with what was then unheard-of equipment.

Consequently the question his inquisitors repeatedly ask is – Why? meaning ‘for what purpose; with what intention, reason, or motive.’

Unanswerable question
Number 6 – as he’s referred to – turns the tables in one episode when his interrogators are using The General, an invincible machine regarding any question asked. He requests to type in a one-word question claiming it cannot be answered.

‘Impossible,’ he’s countered, told that there’s no question The General can’t understand, answer.

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But on his one word being inserted the machine abruptly goes haywire, smoke and sparks flying everywhere.

To the inquisitors’ amazement, it totally disintegrates exploding with a great erupting bang.

What was the question that Number 6 then states as being ‘Insoluble to man and machine’? The one unanswerable word – ‘Why?’

Different ‘General’
Some 40 years ago I knew a certain businessman – whose name I can’t disclose – but call the General. Taking me to lunch at a classy restaurant, he insisted on lavishly treating me.

But this was more than a business luncheon… it was his way of thanking me for having gladly stood alongside him for several hours in a private hospital while surgeons preformed a dangerous operation on his wife.

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