prayer

JESUS – LORD HIGH ABOVE ALL ELSE!

(February 20, 2023) Robert and Maureen McQuillan bring a timely challenge …

Happened to watch a recent Abbots Cross Congregational Church service (our ‘old’ church back in Northern Ireland) and heard an outstanding sermon by Reverend Philip Campbell. What a message! So well…

  • Structured perfectly,
  • Strongly principled,  
  • Sensitively preached.

Under an obvious Holy Spirit anointing, Philip clearly spoke convincingly from his heart on Philippians 3.

There was a sense of destiny as Philip – known for his easy-to-listen-to-and-absorb style – reminded his audience of God’s incredible goodness, the Christian’s need to take opportunities to share one’s faith and the gospel of Jesus and, forgetting past hindrances, move on this year under God’s directions into His plans for His spiritual children and church.

It triggered off the heart of this particular article!

Jesus highest
Philip Campbell knows the cost of the challenge of moving on as God declares!

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FLIES-ON-THE-WALL AND THE SECRET LIFE OF SAINTS

(February 04, 2023) Stuart Reynolds challenges Christians to know God more…

‘Flies-on-the-wall’ documentaries are not new – if our television broadcast schedules are anything to go by, we can’t get enough of them!

And with the rapid progress of camera technology, such broadcasts have become deeper, clearer, even truer, spawning a whole new breed for our watching – from The Secret Life of Pets to The Secret Life of 4 & 5 Year Olds,’ and, if you really want it, The Secret Life of Books and even of Buildings!

But what about The Secret Life of Saints? What would ‘flies-on-the-wall’ learn and admire? Or… be unimpressed by?

Watchman Nee wrote: ‘This is the test. How much of my life is seen? When men look on the surface, have they seen the whole, or is there more? Have I, in the unseen, a secret history with God?’

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A DANGEROUS PRAYER

(January 15, 2023) Richard Winter ‘cuts to the chase’!

Many people like to get straight to the chase… I’m sure you have heard the following:

  • ‘Just give me the facts.’
  • ‘Don’t waffle around.’
  • ‘Just give it to me straight.’
  • ‘Don’t beat around the bush.’

Talk about cutting to the chase. Well here’s another one that does just that – somewhat longer, and of all things a prayer, a very dangerous prayer! It’s a fact… and there’s no waffling, no beating around the bush. I’m giving it to you straight!

It’s my personal prayer – and it could become yours. Goes like this…

‘Heavenly Father, as hard as this is for me, I am asking you to search asking you to search me. Search me, God, and know my heart. God, test my motives. Reveal to me my anxious thoughts. Show me anything in me that offends you. God, I want to see in me what you see in me, so I can become more like Jesus. God, I ask you to search me.’

A dangerous prayer
In fact, if you ask my opinion, most people’s prayers are way too safe!

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3 REASONS WHY I’M DELIGHTED BEING UNSETTLED

(September 8, 2022) Mama Lava encourages us to be at peace, especially ‘unsettled peace’…

It’s September! For most people on this side of the globe, September means summer holidays have been taken, kids are back in school, routines have been implemented, and plans have been settled for the next several months. This can be a major transition… but often settles into cosy anticipation once it’s all arranged.

Is that how you’re feeling? To be honest, I feel something much deeper this year. I feel overwhelmed by unsettled peace. And I’ve come to view major transitions differently than expected… I’m actually delighted to be unsettled!

Delighted to be unsettled?
Yes, ‘unsettled peace’ sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Yet the two are coexisting easily in my heart! Here’s why…

I know that I know that I know that God is on the throne! He’s bigger than anything that would trouble me and in charge. Nothing gets by Him without His permission.

  • I know He is with me.
  • I know He is for me.
  • I know that nothing can stand against me.
  • I know this is unquestionably my peace!
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YES, STILL PRAY FOR HEALING

(January 21, 2022) Dr Robert McQuillan responds to this believer who asks for prayer for a healing…

Dear Dr Robert

I know from your writings over the years that you strongly believe in healing. Would you please pray for me…? I don’t have Covid or anything like that but I’m having trouble with what I’ll call my ‘gut.’ Can we still believe for healing by God these days… these troubled days of so many people being hospitalised? Yours, ‘Clarke.’

Dear Clarke

Firstly, my apologies! It’s been a couple of weeks since you contacted me and I’m only getting back now (in writing that is! But I have prayed for you!).

If you’re following our Onliner you’ll know that this month we’ve once again pointed out that even though we may be Christians washed in the blood of our Saviour, Jesus, we still live in this fallen world. And, unfortunately, that means we may be subject to sicknesses. To be truthful, that one reason I’m only getting back now… I’ve had to rest back a bit myself!

But, to cheer you on, Clarke, the good news is that, yes, we can still pray for healing (and for other things!) and expect answers from our great, caring God!

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EIRENE PEACE

(October 18, 2021) Dr Robert McQuillan responds to this query about the Holy Spirit special brand of peace…

Dear Dr Robert
It’s me, Mitch. Again. I appreciate the help you been giving me over recent months… advice and prayers. I want to ask you something… I was really struggling with something that I couldn’t get free from; it was hanging on me like some sort of trap. But then you prayed for me… in what I thought was unusual at the time… you strongly prayed for a special peace to come on me, drop on me, aneirenepeace. And I know that I know something happened! I felt so released and have been feeling good since. I know you wrote about this peace as being one of the fruit segments of the Holy Spirit, but please explain further (I still feel so good!).  Mitch.

Dear Mitch

Firstly, I praise God that you’re feeling released in your mind and heart. Yes, back in July I explained this peace as Eirene… inner peace is ours, a very special assurance that all will be well… as Jesus assured his frightened disciples. Eirene is mentioned some 90 times in the NT and was (think Irene) a very popular girl’s name. Eirene related to serenity enjoyed under a good and just government ruler. Villagers would call the keeper of public peace, ‘the Eirene’ the one who would justly look after them. Think about this in respect of Jesus… the hand that holds the universe also holds us!

Perhaps if I share the following with you, it’ll help you further understand – and appreciate how releasing and what a blessing this special peace is…

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THE WORLD MAY BE IN A MESS BUT JESUS OFFERS ABUNDANT LIFE!

(September 18, 2021) David McGuire missionary to Romania, shares…

The world is in a mess but with Jesus there is life and life in abundance!

He makes a way where the world says stop!

Our thanks to who have praying for us… your continued care and support has made so much come to pass.

A very busy summer indeed with no stopping!
I have so many pictures from this summer! Such the one below showing one of two houses that were built in Tigmandru, one for a family of six and the other for a single elderly lady.

Both situations were cases of homelessness and completed with provision coming from American Christian friends and a northern Irish charity (Project Romania), praise the Lord.

And here’s a photo showing Tigmandru church trip out to the zoo for the kids who come to the weekly Bible group we do. Provision also came in to bless the teenagers who attend the same church go to a three-day Christian camp.

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HELPING WHEN HELP ISN’T ASKED FOR

(July 30, 2021) Maureen McQuillan responds to a challenging situation where someone wants to help a friend but that person just can’t receive help at this time…

Dear Pastor Maureen
A good friend on mine is in quite a state… her husband walked out on her, ending the marriage. I want to help her but she doesn’t want to talk about it. What can I do? Sonya.

Dear Sonya

I sense your heart… but the truth is that if your friend won’t open up and talk with you, you just can’t help, nobody can. At least not at this moment.

It’s going to take time for her to adjust to what’s happened… she’s in shock, probably thinking she’s failed as a wife, trying to work out what went wrong that this has happened, how did it come about and why? She’s obviously closed up inside and needs some space.

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MOVING ON FROM A BAD RELATIONSHIP

(July 28, 2021) Bonnie-Jane shares an encouraging word from her heart…

That 10 Year Challenge Photo/Image Meme phase was popular a while back, and had people reflecting on their past.

As I reminiscence myself, I feel to share some things from my heart and trust they will help someone else who has gone through similar hurtful and damaging experiences in the past as I did. So here goes…

Suffering from a broken heart
Just over some 10 years ago I met someone who at first seemed to be interested in me and a relationship began. But as the months went by he proved to be most insincere and the relationship became an abusive one.

It was a hard and grim time for me. Always considered a gentle-spirited person, easy-going, thoughtful and kind, able to deal with situations, my heart was being broken and even my very personality was changing.

I praise God for his strength to make a most important decision… with his help I decided that enough was enough and broke that relationship!

From depression to renewed confidence
That decision was so important… but now I was feeling that I would never find anyone who genuinely cared and whom I could trust.

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CANCER DIAGNOSED; JEWISH WOMAN REMEMBERED VISION OF JESUS

(April 13, 2021) Benjamin Lahood, studying at Lighthouse Christian Academy, Los Angeles, brings shares a miraculous testimony...

After Shiri Joshua was told she had a rare, virulent form of breast cancer (already at stage 3) she faced a stark choice one Friday afternoon. Would she start chemo or undergo a mastectomy on the following Monday?

‘I honestly didn’t even comprehend those words,’ Shiri says on a 100 Huntley Street video.

An Israel-born Jew, she moved to Toronto at 19, but her family continued to speak Hebrew at home. She always had an inquisitiveness about spiritually. Due to her upbringing, she thought she could only be either orthodox or a secular Jew.

But after she moved to Canada, she fell under the spell of the New Age movement. ‘I really did not feel that my traditional Jewish upbringing would satisfy what I wanted,’ she says. I knew there was a God, I just did not know him.

Vision of Jesus
Two years prior to her diagnosis, she had a vision of Jesus. She had heard about the Lord but felt she needed to avoid Jesus because of her Jewish background. But in her search for spirituality one day, she asked God if Jesus was real.

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