reconcilation

AN UNUSUAL PURCHASE

(March 27, 2024) Dr Robert McQuillan shares…

I’ve shared about this subject before, but felt led to reshare some aspects because of something that happened this very week.

Do note that while this article is somewhat sombre, it is a reality one of thanksgiving for the major thing that our empathising, suffering Saviour did for us! Hallelujah… He’s alive and returning King, Lord and friend!

Stunned
It was Easter time some years ago when I discovered it. I’d been casually browsing through a local store with Maureen when I suddenly noticed the most unusual object that stood out among other wall hangings.

It was a cross that so grabbed my attention that I sort of froze. I was immediately reminded of Jesus suffering for us on Calvary’s cross, the horror of those nails being driven into our Saviour. He would have been weak already from the mishandling He’d received from His tormentors… now He’s been bound and nailed to that crossbar joined to the upright forming a cross!

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PROFIT FROM PHILEMON

March 09, 2024) Brian Bell shares…

It was while Paul was imprisoned in Rome that he wrote his short letter to Philemon, who it would seem was a wealthy man but also a well-respected believer among the Christians who made up the church in Colossae.

During his imprisonment, Paul had met a slave called Onesimus, a native of Colossae who had run away from Philemon. While in prison Onesimus came to faith in the Lord Jesus and the intention of Paul’s letter was asking Philemon to receive Onesimus back into his home.

From what is likely a very well-known story I share five encouraging thoughts…

1. Philemon’s Principle
While Paul writes specifically to Philemon he says he is ‘also writing to the church that meets in your house’ verse 2 (NLT). The church of course refers to the collective body of Christian believers.

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HEART ENCOURAGEMENTS

(February 27, 2024) Brian Bell shares…

This is the last in a short series of articles I’ve been sharing from the book of Hebrews.

In this meditation I draw our attention to the concluding chapter, Hebrews 13:15-25NLT and share five brief thoughts to encourage our hearts…

1. Live
I see these as the emphasis of verses 15 and 16…  ‘Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.’ 

Notice that the text indicates that we should –

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PRODIGAL PARABLE RECONCILES SUICIDAL JEWISH MAN TO GOD

(March 9, 2022) David Calderon shares a good news reconciliation story…

Trevor Rubenstein got mad when some Christians approached him at a mall and talked about Jesus.

Trevor – his Hebrew name is Tuvia – grew up in an affluent family. His parents did well; his grandparents did very well, he says on a video posted Chosen People Ministries, formerly One for Israel.

Experiencing depression
Despite living in the lap of luxury, Trevor experienced significant depression to the point of being suicidal.

‘I would often contemplate killing myself,’ he said. ‘There was this overlying feeling that I’m not loved like I want to be loved.’  The inner emptiness prompted him to look for acceptance, which he found among the druggies. He began to drink and abuse drugs.

‘That really affected my grades and my education,’ he says. With plummeting grades and behavioural issues, he got kicked out of school. ‘You’re not coming back to this school,’ the principal told him in his office. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you don’t come back to this school.’’

At college, a friend invited Trevor to a Bible study. Without really listening to what the activity was, Trevor acceded. Only too late did he realise he was in a Bible study.

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JONAH – THE UNIVERSAL RECONCILING LOVE OF GOD

(August 26, 2019) Dr Jim McClure, straight shooting theologian, shares on the most misunderstood book in the Bible…

The book of Jonah is probably the best known book in the Old Testament – but for all the wrong reasons! Most people think of it as a pleasant bedtime story for children about a man who fell off a boat and was swallowed by a whale. A few days later the whale spat him out and he walked off into the land of happy-ever-after.

But that is not what the book of Jonah is about. Its message is much more interesting, challenging and radical than that.  In fact it is one of the most revolutionary books in the Old Testament!

Background to the story
The story of Jonah is set around 2700 years ago and the people of Israel believed that they were in an exclusive relationship with God who loved only them. They had a kind of exclusive and territorial mentality about Yahweh.

God chose Jonah to ‘shake their world’!

Yet we do not actually know much about him. We know that his name means ‘Dove’ and that he came from a town near Nazareth.  He was given an unenviable task – to go to Nineveh, the oldest and most densely populated city of the ancient Assyrian Empire which was also considered to be one of the wickedest cities in the world and its people were known for their ruthlessness, cruelty, child sacrifice, sexual perversion and witchcraft.

1. The reluctance of Jonah
(i) Jonah’s call
God’s call to Jonah was personal and specific – ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me’ (1:2). (more…)

THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF YOUR LIFE

Rick MarschallRick Marschall, Special to ASSIST News Service writes:

Believers throughout the millennia have endured torture to learn and savour the gospel of Jesus Christ – the good news. Many believers have sacrificed their all in order to know and serve the Saviour. Many believers have risked, and lost, their lives in order to share Christ.

These facts are still true today. In lands where it is most difficult and dangerous, there are martyrs we hear about. We read of secret house churches in China, meeting in secret and in danger, yet boldly reading the Bible one page at a time each meeting. (more…)

A Determined God of Love

Robert and Maureen McQuillan write:

Recently we attended the funeral of a friend who loved Jesus. Held in a local Uniting Church, we were impressed as the minister, Tony Johnson, shared from his heart.

Space doesn’t permit us to detail all that this soft-speaking Geelongite said but we’ll always recall the following– truths that are relevant to every Christian in their understanding of God, their following Jesus and living as he did. And in honouring God’s word and reaching out to everyone.

Tony’s welcome to the mixed gatherers – family, friends and those who were strangers to each other but had known the deceased through her lifetime daily exhibition of love, is a classic.

Quietly and simply but meaningfully, he said: ‘Welcome to all of you – to those who believe, those who do not believe, those who do not know what to believe and those who have been too hurt to believe anything.’ In his eulogy, Tony made it clear that God is the God of determination – that through Christ he showed that he is the God of reconciliation.

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