Romans 12:2

HOPE RENEWED BY JESUS’ RESURRECTION

(April 14, 2025) Angeline Selvakumari shares precious Easter truths…

In the midst of our busy lives and relentless struggles, hope can sometimes feel distant. There are moments when our faith wavers, when doubt clouds our vision, and when we struggle to perceive God’s hand at work.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by uncertainty, take heart— you are not alone.

It’s Easter this weekend— a celebration of renewed hope— a time when despair is transformed into joy through Christ’s resurrection.

Remember the incident of two dismayed disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-35? It powerfully illustrates this truth of hope renewed, reminding us that even in our moments of doubt, Jesus walks beside us, ready to rekindle our faith and restore our hope.

Patiently Loving Saviour
Picture those disciples walking along a dusty road, their steps heavy with sorrow and their hearts weighed down by disappointment. They had placed all their hopes in Jesus, believing He was the long-awaited Messiah who would redeem Israel. But now, with His crucifixion fresh in their minds, their dreams lay in ruins.

(more…)

MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION FOR JESUS!

(November 12, 2024) Dr Richard Winter challenges…

A reality so often overlooked is this— we have no excuse for wrong decision-making regarding God, His wishes and invitations!

Luke 14 tells that one-time Jesus went to a prominent Pharisee’s home for a meal and someone at His table commented, ‘Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God’ (v15).

The eyes of all the other guests were on Jesus (v1) and He immediately took the opportunity to tell a parable of a great (megas… exceedingly big!) banquet…

(more…)

THE LORD’S PRAYER – Part 1: ‘GOD’S DOMINION’

(June 06, 2024) Dr Jim McClure teaches… and challenges –

How good is your prayer life?

I guess that for most of us prayer is lower on the ladder of importance in our lives than we would be prepared to admit.

We excuse ourselves by thinking that we are so busy that other urgent things make demands on us and, sadly, prayer is set to one side to be attended to later.

Many churches place an emphasis on the importance of their regular prayer meetings and sometimes Christian organisations plan citywide, and even nationwide, prayer meetings and Christians are encouraged to commit to them. However, valuable and important such gatherings may be, the number of participants is ultimately not the determining factor in the effectiveness of prayer.

(more…)

THE HOLY ROAD

(April 24, 2024) Dr Jim McClure shares and explains an important truth…

When touring in Southern Ireland many years ago, Jean and I saw a signpost pointing to the place we wanted to visit.  We turned onto that road and drove, drove, and drove… The road’s condition gradually deteriorated until it ceased to exist in the middle of nowhere! Driving back to where we had seen the signpost, we discovered that someone had deliberately pointed it in the wrong direction! 

The lesson is obvious – you won’t arrive at the right destination if you travel on the wrong road! So I’m sharing about a road specifically named in the Old Testament – ‘Way of Holiness’, or the ‘Holy Road.’ 

It’s graphically described in Isaiah 35:8-10, ‘A highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there,  and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.’

(more…)

TROUBLED HEARTS, MINDS AND CHARACTERS

(February 22, 2023) Dr Robert McQuillan encourages those with troubled hearts …

The following is in response to some recent questions, and requests for help and prayer, from some troubled Christians, and other conversations from yesteryear, where I’ve endeavoured to put some minds at rest.

There are times when something comes up, something is said or done that hurts so much that it stings our very hearts. Maybe something completely out of line, something nasty, accusative (maybe through misunderstanding), or even something simple, that burrows hurtfully deep in our thinking.

Do note something here: If we talk about our ‘upset heart’ we’re meaning that our emotions are upset! However, when the Bible talks about the heart, it is referring to our character… and many times it’s our character that’s been hurt, even slandered!

Jesus was cool
The first time Jesus mentioned the heart was on the sermon on the mount: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart’ (Matthew 5:8a). And what would be the outcome? ‘They shall see God’ (v8b)! And how do we see God? In the character of Jesus of course… John 14:8-11! How pure, how wise, how loving and forgiving He was – and is.

(more…)

EXCUSES THAT COULD KEEP YOU OUT OF HEAVEN 

(November 05, 2022) Richard Winter highlights that there is no excuse for concealing wrong actions!

On the spur of the moment one day, my good friend Ray and I decided to ditch school and play golf. It was an easy decision; the golf course was behind a pine forest right that was itself behind our high school and we wouldn’t be seen from the school.

So Ray and I rode our bikes through the pines, retrieved some old clubs and balls from the golf shed, and took off our school blazers and ties that identified our school – and away we went.

We had only played five holes when conscious struck us, and we decided we’d better go to school. So, ties and jackets back on, we cycled down the hill and joined others who were going into the next class, hoping that no one had missed us.

What we didn’t know was we were seen ditching school by a passing driver who went to our school office and reported us! Suddenly an announcement came through: ‘The two boys seen riding through the pine forest this morning – come to the office.’

Well, Ray and I stood up and off we marched. But not bravely, we were really scared and everyone was watching us. What could we say, as we were ushered into the principal’s office – we were completely rumbled.

‘Excuses’ don’t excuse!
There it got scarier. The principal kept doing whatever he was doing, writing apparently. Occasionally he would look up, glare and start writing again. Minutes went by and soon we were perspiring!

(more…)

THE CHURCH AT WAR Part 1 – The Early Days

(January 26, 2020) Dr Jim McClure, straight shooting theologian, shares a sobering reminder…

Around 67 AD the Apostle Paul was in a Roman prison awaiting execution under the order of the Roman emperor Nero who intensely hated Christians. As Paul waited for the sentence to be carried out, he wrote to Timothy, ‘The time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’ (2 Timothy 4:6-7).

About ten years earlier Paul had written a letter to the Christians living in Rome. In it he wrote, ‘First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world’ (Romans 1:8).

How amazing it is that within about 25 years from the resurrection of Jesus the ‘Good News’ of his saving love and his gifts of forgiveness and eternal life had spread ‘all over the world.’ There were Christians even in Rome!

 

Without the help of mass evangelistic rallies and without the modern aids of radio, television and Facebook or Gmail the Christian gospel spread like a fire by ordinary Christian men and women by the simple and effective method of personal witnessing. (more…)