(March 16, 2025) Mama Lava, sharing from her heart, reminds us of a great truth…
Sometimes I feel like a puddle of emotions, but then I remember that a puddle reflects what is above it and at my lowest, I can showcase almighty God on high!
God is Able!
There has been a fantastic song on repeat in my head as I’ve been contemplating my theme this month— God is Able. In fact, the lyrics come from the verse that was on this month’s first Assurance Card.
(March 09, 2024) Carol Round encourages…
It was 1987 when I learned Oklahoma has a series of fault lines running through our state. When I heard this, I laughed in disbelief at the agent promoting earthquake insurance. I associated earthquakes with California, not Oklahoma.
Twenty-two years later, I wasn’t laughing when our state experienced its first noticeable earthquake, at least in my lifetime! Late one evening, while I was reading a book, my bed began to vibrate. ‘Nah,’ I thought, ‘I’m just imagining things.’
Then, it happened again. This time the shaking was stronger. What was going on? I turned on the TV to a news station reporting we were experiencing an earthquake in parts of the state. Since that time, our state has experienced significantly stronger earthquakes.
(August 19, 2023) Carol Round inspirationally shares encouragement regarding storms of life…
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18TLB is a very inspirational scripture – ‘Always be joyful. Always keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.’
The emphasis here is on the word ‘always,’ and this simply means ‘at all times, on every occasion.’ But note Paul’s encouragement… ‘No matter what happens.’
I remember a discussion of 1 Thessalonians in a Sunday school class. One member shared this about the above verses: ‘Until our family was faced with cancer, we did life as usual. I’m actually grateful, not for the cancer, but that it changed our lives.’
Unexpected crises are a part of life!
Disappointment, heartache, pain and other challenges in our lives are sometimes the motivating factor in seeking salvation or our spiritual growth.
(March 23, 2023) S. Sam Selva Raj encourages… and strongly challenges.
‘Your sorrow will be turned into joy!
Your sorrows and tears will pass away,
Do not be dismayed son, nor be dismayed daughter,
Our Jesus will not forsake you.
‘Don’t be disheartened thinking of the past; forget the past that happened,
God will do a new thing; you will see even today, today itself!
Do not be disheartened; yes, do not be disheartened,
Our Lord God will not forsake you.
‘God heals the broken hearted; He supports the bruised;
Binds all the wounds, wipes our tears; yes, He wipes your tears.
Do not be disheartened, do not be dismayed;
God will not forsake you.
‘He will not allow you to be tested beyond your strength;
Gives you the needed strength; He will show you a way out, yes, a way out!
Do not be disheartened, do not be dismayed;
He will not forsake you.’
What divine truths in the above song by Fr. S.J. Berchmans, song evangelist of Jebathottam Ministries.
Sorrow can be turned to joy!
This truth links with the promise that God will never forsake us, whatever our sorrow may be (Hebrews 13:5). In trusting Him, they will be turned into joy! (John 16:20bNKJV).
(December 21, 2022) Dr Jim McClure reminds us that Christians have triumphant hope above the storms, sufferings and sadnesses of today’s dark times…
‘Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you’ declared the prophet over 2700 years ago.
In chapter 59 he painted a picture of corruption that primarily referred to a time of national distress for Israel, a time when people were blindly groping in the darkness of sin, a time of hopelessness and fear, a time when encroaching despair threatened to extinguish all confidence for the future.
But Isaiah’s message contained a further dimension. It was not only relevant to the collapse of society at that time but also pointed into a future time when that crushing darkness would be banished in the glorious light of God’s intervention and presence.
Crushing darkness in our time
We are living in perilous times!
Not only do we continue to learn of increased crime, such as the murder of two young police officers, football crowd rampage, continuing covid cases and deaths, Russia still warring against Ukraine, financial uneasiness, teenagers in trouble, troubled minds… but, moving at an unprecedented pace, the overthrow of sound moral principles that have stood the test of time and the welcoming of perverse values in which good is called evil and evil is called good.
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(December 21, 2022) Maureen McQuillan shares this encouragement …
A Christmas/New Year greeting from a friend referred to 2022 as a year of mystery, one of ‘What’s going on?’ And wondering if 2023 will be similar, and if so can we get through more mysteries and storms?
Anyone else thinking like this? I wonder… perhaps 2022 has brought disappointments and you’re looking back with regrets and recalling sorrows… hoping for a better today, never mind come 2023.
Whoa… let’s stop right there and remember what we’re celebrating come Sunday! The birth of Jesus, our friend and Saviour. The Christian’s great hope is that no matter what goes wrong, whatever storm hits us any day, we can rejoice that our Lord is no longer the babe of Bethlehem, but advocate in heaven before the Father (1 John 2:1). And in the boat of our life, still our friend and storm breaker!
Storms of life
Mark 4:35-41 tells about Jesus crossing the lake with His disciples and, tired, decides to have a nap. In case you’ve forgotten, here’s verses 37-38a – ‘A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.’
Now this would have been frightening for anyone, never mind Jesus’ disciples. KJV describes this ‘squall’ as ‘great’… megas, indicating big, mighty, loud. Scary! They (friends as He called them!) ‘woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”’
Hold it right there! If you’ve been encountering storms, F.B. Meyer has written: ‘They that bear Christ’s company must prepare for squalls.’ Regarding ‘mysteries’ that may lie ahead in 2023, I ask this… are you really a companion of Jesus? If so, you’re ‘bearing’ – are in – the best company, so why act as if you have no hope! Your friend will bring you through!
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(September 13, 2022) Brian Bell shares comforting words to those troubled in these uncertain times…
Think for a moment on Psalm 107:23NASB, ‘Those who go down to the sea in ships…’ What one natural element of creation did Jonah, Jesus’ disciples, and Paul experience in their lives?
The Lord had called him to go to Nineveh, but Jonah had other plans and took a to go in the opposite direction. A fierce storm beset the ship and caused him to end up in the belly of a great fish.
They were quite familiar with the Sea of Galilee, yet while crossing the sea in their boatone day a great storm blew up causing even those hardened fishermen to fear for their lives.
The apostle was on his way to Rome under Roman guard when the ship in which they were sailingwas caught in a severe storm and they were shipwrecked on the shores of the island of Malta.
Yes… storms! Contemplating vessels and storms, makes me think about sea and other disasters…
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(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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(August 10, 2021) Mama Lava shares good advice…
Have you ever flown above a storm?
I will never forget one time I did. It was sublime. I sat in the aeroplane, looking out the window at blue sky and sunshine.
Above the storm
But beneath me were dark grey clouds illumined with periodic flashes of lightening, the forks of which may have reached all the way to the ocean surface far below.
Several years later, I went out for a run. I was blowing off steam from a particularly stressful series of events. I was praying for a way to overcome the storm of life I was in and God reminded me of that aeroplane ride.
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Connecting with You! 