trust

YEARNING FOR THE LORD

(March 06, 2024) Norman and Margaret Moss reflect on some good news…

Margaret enjoyed her school days. I did not. So I truly know what it is to yearn for the holidays.

‘Yearn’… a feeling of intense longing for something.

Someone commenting on Job 19 wrote that Job had a gut-wrenching longing to see God, and we were led to meditate on verses 25-27 –

‘I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!’

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BLOW ME DOWN! ONE NEVER KNOWS WHO THINKS WHAT ABOUT US

(August 30, 2023) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share…

‘One never knows who thinks what about us’ was a longish title… then we felt to add spinach-loving Popeye’s famous exclamation, ‘Blow me down!’  

This article is really about that initial title, but some events came about that had us add the exclamation.

First ‘Blow me down’
We’ve always had confidence in our daughter Wendy’s ability to achieve in life, and to encourage others, whether friends or business  associates. She has a good heart, common sense, cares for others and has the right attitude.

Naturally we encouraged Wendy to trust the Lord to help her in all this. And she has achieved much, and been an encouragement to others. But… she never talks about her accomplishments, no bragging.

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DESPERATE? DON’T PANIC!

(May 13, 2023) Mama Lava caringly shares a great truth…

Desperation will cause us to do crazy things! I have an embarrassing, but poignant, case in point.

Remember when Covid first hit? I saw an opportunity to do something I’d been wanting to do for a long time. I would begin baking my own bread. Not only would it be healthier than the alternative, but it would also save money and trips to the grocer. If you remember, the lines outside stores were long and cold, as they allowed only a few people in at a time.

I already had the ingredients I needed. Well, all except one. I needed yeast.

But… my grocery store didn’t have any. I realised many people were thinking like I was, spurred by the fact that bread had become difficult to find. The shelf was completely bare, and there was no assurance it would be restocked any time soon.

I went to Amazon for yeast. Also sold out? Interesting! I looked at my Sam’s Club (warehouse club for wholesale prices on top brands) app. They didn’t have any either. I started to panic a bit.

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TRUST THAT GENTLE WHISPER!

(April 30, 2023) Maureen McQuillan shares…

Well, Robert has mentioned that experience I had of sensing the Holy Spirit was preparing me to be on TV (Dare to say-Yes Lord). I’ve written about this before, but thought I’d share again to encourage you to trust the leadings of the Holy Spirit.

Although I’d been in sales for many years and regarded as top sales consultant in respect of the products my company handled, I’d never been on TV!

A shock surprise
The incident goes back to the ’70s when ‘somehow’ I was given an unexpected ‘grand tour’ of an interstate country television station while over there on a business trip. Passing by a live daytime talk show being televised, I paused to observe the proceedings.

Suddenly I heard that ‘quiet, still voice’ of the Spirit whisper to me, ‘One of these days you’ll be doing that.’

It was a classic situation where you immediately shake your head and feel that it was nothing more than your imagination or wishful thinking. I should have known better! Twice more I was to hear that same quiet voice repeating those scary words to my spirit.

No way, I immediately thought! After all, I had neither the experience nor the desire to be on TV, especially to be watched by countless thousands.

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MARY – WHAT AN INCREDIBLE LADY!

(December 10, 2022) Geri  B challenges us not just to believe the gospel message but to live it!

When Christmas comes around we naturally think of Jesus, born of a virgin, born in a manger, born to die on a cross for the sins of the world. That’s as it should be! There is no greater message to be proclaimed, nor any other focus that should be given.

But I would add that one of the greatest messengers of this truth is the mother of Jesus, Mary herself. Mary doesn’t preach this message, she lives it!

When we take time to go through the gospels and study this woman of God we find a very humble woman…

  • Great in faith
  • Persistent in prayer
  • Steadfast in her trust in God
  • Specific in believing that what He said about her son, Jesus, would come to pass
  • Willing to be willing!

Mary was willing to –

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FIVE ‘Ts’ OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

(October 18, 2022) Richard Winter shares comfort and a challenge…

Do you know who this is?

I’m sure you have seen him on an old TV show… it’s Mr T.

Mr T is known for his distinctive hairstyle inspired by Mandinka warriors in West Africa, his gold jewelry, and his tough-guy image. He is also known for his catchphrase, ‘I pity the fool!’

Today Mr T is a Christian who stopped wearing the gold jewelry and acting tough because it’s a contradiction to what he believes.

As we grow in Christ we begin to realise that our Christian maturity has many facets, just like  beautiful diamond and I want to make mention of five of them today that all start with T so that we can become a Mr T in Christ!

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‘HELP, HOLY SPIRIT!’

(August 30, 2022) Maureen McQuillan recalls a bad incident, and shares her favourite prayer…

Dear Pastor Maureen
This is a thank you for your article,  brrr-baby-its-cold-outside. It so encouraged me. Caroline.

Hi there, Caroline

So glad to hear that my little article blessed you. The Holy Spirit is always there to help us, encourage us. Many times something comes up out-of-the-blue, so unexpectedly and it’s great to know that we can call on Him to help.

This reminds me of a really unexpected catastrophic incident I encountered when visiting Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania quite a few years back…

Our very hospitable hosts had taken us to their favourite Rotary restaurant and afterwards decided to show us a few local sites. One was the famous Duquesne Incline and we really enjoyed travelling up and back down, seeing the beautiful panoramic night views of the city.

Unfortunately, as we were walking back to their car chatting away, I stumbled over some uneven paving I hadn’t noticed and had a very painful fall! My ankle immediately swelled up and I hurt so much.

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KEEP STANDING ON THE PROMISES

(March 11, 2022) Brian Bell shares a great encouragement  …

We’re already halfway through the third month of 2022!

Despite the general unrest and uncertainty which still prevails across the world, I believe the encouragement from God’s word is to keep standing on His promises.

Let me draw you back to the words God spoke to Moses in Exodus 33:14 – ‘My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.’

Now I am sure we would not be envious of the task God asked Moses to carry out. To go back to his place of failure in Egypt, face Pharaoh and bring God’s people out of captivity! It was because God knew the enormity and difficulty of the task that He spoke this promise to Moses.

I have three little thoughts of encouragement to suggest. God’s word is –

A Personal Promise – ‘My presence’
(i) Personal in its source
In Romans chapter 1, the apostle Paul lists the many ways in which sin has impacted on humanity and included in the list, he uses this phrase ‘break their promises.’

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NEGATIVITY… TIME FOR A CHANGE IN THINKING!

(March 11, 2022) Maureen McQuillan challenges:

Negativity… it can be so rampant among many people but we Christians don’t need to be negative!

The reality is that if we talk negatively we’re dishonouring God… and also causing others to be wrongly influenced.

We mustn’t dishonour the Lord!
The reality is that if we talk negatively we’re dishonouring God… and also causing others to be wrongly influenced.

Off all people, Christians should know scripture and be living a life of trusting God. We’re meant to be living above and beyond all negativities!

Oh I know, life has its negatives and reversals but, with the Holy Spirit’s supernatural help and by trusting God’s word – even as our greatest example, Jesus, did – we too can overcome such blues and be a good influence on others.

Afterall, it’s not good for any Christian to be acting, talking or even thinking negatively. Doing so must hurt and disappoint our loving heavenly Father God who expects us to fully trust him (as Robert wrote about last month: Trusting God in Everything)!

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TRUSTING GOD IN ‘EVERYTHING’

(February 20, 2022) Robert McQuillan challenges:

Seems that our main theme this month is on trusting God… and how vital that is as further disasters hit our already troubled world and people, including Christians, have many concerns, such as –

  • Storm Eunice hitting the UK, Ireland, and parts of Europe, following its predecessor Storm Dudley.
  • variants of viruses including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 and can/ may change over time.
  • Strange times, as some have put it, with strange things happening.
  • Possible war between Russian and Ukraine.
  • Hospital staff shortage and other medical concerns.
  • Matthew 24:8’s ‘All these are the beginning of birth pains’ mentioned by Jesus?
  • Possibility, maybe probability of really being close to that hour (known only by Father God – Matthew 24:36) when Jesus Christ returns as THE GREATEST KING OF ALL AND THE MOST POWERFUL LORD OF ALL (to quote capitalised Revelation 19:16NIrV).But prior to this, a one-world-government and currency, and the revealing of the anti-Christ (Read Daniel’s prophecies).

Worried? Well… remember how Jesus encouraged His troubled, worried disciples.

John 14:1GNB tells us: ‘Do not be worried and upset. Believe in God and believe also in me.’

That’s what faith and hope are really all about! Trusting God!  No wonder the Message Bible puts it even more pointedly: ‘Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me.’

So let’s treat ‘this’ as ‘anything’ and not be ‘thrown’ as Jesus encourages. Why? Because it’s easy to think that Christians can’t be thrown by life’s curves – but it happens! Indeed, in life there are many things that throw us… if we let them.

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