worship

INFLUENCING… AND THE NIGHT WITH A MOSQUITO!

(February 09, 2022) Richard Winter challenges…

History is in many ways a story of influence.

  • Leadership is about influence.
  • Everyone influences someone.
  • Therefore, in a sense, everyone is a leader.

Sociologists tell us that even the most introverted individual will influence 10,000 other people during his or her lifetime.

We all influence one another in all sorts of ways – from what to have for lunch and what films to watch, to more important matters of truth and ethics.

My life has been influenced by so many people – my parents, teachers, pastors, friends, and family. Just as I have been influenced by others, inevitably what I do and say will influence others for good or ill.

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As the African proverb puts it, ‘If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.’

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GO ON… DARE TO MOVE IN THE SPIRIT!

dr-robert-and-maureen-092016(September 30, 2016) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share …

A sincere young person asked us last night, ‘I want to serve the Lord and want to be led and used by the Holy Spirit. I know I have to trust that I am actually being led by him, that it’s not my imagination. Can you share something that’ll help me?’

It’s October tomorrow – Grand Final Day, a special footie celebration time in Oz. Our thoughts immediately went back to another Thursday night one October some years ago.

Late at night we had an unexpected call. The caller didn’t apologise for the lateness of the hour but quickly requested: ‘We’ve learned you’re the speakers at a church leaders’ camp Saturday, but … when finished would you come over and speak to the Russians. They meet Saturdays but would you also minister to them tomorrow, Friday night?’

Speak to the Russians? Intriguing request to a westerner’s ears as we’d never ministered to Russians before and didn’t know what to expect. (more…)

THE BUZZ (June 2, 2016)

GLEANINGS:

  • VIRGINIA – Spring revival follows Azusa Now 2016
  • SINGAPORE – The Real Christian DNA
  • SCOTLAND – Church membership, baptisms (and more?) on line!
  • OKLAHOMA – Bold Christians dare to make ripples

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DELBARTON, WEST VIRGINIA
‘Spring revival’ day after ‘Azusa Now 2016’ in a humble coal-mining town

Mark Ellis new

Mark Ellis reports revival good news…

The day after some 70,000 people jammed the LA Coliseum to cry out for revival, God sent the wind of the Holy Spirit many miles away to a humble town of 500 in West Virginia coal mining country. (more…)

SPIRITUAL MEDICINE

Andrew CorbettAndrew Corbett reminds us of a great congregational truth…

Spiritual medicine?

Of course, when I say ‘medicine’ I’m not just thinking of the stuff that pharmacists supply in bottles of packs.

With the greatest respect to all my doctor friends, the best medicine frequently consists not of carefully composited chemicals, but words! (more…)

CORPORATE WORSHIP

Jim McClureDr Jim McClure, noted theologian, writes:
In my January article I addressed the question, ‘Where is the best place to worship?’

This raises another question, ‘Can we worship God without going to a church?’

My first response to that is, ‘Most certainly!’ As I wrote in my previous article, ‘It is not the place that is important but the attitude of the heart and spirit.’ In fact the worship of God must be understood as our personal response to God in our engagement with him. (more…)

THE FOCUS OF TRUE WORSHIP

Jim McClure
‘Where is the best place to worship?’ asks a concerned Christian.

Dr Jim McClure, noted theologian, responds:

There is a sense in which worship of God should be central to our lives as Christians regardless wherever we are or whatever we are doing. However, in this article I want to address what we do when we formally come together to worship God. (more…)

THE INVERTED ‘T’

Dr-Robert-&-Maureen-McQuillan_Photo

Robert and Maureen McQuillan challenge:

What’s an inverted ‘T’ you ask. Simple…a viewpoint of active genuine Christianity!

Recently we’ve been challenging churches to be relational not religious. We’ve caught listeners’ attention by saying, ‘Image the letter T, then invert it – T– but ensure the bottom bar extends widely both right and left. (more…)

TODAY’S DIFFERENT GOSPEL

Question: What did Paul mean when he warned about ‘a different gospel’ being taught? Is something not quite right in churches today?

Jim McClure
Dr Jim McClure, noted theologian, answers:

You’re obviously referring to Galatians where Paul used the term ‘a different gospel.’ He was referring to a Jewish version of Christianity that taught that, in addition to the need of placing one’s faith in Christ to be saved, it was also necessary to follow Jewish rules and regulations.

Actually, Paul was so incensed by this distortion that he wrote, ‘I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!’ (Gal 1:6-8). (more…)

FACTS, FAITH AND FEELINGS

Question: Sometimes I feel very close to God and at other times I feel that he is a million miles away. When I don’t feel that he is near, does that mean that I have done something that has offended him?

Jim McClureDr Jim McClure, noted theologian, responds:

This question raises the more fundamental question of how reliable our emotions are in experiencing God’s presence and in sensing his speaking to us.

First of all it has to be said that our capacity to have emotions is a gift from God. When he made us, part of the human package was what we call ‘feelings.’ Some of them make us feel good, such as happiness, love, wonder, and pleasure; other have a negative effect on us – such as, sadness, disappointment, shame, anger and envy. Still others include such feelings as sympathy, compassion and courage. On and on the list goes! It would be hard to imagine life without feelings. Yet… (more…)