Imitators of Those

“And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Hebrews 6:11-12

Author: Dónal

  • The Sacrifice of Sending

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    Dónal
    in

    Sacrifice is a foolish thing. To the uninitiated it appears to be a frivolous expenditure of the best, with nothing to show for it. From humble shopping to high-end business transactions, a deal may be good or bad depending on the return on investment. But even the most clueless investor would laugh at the idea…

  • The Wisdom of God in Movement

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    Dónal
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    Recently I did three posts on responses that people have given to our leaving for the foreign mission field. Namely regarding: risk, sacrifice, and prayer. Having mulled over things, I’ve decided to add one final response. And while others have expressed the following sentiments, it is something that has elicited the strongest pushback from another…

  • Strengthened in the Lord

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    Dónal
    in

    Destroyed plans are deadly. Confusion comes. Bitterness. Maybe even anger. When the idea of what we had hoped in doesn’t materialise it can put a pressure on our soul, which, when squeezed, can spew out all manner of responses. Dashed hopes administer a crushing blow to our confidence in the way forward. They can stop…

  • A Striking Example of Patience

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    Dónal
    in

    “For who ever dwelt even for a short time among you, and did not find your faith to be as fruitful of virtue as it was firmly established? Who did not admire the sobriety and moderation of your godliness in Christ? Who did not proclaim the magnificence of your habitual hospitality? And who did not rejoice over your perfect and well-grounded knowledge?…

  • We Are Praying

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    Dónal
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    This is the third and final post looking at some responses to our call to missions that we have experienced over the past couple of years. The previous installments consisted of my response to two opinions that have cropped up on multiple occasions, namely: an overstated view of risk, and an overstated view of sacrifice.…

  • They Just Don’t Make Them Like They Used To…

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    Dónal
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    In the last post, I spoke about one attitude that we have received from a number of people, which responds negatively to the risk that moving overseas brings. I will do a third post on the overwhelmingly majority response which we have received (which is incredibly positive and encouraging), but today I am going to…

  • It’s a Dangerous Business Frodo

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    Dónal
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    “Mum, I know what I want to be when I grow up,” seven year old Dónal excitedly said, as my mother tried to stop me from twisting round while she dried my hair. “I want to be a spy for MI6, just like James Bond!” “Oh Dónal, no, no, that kind of job is very…

  • The Lock On The Gate

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    Dónal
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    Spring 1972 brought an integral moment in my life. Not that I was around. Yet one act of antagonism towards some Christians in 1972 would have repercussions that would affect the lives of many, including mine. For several years a small Christian organisation had run summer camps on a farm in Co. Sligo, but with…

  • There Are Stars That Sing In Outer Space

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    Dónal
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    A sister in our church informed me once of the fact that the stars “sing”. We know this apparently from a discipline called “Asteroseismology”. What struck me was how this reflected the “forgotten” Christian life. That is, the life lived not at the front but faithfully to God nonetheless, which he takes pleasure in. Funny…

  • Time: The Great Accumulator

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    Dónal
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    This is how my house looks. Crates, boxes, suitcases. These ones to stay, those ones to go. Sorting through the old pictures, notebooks, stuff. “Oh, where did you find that?” “Hey, do you remember this?!” What to keep? This could be useful. The minimalists don’t appreciate the power in the potential of an item. “We…

  • Thinking Strategically Is Not Just For Missionaries

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    Dónal
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    “For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you…. but with toil and labour we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you…

  • Worth One Minute of Glory

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    Dónal
    in

    Last year I had one particular week that was somewhat conflicting. I had been listening in online to a large Christian conference that had delegates from all over the world. It was an incredibly encouraging few days of hearing how God was, and is, at work across the globe. My heart was lifted up and…