Carol’s Blog

Jig-Saw Puzzles

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It was the end of a busy day and we all felt exhausted. Someone suggested we continued working on a jig-saw puzzle that we’d started the previous week. Three of us spent an hour or more trying and retry to slot pieces into heir correct place. It proved more difficult than it looked. The title of the puzzle was ‘Endangered Animals’. Slowly the images of a tiger, panda, bear and lion emerged. We discussed how sad it was that these magnificent animals were now endangered. When I researched it later, I found that their numbers were in decline because of illegal hunting and changes in their habitat.

Sin reared it’s ugly head even in an innocent pursuit like this. As we discussed the problem we wondered what we could do about this and realsed that there was hardly anything we could do about it. So sad but I realised that we had had a good social time together. One of our number was lonely and this gave them a pleasant afternoon. Another had a damaged ankle which was giving her trouble. The brain power needed in looking for the right pieces helped her forget her pain.. And as for me, I reveled in our community spirit as we worked together and helped each other. It meant that later that day I could privately pray for the other two. A rule I try to make is to pray each day for those I’ve been in contact with. Thank you, Lord for a profitable afternoon.

In a Hurry

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Are we in too much of a hurry to help others? Do we rush around so we have no time to see their needs? Probably the answer is ‘yes.’ We are surrounded by so much need locally and worldwide that we suffer from compassion fatigue. Would it help if we slowed down?

Jesus is always a good example to us. He had time to notice people and then see their need. He wasn’t able to miss Zaccheus who was hiding in a tree; most of the crowd didn’t see him. The ten lepers were seen by Jesus and He had time to realise that only one came back to thank Him. He stopped by the widow who was burying her son and helped her in her deepest distress. His reactions were not always slow and measured. Think of His reaction to the money-changers in the temple when He overturned their tables. I’m glad this story is included in the Bible, it shows Jesus also had a fighting spirit.

What about us, do we have time to observe. Peoples’ needs are silent and often hidden. What is the need of that quiet person in our group who seldom joins in? Or what about the joker in the group, are they acting up to hide a pain? We pray for seeing eyes.

Why Read the Bible?

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‘Read your Bible, pray every day.’ the old chorus says, which continues, ‘if you want to grow.’ Dag Hewerd. How do we grow? Does the Bible have the answers to all our questions? Will it solve our problems? Yes and no. The main reason for reading the Bible is not to help solve our problems, nor even to make us better Christians. It is not about us, turn it round. The Bible is to teach us more about God, who He is, what He does. The other benefits will follow; it’s primary benefit is to show us God. It is His way of revelation.

By reading of His dealings with His people, we will learn more about His nature. By learning about His sacrifice for our sins, we learn of His tremendous love towards us. He died for us ‘while we were still sinners.’ Romans 5:8. We learn that God is loving, that He is love. These revelations then teach us how to live, they reveal Him to us. We can’t love unless we learn that God is love. Everything in the Bible leads us back to Him.

Unfortunately we turn everything back to us. I have a friend, who, when I say I’ve done something, immediately caps it with a story of her own. As another chorus says ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus.’ Helen H Lemmel. Not for what we can get but so we can learn to love Him more.

Never Arriving

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There is a proverb, ‘It is better to journey than to arrive,’ but it’s pretty upsetting travelling but never getting there. I had a friend who took his driving test 19 times and never passed it. To this day he is a non-driver with all the inconvenience it causes . He’s also spent a lot of money but never achieved his goal. That’s rather frustrating!

I think of the Israelites travelling for 40 years. During that time babies would have been born, old people would have died. They had a period of great thirst and a time of hunger. The sun was beating down on them by day and at night it was bitterly cold. There were mountains they had to climb carrying their babies and possessions. Toddlers would have been doing what they do best, toddling into dangerous places. It all sounds like a nightmare and then they never got to the Promised Land. They never achieved their objective even after 40 years of journeying.

Disobedience was the root of their trouble. The Israelites repeatedly disobeyed God. Are we in danger of making the same mistake and in danger of missing out on our Promised Land? Are we going to face the trials and tribulations of this life and not arrive at our heaven?

The Right Fit

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Donald fiddled with the cuffs and pulled at the lapels. His blazer was big for him but he was too young to realise that because of his sudden growth spurts his parents couldn’t afford a new blazer every year. He would be wearing this one until it was too tight a fit and he would be fiddling with it again to make it stretch. The shepherd boy David donned Saul’s armour which was certainly not a good fit. It hindered rather than helped him.

God has given us talents that fit us perfectly. He alone knows what attributes are suitable for us. God has given me the ability to write and during my life has prepared me with all I needed. I grew up in a home full of books. My favourite teacher at school was the English teacher. Then I had the opportunity to attend various writing classes and courses. All the time this was honing my skill.

It is comforting to know that God has planned our areas of service and what talents we will be blessed with. It is not just a random choice. Writing is something I have been able to do when I’ve been unwell. I imagine it is something I will be able to do into old age which doesn’t apply to all talents. My friend was a dancer, a talent she can’t practice now.

God has also planned outlets and opportunities for me to be printed in various places. ‘Just where He needs me, my Lord has placed me, there I would do His will.’ Miruam Richards S.A. Officer

Baptism

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In Acts 8:26-3 we read of Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch and reading the passage we realise the man was clever and educated. He had the responsible job of being in charge of all the treasury of the Queen of the Ethiopians. As he journeyed he read and studied. He had questions which Philip in his God-ordained appearance was able to answer. The man quickly understood the essence of the gospel and the need to be baptised. Going on a Baptismal Course was not necessary for him, he understood already..

Recently at my church five people were baptised. They hadn’t the opportunity of a higher education nor had they led a privileged lives. They included a refugee and two men who had had additions and one who had been in prison. They had not spent their lives learning from the Bible, which was a book that was unknown to them. They needed weeks of instruction and learning to know about Christ ‘s sacrifice and then acknowledgement of forgiveness of sins. As we rejoiced in these baptisms we thought about three others who were not quite ready to take this step of acceptance.

Every journey to salvation is individual, every path to God is unique. As one of the men who had been freed from the addiction of alcohol for 30 years said with tears in his eyes., ‘I wish I’d known of this salvation 30 years ago. The tears were also in our eyes.

Good Friday

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Good Friday wasn’t good for the disciples and followers of Jesus. It was a date they would remember. We all have a special day we remember, whether for good or bad reasons. Mine is 17th April when my father had a serious car accident which changed my life for ever. The disciples would possibly have named this day, Black Friday., but then by the Sunday it would have reverted to Good Friday. Without their Black Friday there could have been no Easter Sunday.

Whenever we read the Bible we are reading it in hindsight. Adam and Eve wouldn’t have known how their time in the Garden of Eden would finish. We do. Moses would never have known that he wouldn’t have reached the Promised Land. We do. Similarly the disciples of Jesus would have known nothing of Easter Sunday or Pentecost or the coming of the Holy Spirit. All thanks for the Bible that tells us all these things.

Living He Loved Me

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No wonder that Jesus is regarded by some as the greatest prophet who has ever lived. He attained a perfect life, committing no sin, performing many miracles and was an outstanding teacher. There has never been anyone like Him. But He didn’t come to this world to to be perfect, be sinless, perform miracles, or teach.

He came to die. Not a powerless, defeated death but a triumphant sacrificing one. Why? As Christians we know the answer: He died to carry our sins far away.. But it didn’t stop there, it gets better. We are justified and our sins wiped out for ever. By His sacrifice we are free. The coming of the Holy Spirit is also for us. As if all that is not enough, one day He’s coming back. As the chorus says, ‘Oh glorious day.’

Repent

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This is the central message of the Easter story, Repent. At the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, John was preaching in the wilderness and baptising those who repented. ‘Make straight the way for the Lord,’ He cried. John 1:23′ You need to repent of your sins. Many followed and obeyed his command. Jesus taught the same message . We need to repent of our wrong doings and follow the Lord. This is an unpopular message these days, but we need to turn to Him.

Over the centuries the message has not changed. I was reminded the other day when Billy Graham came to London in 1954 I was an impressionable 17 year old and joined the large army of volunteers helping with the correspondence. I didn’t meet Billy Graham, but I did meet Jesus, far more important.

The cry to repent will continue until the world ceases. ‘Repent of your sins, there is absolutely no other way to get ourselves right with God but through Jesus. We pray that the world will hear the message.

A New Thing

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At this time of year I’m always anxious to see a change in my garden. The snowdrops and daffodils have faded and then everything seems to stand still. My mind is still full of winter but I want to see signs of spring. But God is always moving things on in His creation, nothing stands still. He is always surprising us with new things in creation and in our own lives..

Just imagine how the disciples and followers of Jesus must have felt. Jesus was dead. In their minds everything and all events had stopped. We know now that Easter Sunday is coming but they didn’t or actually they had been told but they couldn’t visualize it. They even went back to their day job.

In our dark days we tend to forget what God has told us in the Bible through His promises. Page after page there are words of encouragement. Many offers of hope can be found. There is no need to despair. Easter Sunday is coming, after all these centuries we know it to be true. In my garden a lot is happening, although I can’t see much. The worms are working hard, roots are extending and becoming established. The soil is warming up ready to feed the plants. My garden will have it’s Easter morning. Christ will rise again, hope will be realised.