You Can Do It

12.09.17

Our brother in the Lord, David, took our meeting today, at over eighty years old he has found himself a new hobby, Decopatch. He explained that his daughter had introduced him to it. David loves elephants so the first Decopatch he did was an elephant. 

He showed us quite a few things he had done 

and invited anyone to have a go. 

The simplicity of it struck most of us, and yet it was transforming, it changed a quite ordinary object into something quite beautiful. A Horlicks jar had been transformed into a very pretty and useful container for all kinds of things. Showing that it had not outlived its usefulness when it was empty of Horlicks.

David explained that it had reminded him of how we can all feel at times that we can’t do anything, that we have outlived our usefulness, we may believe we are too old, or too infirmed. But God has promised to supply all our needs, and especially when our work is for Him. It is when we try in our own strength and provisions that we are apt to fail. God may ask us to do something we have never done before, but if it is God’s will for us to serve Him in something then He will supply what we need.

David explained how years previous had had visited a widow who asked him to do the funeral, he tried to evade it, he didn’t think he could do it, he didn’t believe he was up to the job, but the lady insisted, and so he did it, how did he do it? By prayer and trusting in the Lord to help and guide him. God supplied all that was necessary for David to take that funeral and many others afterwards. We all have talents God has given us, and if we are willing to use them for His service, then He will help us by His Holy Spirit.

David found that when he made a mistake with the Decopatch, he could easily cover it up. Many people in their lives try to cover up their mistakes and sins, but it does not make them feel any better. There is only one way to deal with sin, and that is to repent and turn away from your sinful life and put your trust in Jesus. Scripture tells us that we are all guilty of breaking God’s laws, and because of that we will be judged and condemned. But it doesn’t have to be that way because God has provided a way for us to be forgiven and that way is Jesus, God’s son. He took the punishment for our sin so that we don’t have to. They are not just covered over but they are put on Jesus, on the cross. They are gone for good.

Naaman, was a man in the Bible who had leprosy, he was advised to go to a prophet to be healed. The prophet sent a message to him, telling him to bathe seven times in a certain river. 

2 Kings 5 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” 

Naaman was furious, why hadn’t the prophet come out himself to speak to him, and why couldn’t he go to a better river, this was too simple, Naaman was expecting something grand. At first he refused, but after a while he was persuaded and he did as he was instructed, Naaman was healed of his leprosy.

People can respond that way to the gospel, they think it is too simple, surely they must have to do something, no, you don’t. Everything needful for your forgiveness and new life was done by Jesus. You will find that the sacrifice that Jesus made for you on the cross was the greatest thing ever done in the whole of human history. There is nothing greater can be done for your salvation.

Don’t walk about patched up, receive forgiveness and new life in Christ. Then use your God given talents for His service and glory. You will be surprised at what you can do with God enabling you.

How is Your Memory?

Tuesday 5.09.17

Major Ruth took our meeting today, and she asked us if we had any funny memories to share, one or two of the ladies shared with us, and there was fun and laughter at the things they remembered. Major then gave us all a word search to do, the main theme of which was memories, i.e., Queens Coronation, marriage, etc. She talked about how our memory isn’t always good, and how we forget things especially as we get older. Even basic things, simple things, like locking the door, switching off lights. She then handed us all an envelope with reminders written on it, and as we opened them there were 6 objects in with a sheet of paper explaining what each object was to remind you off, and a scripture verse to go with it.

Blue Tac

This was to remind us to stick with it, and to remember that we can accomplish His will because it is God who gives us the strength to do so.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Candle

To remind us that He is our light and we are to share His light with others.

Psalm 18:28

For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

Toothpick

To remind us to pick out the good qualities in others.

Philippians 2:3

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Rubber Band

To remind us to be flexible, things might not always go the way we want.

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Pencil

To remind us to list our blessings every day.

Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

Band Aid

To remind us to be there for those who are hurting. And to do all we can to help ease their pain be it spiritual, emotional or physical.

Colossians 3:12-14

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Team Work

Tuesday 29.06.17

My granddaughter came today to give a gymnastic display for the ladies, she is part of Team GB, and represented Great Britain in the World championships in Norway, their team won the silver medal. She performed twice for us, in between talking about her experience in Norway, and her four years with the team.

I shared a few thoughts with the ladies afterwards of things I had observed. There must be in this as in any other sport, determination, and deliberation:

Deliberation is the long and careful consideration of a subject.

Daniele, their coach and leader when putting things together must do so with deliberation, with careful thought of how the girls are going to work together, who is the best at what and how it will all work out. And the team must listen, and do as she says if it is to work exactly as she has planned it.

We too must be careful in our Christian walk, in thought, word and deed, keeping our mind on Christ, listening to Him, being guided by His Holy Spirit, will all determine how we work together. Which led me on to determination, the meaning of which is:

A firmness of purpose.

Fanny Crosby wrote a poem when she was eight years old, blinded in infancy she spent most of her 98 years composing over 9,000 hymns. Many of them mentioning a deeper sight than that of our physical vision. We may not all be like my granddaughter, fit and lithe but God can use us, can’t He? Fanny Crosby showed real determination, “to weep and sigh because I’m blind, I cannot and I won’t.”

Oh, what a happy soul I am,
Although I cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.

How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't
To weep and sigh because I'm blind
I cannot nor I won't.

Dedication:

Being committed to a task or purpose.

I think that these young ladies in this group must have real dedication. I have watched a rehearsal and whilst everyone was concentrating on what they were doing, they were also very conscious of who they were working with. And this speaks volumes to me. As a Christian, yes, I should know what the Lord has got for me to do, but I should also be very conscious of the people that I am working alongside. The theme they were rehearsing was the Titanic, and the feeling and emotion in that was amazing, you felt everything they were portraying. And again, that speaks to us, doesn’t it? If we are portraying the life of Jesus then hopefully we will be speaking to those who come into our lives, not only by word but how we live.

We commit our lives to God and He is always faithful, we commit ourselves and our burdens.

Psalm 55:2 Cast your burden on the Lord,

And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

We commit our way to the Lord.

Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit your works to the Lord,

And your thoughts will be established.

This is our life in the Lord, living for Him, our plans only succeed when we walk in His will. The main thing that came to me from this group was the work they put in, the way they worked together, and how they and their leader are committed. One of the group had broken her arm two days before they were to set off for Norway. This of course affected the whole group, and so it is with us, when one of our members suffers, we all feel it don't we? But this seemed to make Team GB even more determined to go on and do as well as they could.

May we in our Christian walk, have deliberation, determination, and dedication, and may we also remember we are not Lone Rangers but are part of the body of Christ, we are a team.