Carol Purves

Reading the story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand I ended up with a number of questions and thoughts.

This mother of so  long ago obviously felt that five small barley loaves and just two small fishes were the correct amount to keep her small lad going all day. I note that there were none of the sugar busting foods that we consume today.

Were there enough crumbs left over for the birds to  also have a feast after the ‘twelve basketfuls of broken pieces’ were gathered up? Were the baskets of food given to the homeless and outcasts?

Although I want to know more, I realise that in scripture we are always given as much information as we need to know. Nothing must detract from the fact that this was a wonderful miracle.

Carol

As I re-read the account of Jesus turning the water into wine at Cana, I had two thoughts which I’d never had before.

Firstly as soon as it was discovered that the wine was running out, Mary turned to Jesus and said ‘They have no more wine.’ I wondered what she expected Him to do. Did she realise the miracle He was about to perform? Did she imagine He was going to turn water into the finest wine? It is unlikely that she knew the precise definition of the miracle, but since the Annunciation she knew how special He was and His miraculous powers.

Then as I  read to the end of the story, I noticed what was said. ‘He thus revealed His glory and His disciples put their faith in Him.’ My immediate thought was, why didn’t the others believe in Him. Then I realised the  others didn’t know what had happened. Quite a contrast to the Feeding of the Five Thousand!

Carol

Every year between Christmas and the new year I do one jig-saw puzzle. They can be a time waster and one a year is sufficient. This year I bought one at a charity shop and on the box it said ‘one piece missing.’ As I worked on the puzzle and struggled on a particular part, I kept wondering whether that was the piece which was missing. It quite spoilt the fun for me.

The experience made me contemplate whether I was ever the ‘piece’ missing in God’s plan and how it would spoil His plans for my life and others.

So a New Year resolution – not to be God’s ‘missing piece.’

Carol

We all make New Year resolutions we don’t manage to keep. But I’ve been doing this one for a number of years and it is not difficult. I find about three things a day for which to thank God. They don’t have to be earth shattering, just a cause for thankfulness.

Examples from last December include – 6th able to prayer with someone in hospital, 10th hearing the birds singing before the rain, 14th beautiful morning sky, 21st a surprise gift of an amaryllis, 29th meeting a neighbour I hadn’t seen for a while.

Then there are the great big reasons for being thankful to God, which of course are not so frequent  – a clear medical report, a safe journey in treacherous weather or having enough money to pay a large bill.

As the Bible says In all things give thanks.

Carol

I know for some of you this is a dream too far. I’ve just been onto the Open Doors site and seen a  list of the 50 most persecuted countries in the world. While we still have greed, hate, bitterness and loathing in the our hearts, peace will not come.

I, and maybe you, are very insignificant, but our few small kind parts can add up to one large kind part. As the carol says ‘Peace to the world, the Saviour brings.’  May we all do our part, so I do say ‘Peaceful New Year to you and yours.’

Carol

Jesus Christ is referred to in the Bible as ‘the corner stone’, ‘a solid integrated structure,’ ‘ a foundation with a ‘tested’ stone,’ ‘stone at the corner.’ ‘the principal stone.’

God talks to Job about it ‘Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation …who  laid the cornerstone?’

Isaiah tells us ‘The Sovereign Lord says, See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation.’ It was ‘rejected by man, but chosen by God.’

Plus, we are told ‘you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.’

With all this evidence we don’t need to be builders to know the importance of ‘God’s cornerstone.’

Carol

This is what the wise men asked Herod when they were seeking Jesus. Although they found out the answer, Herod never did. Having been warned by an angel, Mary, Joseph and Jesus fled to Egypt, thus ensuring the baby’s life was saved.

It is a question which is still asked today, ‘Where is He?’  Where is He when all the world is suffering, numbers of refugees are increasing and poverty is growing? Where is He when wars are raging, family life is collapsing and old age is becoming a problem?

One answer is that He is there in the midst of all the trouble. He is with the Syrian refugee and the starving children. His heart is pierced in the midst of all the devastation.

Acts of heroism and kindness go unreported. The only news to hit the media is bad news. The good does not make headlines. But the good news is that He is still there and the good outweighs the bad.

Carol

My dear friend’s husband has just died. Alec was 91. All his life he had been wondering what heaven was like and talking about it continually. Now he knows what it’s like. No more does he guess and imagine. He is there and he knows.

In some ways it was the opposite for Jesus. He had left heaven, he knew how wonderful it was. He then had to endure the troubles and restrictions of earth. He suffered pain, death, sadness and despair. He even had friends who could desert him when things got tough.

Christmas is the time when we remember. Jesus was born so that He could suffer, He was born so that he could die, rise again and then go back to heaven.

It is a thing most wonderful, almost too wonderful to be.                                                     That God’s own Son should come from heaven and die to save a child like me.

Carol

Before I get too busy I would like to wish all my readers a Happy Christmas, wherever you are in the world. In Russia, where many of my readers come from, you will have different traditions from ours.  Christmas in Australia will be different from one in Finland. And so on.

But wherever we are, in good times or bad, we need to concentrate on the true meaning of Christmas. It is about a little baby who was born, lived on this earth, was killed, rose again and then ascended into heaven so that we who believe Him may join Him. That’s quite a tremendous thought.

Carol

The first stone was probably quite small, but useful for chucking at a speaker he disagreed with.  This could have been followed by someone else finding a larger stone to throw. Then the mob, who were always willing to join in any uprising, all started hurling the stones. The first few would have grounded Stephen and then as the assault went on the life would have been battered out of him.

The crowd probably didn’t set out intending to kill the first martyr but one thing led to another.  The message that they were hearing from Stephen was not to their liking. It reminded them of the man Jesus who they had also managed to have put to death. Big bad things start in a small way.

Carol