Carol Purves

I read that for the Easter period there will be an evangelistic message on the London buses. ‘Look, I am coming soon’ is one of them. I hope that people will not use this to comment on late buses, but will think deeply.

Haggai 2:6 says I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations and the desired of all nations will come and I will fill this house with glory.’

Assuredly, He is coming.

Carol

Last Tuesday I went a complicated way to say what is put so clearly in this verse – Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Carol

Like many of us I’ve read the Bible a fair amount, but of course, I’ve not counted the individual words. But someone has.

I’m informed by a reliable source (though I don’t remember where now) that the words Do not fear appear 370 times in the whole of the Bible. the word peace is seen 88 times in the New Testament , in every book except 1 John and the word  rejoice appears 70 times also in the New Testament.

These three words seem to sum up the Christian faith. It sounds pretty good to me.

Carol

The other morning I went to a coffee morning organised through a member of a local church. While I was there I met a number of people I didn’t know. Some were her neighbours or relatives. One was the mother of her daughter’s friend and another a teacher at the local school. These were all connections of the hostess.

I reflected on the different connections we all have during our lives and looking back on my life I have forgotten many of my acquaintances and others I cannot recall their names.

How great it is that God remembers all our names and everything about us. We will never be forgotten by Him.

Carol

A few of us were discussing the happenings of what we now call Easter Week. We thought about how Jesus cleared the temple of the money changers and those buying and selling and cheating the people.

Our discussion turned to whether our righteous anger is justified. Our anger can be uncontrolled. Too often we get angry and use the excuse that it is righteous. It is not for us to dish out judgement; judgement is for God.

Carol

For those of you who follow the doings of these meeting, we met again last Saturday. Our theme was ‘New Life.’ There were many different approaches to this theme; in fact every contribution took a different aspect.

One lovely contribution took the life cycle of a tree, from the small seedling in the ground through to full growth, to being felled and on to becoming fashioned as the cross of Jesus. Yet another wrote about the new life of a new day. One exposition was based on the hymn ‘The King of Love my Shepherd is.’

A poem was written using daffodils as marching warriors, a very original and stimulating thought.  Another most apt poem was quoted from memory, a special and memorable rendition.

One member read from her book ,based on John 10:10 using the thought  This life of mine is Your life.

I wish you were all able to join us.

Carol

Just because in England we put the clock back an hour, we don’t actually lose it. It’s still there; we just call it another name. It’s not like back in 1752 when eleven days were wiped off the calendar. People went to sleep on the 2nd September and when they woke up it was eleven days later. This was to adjust the calendar from Julian to Georgian. People rioted ‘We want our 11 days back.!!’ People thought the days had been stolen from their lives.

Whatever we call the hour or day, we will still live until God decides it is time for us to leave this world. As it says in the Bible we can’t add to it or subtract from it. All we can do is dedicate to Him each day we have been given.

Carol

Life seems to be all about time. Time waiting for a bus which is late, time waiting at traffic lights which never seem to change or even time waiting for the computer to boot up.

Sometimes waiting is more important; exam or interview results to come, the result of medical tests. Waiting for a loved one to arrive or a baby born or the final wait – death.

It’s difficult to realise what heaven will be like where there is no time and never has been. No more will we try to cram 61 minutes into every hour, or rush our time of prayer. We’ll just have for ever and ever praising God. I have to confess it is beyond my imagination.

Carol

I’m a person who tries to fit in 61 minutes into one hour. I feel that by streamlining jobs I can achieve more activities. This means I sometimes get overtired and have to rest.

Yesterday I had been condemned for not being able to help a particular person which made me somewhat upset as I try to do everything.

But this morning I met a reverend lady who spoke words of wisdom to me. She knew little about me so could not have been issuing a warning. We had been talking about how we liked to help people and listen to their problems. She then said ‘Try to leave space at the edges.’ By which she meant we should leave a bit of time and energy for some task which we might divinely be asked to do. Wisdom indeed.

This morning I again came across one of my favourite verses. Isaiah 40:10 they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. they will run and not be weary. they will walk and not faint.

This particular verse resounded with me when I had a three year period when I was unable to walk without pain. This meant I walked as little as possible. Looking to the future I applied this verse to myself. It gave me hope that I would eventually be able to walk and then run.

Now that I am physically fit, I can apply this verse spiritually. In the Lord I can run and walk and rejoice.

Carol