Category: Stories with a Lesson

As a child just old enough to be allowed out by myself, I was given permission to go to the end of the road most Sunday afternoons to meet my aunty and uncle who had made it their habit to visit us most Sundays after we had finished lunch.

I would leave far too early for their arrival, and watch for the buses, expecting them to alight from the next one, in what was a ten minute service. Although I usually waited a very long time, I always had the joy of greeting them in the end and chatting to them all the way home. For me the expectant long waiting was always worth while.

For me now I never tire of waiting, and watching the clouds of heaven for what I know will happen one day; my Lord Jesus Christ will return. Continue reading “He is Coming”

Mark’s story ( Mark Ch5 v22 to 43) Jairus, an important man in trouble.

Jairus was worried sick. His darling daughter aged 12 years old lay dying.

There was nothing he could do about it, the doctors tried, but failed. At the thought of losing her tears coursed down his cheeks. Then he saw Jesus! Never mind the crowds all around Him, He just might help. Jairus pushed through the people and knelt before Jesus. “My young daughter is dying, please come”.

Hope and joy sprang into his heart, Jesus would come, Jairus hurried to lead the way, but Jesus did not seem to see the urgency. Then He stopped and looked around .

“Who touched Me ?” He asked. What a question in a big crowd like this! “Come on Jesus” My need is important. But Jesus insisted.. “Who touched me “.

Who touched me ? Everyone did in a crowd this size.

“Come On Jesus”

“No someone touched Me, Power has gone from me “.

At last a woman comes and kneels before The Master. “I touched your garment “.

My how that woman talks on! – her life of suffering, the list of doctors, all the money paid out seeking a cure.

Jesus has to hear her life’s history. At last Jesus tells her “Your Faith has saved you”.

At last we all move on! Oh the time that has been wasted.

Jairus recognized the two servants running toward him.Their words hit him hard.

“Don’t trouble The Master, your daughter is dead”.

Grief and anger flood his mind,

If Only ! Now it is too late.! If only that woman… If only his daughter could have hung on to life a little longer…If only !

Calmly Jesus looks at poor Jairus. “Have Faith and believe”. He continues to walk on. Arriving He ignores the crowd of mourners and their ridicule that the little girl is only sleeping

Only Mum and Dad and the disciples enter the little girls room.

Taking her hand , “It is time to get up now” . She opens her eyes and sees the smiling face of Jesus. She runs to embrace her parents, She runs, skips and jumps for joy. Jesus and His disciples leave a happy house, with a hungry girl having breakfast.

Think ! How many of these feelings of Jairus have YOU experienced.

How little faith we all experience at times.

Jesus says “See I am with You always, even unto the end”.

May your Faith be always strong.

Greetings Gerald Gossage.

As a Minister I worked to a plan so that I visited my church members twice a year. Not only did I find this a help to those visited, but also a help to myself.

On one occasion I asked each member what version of the Bible they used and also asked if I could see their Bible . Some knew exactly what version they had: they might reply “RSV, or Good News, etc “. Others could not remember ! Some went straight to where their bible was , bedroom, book case, and one even the kitchen table. There were some who could not remember where they put it ! It always started a helpful discussion, and I learned some interesting things about the needs of each person.

As a youth I had learned that a disciple was a learner. I thought of them as wearing an ‘L’ Plate. An apostle was one who lived close to Jesus and found out many of the ways of God. They had passed their exams but never stopped learning. Christians are much the same today, they are often found to be a mixture of disciples and apostles. Some sadly it seemed have even stopped learning !

I once had a lovely group of young people who were making great strides towards becoming Christians, when their parents stopped their development in my church, and insisted that as they were christened as a baby at the C of E they must now be confirmed. After this happened they never attended either church saying that they were now Christians for life and they could forget church going and Bible reading.

Today we live in a country that had once had a practicing Christian population, as I remember from pre-war days. Today most people do not know God, never learned about Him or His way to live, and the future generation are mostly not being taught at all. .

Christians need to practice their faith by regular daily devotions and Bible study, To be learning and worshiping together with other fellow Christians, ( if they can find a suitable group) And to practice what they have learned and believe in the world in which they are called to live .

All that you are, and all that you have, is a stewardship to God, and one day we will be judged on what we did with that stewardship of time, treasure, and talent. This seems to be the only opportunity you have got. Get Back To Your Maker-God .His arms are open to welcome you, now.

Greetings from Gerald Gossage.

Little children are often given something to play with which is really just a box with different shaped holes in the top, and a number of shaped pieces which are made to fit through the holes, and into the box.

When they see another person put each piece into the right hole, The square into the square hole, star shape into the star hole, and so on, it looks easy and they want to have a go,  And they fail to do it. They just haven’t understood the rules, they expect it to work when doing it their way.

Life can be like that, and it causes frustration which never works. We just want to hit out at something, to show anger, throw something, kick a chair !  We can hurt ourselves, but it does not achieve the satisfaction  of  doing what we wanted to do.

The child has to learn that only the diamond shape will go through the diamond hole, and when he has learned it he is overjoyed at doing it right again and again.

How does a child learn ?  By being shown by someone who knows and helps to understand. Someone who encourages.  (The essentials of any teacher)

I remember that when I left school I had little to offer employers and did not know what work I could do.  I believed that God had made me for some purpose but I could not find out what that was. So I did almost every kind of employment I could find, but soon found out that each occupation was not the right one for me.  This went on for some years, and not only was I frustrated but my parents also. My prayers were not answered it seemed. I knew what I wanted to do but thought it quite impossible to do.

Like a child I was pushing and hitting pieces to get them to go through holes they would never go through, Instead of learning the only way that was right according the makers instructions.  When I stopped doing it my way, and did it God’s way, everything went easily much to my happiness. And I have done all things His Way ever since, and it works !

If you are not very happy with the way things are going in your life, may be it’s because you are doing things your way. And you are so inexperienced in running life you are not making a good job of it.

Consider this :-  God planned your life, and made you just the way He wanted you. God has seen the lives of billions of folk like you, and know better than you do the best way for you to go. God loves you more than anyone else has ever done, and He yearns to lead you His way.  Who is better at running your life than God.

But He won’t push you or make you do anything. He gives you free will to go to Him and ask.  Ask Him to take over your life and guide you. It may not always be the way you would prefer, but it will always be the best for you.

“Ask the Saviour to help you, comfort, strengthen and keep you, He is will to help you, He Will carry you through”

Helpfully yours   Gerald Gossage.

The teacher ‘s eye roamed the class looking for the brightest, “Ah !  Watson” “Sir”“Tell me,  What Is A Line ?”,  The boy gave an answer, but it did not satisfy the teacher, he went to the next boy, and then the next, until he had covered the class.

“I will give you a definition you should never forget” , the teacher called. Picking up a piece of chalk he drew on the blackboard a lovely bird.

<strong> “A Line Is The Path of A Point”</strong>  “Whatever you use, chalk,  pen, pencil, finger. You start with a point. In whatever direction you go,  up, down, east, west, Circle or straight. You have  a Line. “A line is the path of a point”

Ministers are regularly required to lead people to God’s throne of Grace in worship, and the whole act of worship is centred on the sermon.  This all has to come by the leading of The Holy Spirit, so after much prayer and thinking it through the guidance comes.            One day I was sitting in my study, and I had been given a bible text, but that was as far as I could get. The text was “What is your life”, I had thought of  “Like a vapour” coming, then going, but ‘No’ that was not it.

Then I remembered the teacher “What is a line ?” Alter one letter and you have “What is a life”  <strong>What Is Your Life ?</strong>

<strong>            </strong>You may think of your past life. But we made so many mistakes, and it is all gone anyway. You can never go back, what’s done is done. No that is not my life.  The Future, that’s the thing.   Is it ?  I don’t know what my future is, I may not even have a future. “No” that is not my life.

<strong>Your Life Is This Starting Point.</strong> Now is  the time, Now is the day of salvation. Not what you were, not what you might be, but in this starting point. Now.  Like the chalk point on the blackboard you can make something beautiful, like a bird from this point, now.

But you might say to me it was the skill of the teacher that made a beautiful bird. And you are right. It depends on who holds you as to where you go from this moment. Countless people have placed their life into the hand of God, and their lives are just beautiful,  and will be forever.

What is your life ?  Your life is this starting point !   Now !

Oh what you might be if your friend Jesus was holding you all the time.

Christian love to you,  from Gerald Gossage