Category: Stories with a Lesson

“Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world”.    (Romans 12 v2)

Those who make money their god, bank on everybody breaking this rule.

The fashion world and the cosmetic industry believe that what they create will be ‘the done fashion’ that everyone will want to copy. It is known as the herd instinct.and it relies on people wanting to have what is the latest. and what everyone else has.

Here is where I put my foot in it, but I don’t mean to be rude, or what the modern world calls ‘sexist’. But I believe that the ladies are more inclined to be pushed toward buying items because it is the fashion, more than men. This is because catalogues have two- thirds or more of their pages devoted to clothing cosmetics, and home items and that interests women, The television adverts are mostly aimed at women. I have yet to see men walking the fashion cat walk !

One day the makers of men’s-ware will wake up to the fact that men are only allowed blue, brown, and grey, and kept from buying nice bright clothing, then perhaps the male will join the ladies ! (remember the men of the eighteenth century ! How would I look in silks and a powdered wig ?) No thank you ! but a red, orange or yellow suit ? Being fair, if men see a new tool, or electrical piece of equipment they will be just as interested as the lady discussing the length of skirt, or latest shoes.

I recon that there will be more houses with outside colored lights displayed next Christmas than ever before in this country, Why? The Americans do it and we have seen them on t/v, and irrespective of the waste of power, money, and having nothing to do with the celebration of Christ’s birth, many will try to outdo their neighbor with Walt Disney type illuminated items.

I look forward to celebrations with all their fun, and I always like to dress neatly, but I won’t follow the crowd, I am ME not someone else, so I won’t copy the behaviour of the world around me. Let the person we are be the attraction.

I have given myself over to the most wonderful person there is, My Lord Jesus, But I am not required to dress as He did. But I do want my character to be like His – shining through to others.

How can I ignore the world and it’s demands to do what seems the done thing ? How can I be what God wants me to be ? The Bible says “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. Think differently !

Train your mind to be what God made you to be. That will be different from everyone else, the wonderful real you. Approved by God and living in His perfect will.

Don’t try to copy others, or go with the crowd, be ” in the world but not of it”

Look to Jesus and let Him make you the great person you really are.

Love from Gerald Gossage.

Some young people are not at all sure what they should do with their life. Some older ones are facing being redundant and wonder just what they can do in future. It is useful to remember that God did not just make you and leave you to your own devises. And I offer a bit of advise, to help, based on what has worked for others; and a story that may inspire you.

Ask yourself what you are good at doing, and also what you enjoy doing. God has given all of us talents, even though we might not have ever used some of them. Where do your interests lie ? Some folk would just hate to do some things which others would think just wonderful. So don’t start with a list of jobs, start with You and what are your delights; if you are happy at doing, or trying something you may find this your road to success.

And now the story. A twenty-one year old man was keen to start a new, and to him, a wonderful new work . He moved to Chicago with only 65 dollars in his pocket. (under £25.) For three years he worked hard, but he sat down one day, deeply in debt and ready to give up his dream. He cried out “Why am I a failure ?”. and to his amazement, he heard a voice, as in his head say “You have not brought God into your business”.

For the rest of his life he believed it was God speaking to him that day, and he resolved that if God wanted to be in his cheese business he would always think of him as the major partner and consult God for the rest of his days. That man was J.L.Kraft, the eventual head of the biggest cheese business in the world

He became a Deacon at North Shore Baptist Church, and Sunday School Superintendent. And the vast wealth he made, was given to help many through his charitable works. As a popular speaker, especially to business conferences , always he would tell his listeners that the way to success in any work was to bring Jesus Christ into life and work.

You either trust in God to work with you, or you work on your own. To take your Lord with you all day, every day becomes the greatest delight of life, and is the true road to happiness in life.

“I Can do All things through Christ who strengths me .” (Philippians Ch4 v13)

May God Bless you. Gerald Gossage.

It was one of those glorious summer days, and morning worship started with the hymn “Summer suns are glowing over land and sea.” Which has such lines as “Every thing rejoices in the mellow rays, all earth’s thousand voices swell the psalm of praise”.

The first time I noticed something wrong was during the prayer. Not everyone was silent in prayer. I opened my eyes to see two of the congregation waving their arms about “Strange I thought” but continued to lead in prayer.

Following the notices and offertory a not too experienced reader came to the lectern and announced the passage to be read. But she had not got far before she too started waving her hands, then faltered over her words. She continued a few words, then said “get out of it” with a further wave. It was then that I saw it, a big blue-bottle was flying persistently around her, and every time she settled down to read the scripture, it came back to put her off. She managed to hit it after a while, and it disappeared.

I heard it buzzing around once or twice, then it spotted a lady in a lovely floral dress, and made straight for it. There started a battle between five people and the fly; It was determined to settle on one of those flowers printed on the material, and the lady, her husband, two people in the pew behind and one in front became determined to shoot it down. Five people cannot do that quietly !

After one of them managed to score a hit, it flew off and peace returned. Until that is, the sermon time. Do blue-bottles like after shave ? I think this one did ! Have you ever tried to preach, or to concentrate on listening to a sermon, when an attack of dive bombing is taking place? I don’t remember what I did during the attacks but I did get a few titters from various parts of the church. I must have looked funny !

I have always thought highly of organists, and ours happily ended the story with a well aimed piece of music – Handle’s Largo. WACK ! Here endeth the fly !

Now here is the thought for the day. Not many of the congregation visit the church gallery, but I have often. On the window sill of each gallery window you will see them. Flies, of all shapes and sizes, blue-bottles, wasps, and sometimes a bee or two, all with their feet in the air… dead. They got in somehow, flew around, and tried to get out again by bashing their heads against the glass, until exhausted or starving they died with all the others.

Very occasionally you might fine a person in church who is like my blue­bottle, they distract others and don’t seem to be there for the right reason,

There are many people who just do not know the purpose of their being here in this world. They know nothing of the loving God who made them, or His wonderful plans for their life. So they waste all their life like flies buzzing on a window, trying to achieve by their own efforts that which can never give them the Blessings of the Christian life and happiness. What can one do ? Well When I see a fly buzzing on my window I get a tumbler and piece of card. I Capture the fly in the glass, and let it go, outside the house. FREEDOM ! How many lost people have you shown The Way, The Truth, and The Life ?

People are more important than flies! Don’t leave them to die Show them the way to freedom now.

Your Friend Gerald Gossage.

After a person dies, very often a strange event takes place. The Family meet for the reading of the will, and are curious to know what will happen to the deceased possessions.

As far as we know Jesus left nothing of this world’s goods, His clothing became the property of the soldiers, and they gambled for possession of his robe. BUT Jesus did leave something. The words of this well known hymn tells us what the scriptures teach.

“Our Blessed Redeemer, ere He breathed His tender last farewell.,

A Guide and comforted bequeathed with us to dwell”.

Jesus left us part of God, The Holy Spirit..

Don’t think of God or Heaven as being like people or the world. Made of material. God is Spirit, and we who worship Him are to worship Him in spirit. (and truth)

My body that people see and can touch is only the case I live in. Like the house I live in or the car I sit in. That is not the real me, I am the spiritual real person. Inside. . Soon my body will be a small pile of ashes, But I shall be in Paradise with my Lord. (like the repentant thief on the cross)

What then is the gift that Jesus gives us ? Verse 2 of that hymn reminds us that Jesus received the Holy Spirit like a dove bringing peace and love. This was what He needed to face temptation in the wilderness. Verse 3=

The Disciples received The Spirit as what seemed to be flames and a rushing mighty wind. (Acts Ch2 v2-4)

Before He came, they were shut in the upper room for fear of an arrest. After they threw back the bolts of the doors and rushed out to speak in peoples own language about Jesus.

You are spirit, and the gift that Jesus offered us soon after is death and resurection is The Holy Spirit, His Spirit, part of God. He will come to those who seek Him.

How does this work out in practice ? Let me tell you how it was for me.

There was a time in my life when I gave myself to God, with all that I had and was,Since then He has taken over, and I do whatever He tells me to do, knowing it is not me doing things, it is Jesus, through The Holy Spirit.

If you continue to commit yourself to God every day, and every part of the day, if you constantly talk to Him and He is with you, if you read His Word, live always in Him, you will have a great life, with a great God.

“Every virtue we possess, and every victory won And every thought of holiness are His alone.”

The Holy Spirit is not just for Whitsun, He’s with us for always. Just ask for Him !

(It is great preparation for living for ever in heaven !)

Christian Love from Gerald Gossage.

Perhaps one of the best, most successful, and well loved Generals of world war II was General Montgomery. Before he left the Eighth Army in 1944 he took over an opera house in Italy to say his “goodbyes”. The packed crowd saw him not just as a General but as a friend in whom they had every confidence, and here was a General who had absolute confidence in every man.

The secret of that success was expressed as the General was leaving the stage. Some Private shouted out “Good Old Monty!” . Montgomery turned and shouted “Cheerio Boys”.

Do you think of Jesus as even more highly than that ? How is THAT relationship ?

A crow was dying of thirst and could find nothing to drink. Then after much searching he found a narrow necked jug with some water right at the bottom. He tried so hard but the neck of the jug was too narrow for him to reach the water, he tried to knock the jug over or break it but he was unable to do so. Looking around he saw a small area where there were some small pebbles, he flew there and slowly, one at a time, he picked up pebbles and dropped them into the jug. As the pebbles began to fill the jug so the water got nearer to the top which encouraged him to keep collecting stones and put them in. He was soon drinking.

If God has given you a talent which can serve Him, search for ways in which you can best use that talent, and don’t give up working on it until you achieve your goal. All talented people have to work and practice at their skills before they reach their best.

Never forget what Jesus said “Without Me, you can do nothing”. It is He who does the work. At the age of fifteen I became a Lay Preacher and I started a habit which I always used through my long preaching life.

I prayed to be given the theme that God wanted me to preach upon. I prayed to be guided with the preparation. I always knelt and prayed before it’s delivery to the people.

Do not expect to see the results of your service to God, although you might be so rewarded sometimes, when you can thank God for what He has done.

I was greatly encouraged one Sunday when I was about to take my last service before moving away from the district in Wales. The Church Secretary said “We are going to greatly miss your ministry when your have gone”. I replied that I doubted this and that by the following Sunday no one would even remember what I had preached about. She proceeded to quote to me three sermons that I had preached which had made a great impression on her, one a year ago. All I could say to her was Thank God for this, it was not me that did it.

Your life should be one of fulfilling God’s purpose in creating you, You have the talents He has given you. Don’t belittle them, pray for help to develop them and use them.

Encourager … Gerald Gossage