Learning Lessons from the Four Seasons

 

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

The church where I am a member hosts an event for people with memory problems once a month. The aim is to support the carers and individuals increasingly struggling with cognitive-related issues. It’s a great morning and seems to benefit all who come.

At the start, someone does a brief session to ensure everyone is orientated - time, day, month, year, place, season, etc. Most of us need help identifying the season at certain times of the year (usually at the beginning and the end of each season). 

In the United Kingdom, we have four clearly defined seasons, as do ‘most countries at a similar latitude (the same distance away from the equator) to the UK. Other parts of the world may only have two seasons - a winter and a summer, or a wet and a dry season 1. I find it fascinating that despite all the climate change that is suggested, discussed and debated, in the main, seasons are still the same as defined in one of the oldest records of human history, the Bible. Genesis chapter 8 verse 22 records the promise of God to Noah (after the worldwide flood - another event that reoccurs in the history of many ancient civilisations) - ‘While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease’.

Are you worrying? There’s an 85% chance that it will never happen.

Statistics say that 85% of what we worry about never happens. Paul, an early Bible writer and Apostle, once wrote a series of exhortations aiming to encourage Christians in Philippi. In the closing comments of the letter he encouraged them to ‘rejoice in the Lord alway,’ Philippians 4. 4. This is something we all need to be reminded about from time to time. When things get on top of us we often forget to see the blessings that we have.

Next, Paul encourages them, in verse 5, to be gentle and mild in their behaviour. This attitude is beautifully expressed in the translation of the word ‘moderation’ as ‘sweet reasonableness’. To emphasis how important it is to live in this way Paul reminds his readers that the ‘Lord is at hand’. This could mean that the Lord is near (in other words they can be confident that He is with them) or that the Lord’s coming is near (Jesus will come again as He promised). Both statements are true and should affect how we live.

Paul then warns about being anxious and not trusting the Lord. It is so easy to forget that the One who upholds the universe, Col.1.17, is the same One who cares for us, 1. Pet. 5. 7. There should not really be any issues that we are not prepared to bring to Him and to leave in His hands. 

The antidote to worry is prayer. We should pray remembering the greatness of God. We should pray asking Him for help and direction with our problems and we should pray with a grateful heart of appreciation for who God is and what He has done.

We should be specific about our problems when we talk to God as He is interested in every issue that we face. These prayers may be one second prayers, like Nehemiah in the Bible, Neh. 2. 4-5, or they might be more detailed accounts of the issues that we face in life.

All of this will be very strange to you if don’t yet know God personally in your life. Why would you talk to someone you don’t know? The Bible makes it clear that sin separates us from God, Isa. 59. 2,  but that if we ‘repent and believe the gospel,’ Mark 1. 15, we can have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom 5. 1.

As you pray you will know the peace of God despite not necessarily knowing the answers.

Five hundred years ago, Michel de Montaigne said: “My life has been filled with terrible misfortune; most of which never happened”. Many agree wholeheartedly that we should pray when we are in a state of relative calm but we often feel that we fail bitterly when the pressure is on and we are at our wits end.

Cancer or Dementia - which is worse?

Cancer and Dementia – Which is the Worst?

Cancer and dementia are two terrible diseases, but which is the worst? Stephen Baker considers this question, and discusses our mortality.

If you would like to know more about Jesus Christ and the salvation and eternal life that is available through Him, contact us.

Is it Better to get Cancer Rather than Dementia?

Someone said to me recently that it would be better to get cancer than dementia_ Now I wouldn’t like to make the choice but I know where they are coming from. 

The prospect of beating cancer is higher than it ever was compared to the limited availability of treatment for people suffering from dementia. But having seen what friends have had to handle before they _beat_ cancer I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. 

Is there something worse than dementia or cancer?

Is there something worse than dementia or cancer?

Many people I know seem to have a relative with either a form of dementia or some type of cancer. When I was younger you seemed more likely that you would have a heart attack or a stroke. This might just be my impression based on very anecdotal evidence but that's the way it looks from where I am sitting. 

How do you see yourself? - A Seek the Truth Bible Media Blog

How do you see yourself?

An interesting question? 

Often we do not see ourselves as others see us. These pictures reflect how dementia patients often see themselves. As they once were or as they think they are now!

We have been thinking about William Shakespeare in our most recent blogs. Now let me turn your attention to the Scottish Poet, Robert Burns.

He once wrote 'To A Louse'

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia

"To A Louse, On Seeing One on a Lady's Bonnet at Church" is a 1786 Scots language poem by Robert Burns in his favourite meter, standard Habbie. The poem's theme is contained in the final verse:

Burns original	Standard English translation
O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us! It wad frae mony a blunder free us, An' foolish notion: What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us, An' ev'n devotion!	And would some Power give us the gift To see ourselves as others see us! It would from many a blunder free us, And foolish notion: What airs in dress and gait would leave us, And even devotion!

In this poem the narrator notices an upper class lady in church, with a louse that is roving, unnoticed by her, around in her bonnet. The poet chastises the louse for not realising how important his host is, and then reflects that, to a louse, we are all equal prey, and that we would be disabused of our pretensions if we were to see ourselves through each other's eyes. An alternative interpretation is that the poet is musing to himself how horrified and humbled the pious woman would be if she were aware she was harboring a common parasite in her hair.

You might see yourself as clever, respectable, good living, morally righteous etc. If you do then you probably cannot understand that God sees you as a sinner. In Romans 3:23, in the Bible, it states 'for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God' - the glorious standard of God. Again in 1 Kings 8:46 it says that 'there is no man that sinneth not'. If you are honest you will admit that no one is perfect and we all get things wrong regularly. You may not feel that your shortcomings qualify to be described with such a serious term as sin! While I sympathise with your viewpoint, in God's terms sin is sin. Anything less than completely right is wrong. God isn't being awkward or difficult in this respect. He is a perfect being and so anything less than his glorious standard is substandard. If you are a perfectionist you probably can understand this. Earth has been damaged, defiled and corrupted by our self centred and sinful behaviour and God will not allow heaven to be defiled in the same way. Therefore nothing that defiles will be permitted into God's presence, see  Revelation 21:27.

Alternatively, you may see yourself as a bad person who can't get things right and you live with guilt, remorse and fear. The good news is that you can be forgiven. The guilt can be removed and your fears can all be dealt with by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Read these verses of scripture. Consider them and ask God to open your eyes to understand the truth of them.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
['He' is God in this verse]

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:  And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Acts 13:38,39

["This man' is Jesus in this verse]

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

['I' is the Lord Jesus Christ in this verse]

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Hebrews 2:14,15

['He' is the Lord Jesus Christ in this verse]

My prayer is that you will seek the truth and discover that God loves you despite your sin and that you can be forgiven.

For more information, videos and podcasts visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk