Doubting Thomas

 

I guess you all know the story. After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the Disciples whilst Thomas was not there. When he was told what happened, Thomas did not believe. A week later, whilst Thomas was there, Jesus appeared again.

You can read the whole story in John 20:19-31

Now let's consider this:

Jesus knows everything. He knew that the first time Thomas would not be there. But He chose to appear to the disciples all the same. He could have appeared at a time where Thomas and all the others were together; but He didn't.

This way we have the story of Thomas and his doubts. A story which has been recorded by John in the Gospel and another piece of evidence that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead.

Unwittingly, Thomas gave us all more evidence about the Resurrection.

We all doubt from time to time, we analyse and ask ourselves about our faith and what we truly believe.

God knows our human nature because He created us, and He forgives our doubts time and again.

There once was a man whose son was very ill, and he came to Jesus for help, ‘Help us if you can,’ he asked Jesus. Jesus replied, ‘Everything is possible if you have Faith,’ to which the man said ‘I do have Faith, but not enough, help me to have more.’

Jesus healed this man’s son. He saw that the man was struggling with his Faith, as we all do from time to time. So He helped him.

I believe Lord, help my unbelief.  Mark 9:24

Peril in the water!

 

I saw this program on TV where they rescued about a dozen or so penguins, some of them babies, which had been caught in an oil slick. Probably oil poured in the sea by a passing tanker.

The poor creatures were covered with oil and would soon perish if not cleaned properly. It was a long and pains-taking job removing the sticky oil from their feathers and ensuring they do not digest it or it goes in their eyes. A team of helpers and vets got together and worked urgently round the clock to clean the birds before it was too late.

They then dried them carefully and put them in isolated cages where they fed them and monitored their progress 24/7. It took at least three or four weeks until they were sure the birds had recovered and there was no ill-effect as a result of their ordeal.

It was time to return them to their natural habitat. One evening, just before sunset at about five o'clock, they put them in a boat which set out to sea where they would be released. 

The boat stopped, and one by one the dozen penguins were lowered into the water. At first they floated together not daring to wander away. 

When the boat slowly moved off a shoal of sharks appeared and ate every last penguin!

MARK THIS STORY ON YOUR HUMOUR COUNTER

1 TO 5

1 = NOT FUNNY

5 = HILARIOUS

Growing old in England

 

Growing Old in England

Someone asked the other day, ‘What was your favourite fast food when you were growing up?’

‘We didn’t have fast food when I was growing up,’ I informed him. ‘All the food was slow.’

‘C’mon, seriously. Where did you eat?’

‘It was a place called “at home,”‘ I explained. ‘Mum cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn’t like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.’

He laughed at me. I explained that I had to have permission to leave the table.  But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood:

• Some parents NEVER owned their own house, never wore Levis, never set foot on a golf course, or had a credit card.
• Pizzas were not delivered to our home … But milk was.
• All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers.
• We didn’t have a television in our house until I was 19. It was, of course, black and white, and the station went off the air at midnight, after playing the national anthem.
• My parents never drove me to school. I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds and only had one speed, (slow).
• I never had a telephone in my room. The only phone was on a party line.
• Before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn’t know weren’t already using the line.
• Movie stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, they did in the movies.
• There were no movie ratings because all movies were responsibly produced for everyone to enjoy viewing, without profanity, violence, or anything offensive.

If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren.  

Growing up isn’t what it used to be, is it?