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A few years, God gave me another gift, that of writing Christian novels which increase my gifts of writing blogs and poetry. Every month, I read two novels on Saturdays in the lounge of the care centre in which I live. I have many novels and am currently making audios of them on my website www.christian-life-poetry.com Here are a few of my favourites and the first paragraph of each novel.
KEPT, AN ALLEGORY OF THE LAST TIMES Jane opened her eyes and looked straight at the small boy. Not that she could see much of his face because half of it was covered by regulation anti-glare glasses and his jaw-line, already distinctly angular, had lost any semblance of individuality. MRS HORACE HAMILTON-SMITH Mrs Horace Hamilton-Smith lived with her three children in a large apartment in Kensington, London, with a communal garden stretching down to a small canal of the Thames. Horace had conveniently passed on – she knew not where – some years ago, leaving her enough money to enjoy her indulgent lifestyle. Mrs Horace Hamilton-Smith was a poet - a very modern poet. She had no time for those things – iambic pentameters – she had learnt at school. “My dear, I write as I speak!” Which was somewhat unfortunate. MR PICKWICK Mr Pickwick was born in Kent, England, to wealthy parents. He was their only child, which was fortunate as from the day of his birth he was a very picky character. He refused his mother Margaret’s breast, that of a wet nurse, all the milk formulas and even cow’s milk. When he was at death’s door, Doctor Soames suggested trying a mixture of his Mama’s milk and a formula. It worked and baby James survived. Of course, there was the same problem when he was four months old and put on solids. He turned his head away and yelled or spat it out. His parents were frantic until they found he preferred ice cream, crispy bread rolls, tomato sauce, chicken, scones with butter, cream and strawberry jam and a tiny sip of Papa’s finest champagne to all the good things babies were supposed to eat. ENA EVANS Ena Evans was born in the LAND OF DO YOUR OWN THING to Jane whose husband Jack had died when a machine in the butchery where he worked malfunctioned and he bled to death. LADY LUCINDA Lady Lucinda was born in the Duchess of the Land of Pleasure’s bedroom, attended by Doctor James and his two experienced midwives. It was a long labour and Penelope, the Duchess, was screaming for much of the time. “Come away Sir,” the Duke’s secretary, said. “You can do no good here. Doctor James says there is nothing to worry about – it’s just like the Earl’s birth three years ago. A nice cup of coffee and a glass of port will see you through.” Montgomery, the Duke, had just settled down when a maid rushed in and said, “The doctor says come quickly, the baby is about to be born!”
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Did you know that there are 8 810 promises in the Bible? Of these, 7487 are by God. If we analyse Psalm 23, we find the following promises:
THE PROMISE OF LIVING FOREVER JOHN 3:16 and 17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Can you remember when you were saved? I was seven and there was a visiting missionary speaking to the assembled older children’s Sunday School in our beautiful church. He made an impassioned altar call. “Come up here to me,” he said, “and I will pray for you.” “Let’s go,” I said to Barbara who was sitting next to me. “No.” she said – and never came back to Sunday School. But there comes a time in all our lives that we make the decisive decision to be a Christian. Boys and girls aged six do this at their First Communion in Roman Catholic churches. When I was on holiday in Vienna, I stood in the square of Saint Stephen’s Cathedral and watched the children, beautifully dressed in white, walk in procession into the Cathedral. It was a very touching experience. Baptists experience this at their Baptism. I was twelve and baptised on the same Sunday as my parents. People from the non-conformist churches, that is, the Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational churches do this at their Conformation. This can happen at any age they happen to be. When a Jewish boy turns thirteen and attains the age of religious duty and responsibility of observing the Law, a service is held when the boy reads from the Torah. This is followed by a festive celebration. THE PROMISE OF HELP WHEN IN NEED Here are some helpful and inspiring verses. “When I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” Psalm 56:3. “My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1. Ponder on who helps us - God himself, “he neither slumbers nor sleeps.” Psalm 121:4. An unimaginable number of people are praying this at the same time as we are. And God hears us all. THE PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS The promise of forgiveness when we sin is also expressed in JOHN 3:16, 17. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through him, might be saved.” These two verses are the most important in the Bible as they encapsulate the meaning of eternal life. THE PROMISE OF NOT FEARING God said, “So do not fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NIV. And Paul, writing to Timothy says, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. 2 TIM 1:7 NIV. I like the ‘sound mind.’ Before we give way to panic, we should stop and use our sound minds. THE PROMISE OF GIVING US A COACH IN OUR LIVES All super athletes, business tycoons, the very rich, political leaders and even pastors have a coach in their lives. Our Coach is the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, speaking to his disciples before ascending into Heaven, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.” JOHN 14:26 NIV. In the same way, the Holy Spirit leads and teaches us from the Bible. THE PROMISE OF GIVING US HOPE We live in a broken world, a world of much suffering and, for unbelievers, a world of hopelessness. Thank God that we, as Christians, have hope. I have chosen three verses out of many that you may care to look up. The first is, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope.” JER 29:11 NIV The second is, “But, as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord. I wait for God my Saviour, my God will hear me.” MICAH 7:7 NIV The third is, “May the God of all hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ROMANS 15:13 NIV THE PROMISE OF ALWAYS BEING PRESENT WITH US “Fear not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou are with me, thy rod and thy staff comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 “Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6 THE PROMISE OF THE EVERLASTING LOVE OF GOD Paul writing to the church in Corinth says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ROMANS 15:13 NIV THE PROMISE OF OUR FUTURE In the last verse of Psalm 23, we read, “Surely goodness and mercy shalI follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” What will this be like? We are only given a few glimpses of this in The Revelation because we read in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the hearts of men the things that God has prepared for them that love him.” We are given a few glimpses into this new earth. “God will wipe away all tears from our eyes, there will be no more death, pain or grieving.” Revelation 21:4. We will have new resurrected bodies like Jesus. Revelation 15:35. There will be no giving in marriage for “we shall be like the angels in Heaven.” In Luke 22:16, Jesus said at the last supper, “I will not anymore eat thereof, until it be in the kingdom of God.” LUKE 22:1. THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST GIVEN TO THE APOSTLE JOHN tells of a new Heaven and a new Earth, of the New Jerusalem that shall descend from Heaven with such beauty that it is depicted in terms of gold and jewels, and in which there will be no sea. The exact size of this great city, a cube, is given. In it, we shall forget all memories of our past life and live as God’s family whom he loves and for which his Son died. JOHN 21 NIV. God bless all who read this Merle As we eat the chocolates in our Advent Calendars, go to churches all over the world, some in winter wonderlands, and others in mid-summer ‘s heat, as we decorate our homes with real holly and ivy, or, in summer lands, with plastic versions of holly and hang plastic wreaths on our front doors, we celebrate the coming of our Lord by singing our favourite carols in church or as we go carolling with friends in the neighbourhood. Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn, King, Silent night, Holy night, Jesus Christ is born today Hallelujah! and Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
The old, old story really is ever new, and we celebrate it with joy. But do we think of a time of even greater joy when we will celebrate our Lord’s great Second Coming? The Apostle Paul writing to the Thessalonian Church says in 1 Thess 4:16, 17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we be ever with the Lord.” The Apostle John writes in Rev 1:7, “Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye will see him.” The apostle Paul, writing to the Church at Philippi in Phil 2:1-11 says, “So that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father". The Apostle Matthew, writing in Mt 24:2 says, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” The Book of Acts is believed to have been written by Luke, “the beloved physician.” In Acts 1:10,11 he writes,” And while they looked steadfastly as he went up to Heaven, two men stood by them in white apparel which also said, “Why stand ye up gazing into Heaven? This same Jesus shall come in like manner as ye have seen him go.” My website www.christian-life-poetry.com has a score setting the Second Coming of Jesus to music. Go to MENU at top of page, go to MUSIC and drop down to CANTATA. In paragraph three go to PART FOUR The return of Jesus Christ. Link to Musescore SET. Go to EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW (Part Four 2019) 31 I saw a new heaven and a new earth. and click black triangle to play. God bless Merle The Prophet Samuel quotes this whole Psalm in 2 Samuel chapter 11 NIV.
I like the way in which Samuel sets the scene for the following verses. One evening when King David’s army was away fighting battles, he walked on the roof and saw a woman bathing. She was very beautiful. He sent a servant to find out who she was. When she was married to Uriah, she had never done this. Was she a temptress or had she fallen in love with him and wanted to marry him? King David had seven wives and ten concubines with whom he only slept once. King David slept with Bathsheba and they had broken the Levitical law that forbade sex during menstruation. She sent word to David, “I am pregnant!” David sent for Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba’s husband, and asked him how the war was going, and told him to go home and sent him a gift. In the morning David asked Uriah why he did not go home, and he replied, “Israel is at War!” David asked him to dinner and made him drunk. But he still did not go home, so David wrote to Joab, his army’s General and told him to put Uriah in the frontline so he would be killed. Bathsheba mourned for her husband - it was an act of sheer hypocrisy. And David married her, and she bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord and he sent Nathan the prophet to him who said, “Because you have shown contempt of the Lord, your son shall die.” In verse seven, we read of hyssop, a cleansing agent. It was used in Biblical contexts to denote extreme purity. It is a very pretty herb with a long stem, green leaves and topped by tiny blue flowers. My daughter grows it in her vegetable hatch. It has a bittersweet mint taste with floral overtone. It was used in Antiquity as a medicine. In JOHN 19:29-30 we read that a jar of wine vinegar was soaked on a sponge with a stalk of hyssop. Jesus Christ refused to drink it as he wanted to experience the entirety of his punishment. In verse ten King David writes: “Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.” He is remembering all his past sins and failures. Our sins are minor compared to King David’s, but are nevertheless present, because as the great Apostle Paul stated that his inner bad nature caused him to do things he would rather not do. It is a prayer we can all pray, for we have all come short of, and fallen from God’s standards. May God bless all who read this blog. Merle When the Anglican Lay Preacher said she would not be able to take next Tuesday’s Bible study, I offered to do it. I added a few questions at the end.
The Dictionary’s meaning of eternity is time infinity. That implies it never has a start or an end but goes on for ever, and ever, ever, ever without a beginning or an end. God added another vital addition to this when he placed the birth of Jesus Christ right in the centre of this long definition. In John 3 verse 16 we read, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Of all God’s creations only people can think, chose, and communicate with God and other people. Animals have instincts, salmon know when it is time to return to where they were spawned six thousand miles away, elephants in Etosha follow the matriarch to where she digs for water in the hard, parched earth, dolphins form a circle around shoals of herring before they swoop in and eat their fill. Of all life God created, only people were created in his image. In Genesis 1:27 NIV we read, “So God created mankind in his own image. In the image of God, he created them, male and female created he them.” God implanted a conscience in us. The most ignorant savage has a conscience, he or she knows that it is wrong to murder, steal, cheat, tell lies and slander others. If they do these things they will bear the consequences of their actions, but they do them and say, “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” An exceedingly short view of life as they forget that consequences follow bad deeds and eternity has no ending. Because man is made in God’s image, he shares some aspects of God’s character. God has emotions. He is a God of love, he loves his children and cares for them, people fall in love and some love their children and others love only themselves, God gets angry, and in Eph 5:6 we read, “Let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. God is a jealous God, though not in the way we are jealous. In Exodus 34:14 KJV we read, “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” God has given us the freedom to choose our own path in life. He did not want a huge population of puppets in his new earth. The choice is ours and be careful how you use it! What does the Bible say about our choices? Jesus said in Matthew 12:36-37, “I tell you that everyone will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words, you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned.” Prov 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” James 1:5, “If any one of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds, that by testing you may discern the will of God what is good, acceptable and perfect.” Throughout our lives God protects us. Joshua 1:9 “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.” What an encouragement to us and the multitude of martyrs throughout the ages and now. I asked the members “Who was the first martyr?” “Stephen,” replied a woman, “Who was the only apostle who was not martyred?” I asked. No reply. “Who was James who was martyred?” I asked. Nobody knew. Do you? God bless all those who read this Bible Study. Merle. Rick Duane Warren was born on 28 January 1954 and was the founder and pastor of the evangelical Baptist Saddleback Church in Southern California. He graduated as a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological College in Pasadena. He was a fourth generation Southern Baptist pastor.
Saddleback Church held its first service on Easter Sunday, and 206 people attended. The church grew rapidly. The main campus is situated on 120 acres. There are fifteen other locations in Southern California and some in other countries. Rick Warren wrote many books His best- known book is titled THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE. It has been widely influential and translated into many languages. Google Rick Warren and the sermons he preached below. - Learn to do when you are pressured to conform. - Stop self-sabotage and start trusting God’s plan for your life. - Leave it in God’s hands, he sees your pain and hears your cry. - Expand your faith and God will reveal his plan for your life. - Choosing which doors you will walk through. - Learn how God can use anybody. - What’s your worldview? - The goodness of God. May God bless, guide, guard, keep and be gracious to you Merle The way I see the word ‘evolution’, I think of the word ‘misnomer’. I was watching a magnificent series about the wonders of earth on Netflix. It showed, in detail, how everything in the world is interrelated and dependent on the sun, moon and all living creatures and vegetation. It ended with the sentence ‘Evolution is Amazing’. No! it is not. What does evolution evolve from? Some gigantic, unfathomable mind we cannot comprehend? We are like ants going about their lives, following routes they know, marching like armies destroying grasslands as they follow their leader but totally unaware of our world, and unable to see or comprehend it.
Christians believe in varying forms of Creation, but most agree in Epochs rather than in a literal six days of twenty-four hours in which God created different kinds of species, for example, dinosaurs and hominin species whose skeletons have been found. Many Dinosaurs are in our museums. Before humans, groups of the Hominim species existed in parts of the world. One prominent group was the Neanderthals found in Europe and Western and Central Asia. Measurements of the skull and pelvic shape separate us from Neanderthals. Their fossils, found in the caves in which they lived, have a lower skull and wider pelvis than we do. East Asians tend to share about 2.3 percent of Neanderthal’s DNA, Europeans about 1.8 percent to 2.4 percent. Some African populations have a miniscule amount, and sub-Saharan populations, none. Seven to sixteen percent of the world’s population register as atheists. The way I see it is what do they think when they look at an exquisite rose, a magnificent sunset, eat a luscious cherry, see how their faithful dogs follow their every look, listen to birdsong in the early mornings – and I wonder. Are atheists, unbeknown to themselves, serving Satan by denying God? God bless you Merle The first promise comes from the prophet Jeremiah who writes in Jer 29:11 NIV, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
The plans we have for ourselves may differ from plans God has for us. My great love was ballet. I started lessons with thirty other little girls and quickly became the first in line. We did warm up exercises, practiced the dance for our teacher’s concert for our parents and then as the pianist played, we took turns in improvising a dance. “Well done, Merle, as usual,” Miss Sampson said. I wanted to be a great ballerina when I grew up. My Dad had just returned from the war in North Africa and built a lovely house for us, far from my ballet class in Rosebank with the dismaying result that my mother stopped my ballet lessons. When I was at high school, I begged my Mum to let me start ballet lessons. She agreed and I was about to start my first lesson with a renowned teacher who had agreed to teach me when one of her students – Miss Sampson - had recommended me. The day before, I put my hand on my desk and stretched my leg up without warming up. I fell on the carpet and had physio for six weeks and that was the end of my ballet plans. I was heart-broken but turned my attention to music. I wanted to be a great pianist as I had done so well in eisteddfods. My teacher was a recently retired professor from the Royal Academy of Music, and he had high hopes for me. But one Sunday, a theological student came to preach and when I went to put out the choir’s music, I found him reading his notes. He had come to the wrong vestry. I was most embarrassed. After the service I said to my Mum, “I am going to marry him.” Two years later I did and for the first years in two pastorates. I played the piano for services n our first pastorate and later a small electronic organ with pedals at our second. The second promise comes from Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.” This promise comes as a warning. We should always ask God for directions in our daily lives. We should depend on him and not follow our own inclinations. We should give him the glory for our achievements and be truly thankful. The third promise is about our glorious future – where we shall go when we, as believers, die? What will Heaven be like? We know some things but now “look as through a glass darkly” obscuring the view. Great authors over the centuries have written what life after death will be like for believers. They have portrayed their versions of Heaven, but they have wasted their time writing their speculations for the Bible says in 1 Cor 2:9 “But it is written, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard. Neither hath not entered in the heart of man the things God has prepared for them that love him.’” There will be no giving in marriage, God will wipe all tears from our eyes, there will be no more sickness and death. We read the two greatest verses in the Bible. It is our third and supreme promise: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that through Him the world might be saved.” John 3:16 I have been surrounded by music and musicians all my life. My cousin is a fine cellist, my daughter is the early morning organist at my church. By a strange coincidence, another cousin was the organist at my church many years ago. My daughter also taught piano and cello at various schools and performed at many gigs. Her other son is a fine cellist and trombonist. Her grandson, now eleven, excels on drum kits and full-sized marimbas. He’s quite the professional and loves to perform. My aunt taught music all over Africa. My grandson is Head of Music at a school. My father bought me an antique Erard harp and restored it, removing all the rods, levers, bolts and other mechanisms, cleaning and adjusting them, and replacing the sounding board. This was done by a violin maker.
My website www.christian-life-poetry.com is dominated by my 499 music scores. If you go to MUSIC at the top of the page, you will find the MENU. There are several categories. The scores I have chosen from these categories have been placed in a SET where they may be heard or downloaded. There are 9 categories, and each category has 3 or more scores. You can find these on musescore https://musescore.com/user/164474/sets You can also find a single score eg youtube channel Merel Lamprecht Amen Hallelujah (Rev) PRAISE HIM 1 Let all nations praise him (REV) 2 Amen Hallelujah (Rev) 2 Welcome little Lord JESUS (REV) LITTLE SONGS FOR LITTLE PEOPLE 1 Do you know God loves you (REV) 2 Oh happy birthday Jesus Christ (REV) 2 Tell the world about Jesus (Revised) CANTATA 1 Every knee shall bow His name shall be called Wonderful (Part One 2019) 8 2 Every knee shall bow Behold the Lamb of God (Part Two 2019) 9 3 Every Knee shall bow The Crucifixion (Part Three 2019) 18 4 Every knee shall bow I heard the voice of many angels (Part Four 2019) 25 5 Every Knee shall bow I saw a new heaven and a new earth (Part Four 2019) 31 SINGING SCRIPTURE 1 His name shall be called Wonderful (2019) 2 2 Fear not for I have redeemed you (REV) 3 Hallelujah (REV) 4 Our Father in heaven (REV) HYMNS 1 Christ the Lord is risen today GO PRO 2 The king of love my shepherd is 3 Take my life and let it be EASTER HYMNS 1 There is a green hill far away 2 Christ the Lord is risen today Hallelujah GO PRO 3 Christ is risen said the angel GO PRO CAROLS 1 Hark! The herald angels sing 2 Once in royal David’s city 3 Oh happy birthday Jesus Christ SONGS 1 A New Year’s prayer REV 2 On moving into a care centre 3 Do not fear REV NEW TUNES FOR OLD HYMNS 1 Glory be to God the Father 2 O come all ye faithful 3 My Jesus I love thee God bless you Merle I usually have no difficulty in finding a subject for a blog. This time, I have no idea of what to write and am already past my blog date of one May 2025. When I can find a subject, I will probably write it quickly unless it needs some Googling to get my facts straight!
As I write, I think about all the holidays my husband and I spent travelling in countries far from our own and which I recorded in my book A CHRISTIAN IN LONDON AND PARIS. This can be downloaded on my website www.christian-life-poetry.com I wrote the 48 poems in six weeks after our 2006 holiday in these two amazing cities. The poems tell of what we saw, ate, where we went, on land or on the Thames and the Seine rivers, and of what I thought about each event from a Christian perspective. I live in a retirement complex, and spend much time at my computer reading politics, writing novels, and now doing audio versions of them. The first five are not very well read, so I will have to be careful when I do the next five, assisted by one of my granddaughters. The novel KEPT is an allegory of the last times and I think it will remain the best novel I have written. Go to my website. The MENU is at the top of the page, go to WRITING, and drop down to BLOG and OTHER WRITINGS. THE INHERITANCE is a true story about my grandmother and me. Surprising how quickly this blog came – like the many music scores – which now form a major part of my website, the blogs and writings that have popped into my mind given by our Lord as I have prayed for his guidance. God bless you this May, Merle |
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