601 An AI search on the life of Carole Holbeck [nee Tapsell].1943-2019. A Life Shaped by Teaching and Service

Posted on August 17, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

When the calendar approaches the 22nd August each year I feel inclined to post something about my late beloved wife Carole. Why 22 August? That was the date in 1964 when I proposed to my best friend Carole Tapsell and she replied, “Yes!” Life had a new meaning and purpose for both of us from that moment forward.  A summary of articles I have written about Carole are found on my blog site in article No.588. https://jimholbeck.blog/2026/02/06/588-summary-of-reflections-on-my-beloved-wife-and-very-best-friend-carole-ann-holbeck-nee-tapsell-07-february-1943-to-31st-october-2019/

This year instead of writing something personal about her I decided to give AI [Artificial Intelligence] an opportunity to tell her story as it related to the work she performed in the years since that date. So here below is the result of what an AI search did on her name. [With slight additions.]

An AI search on the life of Carole Holbeck [nee Tapsell].1943-2019. A Life Shaped by Teaching and Service

Carole Holbeck (née Tapsell) approached education not merely as a profession, but as a calling. Throughout her life, she believed that teaching was an opportunity to shape character, build confidence, and encourage young people to reach their God-given potential. Her career, spanning several decades and multiple states, reflected both professional excellence and deep personal commitment.

Carole’s journey into teaching began in Queensland, where she trained at Kelvin Grove Teachers College. She later completed a Diploma in Physical Education at the University of Queensland, equipping her with strong academic foundations and practical skills. These early years of preparation shaped her disciplined work ethic and her lifelong passion for physical education, health, and sport.

In the early 1960s, Carole commenced her professional career in the Ipswich–Brisbane region. During summer terms, she travelled between primary schools teaching swimming, helping hundreds of children gain confidence and safety in the water. In winter, she worked in secondary schools as a Physical Education teacher, where she also coached athletics and hockey. Her students regularly achieved outstanding results, and her teams were known for their discipline, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

Beyond technical instruction, Carole invested personally in her students. She took time to encourage those who lacked confidence, supported those facing personal challenges, and modelled integrity through her own conduct. Many former students later recalled her as both demanding and deeply caring—an educator who expected excellence but always offered support.

After her marriage to Jim Holbeck in 1966, Carole relocated to Melbourne and accepted a position as Sports Mistress at Lakeside High School at Reservoir. In an era when leadership roles for women in sport were still developing, she demonstrated quiet strength and professional authority. She supervised girls’ sporting programs, expanded participation, and promoted fitness as an essential part of holistic education. Her work during this period strengthened her reputation as a capable and forward-thinking leader.

In the 1970s, Carole entered a new phase of her career when she moved into vocational education in New South Wales through the Technical and Further Education system, initially in Child Studies. Later teaching in Health and Recreation she taught on health, fitness, and recreation, and contributed to programs designed to prepare students for practical careers in sport, leisure, and community services. She embraced this environment enthusiastically, recognising its potential to transform lives through skills-based learning.

Her ability to combine academic standards with genuine pastoral care made her highly respected among both students and colleagues. She mentored younger teachers, supported struggling learners, and encouraged professionalism at every level. Her classrooms were marked by order, warmth, and mutual respect.

During the 1990s, Carole was appointed Senior Head Teacher in Health and Recreation at Sydney Institute of TAFE, based at the Loftus Campus. This senior role placed her in charge of staff management, curriculum development, and departmental planning. Under her leadership, the unit expanded significantly in size and influence, becoming one of the most respected programs in its field.

As a leader, Carole combined firmness with compassion. She set high expectations, addressed problems directly, and supported her team through personal and professional challenges. Her management style reflected her Christian values: fairness, honesty, humility, and service. These qualities earned her lasting loyalty and admiration.

Her contribution to public education was formally recognised when she was named runner-up for the New South Wales Premier’s Award for Public Service. While grateful for the recognition, she remained characteristically modest, viewing her work simply as a privilege and responsibility.

Carole retired from full-time teaching in 2006 after many years of distinguished service. Her farewell reflected the depth of her influence, with colleagues and former students expressing heartfelt appreciation for her guidance, encouragement, and example. Retirement did not end her interest in education; she continued to support others through mentoring, prayer, and practical assistance.

Looking back, Carole’s teaching career reveals more than professional success. It reflects a life devoted to nurturing others—intellectually, physically, and spiritually. Through classrooms, sports fields, and leadership roles, she consistently sought to build people up and point them toward lives of purpose and integrity.

Her legacy lives on in the countless students she taught, the teachers she mentored, and the families she influenced. In every stage of her career, Carole demonstrated that true education is not only about knowledge and skill, but about character, compassion, and faith.

Carole passed away in October 2019 from cancer which she had fought bravely for 5 years. “Absent from the body. Present with the Lord” are the words on the plaque her husband had placed on her resting place in Port Macquarie. 

Blog No.601 posted on Monday 17 August 2026.

Posted in Forgiveness, Tributes, Prayer, TOPICS, Real Life Stories, New Beginnings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

600 Ephesians 1:15-23. “Knowing The Power Of God In Our Lives”

Posted on August 11, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

AS I was just searching for a missing file I came across this copy of a file containing a sermon I preached in Port Macquarie in May 2023. I thought it might be helpful for someone throughout the world who discovers it on my blog site. It is my 600th article on the site. May the Lord use it to His glory!

THE NEED TO PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER TO KNOW GOD BETTER. 1:15-17

Eph 1:15  “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16  I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”

There’s only one thing better than knowing God. That is, that we might know Him better!

WHAT TO PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER. TO KNOW 3 THINGS. 1:18-21

Eph 1:16  I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18  having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the richesof his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.

He wants them to know… Their HOPE. Their RICHES in Christ. The POWER they had in Christ. 

1]. THE HOPE TO WHICH HE HAS CALLED YOU.

In our culture, the word “hope” doesn’t have quite the same meaning as the word in the NT Greek. We use hope to describe what we would like to happen. i.e., we hope to one day get married, or to obtain a degree, or to live to a ripe old age. Or we hope it will be fine next weekend. But there’s always a certain amount of uncertainty involved with it in the way we use it.

But there was no uncertainty involved with the way it was used in the NT. Hope meant something that was assured, something that would certainly come to pass. Nothing could prevent it.

Christian hope doesn’t mean that we become X’ians and then hope that one day we’ll go to heaven. 

  • No! Our Christian hope means that as Christians we’re assured of one day entering into the presence of our Heavenly Father. 
  • There’s no doubt about it at all. This is something God has promised to us in His grace.
  • We can know that we are right with God and that when we breathe our last breath, we will be immediately in the presence of God. 

ESV.  2 Tim 1:9 [God] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

He calls us to a certain hope,  which He planned for us before the world began.  As Paul wrote in Eph 1:3-4, “Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

2]. THE RICHES OF HIS GLORIOUS INHERITANCE IN HIS HOLY PEOPLE,

When we give our lives to the Lord, we become the heirs of God, and fellow-heirs with Christ.  

  • We become open to receive all the things that God has promised His people.
  • They are riches, or as Paul writes elsewhere, they are the “unsearchable riches in Christ”  Riches that can never be exhausted by anyone within a lifetime.

There’s been a lot of argument in the church this century as to whether there is a second blessing beyond our conversion experience.  

  • I personally believe there IS a second blessing, 
  • AND a third AND a fourth, and a thousandth blessing. 
  • In other words, our whole spiritual pilgrimage will be spent discovering more and more of those unsearchable riches in Christ. 

I cringe every time I hear anyone say they have had THE  second blessing. 

  • Why should anyone stop there?  We can never ever say that we’ve arrived spiritually at a stage where 
    • there is nothing more to learn,  nothing more to experience, 
    • nothing more to appropriate from those inexhaustible riches in Christ.

Unfortunately there have been so many within the Christian church, who have been led into deeper insights in the scripture, or who have had some new experience of God, who make the same mistake.  They identify their new insight, or their new experience of God, with God Himself.

But God is always beyond the limits of our experience. 

  • His unsearchable riches will never be appropriated by any individual or by any denomination, or by any movement within the church.  
  • We need to learn to be humble, and never to believe that we’ve “got it” or “we’ve arrived!”

3]. EPH 1:19- 21.  AND HIS INCOMPARABLY GREAT POWER FOR US WHO BELIEVE.

“That power is the same as the mighty strength 20  he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21  far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”

There are many Christians today who are very sensitive about any mention of power.  But the Bible isn’t reticent about mentioning power. Notice what Paul says about power here. 

  • It is beyond measurement. It is megatos or megaton power, exceedingly great. 
  • It is the power God used in raising Jesus from the dead, and in seating Him at His right hand in glory. 
  • It is this sort of power which is “in us who believe.”

This is the humbling part. That you and I will only be able to experience anything of God’s power, when we become utterly weak. As Paul wrote, God’s strength is made perfect in weakness.

Paul later wrote in this same letter that “God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us..” (3:20.) I’ve seen something of the dimension of that power in the transformation of individuals, yet I know there infinitely more power available for us to tap into.

Paul finishes his prayer with the reminder that the risen Christ is the One in absolute authority in the church and in the world. But it’s an authority that has to be personally submitted to. In other words, for Christ to be the Lord of our lives, we need to submit ourselves to His rule over us. It’s not automatic. It needs a step of faith to say to the Lord, “Lord I want you to become the Lord and Master of my life, so that You can do in me and through me what you desire. I crown you as the Lord of my life.”

But what about us in May 2023? How do we stand before God? 

In Ephesians 2 verses 1 and 3 He says that the whole human race is dead in sin and that we are deserving of God’s wrath. We are sinners  facing the judgment of God. Not good news but absolutely true!

BUT WAIT! There is good news!  We can be set free from God’s wrath and judgment. Eph 2:4-6. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”

  • He made us spiritually alive with Christ. Once we were spiritually dead, but now we have become spiritually alive with Christ.
  • When God raised Jesus from the dead and He ascended into heaven, He raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”
    • Seated in Christ, in the place of acceptance with God
    • Seated in Christ in the place of authority over the powers of darkness
    • Seated in Christ in the place of power over the world, the flesh and the devil.

So as God looks upon us today, He sees us in 2 ways

  • He sees us Geographically as being seated in this building [between Hay & Murray streets, Port Macquarie.]
  • He sees us Spiritually. He sees some of us being seated in Christ at the right hand of God. Everyone else being “outside of Christ.” 

How can we become among those who are “in Christ?” [No longer under the judgment of God?]

It was a question I was facing on New Year’s Eve 1958. 

  • I knew I wasn’t a believer.
  • I knew I had to get right with God. But how?
  • As I wandered through the streets of Tweed Heads-Coolangatta about 11pm I knew I wanted to get right with God, and I remembered a prayer of commitment I had seen in a little booklet by the Rev John Stott. It was based on 4 letters of the alphabet. A,B,C and D.
  •         I had to Admit I was a sinner in the sight of God. [Sins of commission and of omission.]
    • I had to Believe that Jesus died on the cross for me for me to be forgiven.
  •         I had to Consider the Cost of  becoming a Christian. Cost me nothing, but God, His Son.
    • I had to Do something about it.  I had to invite Him into my life to be my Saviour and Lord. 

AND I had learned how to invite Him into my life in Rev 3:20 where Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

It’s the picture of Jesus standing at the door of the hearts of the people in the  church in Laodicea, knocking and asking to come into their hearts. 

So I prayed the prayer and opened my life to Jesus. He entered my life and I entered 1959 as a brand-new creation in Christ and life really began from that moment. I had come from spiritual death to be spiritually alive. Christ was now my Saviour from sin and I had made Him Lord of my whole being. 

The Good News is that you can leave this building today knowing that you are right with God and that if you were to die this afternoon or in 70 years time, you would wake up in bliss in the presence of Jesus. 

Today we celebrate Ascension Day, the day Jesus ascended into heaven. There He received the promised Holy Spirit whom He now pours out on all who trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord. That’s what He wants to happen in every person ever born!

Let’s allow Him to do that on us today as we pray.     

You can become a believer, someone in Christ, a child of God as you pray this prayer. A,B,C,D.

A].  Lord, I Admit I am a sinner in Your sight.

B].  I Believe Christ died for me on the cross.

C].  I have Considered the Cost of becoming a believer. It costs me nothing, but God His Son.

D]. I need to Do something about it. I now open the door of my life to You Jesus. Come into my life Lord Jesus.”

“Thank You Lord Jesus for coming into my life to be my Saviour. I now enthrone You as the Lord and Master of every part of my life. AMEN!” 

But if you have prayed the prayer you need to tell someone you trust. 

St Paul wrote in Rom 10:9, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

You can leave this building today knowing that when you die you will go to be  with Jesus in Paradise. 

Blog No.600 posted on Tuesday 11 August 2026

Posted in anointing, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year A [All Years], New Beginnings, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, spiritual warfare | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

599 VICTORY OVER TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS.

Posted on August 2, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

Sermon preached by Canon Jim Holbeck at the Healing Service at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney on Wed 24May2006.  Reading: James 1:12-18.   Topic:  “Victory Over Trials And Temptations.”

•       Ever feel a bit battered. There are just so many things coming at you and you just get over one crisis and then another one appears. 

•       It’s as though things are coming at us to test us all the time.

•       Well sometimes we are living in such a way that we are bringing all sorts of difficulties on ourselves.

•       In that case we need to repent of our rebellion against God and ask for His forgiveness and help in Jesus. 

•       But at other times we are trying to do the right thing but everything seem to be going wrong or we keep facing pressure after pressure. 

•       It has a name. It’s called “Being Human.” 

1. TRIALS WILL SURELY COME OUR WAY.  1:12

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him

•       We are all going through various trials and temptations but we can learn to cope with them. 

•       James knew that everyone including Christian believers were going to undergo trials and be tempted. 

•       He makes the promise to those who stood the test that they would receive the Crown of life (or God’s approval) which God promised to those who love Him. 

•       John wrote the same thing in Rev 2:10 to show that though believers might have to suffer various kinds of trials including persecution, it was not that God had lost control but that He was allowing those things to happen in a world that wasn’t perfect in any way. 

•       If they remained loyal to Him they would know His blessing.  Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 

•       Faithfulness and dependence on Him leads to His blessing. 

2.  HOW TO FACE THE TRIALS THAT COME

i). Recognise the source of temptation. It is not God. He doesn’t tempt anyone towards evil. 

•       But there is another who is called the tempter, Satan who does tempt us. 

•       In Gen 1-3, we saw Adam and Eve tempted by the serpent in the Garden of Eden and giving in to the lies of the evil one. 

•       We saw Jesus as a man being tempted by Satan but winning victory over all the temptations Satan threw at him. 

•       Paul was conscious that being unwilling to forgive someone could lead to an openness to being deceived by Satan, 2 Cor 2:10  Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ. 11  And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

•       He warned that harbouring sin could give a foothold to the devil Eph 4:26-27,  “In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27  and do not give the devil a foothold.. 

ii). Recognise why we respond to temptation 

James then went on to talk about what one should do when faced with trials and temptation.

•       He shows that trials will come to all of us and that we might be tempted to act in ways that were not right. but God is not the source of temptation.

•       God cannot give into temptation and tempts no-one.

James describes temptation as acting in this way.

•       We may be undergoing a trial of some kind.

•       But there may be something in the trial that becomes tempting to us.

•       James says that we are lured and enticed by our own desire. 

•       That means there is something within us that wants to respond to what we see or hear. We have a nature within us that has a bias towards evil. 

Eg., Gal 5:16-21, 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  

•       James then talks about desire as conceiving and give in to sin. 

•       By that he means that as we continue to focus on the things or people that tempt us we can lose our self-control and come under their control. 

•       In our desire to possess the inappropriate thing or person that is tempting us we can be possessed by the object of our desire. 

•       We’ve had a defeat. We have sinned and fallen short. We have fallen into sin. We have rebelled against God and are guilty in His sight, even though we may try to suppress our guilt. 

iii). Seeking God’s enabling to give us victory

•       If we want to be changed God can help us.  

•       It’s as we open our lives to Him that He can come in power to bring about a transformation within us. 

•       Instead of being continually biased towards evil we can know His presence in our lives wanting us to do what is righteous and good. 

•       No illustration is perfect but just imagine a bowling ball on the bowling green. The ball is biased with more weight on the one side than the other. It cannot go in a straight line unless we put more weight in the other side to make it go evenly. 

•       We’re like that with our bias towards evil in the trials of life. It is natural for us to do evil. 

•       We need a counteracting presence in our lives so that we can go along the straight and narrow and live as God wants us to live.  

•       Bu the paths of life are not always smooth and level like a bowling green.  We need a presence in our lives that can make us keep going in the straight and narrow even when the ground tilts sharply or become rough with lots of obstacles ahead.

•       The only presence in our lives that can bring that victory is the presence of Christ within us in the power of His Spirit. 

•       Paul put it like this in Gal 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

•       We can overcome that bias towards evil no matter how rocky is the path before us, nor how powerful are the forces opposed to us to take us downhill. 

•       Instead of reacting naturally to the temptations and trials of life we can be different. 

•       Instead of letting our old nature rule our lives, we can let Christ by His Spirit change us to be like Jesus. 

•       Gal 5:17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 

•       There can be no victory without Christ in our lives. 

•       Paul contrasts in Gal 5 what he calls the works of the flesh, the characteristics of our old nature, the way we behave naturally to testing or tempting situations, with the fruit of the Spirit.  

•       When the trials and temptations come instead of responding n a godly way with God’s strength we cave in and sin. 

a). We sin in the area of morality.

•       We become guilty of sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality. Instead of living as God wanted us to live as celibate until we find our life partner we give in to our inward desires and become guilty in the sight of God. We can suppress our guilt but suppressed guilt can lead to physical and emotional damage.  

b). We sin in the area of religion. 

We become guilty of turning away from God and replacing Him with something or someone less challenging, what Paul calls here 20 idolatry, sorcery. Many people today have had mental stress and breakdown because they dabbled in the areas of the occult and were possessed by the power they were trying to harness. They live in fear of powers that are nasty and dangerous. 

c). We sin socially with wrong attitudes that may lead to wrong actions. 

•       Instead of doing what God said in loving our neighbour as ourselves we responded to those around us in negative ways as Paul writes,  we became characterised by social sins  strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy 

•       We have no peace because our minds may be full of evil thoughts or even plotting revenge against those who made us angry or whom we envied because they seemed to have more than we have. 

•       How much time do we spend thinking or speaking evil of those whom we felt hurt us. 

d). We sin in the area of drink. We become guilty of sinning in the area of being involved in drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.

God has said Eph 5:17  So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18  Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,

•       What stress has come into your life because you lost control and came under the influence of alcohol or drugs and became addicted to them instead of being besotted with Jesus and filled with His Spirit.

•       What has it done to your marriage, your family, your body, the physical and emotional health of those around you? 

•       We may say “I’m just a social drinker”  but how often are you filled with wine rather than filled with the Spirit of God? 

•       No wonder Paul sums it up by saying for those who are showing forth that sort of lifestyle, I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

•       It shows that such people are not born again of the Spirit of God and certainly not filled with His Spirit. 

3.  THE DECISION NEEDED TO CHANGE 

What’s the answer to beginning to be different with God’s help and becoming open to more victories and more healing in our lives.

•       Letting Jesus Christ to come into our lives and allowing Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit. 

•       What sort of life would that look like?

•       What sort of characteristics might I begin to show if I did such a thing? 

•       Paul calls it the fruit of the Spirit , the outward evidence of the presence of Christ within us by His Spirit. 

•       22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

•       How are you and I going to face the trials and the temptations that come our way? 

•       By going it alone doing our own thing in our own strength and have defeat after defeat so that we despair of life being any different.

•       Or letting Jesus Christ change us and fill us with His presence so that when people look at us as changed individuals they see for the first time,  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.

•       Only you can determine the decision you need to make. 

If you want to be different, to live with more victories in your life, to be more open for God to heal you and to bless you, then pray to let God change you to be the person He wants you to be.

Blog No.599 posted on Sunday 02 August 2026

Posted in Bible verses. Comments, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, New Beginnings, Prayer, Questions and Answers, Sanctification, spiritual warfare, Temptations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

598 Preventing Sin By Memorising The Word Of God. Psalm 119:11.

Posted on July 13, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

There’s an old saying which says, ”Sin keeps us from God’s word or God’s word keeps us from Sin!” It has encouraged  a lot of young believers to try to memorise many of verses from God’s word to use when being tempted to sin. Of course, one has to remember that every verse needs to be interpreted in the light of its context to fully understand its true meaning. But remembering single verses helps us to find the context of those verses to give us a more balanced understanding of God’s word. Here is how the Psalmist recognised the power of God’s word, Psalm 119:9  How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. 10  I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

The following is a list of verses that one can turn to, to see how the Lord has promised to answer our prayers as believers and how He can guide us as we seek to live for Him.

VERSES INDICATING THAT GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS THE PRAYERS OF HIS CHILDREN

2Chronicles 7:13-14.   When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14  if my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Psalm 37:4  Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psa 91:15  When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honour him.

Psa 145:18-19.  The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19  He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.

Isa 65:24  Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Jer 29:12 -13.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  13  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jer 33:3  Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Micah 7:7  But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Matthew 6:6  But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 7:7–11. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.   8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  9  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone 10  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Mat 18:19 -20.  Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20  For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Luke 11:13  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

John 14:13–14. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14  If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 15:7.  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

John 16:23 -24.  In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24  Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Mark 11:22 -24.  And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Eph 3:20  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Philippians 4:6 -7.  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Heb 4:16  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

James 1:5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

James 5:13-16.  Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14  Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15  And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16  Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

1Peter 3:12  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

1 John 3:21-22.  Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22  and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

1 Jn 5:14-15. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

VERSES ON SEEKING THE LORD’S BLESSING OR GUIDANCE

Psa 32:6  Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7  You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.  8  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.  

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24  And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!

Prov 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Psa 23:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2  He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3  He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Blog No.598 posted on Monday 13 July 2026.

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597 Humour And The Bible

Posted on July 10, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

There are many believers who think that using humour to describe people or events in the Bible should not be used. However, sometimes the use of humour allows us to remember important parts in the Bible.

For example there is an old saying which helps us remember the difference between the thinking of the Pharisees and the Sadducees in the time of Jesus. The preacher referred to this example in a recent sermon and the congregation chuckled as they learnt an important truth. Pharisees believed in the resurrection.  The Sadducees did not. As the old saying has it, “That is why they were Sadducee.” [That is why they were “Sad, You See!”]

Or some puzzles can produce a smile. When the question is asked, “Who was the shortest man in the Bible?” the answer is often given, “Nehemiah.” [Knee High Meyer.] But one response is this. “Bildad was the shortest man in the Bible.“ You see Bildad was known as Bildad the Shuhite. [ “Shoe Height.”] We are reminded of a man who was one of Job’s comforters who tried to comfort Job in his sadness.

Jesus used humour in His teaching. He used hyperbole to get His readers to imagine ridiculous pictures. For example in Luke 6:42  to show the danger of hypocrisy. “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. ‘”

AND Matthew 19:23-24, Jesus used the picture of a large animal being squeezed through the eye of a needle to show the impossibility of entering heaven by human effort. “And Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’”

It may be better for churchgoers to leave their churches with smiles rather than grimaces! WE need to remember that Jesus promised, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “John 15:11.

Humour may be part of expressing the joy we can experience when we give our lives over to the Lord and to His purposes for us. 

Blog No 597 posted on Friday 10 July 2026

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596. Summary Of Articles On Victim Mentality

Posted on June 9, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

It is very obvious in today’s world how many people have become victims of Victim Mentality. That is not surprising because we have all been victims of other people’s lack of concern or even of their personal resentment or spite. But to continue with victim mentality is to live a life forfeiting the blessing of being a victor rather than a victim as we face the challenges of living in a complex and demanding world. 

In the articles below I attempt to show how early victim mentality entered the human race, how so many people in today’s world are captivated by it and how victory can be won over it. 

To read any of the articles just click on the number of the article or enter the number in the search facility on the site http://www.jimholbeck.blog

311. “Hey! I’m The Victim Here!” The Curse Of “Victimhood” In Today’s World.

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Jim Holbeck

It comes so naturally to us as humans to see ourselves as victims.  And we are! Most of us have been the victims of other people’s sins against us. But there has to come a time when we get over our victim mentality and begin to make a positive contribution to the world as well as to our own personal lives. So let’s look at how a victim mentality came early to the human race, how we might recognise it and how we might learn to overcome it.

312. Bitterness Mixed With Victim Mentality. A Disastrous Cocktail For The World! How To Bring Healing To A Confused Hurting World!

Posted on February 3, 2019 by Jim Holbeck

In the previous article I wrote on the danger of adopting and being held captive by a victim mentality. It is so easy for humans to play the victim because we have all been victims at some stage of hurtful and unloving attitudes, words and actions. However as we saw in the case of Joseph in the Old Testament, victims can learn to triumph in spite of all the negativity they encounter. Perhaps we know of friends and acquaintances who have been through a living hell in their lives and yet today are among the most positive and supportive people on the globe. They became victors instead of remaining as victims. It is possible! By the grace of God!

359. THE CURSE OF VICTIMHOOD [And Other Factors] ON THE HUMAN RACE

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Jim Holbeck

In early 2019 I posted an article number 311 on this site with the title, ‘“Hey! I’m The Victim Here!” The Curse Of “Victimhood” In Today’s World.’ Little did I realise that a very deep sense of victimhood would become so quickly imbedded in so many people groups around the world. I pointed out in that article that all of us are victims in life in varying degrees, but one does not have to adopt or maintain a victim mentality as an ongoing attitude of mind throughout life. One can have a much more positive attitude to life even in the midst of challenging situations. 

360. The Unholy Triumvirate. Adding Entitlement To The Dangerous Cocktail Of Victim Mentality And Bitterness. Why The World Is In Such A Mess!

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Jim Holbeck

In my previous article number  359  I wrote about the dangerous cocktail that results when bitterness is added to victim mentality. I also mentioned that if another particular element was added, it would form a dangerous triumvirate that could influence the thinking and consequent behaviour of many in our world today. We can now look at what that third element is. It is the Sense of Entitlement that so many people in the world today seem to have adopted as an ongoing pattern of thinking. It is bad enough of itself but when added to the other two elements it can become a mixture that is quite explosive in human relationships.

Blog No.596 posted on Tuesday 09 June 2026

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Blog No 595 A Man Who Touched The Lives Of Thousands Without Realising It. The Man in George Street, Sydney.

Posted on May 31, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

I was looking at some of my older blog articles and found one, No.280 , written on this day eight years ago. It is an amazing story of the grace of God in a man’s life who didn’t realise until shortly before his death how the Lord had used him over decades to help bring thousands to salvation through Christ.


I felt it was very worthwhile to resurface it again to show that what we do for the Lord is never fruitless. Listen to the amazing story on this link.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkjMvPhLrn8


He did what he did believing that the Lord had nudged him to share his faith with others without looking for any rewards. BUT imagine his reward in heaven when he arrived as tens of thousands had been won to Christ through his ministry.


WE need to respond to the Lord when He nudges us, for we never know what He can do through us as we respond to Him. AS Philippians 2 verses 12 and 13 reminds us, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” God at work through us – for His good pleasure! What a privilege to be able to share the Lord with others.
Blog No.595 posted on Sunday 31 May 2026.

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594.  The Grace Of God Brought Grace To Many Through A Down And Out! The Story of “Eternity” In Sydney.

Posted on May 31, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

For those of us who were fortunate to be in Sydney during the 1999 New Year’s Celebrations we will always remember the gigantic message scrolled across the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge during the night. Others throughout the world were able to see the sight as the celebrations were telecast across the world. What we and they saw was a brightly lit one word message “ETERNITY.” 

It was a reminder to many of seeing that word scrolled across footpaths for decades in beautiful Copperplate writing. By a man who had been a down and out but who was saved for eternity by the grace of God. His writing was a way to challenge people with the claims of the eternal God on their lives. 

You can hear and read about Arthur Stace by clicking on this link. 

https://eternitynews.com.au/in-depth/the-true-story-of-mr-eternity

He would never have known that his simple contribution to the Christian cause  would be celebrated around the world decades later.

A reminder to us that anything we do at the prompting of God’s Holy Spirit will have eternal consequences. Praise God!

Blog No.594 posted on Sunday 31 May 2026

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593 Jesus Said He Was  THE Way and THE Truth and THE Life. What that truth means for us today.

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

This famous saying is in John’s gospel chapter 14 verse 6, ‘Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”’

What an all-encompassing claim to make about Himself! We need to see what that claim involves. Jesus had told His disciples,:3  “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” 4  And you know the way to where I am going.” John 14:3,4.  Thomas asked Him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” John 14:5.

Jesus answered his question with this statement. He was saying that He was the only way, as well as being the absolute truth and the only giver of eternal life. Let’s examine His claim a little more closely. 

J]. Jesus is THE WAY

He is THE WAY ABOUT HOW TO COME TO GOD. Jesus had said, in John14:6,  “No one comes to the Father except through me.” In the Bible, “the way” often means a road or path of life. Jesus is saying: not just that He shows the way; but that He IS the way. There is nothing that anyone can do to be close to God except by trusting in Who Jesus is and in what He has done. So access to God isn’t through rules, religion, or effort—it’s through a personal relationship with Him.

He is THE WAY TO LIVE BEFORE HIM. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,” John 14:15-16. Christian living is all about relationship, our relationship with  Jesus. Jesus promised those who loved Him, that the Helper [the Holy Spirit] whom they would receive, would teach them  all they needed to know to live for Him. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26. The word for “Helper “ is παράκλητος , paraklētos; an intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter,  counsellor, helper, one called alongside to help. They would know how to live and be helped in their endeavours by the Holy Spirit. 

2]. Jesus is THE TRUTH 

What is truth? The meeting between Pilate and Jesus, documented in John chapter 18, is a scene where Pilate asks a question “What is truth?“ We might wonder if he wanted to hear an answer. We read that Pilate was intrigued by Jesus and saw Him as being innocent of the charges against him. However TRUTH stood incarnate before him, but he lacked the courage to release Him.

He is THE truth about God.

Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus replied in words that showed His identity as being one with the Father and showing Him in human flesh. Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.” John 14:9-11. Jesus in His character and His works revealed the truth about God. His character manifested the holiness of God in His rejection of temptation and hypocrisy. His works were as He said were the work of the Father working through Him.

He is THE truth about Humans.

When humans saw Jesus they saw a man as God intended humans to be. Jesus was the perfect human living in total dependence upon God for every moment of His life. 

His will was to do His Father‘s will as He told His disciples,  “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”  John 6:38  He did that even though it cost Him His life. With faced with a possibility of death, He cried out to His Father “Not my will but your will be done!”

He is THE truth about Sin 

There are those who  believe that humans are born innocent and perfect but it is the world around them that influences them to sin. It may be true that they are born innocent but it is their fallen nature in them that causes them to sin. Jesus spoke of human nature when He taught, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20  These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” Matthew 15:18-20. His words show how shallow are some aspects of modern Psychology which believes humans are born good but it is the factors and environment around them that influence them towards evil. The official teaching of the Anglican Church is contained in the 39 Articles of Religion where Article IX speaks of the fallen nature of humans in these words, “And this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated; whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek, phronema sarkos, which some do expound the wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection, some the desire, of the flesh, is not subject to the Law of God.”

He is THE truth about and Forgiveness and Salvation.

As John 14:6 reminds us Jesus is the only way to God because on the cross He dealt with our sin on our behalf. St Paul expressed it like this, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. We come to belong to Jesus and to rest in the peace of God when we repent of our sins and put our trust in Him, “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”1 Corinthians 1:30.

Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself on the cross secured for us an eternal redemption, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, … 14  For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:12, 14.

He is THE truth about Love. 

Today we use the word “love” to cover many different types of feelings and activities. In the New Testament times there were 4 words used for ”love,” 3 of which occur in the New Testament. They are Philia: friendship, tender affection. Storge for family affection. Agape, especially for God’s love which humans can share, as His love is poured into the hearts of believers through the Holy Spirit,  “and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5.

We see that the motivation for Christian living is love, and love is the proof that we know God, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8.

God’s love for us should be the motivation for us to love others,  “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:9-11.

This divine agape love is imparted to us as we obey God’s word, ”but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6  whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 1 John 2:5-6.

3]. JESUS  IS THE LIFE.

John in his first chapter of his gospel introduces Jesus as, “ In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Jesus as the Creator was responsible for every form of life in the universe, for “All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:3. We all owe our lives to Him as our Creator. 

But there is a special form of life that is eternal, called eternal life. It comes to those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus for salvation, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:14-15. John repeated that truth in the very next verse, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.

SUMMING UP

Perhaps St Paul has the best summary. He expressed the truth about the Person of Jesus and His ministry in these few verses, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” Colossians 1:17-18.

So when Jesus said, ”I am the way. The truth and the life” He was saying that He is the truth about everything for He created everything and now upholds it all. He cannot be ignored and all people in whatever position they hold should look to Him for the wisdom they need to fulfil the responsibilities they face. 

As James reminds us, human wisdom is limited.  It is “not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. James 3:15-16.

What the world needs now is people being open to be led by the wisdom of God, for, “the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.“ James 3:17-18.

We need to pray that the so-called peacemakers in our world recognise that peace is not just the absence of war, but the deep inner peace in individual human hearts as they are filled with the peace that only the Prince of Peace can bring. St Paul expressed the purpose of God in Colossians 1:18, “… in everything he [Jesus] might be preeminent. 19  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.”

Who is preeminent in your life today? Jesus, who is THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE?

Blog No.593 posted on Friday 17 April 2026.

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592 The Grace of the Trustworthy and True God

Posted on April 12, 2026 by Jim Holbeck

In this blog article I am enclosing the words of a Poem written by a friend.  I was impressed by them and thought they should be shared among a wider audience. My friend has many poems on various topics which have been recited at gatherings but have never made it to print.

If you find them helpful or if they touch your heart in some way please say so in the Comments section of the article or email your comments to me at jimholbeck@gmail.com  By doing so you might encourage a different way of expressing the grace of our glorious God. 

Screenshot
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