In Christ Alone

I was grateful for the words of 'In Christ Alone' this past week. It is wonderful how the lyrics and melody of songs have the ability to speak into our lives. Here are the words of the first verse of this song:

“In Christ alone, my hope is found:
He is the light, my strength, my song.
This cornerstone, this Solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease,
My comforter, my all in all,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.” – Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

May you find deep security in the presence of Jesus Christ. Our Hope is found in Him.

If you would like to listen to the song, please click here

Living in Grace

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Through it all

Every now and then a song keeps playing in my mind and it speaks directly into my heart. In preparing for last Sunday's services, I was reminded of this song called "Through it all." The lyrics speak of how God is with us through the seasons of our lives and that when we look back, we can offer God our prayers of thanks and gratitude.

"You are forever in my life
You see me through the seasons
Cover me with Your hand
And lead me in Your righteousness

And I look to You
And I wait on You

I will sing to You, Lord
A hymn of love
For Your faithfulness to me
I'm carried in everlasting arms
You'll never let me go
Through it all."

If you get the chance, please listen to the song as it really is a beautiful song. You can use this link if you need. May we all remember that 'through all that happens to us, Christ is with us."

Isaiah 43:1-3

 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
    O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord, your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Living in grace

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He will hold me fast

Keith and Kristyn Getty wrote a beautiful song called "He will hold me fast." It really is an inspirational song and fills one with lots of hope. If you would like to listen to the song or forward it unto someone in need, then here is the link. 

The chorus reminds us all of the wonderful promise that Jesus will hold us fast, no matter what is happening around us. He is our strength and our anchor.

"He will hold me fast,
He will hold me fast,
For my Saviour loves me so,
He will hold me fast."

1 Thessalonians 5:21 - Hold on to what is good.

Isaiah 41:10 - Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Living in Grace

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O God, our help in ages past

The words of this beautiful song remind us of God's faithfulness in the past and his promise to help us in the future. Jesus is our hope for an uncertain tomorrow. I am convinced that Isaac Watts would have only penned these words if he had experienced this truth in his own life.

O God, our help in ages past,
  Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
  And our eternal home.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while life shall last,
And our eternal home.

May these words offer you hope and help today.

Living in Grace

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Calypso Carol

There is a certain element of fun, joy and exuberance in the Calypso Carol that always brings a smile to my face.

            See him lying on a bed of straw: 

a draughty stable with an open door;
Mary cradling the babe she bore
the prince of glory is his name.

 

O now carry me to Bethlehem
  to see the Lord of love again:
  just as poor as was the stable then,
  the prince of glory when he came.

 

This modern Carol was written by Michael Perry during the 1960’s (probably 1964) and has often been introduced on radio as a folk carol with West Indian influence. The fame of this particular carol has even prompted the Caribbean island of Nevis to put certain words from the song onto their local postage stamps.

What is even more interesting is that the Calypso Carol came to fame almost by accident. Michael Perry apparently composed the original tune for a college carol show, never intending it to become so popular. A local musician, by the name of Cliff Richard (yes, the Sir Cliff) was putting together a selection of songs for his radio show and needed a song to fill in a gap. He ended up choosing the Calypso carol and it got such a positive response that people began requesting it.

The BBC program Songs of Praise invited it’s viewers to vote for their preferred carols throughout the year 2005. Many thousands of people cast their votes and the Calypso Carol was one of the top 10 choices, for that year. These 10 Carols were then sung at the Christmas Concert (2005) held at the Royal Albert Hall. I am sure that this only helped to spread the popularity of this catchy tune.

For me, the key verse is the last one (verse 4). It speaks of the tremendous gifts we are given through God’s generous gift of his son, Jesus (Matthew 2).

Mine are riches, from your poverty,
from your innocence, eternity;
mine, forgiveness by your death for me,
child of sorrow for my joy. (Michael Perry (1942 - 1996)

God bless you all

Living in Grace

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Angels from the realms of glory

 

James Montgomery (1771-1854) is often considered to be of the same ilk as hymn-writers, Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley, which is a huge compliment in my books. Many of our hymnals will contain a number of Montgomery’s songs, with Angels from the realms of glory sure to be in most of these.

British hymnologist J.R. Watson states, “James Montgomery was a well-known poet, highly thought of by his contemporaries such as Shelley and Byron.”

Montgomery’s father was a minister, and his parents served as missionaries to the West Indies at one point in their ministry. He remained in Yorkshire, and from age 6 was raised in a boy’s boarding school. James later said, “There, whatever we did was done in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ, whom we were taught to regard in the amiable and endearing light of a friend and brother.”

It is believed that Montgomery began writing poetry from a young age (around 10). He was not so great with the rest of his academic schooling and dropped out of school at 14. He later found a job in 1792, working at the radical weekly newspaper, the Sheffield Register, which later became the Sheffield Iris. James served as the editor of this publication for 31 years.

“Angels from the realms of glory” was first published on Christmas Eve 1816 and is enjoyed for its sense of anticipation and excitement of the birth of Jesus (www.umcdiscipleship.org).

 

I am including the words of the hymn that mean the most to me at this point in my own Spiritual journey. Verse 3 speaks loudly to me today. May we echo the words of the Angels...

 

Angels from the realms of glory
Wing your flight through all the earth
Ye who sang creation's story
Now proclaim Messiah's birth

Gloria
In excelsis deo
Gloria
In excelsis deo

Verse 3

Sages, leave your contemplation
Brighter visions beam afar
Seek the great desire of nations
Ye have seen His natal star

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What a beautiful name

There are so many fantastic modern songs that speak into the birth of Jesus Christ and God’s decision to send him to be our Saviour. The words of What a Beautiful Name truly capture the essence of the Incarnation for us and they also point us forward to the mystery of the cross.

You were the Word at the beginning
One with God the Lord Most High
Your hidden glory in creation
Now revealed in You our Christ

What a beautiful name it is
What a beautiful name it is
The name of Jesus Christ my King
What a beautiful name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a beautiful name it is
The name of Jesus

You didn't want heaven without us
So Jesus, You brought heaven down
My sin was great, Your love was greater
What could separate us now

The words of this song were written and composed by Ben Fielding and Brooke Ligertwood in December 2015, before it was performed by Hillsong Worship in 2016. It is too early to tell if this song will be a classic, like many of the older hymns and carols, but it certainly has a beautiful melody and is really easy to sing along with.

The lyrics have come in for some criticism from a few scholars, but the heart of the song is based around these passages from Hebrews 1:1–1:4 and Colossians 1.  Personally I was not looking to be critical when I first heard the song. I love the opening verse – it really reminds me of how God’s glory is revealed in the birth of Jesus Christ.

There is so much HOPE and CONSOLATION in the name of Jesus Christ. Indeed, what a beautiful name it is.

Thought: When you are facing a really tough time, all you need to do is breathe in and speak the name of Jesus. You will slowly start to feel more at peace. Try this a few more times and see what the precious name of Jesus does in your spirit.

Living in Grace

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We Three Kings

The beloved Christmas carol, We Three Kings was written by an extremely gifted minister by the name of John Henry Hopkins Jnr. Not only was John an author, but he was also a book illustrator, a stained glass window designer, clergyman, songwriter and editor of the New York Church Journal. It is believed that Rev. Hopkins wrote We Three Kings for an 1857 Christmas pageant put on by the General Theological Seminary of New York City. In 1863, he also published this carol in his book Carols, Hymns and Song.

The story line of the song is based on a story from Matthews Gospel, telling of the Magi who travelled a long distance (most likely from Persia), guided by a bright star to see the child Jesus, the one who was hailed as the promised Messiah.

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” - (Matthew 2:1-2)

We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star
We three kings, we three kings

Oh, star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light
We three kings, we three kings

I am challenged by the fact that Jesus drew all kinds of people to himself and the Magi in this story are no exception. There were/are so many people looking for some kind of light and salvation in their troubled lives. As I reflect on the Christmas story again I am humbled that it is in the Christ Child that I have found the perfect light.

NOTE: If there is a Christmas song/carol you would like me to blog about please send me a message - I would love to hear your favourites and share them with others.

Living in Grace

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Once in Royal David's City

I have many childhood memories of Christmas and especially of the songs and carols we used to sing. I think that Once in Royal David’s City must take me back around 40 years or so.

Once in royal David’s city, stood a lowly cattle shed, where a mother laid her baby,
In a manger for His bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ, her little Child.

There is something equally majestic and intriguing about this hymn and if I were to choose the ‘best’ verse from this song, I would suggest that the last verse is the most profound (for me).

And our eyes at last shall see Him, Through His own redeeming love; For that Child so dear and gentle, Is our Lord in heaven above: And He leads His children on, To the place where He is gone.

It is the thought that Christ leads us all to the place he has gone that fills me with hope and expectation. This resonates with the words of John 14, where Jesus reassures his disciples that he has gone ahead to prepare a place for them. I don’t know what that place will actually look like, but it is enough for me that Christ himself will be there.

Once in Royal David’s City first appeared in a collection, Hymns for Little Children in 1848. What makes this hymn unique is that it is one of only a few hymns to be written by a woman and to be recognised for its true merits. In an era when many women struggled to receive a public platform, Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895) succeeded.

“She was born in Dublin, Ireland, and began writing in verse from an early age. She became so adept that by the age of 22, several of her hymn texts made it into the hymnbook of the Church of Ireland. Alexander [née Humphreys] married William Alexander, both a clergyman and a poet in his own right who later became the bishop of the Church of Ireland in Derry and later archbishop. Aside from her prolific hymn writing, Cecil Alexander gave much of her life to charitable work and social causes, something rather rare for women of her day” (www.umcdiscipleship.org)

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Joy to the World

Three hundred years old! That is how old the song Joy to the World is. That's incredible!

Written in 1719 by Isaac Watts, this beloved song/hymn still echoes through our churches, schools and carol services across the planet. What is even more interesting is that apparently Isaac Watts didn't even write the words as a song at all. He was busy working on a poetic reflection of the Psalms and was trying to create a modern paraphrase of each Psalm. These were compiled into a book called "The Psalms of David". 

When Isaac read Psalm 98 he was inspired to write the words we sing today (mostly) and when you look at the Psalm in the light of his song, we can see the deep connection. 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare him room And heaven and nature sing!
And heaven and nature sing!
And heaven . . . and heaven . . . and nature sing.

One of the other interesting facts about Isaac Watts' work on the Psalms was that he was trying to read each Psalm in the light of Jesus Christ - the promised Messiah. This is why I love his words even more! As many of you know that was the title of one of my books (Jesus in the Psalms) - I am convinced that the words of the Old Testament become so much more meaningful when read in the light of Christ.

The Challenge for us this Advent is to 'prepare room in our hearts for the coming of Christ.' 

We can only truly sing that 'The Lord is come', if we have made a decision to treat Jesus as our Lord.

Thoughts?

Living in Grace
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Go tell it on the Mountain

It is fascinating that we grow up singing songs, carols and hymns without fully knowing the story behind the words. A beautiful song like God Tell it on the Mountain is often sung during our Christmas worship services and although the words are easy enough to interpret, there is a remarkable story behind the words:

Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere;
go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.

While shepherds kept their watching, Over silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens, There shone a holy light:

The hymn has its origins in the slave communities of the deep South in America. It is believed to have been composed by a humble slave who expressed his innermost thoughts in the words of a song. He would have been illiterate, yet would have held onto the incredible stories of Jesus’ birth, retold ever Christmas. With no opportunity of visiting Bethlehem in real life, he imagined a scene that transcended his own pain and suffering, and called others to pass on the message of hope and peace.  

Many of the spiritual songs like Go Tell It On the Mountain could have been lost to our ears, if it weren’t for people like John Work and his son John Wesley Work Jnr. As a family, they were instrumental in saving numerous songs from this era and subsequently compiled many of the African-American spirituals into famous collections.  

John Work was the driving force behind his local church choir and he used their remarkable singing gifts to keep the music alive. The choir boasted a number of singers from the Fisk Jubilee Singers, who helped spread the popularity of these songs as they were given opportunity to travel the world. If it weren’t for this miracle, Go Tell It On the Mountains may have remained a local song, sung only on a small farm in rural Tennessee.

As Jane Schroeder says, “it is the spirit of the words that provides the song's real power. As an unknown, humble slave revealed his own prayers and faith, he had little knowledge that the inspiration he felt—probably the only thing of value he ever possessed—would touch millions with the news not only on the mountain, but “over the hills and everywhere.”

We are challenged to remember that the Good News of Christ’s birth transcends our circumstances and the present sufferings we face. There is always Hope where Jesus is found. 

Living in Grace

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Song for the New Year

The words of a lovely hymn, inspires us into the new year. In just two verses Joseph Hart manages to sum up the essence of our walk with Jesus. If you know the tune then sing the next two paragraphs - if not, then just enjoy the message that comes from this words.

"This, this is the God we adore,
Our faithful, unchangeable Friend,
Whose love is as great as His power,
And knows neither measure nor end.
 
'Tis Jesus, the First and the Last,
Whose Spirit shall guide us safe home,
We'll praise Him for all that is past!
And trust Him for all that's to come"

It is so wonderful to note these immense truths:

God is faithful
God is a friend
God is unchangeable
God is powerful
God is loving
God can't be contained
God is the first and the last
God will guide us safely home
God can be trusted with our future


Psalm 36:5 - "Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies."

Living in Grace
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It Changes Everything!

It changes Everything!
You may be wondering what "it" I am speaking about - well, this "it" is LOVE. When we come to a deeper understanding of God's love for us, it is this LOVE that can change everything in our lives. If you don't want to take my word for it, then ask the billions of people who have had their lives changed by the indescribable love of God.

We sang a version of the well known song, 'Love Changes Everything' in our service on Sunday.It was Michael Ball who sang the original (I think) and these were some of those words:

 Love, love changes everything
Hands and faces, earth and sky
Love, love changes everything
How you live and how you die
Love, can make the summer fly
Or a night seem like a lifetime
Yes love, love changes everything
Now I tremble at your name
Nothing in the world will ever be the same.

Jesus' Love changes everything about our lives.

 John 15:9 - “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

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Call to Live

There are moments when I hear a song and I am greatly encouraged by the lyrics. These lyrics can move me out of a comfort zone or towards a place of great faith. In my friend, Mark Counihan's new album he wrote a song entitled: "Call to Live." It is such a powerful song and if you would like to listen to it, then please click onto this link.

It reminds me that God has called us to be "Brave and not safe." Faith moves us from our places of warmth and comfort out into the world of the unknown. We will make mistakes along the way, but I think that God is not as upset by the mistakes, as much as he is disappointed that we don't even try.

We are called to "break our jar" again, so that we may spend what God has instilled within our hearts. We can't keep this to ourselves - we need to share this with those who will listen.

2 Corinthians 9:13 - Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

Living in Grace
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No more music

Can you imagine a world of no more music?! I don't think we could cope with that, do you? Music is a massive part of all of our lives. Most of us enjoying listening to it throughout the day and many talented people love playing their own music. Life would be hollow with no music!

Jeremiah laments that things were so bad in Judah that even the young people stopped playing their music... if you don't believe me, read for yourself:

"Music from the young is heard no more." - Lamentations 5

Our youngsters at home are at the age now where they love turning the music up louder and louder - it is hard to imagine our home/cars without the young ones playing their music. However, sometimes life can get so tough that it seems as if the music has died. Silence seems to rob us of the gift of song.

Easter teaches me that even when the enemy believed that God would sing no more, Jesus proved him wrong. 

Even though things may be tough for you today, please don't stop the music from playing. Remember the song of our Lord always reminds us that "God is Faithful and His love lasts forever."

Living in Grace
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Advent word - Song

Does music make you happy?
Can it also make you feel a little sad?
We often find that music expresses things in our hearts that we just can't even seem to understand ourselves, yet music tells a powerful story.

When Mary was told that she was going to be the mother of Jesus, she burst into song. Even in the midst of her grappling with this
miraculous news, her heart poured forth a song.

Luke 1:46-49
 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
⁴⁹     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.

May you sing a wondrous song this Christmas season.
May the Spirit of Christ gives you words to sing.

Living in Grace
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Give me hope Joanna

I heard this old song on the radio this morning and it took me all the way back to my youth. Do you remember 'Give me Hope Joanna' by Eddie Grant. The song was written as an anti-Apartheid song and despite being banned by the government, it still reached millions of people. I was only 15 at the time of the release of this song, but I can clearly remember singing the words over and over again - it's catchy tune had a way of getting the powerful message across.

As I reflect on the prophetic words of the song, I can't help but think about how this song can still speak to our present situation as a country. If you sing the last verses of this song, you will see what I mean. Have a look at this words:

She got supporters in high up places
Who turn their heads to the city sun
Jo'anna give them the fancy money
Oh to tempt anyone who'd come
She even knows how to swing opinion
In every magazine and the journals
For every bad move that this Jo'anna makes
They got a good explanation

Gimme hope, Jo'anna
Gimme hope, Jo'anna
Gimme hope, Jo'anna
'Fore the morning come
Gimme hope, Jo'anna
Gimme hope, Jo'anna
Hope before the morning come

Even the preacher who works for Jesus
The Archbishop who's a peaceful man
Together say that the freedom fighters
Will overcome the very strong
I wanna know if you're blind Jo'anna
If you wanna hear the sound of drum
Can't you see that the tide is turning
Oh don't make me wait till the morning come

Corruption,  injustice, poor leadership, greed, propaganda - they seem to be part and parcel of every government. It is a wonder that we don't learn from the mistakes of the past!
Perhaps, Eddie Grant is right..... we need help! We seem to be blind.

I don't think Joanna can help us, but I know that Jesus can.


Living in Grace
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Jesu Java

It is said that before Johann Sebastian Bach wrote any of his music, he would pen the initials J.J at the top of the sheet of paper. These initials stood for Jesu Java, meaning "Jesus help". Bach recognised that the gift he had been given came from God and that he was merely a steward of that precious gift. He wanted to honour God with his music and so his prayer was always:

"Jesus help me!"

What a wonderful way to start every day - offering a quick prayer to our Saviour, asking for his Spirit to lead and guide us. If you are about to start a new project or adventure, why not try the same thing?

Acts 3:16 - " By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see."

Living in Grace
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P.S. Some people argue that Bach used the initials I.N.J (In the name of Jesus) instead of J.J - for me, it makes no difference - it still tells me that he offered his brilliance to Jesus, before he did anything.

Mirrors

Do not be mistaken - I am not a massive Justin Timberlake fan, but his new song 'Mirrors' has some interesting words:

"You were right here all along
It's like you're my mirror
My mirror staring back at me"


Of course the Bible speaks about mirrors in a number of places too:

Proverbs 27:19 - "Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart."

It is often true that people can use our faces to look into our souls - it is as if our faces act like a mirror reflecting what is happening deep within.

James adds something more challenging to this conversation. He points out that God's word is simple enough for us to hear it and then obey it. However, if we only listen to the teaching of Jesus and then we don't live it out, then we are like vain people who look at themselves in the mirror without remembering what we look like!

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." - James 1:22-24

If you take a look into a mirror sometime today (and the chances are good), then ask yourself, what the mirror is revealing about your heart and soul?

Living in Grace

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Jesus and Swedish House Mafia

Sometimes I listen to a song and form an immediate opinion of it, before I know the original context. When Swedish House Mafia released their hit single 'Don't you worry child', last September, I thought it was an interesting song. What I liked about the song, besides the catchy beat, was the chorus:

"Don't you worry, don't you worry, child.
See heaven's got a plan for you.
Don't you worry, don't you worry now."

I instantly made the connection to the words of Jesus in Matthew 6. In a time where his disciples were worrying about material things, Jesus called for them not to worry, and rather to trust in him. Perhaps these are wise words for some of us today. Have we got caught up in 'worrying' too much, when Jesus promised that he would take care of his children.

Matthew 6:25-27 - "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

Next time you listen to a song, listen to see if there is a message in it for you.

Living in Grace
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