Sunday’s Coming

This short film uses scenes from the film ‘The Passion of the Christ’ to make a powerful video.

Thank you Jesus, that Sunday is coming.

 

Do you believe in mum?

This was shown in church today. It made me chuckle, so I thought I’d share it here!

 

I love Brighton

6 years ago when I was applying for medical schools, I wanted to be reasonably close to home (Lancashire). So on first try, I applied to Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Nottingham universities. It wasn’t to be, however, and I didn’t get the grades to get in to any of those places.
Second time round, I had to apply to places that would accept applicants who had retaken some/ all of their A-levels. This meant I wasn’t able to choose universities geographically, and I applied to Peninsula (Exeter), East Anglia, Sheffield and Brighton & Sussex.
Brighton was where I ended up. I wasn’t very happy about this, it’s a good 7 hour train journey/ 5 hour car journey home – not so easy to pop home for the weekend. I was fairly miserable for the first term, but as I got to know people and the city, I settled in.

Over the years I have come to LOVE Brighton. It will always hold a special place for me, since it was here that I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. Not only that, but it’s a fantastic place to live, and I will be very sad to leave  in summer, when (hopefully!) I will start my job in Lancashire. I don’t know what the future holds though, maybe I’ll be back here someday!

This video started to appear on my facebook feed yesterday, as more and more people saw it, commented on it and posted it for others to see. It is a fantastic representation of Brighton. The person who shot this is a very talented 13 year old boy.

The Queen’s Speech

 

(Picture courtesy of James)

In our household it is traditional on Christmas afternoon to go for a walk. This means that the Queen’s Speech is almost always missed. However, this year, due to us being slightly slower than normal, we watched the speech just as we were getting ready to leave the house. BBC and Sky both reported it as ‘Queen’s message focuses on family’, but failed to mention the most important part – the gospel message that made up the last couple of minutes. It reads like this:

Finding hope in adversity is one of the themes of Christmas. Jesus was born into a world full of fear. The angels came to frightened shepherds with hope in their voices: ‘Fear not’, they urged, ‘we bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

‘For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.’

Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves – from our recklessness or our greed. God sent into the world a unique person – neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Saviour, with the power to forgive. Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God’s love. In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, there’s a prayer:

O Holy Child of Bethlehem,

Descend to us we pray.

Cast out our sin

And enter in.

Be born in us today.

It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord.

It’s so wonderful that the Queen used the opportunity she has to speak to so many all at once to tell people of the good news of Jesus Christ, even missionary friends in Madagascar listened to the speech on the BBC World Service radio!

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

Part of this video was played in our Carol Service this morning. I just found the full version, and it’s completely brilliant. Some very talented people put this together!!!

My chains fell off

Here’s another song for you. This is awesome – it’s a really old hymn (It was written in 1738), and we have recently started singing it at church. Timeless lyrics about an unchanging, loving God. Love it

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Saviors blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His Fathers throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adams helpless race:
Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and natures night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

All I have is Christ

This song was taught to us when at New Word Alive a month or so ago.

It has become the soundtrack to my life at the moment – the lyrics are so incredibly powerful, and every time I am stressed or worried about the dissertation I am currently frantically trying to complete, I listen to this to remind me of the insignificance of my work.

Hallelujah, all I have is Christ,

Hallelujah, Jesus is my life.

What is faith, anyway?

A few weeks ago I went away for New Word Alive – a Christian conference in Pwllheli, Wales. It was a fantastic week – loads of great speakers, lots of quality time spent in fellowship with people from church, singing worship with 5,000 people, and meeting other Christians from every walk of life imaginable.

One night in the main meeting, a guy came on stage and recited an incredible poem. I loved it, and I’ve just found a recording of it, so thought I’d share it here for all of you to enjoy!

Good Friday?

Easter is the most important event in the Christian faith. This morning, in church, the preacher commented about the fact that today is called ‘Good Friday’. Why is today ‘good’, when today is the day we remember Jesus’ death? Surely that’s a bad thing? Christians say he was the Son of God, why on earth would we call the day we remember the Son of God dying ‘good’?

The reason that it is ‘good’ is because of what that death means. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, one without blemish, and yet he took our punishment and wrath from God by dying, in our place so that we may look forward to everlasting life with him. The bible says, in Romans 6:23, that ‘the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.‘ It is the greatest gift that anyone can ever receive; eternal life in the presence of our loving, saviour God and through no action of our own. That is why today is ‘good’!

A year ago I posted about watching the film ‘The Passion of the Christ’ with a friend. It was amazing to see the words written in the bible come to life on screen. This year on Brighton seafront on Easter Sunday is a Passion Play (4pm, West Pier). If you happen to be in Brighton this weekend – go and see for yourself what Jesus endured for you.

http://www.passionofchrist.co.uk/

Reverse Thinking

Ephesians chapter 2 really is one of my favourite bible chunks – and this clip, based on what it says is just BRILLIANT.