Year: 2020

Be Still — GraceSpeak

I am your strength and shield, your help in time of need. I am your Bread of Life; My Spirit intercedes As you wrestle with the forces that threaten you, And struggle just to make it through each day. I am here, call and I will answer The cry of your soul to My heart. […]

Be Still — GraceSpeak

Covid-19 UK Lockdown week 2

We at the end of another week of lockdown here in the UK and still things feel really strange.

The video calls are still increasing on social media, and although Covid-19 is a serious concern at the moment, people are posting funny videos on social media.

Another thing that has become a regular thing over the last two weeks, is that that on a certain night at 8pm people go to their front door to thank the people of the National Health Service, and the people who are delivering food etc to those who can’t get out for their messages etc.

As we enter into the third week of lockdown and you are reading this in the UK please observe the government guidelines and stay safe, stay well!

Stillness — GraceSpeak

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God. Screams shattered the quiet as the toddler fought against the night terror that gripped him. His sobs reached his mother’s ears and brought her quickly to his bedside. Picking him up, her hand rubbed his back as she cooed whispers of love and safety. Gradually […]

Stillness — GraceSpeak

A Good Word — GraceSpeak

I Peter 1:1-6 Peter wrote a message of hope and security to the Christians who were scattered throughout the known world. Read it for yourself, because it is written to us as well. Here is my take on the first six verses: You have been persecuted and scattered throughout the world. You are strangers here. […]

A Good Word — GraceSpeak

Covid-19 UK Lockdown week 1

It’s been about ten days since we in the UK went into lockdown.

By Monday I was getting pretty bored and found myself playing candy crush on Facebook.

On the plus side I have been able to do some video calls on Facebook, so much so I was on video chat for two and a half hours

You may or may not believe it but it also gave me the chance to file and tidy up my paper work.

I have to say I was still able to get my daily blogs out and go about my usual duties during the week.

I live in a street in a housing scheme where there is usually children running around, it seems strange not seeing them around, hardly anyone in the street,

It feels really weird! One good thing is that it Covid-19 has got people talking to people they wouldn’t normally talk to.

A Saviour’s Love

Philippians 2 The Message

He Took on the Status of a Slave

2 1-4 If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favour: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

9-11 Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honoured him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honour of God the Father.

I have many songs in The Salvation Army songbook that I like, some a little bit more than others. The one in the video has to be one of my favourites because it’s a song of testimony.

The verses in the video are out order from the songbook below plus I think there are additional verses. Hope you enjoy never the less.

Verse 1
There is a name I love to hear,
I love to sing its worth;
It sounds like music in mine ear,
The sweetest name on earth.
Chorus
O how I love the Saviour’s name!
The sweetest name on earth.
Verse 2
It tells me of a Saviour’s love,
Who gave his life for me,
That I, and all who come to him,
From sin may be set free.
Verse 3
Jesus, the name I love so well,
The name I love to hear;
No saint on earth its worth can tell,
No heart conceive how dear.
Verse 4
In Heaven with all the blood-bought throng,
From sin and sorrow free,
I’ll sing the new eternal song
Of Jesus’ love to me.