Category: The Lord Jesus

🌿 Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday begins Holy Week, the most sacred week in the Christian year. It remembers Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey — a symbol of peace rather than power. Crowds welcomed Him with palm branches and shouts of “Hosanna!” meaning “Save us!”

It’s a day full of contrasts:

  • Joyful celebration as Jesus is welcomed as King
  • Quiet sorrow as we know the cross is only days away
  • Deep reflection on the kind of King Jesus chooses to be — humble, compassionate, self‑giving

🌿 Key Themes You Can Use in a Devotion

✨ 1. The Unexpected King

Jesus arrives not with armies or grandeur, but in humility. A reminder that God’s ways often surprise us — and challenge our assumptions about power and success.

✨ 2. Hosanna: A Cry for Help and Hope

“Hosanna” isn’t just praise; it’s a plea. Palm Sunday invites us to bring our own cries for help to God — personal, communal, and global.

✨ 3. From Crowds to Commitment

The same crowd that cheered would later fall silent. Palm Sunday asks: What does faithful discipleship look like when the cheering stops?

✨ 4. The Journey Toward the Cross

This day sets our feet on the path toward Good Friday and Easter. It’s a moment to pause, breathe, and prepare our hearts.

🙏 A Short Prayer You Can Use

Lord Jesus, As we remember Your entry into Jerusalem, give us hearts that welcome You with honesty, courage to follow You in humility, and hope that trusts in Your saving love. Prepare us for the journey of Holy Week and lead us toward the joy of resurrection. Amen.

Fourth Sunday in Lent — Laetare Sunday

A Sunday of Joy in the Midst of Lent

The Fourth Sunday in Lent is traditionally known as Laetare Sunday, from the Latin laetare meaning rejoice. It’s a gentle lifting of the Lenten mood—a reminder that even in seasons of discipline, God’s grace breaks through with hope.

Many churches use:

  • Rose-coloured vestments instead of purple
  • Flowers on the altar
  • A lighter, more joyful tone

It’s a moment to breathe, to remember that the journey to the cross is also a journey toward resurrection.

đź“– Key Themes

✨ 1. Joy in the Desert

Lent can feel like a wilderness season—self-examination, repentance, restraint. Laetare Sunday reminds us that God meets us in the wilderness with refreshment and encouragement.

✨ 2. God’s Provision

Traditional readings often include images of God feeding, healing, or restoring His people. It’s a reminder that God sustains us even when the path feels long.

✨ 3. A Glimpse of Easter

This Sunday is like a window opening toward the coming victory of Christ. It whispers: “Hold on—light is coming.”

Third Sunday in Lent

🌿 What the day focuses on

Different traditions emphasise slightly different themes, but common threads include:

  • Self‑examination — looking honestly at the heart
  • Turning back to God — the ongoing call to repentance
  • Strength for the journey — recognising our dependence on God’s grace
  • Living water / spiritual thirst — especially in lectionaries that use the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4)

đź“– Typical Scripture Themes

Many churches read passages that highlight:

  • God’s patience and mercy
  • The danger of spiritual complacency
  • Christ offering renewal and transformation
  • The call to bear good fruit

🕯️ A simple reflection you could use

Here’s a short devotional thought you might appreciate for your blog or meetings:

“Lent invites us not simply to give something up, but to wake up. On the Third Sunday in Lent, we remember that God meets us in our thirst, offering living water that restores, refreshes, and redirects our steps.”

Second Sunday in Lent

The Second Sunday in Lent is traditionally understood as a week of deepening discipleship, where the focus shifts from simply entering the Lenten journey to actively wrestling with what it means to follow Christ.

The heart of the Second Sunday in Lent is the cost and call of discipleship. Many churches read passages where Jesus challenges His followers to trust, surrender, and walk faithfully even when the path is uncertain.

Common lectionary themes include:

  • God’s covenant faithfulness (often through Abraham’s story)
  • Trusting God when the future is unclear
  • Jesus’ call to take up the cross
  • Growing in spiritual maturity

đź“– Typical Scripture Readings

While readings vary by tradition, these are commonly used:

  • Old Testament: God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12 or 17) — highlighting trust and promise
  • Psalm: A psalm of confidence, such as Psalm 27 — “The Lord is my light and my salvation”
  • Epistle: Encouragement to stand firm in faith (Romans 4 or Philippians 3)
  • Gospel: Jesus teaching about discipleship (Mark 8, Matthew 16, or Luke 9)

These passages together emphasise faith, obedience, and the journey of transformation.

✝️ Spiritual Focus for the Week

Many Christians use this week to reflect on:

  • Where God is calling them to deeper trust
  • Habits or attitudes that need surrender
  • How to walk more closely with Christ in daily life
  • What “carrying the cross” looks like in practical terms

It’s a week that often feels more introspective than the first Sunday, inviting a quieter, more reflective posture.

🕯️ In Worship

Churches may highlight:

  • More reflective hymns (e.g., Take Up Thy Cross, Be Thou My Vision)
  • Themes of covenant, promise, and faith
  • A continued absence of “Alleluia”
  • Purple vestments and a focus on repentance and renewal

🌱 A Thought for Reflection

A simple prayer often associated with this Sunday is:

“Lord, teach me to trust You more deeply and follow You more faithfully on this Lenten journey.”

Compassion

Image result for The Lord' Compassion

Isaiah 49: 15

“Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.

Mark 6: 34

When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.

When I was looking for readings for today’s blog I felt I had to put both of the above readings up.

Generals John Gowans & John Larsson  of The Salvation Army were two very talented officers in the Salvation Army who wrote 10 musicals.  This song is from the second musical, titled “Hosea” – the story of the Old Testament prophet’s faithfulness and forgiveness towards his unfaithful wife, relating this to God’s forgiveness of His people who had broken their promises to Him.

1.
If human hearts are often tender,
And human minds can pity know,
If human love is touched with splendor,
And human hands compassion show,
Chorus
Then how much more shall God our Father
In love forgive, in love forgive!
Then how much more shall God our Father
Our wants supply, and none deny!

2.
If sometimes men can live for others,
And sometimes give where gifts are spurned,
If sometimes treat their foes as brothers,
And love where love is not returned,

3.
If men will often share their gladness,
If men respond when children cry,
If men can feel each other’s sadness,
Each other’s tears attempt to dry,

Any Room

Image result for room for jesus

Revelation 3:20

Here I am! I stand at the door b and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,c I will come in d and eat with that person, and they with me.

  1. Have you any room for Jesus,
    He who bore your load of sin?
    As He knocks and asks admission,
    Sinner, will you let Him in?

    • Refrain:
      Room for Jesus, King of Glory!
      Hasten now His Word obey;
      Swing the heart’s door widely open,
      Bid Him enter while you may.
  2. Room for pleasure, room for business,
    But for Christ the Crucified,
    Not a place that He can enter,
    In the heart for which He died?
  3. Have you any room for Jesus,
    As in grace He calls again?
    Oh, today is time accepted,
    T’morrow you may call in vain.
  4. Room and time now give to Jesus,
    Soon will pass God’s day of grace;
    Soon thy heart left cold and silent,
    And thy Savior’s pleading cease.

Along with the Chorus ‘Behold me standing at the door’ this is one of my favourite invitation hymns of all time. As you listen to the video and if you feel the need to accept him please do as I have.

Behold Me standing at the door,
And hear Me pleading evermore,
With gentle voice: oh, heart of sin,
May I come in? May I come in?

“Take the Name of Jesus with You”

A Hymn Born in Suffering but Overflowing with Joy

The hymn was written in 1870 by Lydia Odell Baxter, a woman whose life was marked by chronic illness and long periods of confinement. For nearly thirty years, she lived as an invalid, often bedridden, yet her room became a place where pastors, evangelists, and Christian workers came not to comfort her—but to be comforted by her.

Despite constant pain, Lydia radiated a deep, unshakeable joy. Her “secret,” as she told visitors, was simple but profound:

“I have a very special armor. I have the Name of Jesus.”

Whenever discouragement crept in, she would whisper His name, and peace would return.

đź“– Her Love for Biblical Names

During her years of illness, Lydia became a devoted student of Scripture, especially fascinated by the meanings of biblical names. She loved to talk about them with friends—names like Sarah (“princess”), Samuel (“asked of God”), and Isaac (“laughter”). But her favourite name, the one she clung to in suffering, was Jesus—“Savior.”

This deep affection for the name of Christ naturally blossomed into the hymn we know today.

✍️ Writing the Hymn

Lydia wrote “Take the Name of Jesus with You” just four years before her death, while still confined to her bed. The text was later set to music by William H. Doane and first published in 1871 in Pure Gold for the Sunday School.

The hymn quickly spread, becoming especially popular during the Moody–Sankey revival campaigns of the late 19th century. Its message—carry Jesus’ name as a shield, a comfort, and a joy—resonated deeply with believers everywhere.

đź’¬ Why the Hymn Still Speaks

Knowing Lydia’s story gives the hymn a richer texture. These weren’t abstract words; they were the lived testimony of a woman who found strength in the name of Jesus when her body failed her. Her sickroom became a sanctuary of encouragement, and her hymn continues that ministry today.

It’s no wonder the Salvation Army and many evangelical traditions still treasure it—you can almost feel her faith woven into every line.

John Samuel Bewley Monsell

John Samuel Bewley Monsell (1811–1875) was an Irish Anglican clergyman and one of the most prolific hymnwriters of the 19th century. He wrote around 300 hymns, many of which remain in use today.

đź“Ť Background

  • Born in St Columb’s, Londonderry
  • Educated at Trinity College, Dublin
  • Served in several clerical posts in Ireland and England
  • Later became Rector of St Nicolas’ Church, Guildford
  • Died after a tragic fall while inspecting church rebuilding work in 1875

✍️ His Hymns

Some of his best‑known hymns include:

  • Fight the Good Fight with All Thy Might
  • O Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness
  • On Our Way Rejoicing
  • Sing to the Lord a Joyful Song

His writing is known for its joyful, uplifting tone and strong sense of the church year — something that aligns beautifully with your interest in Advent, remembrance, and devotional themes.

🧭 Why the Name Confusion?

“Mansell” and “Monsell” are often mixed up because:

  • The names sound similar
  • Older printed sources sometimes used inconsistent spellings
  • Handwritten parish records can be ambiguous

But all authoritative sources confirm Monsell as the correct spelling.

Who John Gowans Was

John Gowans (1934–2012) served as the 16th General of The Salvation Army from 1999 to 2002. Born in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, he grew up in a Salvation Army family and eventually became one of the movement’s most influential leaders and creative voices.

✍️ His Creative Legacy

Gowans is especially remembered for his partnership with John Larsson, with whom he co‑wrote ten full-length Salvation Army musicals—works that shaped the worship and culture of the Army for decades. These include:

  • Take-Over Bid (1967)
  • Hosea (1969)
  • Jesus Folk (1972)
  • Spirit (1973)
  • Glory (1975)
  • White Rose (1977)
  • The Blood of the Lamb (1978)
  • Son of Man (1983)
  • Man Mark II (1985)
  • The Meeting (1990)

These musicals blended theology, storytelling, and accessible music in a way that resonated deeply with Salvationists worldwide.

đź“š Writing and Spiritual Voice

Gowans also wrote the beloved “O Lord!” prayer-poem books, which many Salvationists still use devotionally. His writing style—simple, honest, and deeply human—mirrors the reflective tone you often appreciate in hymn stories and devotional writing.

🌍 Leadership and Ministry

Before becoming General, Gowans served in a wide range of appointments across the UK, France, and the USA. His leadership was marked by warmth, creativity, and a strong pastoral heart.