Mary did you know

I haven't been online for ages!! Haven't had time to do anything, I was away for a bit then busy for a week now I'm away again. There's so much I want to blog about but it'll all have to wait for now...except this!

At church yesterday, the response was based around a song called "Mary did you know". I'd never heard it before, it's so powerful! Words below...

Mary did you know that your baby boy would some day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

Oh Mary did you know--

The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb--.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I AM

More posts to follow when I have time!

I'll fight...

I know that as soon as I post this I'll have floods of emails telling me I have better things to be doing with my time, but I couldn't care less.

I've been really challenged recently by the words of William Booths last speech, which he gave at the Albert Hall in 1912. I had a rehearsal earlier for a gig tomorrow, just to prove that I do do some work, but I made this poster when I got back because I've been thinking alot recently about how the problems that Booth knew are much the same now. Thus the words he spoke then are just as relevant and inspiring now. (Note the prophetic "darkness to light" thing going on in the background, very technical!) But lets not forget also that the God that Booth saw working, transforming lives, is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Random

I had another candidates interview on monday. It went really well, once again the people were all really encouraged and encouraging. I'm so glad that all the people involved thus far have been really nice. And Jonny (the minister from my church, such a legend) was there too so at least I knew someone. There was a scaryish woman in the interview on monday, but I wasn't going to let her put me off and one of my personal highlights of the interview was when she said that she'd like to share with me some scripture from "somewhere in 1John, if I can find it". As she thumbed through the pages in her bible, I leaned over and said "it's near the back"...

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1John 2:3-6

She mentioned how we are used to work and minister wherever God places us...and that, for me at the moment, is here at Trinity - whether I like it or not, that's where God has "commanded" me to be for the next couple of years, even if I would prefer to enter training tomorrow!

Messiah!

Last weekend I did a gig with an orchestra I play with (rumour has it that this orchestra has the best horn section for miles around). We were doing Mozarts arrangement of the Messiah...I didn't know he did an arrangement of it but we performed it so clearly he did. It didn't seem that different from Handel's version (the original), and certainly not an improvement!

One of my favourite bits of the Messiah is the chorus "For unto us a child is born". It is one of the bits that makes my "stay awake" list. The words in that chorus are lifted straight from Isaiah...

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Note the words "will accomplish this"...because during the time of Isaiah, when this was written, it was nothing more than a prophecy...yet still the people had a strong conviction that such a child would come..."the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this" Now though, we are living in the knowledge that the aforementioned prophecy was fulfilled, and in the knowledge of the glory that followed. And right from the outset we see a real surge in spiritual energy...the moment the birth of Jesus was foretold along with the pregnancy of Marys sister Elizabeth, we're told that Elizabeth "was filled with the holy spirit" (Luke 1:41) and that Zechariah (her husband) was "filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied" (v67). Surely something should stir us up in a similar way when we think of the way the prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled. It drove Handel to write The Messiah and, as I learnt at the weekend, it drove Mozart to copy it! And if it doesn't drive us further into worship, wonder and awe then what will?!

I'm really excited when I read that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1Peter 2:9-10).

It's great to think of the things that have been set aside for us to do, the blessings that are ours to receive, etc...but Christmas is where it all starts. I'm guilty, as I've mentioned in the past, of taking things for granted. There are stories I hear so many times that I switch off, I think I know them, and this is one of them. There comes a point when the Christmas story becomes a mere tradition. We've all heard it many times, it comes round every year. But as with every other passage, each time I go back and look at it again I get something new from it. Don't lets take Christmas for granted this year, let it be different, where we don't get caught up in the madness and hype without taking time to think...of the prophecy that was fulfilled - yes the government were on His shoulders but they couldn't hold Him down, and He was indeed a Mighty God...and of all the glorious things that have happened since Jesus came along.