Mary and Marha with Jesus – Uganda card from Roberta to Ken

Mustard Seed Songs concert for Roberta at Holy Rood

“Lord I Come to Bathe in Your Glory” from album “Love is the Way” featuring Lucy Stimpson – inspired by a devotion from Selwyn Hughes in “Every Day With Jesus”

When on Monday I walked into my home group “The Way”, Gill one of the members said, pointing to a woman sitting on a sofa, “Come and meet our new home group member.” That came as a bit of a shock as I was not expecting a new member – however it was an even greater shock when I recognised the person to be Roberta Cousins – not a new home group member at all but a very old friend who I had not seen for many years. She was on a short break from Uganda

I could not do Roberta’s amazing story justice here but will draw from my blog of March 2015 to tell you that Roberta overcome agoraphobia and a lack of support from the elders of her church to obey what she knew to be God’s call and to go to Uganda on her own – not knowing anyone and with no planned place to stay.  Now, after many years and despite continuous bouts of malaria Roberta is still in Uganda preaching, evangelising and blessing the local people of Kampala and the surrounding villages- a true “Woman of God.”

On 11^th of November 2000 Roberta gave me a book in which to write thoughts and verses – the book had a card inside from Uganda with a picture on the front  (see featured pic) of  Martha and Mary with Jesus – Mary at His feet with Martha looking on irritated as she prepares Sudza en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadza  Inside Roberta wrote “A Word from the Lord” for me – it is something that I often turn to for encouragement when things don’t seem to be going well – most especially in all that is connected with Mustard Seed Songs. Here is an extract – it’s the part that begins “You must remain in me “ that I need to  constantly remind myself.

Though you I will heal the broken hearted. I will bring hope to the desolate, I will strengthen the weak. I will comfort the lonely, giving my love to others as I give my love to you. You must remain in me for I am the vine that feeds you, without me you can bear no fruit. You did not choose me but I choose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my Name- this is my command love each other.

It is from the book that Roberta gave me that I have been taking quotes for this blog.

Quote for the week:

If you can worry continually you can pray continually – just change your focus.

The Word for Today

Risen! The Musical featuring the London Touring Cast in  HD quality with sub titles in Romanian

So yesterday Mustard Seed Songs published on YouTube Risen! The Musical with sub titles in Romanian. We will soon have subtitles in Spanish and Mandarin with other translations to follow- so how did this all come about?
Mustard Seed Songs’ Trustee and my dear friend Dr Graham Giles MBE arranged for Risen! The Musical to be broadcast on two Christian TV channels in Romania- Alfa- Omega TV and Credo TV. The person who translated the English to Romanian and created the sub titles for Credo TV was Alex- Emanuel Serban. Alex enjoyed Risen! so much that he contacted, via Facebook, some of the actors from the London Touring Cast who feature in the film. He also sent them a short video that he had made to promote the Risen! broadcast on Credo. One of the actors, Max Panks who played the part of Jesus, posted the promo video on the Risen! Facebook page and of course I saw it. When I did I sent Alex a message via Facebook and we have been in touch ever since.
Kathryn Oliva Hobbs kindly translated Risen! The Musical into Mandarin and Jacqueline and Rafi Lamb translated it into Spanish. Alex is, at present working on using those translations to produce Spanish and Mandarin sub- titles for Risen! The Musical.
The version of Risen! The Musical that was first published on YouTube was, for technical reasons, not of the highest quality but the video that is featured in today’s blog is in HD quality. This is because Alex has now been able to use the version produced by Global Fire Creative who filmed Risen! at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth.
You may ask how many people outside of Romania would wish to watch this version. Well there are Romanians living all over the world (diaspora) including: Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, Hungary, Bulgaria, Albania, Portugal, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand, the USA and UK.
So our hope is that Risen! The Musical will be shared and enjoyed by people all over the world – at present in English and Romanian, but soon also in Spanish and Mandarin and later in many other languages.

Quote for the week
“Life not centred on God is purposeless and meaningless. Without Him nothing else can satisfy. With Him all of life and His other good gifts are to be gratefully received and used and enjoyed to the full”.
NIV commentary on Ecclesiastes.

Mustard Seed Songs’ first album ” I Look Up To The Heavens” which included the song “In Times Of Trouble”

“In Times of Trouble” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “I Look Up To The Heavens” recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson

Today I was going to give an update on all that is happening with Mustard Seed Songs but I am going to delay that for one week as I read something on Tuesday, again in an “Every Day With Jesus” devotion written by Selwyn Hughes, which I thought would be a good post script to his thoughts that I have been recently sharing on “Is God Good”?

So here is an extract taken from his devotion “Guaranteed.”

So faith has the opportunity to grow in situations of ambiguity and uncertainty. Anyone can have faith when the sun is shining and there are no dark clouds in the sky, but what happens when storms come and we are pounded by the winds of hardship and adversity? Well what we should not do is pretend that we are not stunned by them. If we are not stunned by them then fine, but if we are then we admit we are. There is no shame in this. God will not fall off His throne because your faith has been rocked.

When C.S. Lewis’ wife died of cancer, this is what he wrote about the spiritual fog in which he found himself: “Go to God when your need is desperate, when all other hope is in vain and what do you find? A door slammed in your face and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that silence. You might as well turn away. One writer said that Lewis’ words at that time were blasphemous. No he wasn’t being blasphemous, he was being real. Lewis did not turn away, in fact he came through the experience with God’s help and readers of Lewis’ works came to hear a new note in his writings. The story of how he found God in the midst of his pain has become a classic account of how faith can, not only survive, but thrive in times of despair.

Are there some dark clouds in your life at the moment? Hold on. When you come through the time of difficulty, you will find there are more muscles in your faith that you could ever have thought possible.

Quote for the week

“Turn setbacks into springboards – obstacles into opportunities”.

Every Day With Jesus

Lucy Stimpson Maynard (who co -wrote “Restore Us Lord God Almighty”) at a Mustard Seed Songs concert with James Oliver on cello

Restore Us Lord God Almighty ( Shearsmith/Maynard) featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard from the album “Where Would I Be Without You”? Recorded and produced by Ross Gill

After a break of a couple of weeks let me please return to continue sharing the thoughts of Selwyn Hughes on the question “Is God Good”? Below is another extract taken from his devotion in Every Day With Jesus – “A Higher Love.”
It is not too difficult to believe that the wounds and hurts we receive in this life are the result of our choices and thoughtlessness, but when we are told that certain things we could label as “tragedies” are brought about directly by the hand of God we feel perplexed or confused.
When Jesus and His disciples were walking on the road they met a man who was born blind. His disciples asked Him “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind”? “Neither this man or his parents sinned” said Jesus but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (“made manifest KJV) Having said this Jesus spat on the ground, made some mud to put on the man’s eyes, and sent him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. When he did so he was healed.
What did He mean- that the works of God may be made manifest? Ah here we are in the presence of mystery. The answer to that is still to be revealed. Theologians struggle to explain how God’s character is revealed through the seemingly bad things that he allows to go on in this world, but no one has found adequate answers. How God works through the wounds, the losses, the suffering and the tragedies that come into our lives is something we will never know fully on this earth. We are big enough to ask the questions but not big enough to understand the answers. And so we groan and we wonder, but in our groaning and wonderment there is really no better context for trust.

Quote for the week

“What doesn’t destroy us makes us stronger”.

The Word for Today

No text this week as the full stage production of Risen! The Musical can now be viewed on YouTube and as it is 1 hour, 43 minutes 22 and seconds long that is probably enough for one day!!

Quote for the week

“People don’t plan to fail – they fail because they don’t plan”.

Every Day With Jesus

Bishop Michael Curry of the US Episcopal Church

“Love is the Way” featuring Lucy Stimpson – Maynard from the album “Love is the Way” recorded and produced by Bob Ross

I would like to take a short break from sharing Selwyn Hughes thoughts on “Is God Good.”? and also on promoting the now public availability of Risen! The Musical on YouTube (https://youtu.be/wYUX1CQEjoY) The reason for this is that I, like many other millions, was enthralled by the speech of Bishop Michael Curry at the Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle.

Here is an extract:

“And one of the stanzas actually explains why. They said: ‘If you cannot preach like Peter, and you cannot pray like Paul, you just tell the love of Jesus, how he died to save us all.”‘

“Oh, that’s the balm in Gilead! This way of love, it is the way of life. They got it. He died to save us all.

“He didn’t die for anything he could get out of it. Jesus did not get an honorary doctorate for dying. He didn’t… he wasn’t getting anything out of it. He gave up his life, he sacrificed his life, for the good of others, for the good of the other, for the wellbeing of the world… for us.

“That’s what love is. Love is not selfish and self-centred. Love can be sacrificial, and in so doing, becomes redemptive. And that way of unselfish, sacrificial, redemptive love changes lives, and it can change this world.

“If you don’t believe me, just stop and imagine. Think and imagine a world where love is the way.”

“Imagine our homes and families where love is the way. Imagine neighbourhoods and communities where love is the way.

“Imagine governments and nations where love is the way. Imagine business and commerce where this love is the way.

“Imagine this tired old world where love is the way. When love is the way – unselfish, sacrificial, redemptive.

“When love is the way, then no child will go to bed hungry in this world ever again.

“When love is the way, we will let justice roll down like a mighty stream and righteousness like an ever-flowing brook.

“When love is the way, poverty will become history. When love is the way, the earth will be a sanctuary.

“When love is the way, we will lay down our swords and shields, down by the riverside, to study war no more.

“When love is the way, there’s plenty good room – plenty good room – for all of God’s children.

“Because when love is the way, we actually treat each other, well… like we are actually family.

“When love is the way, we know that God is the source of us all, and we are brothers and sisters, children of God.

“My brothers and sisters, that’s a new heaven, a new earth, a new world, a new human family.

Quote for the week

“You can see further through a tear than you can a telescope”.

Every Day With Jesus

Risen! The Musical, featuring the London Touring Cast and filmed at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth will be available on Sunday, May 20th (Day of Pentecost) on YouTube. In preparation we are posting clips from the show and the second featuring “One Day A Crown” is featured today.

Now to continue sharing the thoughts of Selwyn Hughes on the question “Is God Good”? Below is another extract taken from his devotion in Every Day With Jesus – “A Higher Love.”

Why tragedies overtake God’s children is without doubt one of the great mysteries of the universe. Accepting this mystery and not allowing it to sabotage our relationship with God is one of the biggest challenges of the Christian life.

In my early years of being a Christian, whenever trouble or tragedy came my way, instead of accepting it as a mystery I tried to rationalise it. I told myself that this problem or difficulty might not have happened if I had been more careful or if I had been more intent on ensuring that there was no sin in my life. Rationalisation dislikes mystery; it seeks to define it and explain it. When we do this we are really attempting to live comfortably rather than before the “wild, dangerous, unfettered and free character of God.”

One of the most well know rationalisations is that found in Rabbi Kusner’s bestseller “Why Bad Things Happen to Good People”. Rabbi Kushner answers the problem “how can a God who is good allow bad things to happen in His world”? by saying that God is all good but not all powerful. He claims that sin has so upset the mechanism of God’s universe that He is powerless to stop bad things happening. His heart is inclined towards us, especially when He sees bad things coming our way, but because of sin His universe has been disrupted and has gone beyond His ability to intervene. I reject this argument, believing and understanding the Scriptures that teach that God is good and all powerful. He could change things – but if He chooses not to, this never means that He is not good. …………..to be continued.

Quote for the week

“The problem ahead of you is never as great as the power behind you”.

Every Day With Jesus

“Oh Lord Here My Voice” featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard from the album “Where Would I Be Without You”? recorded and produced by Ross Gill

Risen! The Musical, featuring the London Touring Cast, filmed at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth in May 2016 has been broadcast on Revelation TV (UK) Alfa -Omega TV (Romania) and Credo TV (Romania and Eastern Europe). It has also been streamed on Vimeo and now on May 20th (Day of Pentecost) it will be launched on YouTube. In preparation we are posting clips from the show and the first featuring “How Great Are His Signs” is featured today.

Let me now please continue to share the thoughts of Selwyn Hughes on the question “Is God Good”? Below is another extract taken from his devotion in Every Day With Jesus – “A Higher Love.”

We have reflected that Job was a good and godly man yet he apparently lived with an anxiety about what God might allow to happen to him. Something in him suspected that faith in God did not necessarily mean peace and safety. It will help us, I think to live more successfully if we come to terms with the fact that goodness is not necessarily synonymous with safety.

C.S Lewis brings this out most powerfully in “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”. The children ask Mr and Mrs Beaver if Aslan the Lion; the King of Narnia is safe. “Safe ? Who said anything about safe”? says Mr Beaver. Of course he is not safe- but he is good.”

Sometimes the stakes in this life are very high, literally life or death. God, says one writer rarely cries out “Cut” just as a dangerous or painful scene descends on us. We would like to picture goodness as synonymous with safety but that is not the reality. And facing reality is the issue. When tragedy next strikes we hold fast to the truth that there is some bigger purpose going in the heart of our perfect God of love. Though it is beyond our ability to understand, it is nevertheless consistent with His goodness and love. Trust is not easy but trust is the only answer…………..to be continued.

Quote for the week

“Learn to let go. Instead of obsessing about what you can’t change focus on what you can influence.”

The Word For Today

“This Is Not  Heaven” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “Uplifted” recorded and produced by Bob Ross

First it is my great pleasure to announce that “How Great Are His Signs” the debut EP of the Portsmouth Gospel Choir is now available on- line from https://mustardseedsongs.hearnow.com/
This fabulous Gospel choir were finalists on BBC’s “Pitch Battle” singing with Seal. They also recently performed for the Queen and Royal Family at Westminster Abbey. All proceeds from sales go to building the “Risen Christ Central Chapel” in Southern Nigeria- for more details of this amazing project please visit www.mustardseedsongs.org.uk

And now to continue sharing the thoughts of Selwyn Hughes from his devotion in Every Day With Jesus – “A Higher Love.”

It is futile hiding our doubts about the goodness of God and attempting to deal with them though rationalisation such as believing that problems in life are caused by some sin that they have committed or that God is not able to know everything that goes on all over the universe and that some things happen in His children’s lives that go unnoticed by Him.

Throughout the years I have found grief – laden questions such as: God why did You allow me to be born into a family that gave me no love? Why did You make me like this? Why did You allow so many bad things to happen to me? What will You allow to happen next?

If in the depths of our hearts we secretly believe that God did not protect us from bad things happening to us because He does not love us, then no matter how hard we try, we will fail to respond to His love and live life as God originally designed. Or to put it another way wrong beliefs about God will affect the way we feel about God, for how we think always influences the way we feel. So we have to learn to face doubts and bring them up and out. Living with doubts and fears will prevent us from entering into an intimate and passionate relationship with Jesus.

We are made in such a way that we cannot give ourselves to someone we do not trust. This is a simple, empirical fact. Don’t let yourself be found in the category of those whose Christian lives have been sabotaged on the reefs of inner doubts and distrust………….to be continued.

Quote for the week

“Work as if all depended on you and pray as if all depended on God”

Every Day With Jesus

Selwyn Hughes Founder and Writer of Every Day With Jesus 1928-2006

Lift Your Hearts To Heavenly Places featuring Lucy Jane Rutherford from the album “Lift Your Hearts To Heavenly Places” recorded and produced by Ross Gill

As I said last week one question that understandably is so often asked is – “If there is a God and He is good – why does He allow so much suffering in the world? There are, in fact no easy answers but in the following weeks I will copy extracts from the “Every Day With Jesus” devotion “A Higher Love” written by Selwyn Hughes of Crusade For World Revival (CWR.) Selwyn’s thoughts will I hope give another view at looking at this most challenging of issues.

We continue exploring the question: If God loves us so much why does He allow so many seemingly bad things to happen to us? What the Christian life all boils down to says a preacher friend , is this – can this love, which God says He has for us be trusted?

A counsellor tells how someone he was counselling spoke about how reckless and unpredictable God seemed to be in allowing tragic things to happen to her. She asked him: “How can I trust a lover who is so wild”?

Walter Bruggeman, and American writer and theologian put it like this: “We live our lives before the wild, dangerous, unfettered and free character of the living God.” Before reading that statement some years ago I confess I had never thought of God in this way. In their book “The Secret Romance; writers Brent Curtis and John Eldridge say that God leaves Abraham with his knife raised and ready to plunge into Isaac’s heart and Isaac waiting for the knife to descend; he leaves Joseph languishing for years in an Egyptian prison; he allows the Israelites to suffer 400 years of bondage under the Egyptians and leaves the same Israelites backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s chariots thundering down on them. He abandons Jesus to the cross and does not rescue Him at all. You have to admit that God allows some pretty strange, even startling things to happen to His children. There is no doubt about it – the Almighty’s love for us really is wild…………………. to be continued.

Quote for the week

“Faith does not exempt you from life’s storms but it does equip you to go through them”

The Word for Today