“Every Day With Jesus” – “Guaranteed” originally written by Selwyn Hughes

“How Can I Love You More”? featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from album “Love is the Way” recorded and produced by Bob Ross

A couple of weeks ago I shared a song that I had recently written for the sequel to Risen! The Musical -which has a working title of “The Acts of the Apostles- Part One – Fire!”

The song is called “Nothing Can Separate Us From Christ’s Love” and on Friday of last week I noticed that Selwyn Hughes in his daily devotion ““Every Day With Jesus” “Guaranteed.” referred to the same quote from Romans 8:35. I therefore thought that today I would share with you extracts from Selwyn’s devotion, the theme of which is the qualities that Peter urges us to acquire in 2 Peter 1:5-7 – that is faith, goodness, knowledge, self -control ,perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love

We come now to the last quality on Peter’s list- love (2Peter 1;7) It is no surprise that the ladder of Christian virtues should end in love. Warm friendliness is wonderful but the love that Peter says we should make every effort to add to our faith is a reflection of that agape love that God has shown to us.

How different is God’s love from the natural love that we find in our hearts! The love we offer others is conditional love- the kind that says “Love me and I will love you.” “Do this and you can count on my love.” This love is not like the love of God. We are not loved by God for what we do and no failure can rob us of His love. While sin can cause a break in the relationship, it does not stop God loving us.

This love is initiated in heaven. “We love because He first loved us” (I John 4:19) That is the great thing about agape love- it initiates. This is, in part why we cannot explain why God loves us. To explain it would require Him to love us for some reason but, as we have seen, He loves us for ourselves alone. He chose to love because He is love. Nothing in us gave rise to His love and nothing in us can extinguish it. It is love without condition and it is love without end.

IN Jeremiah 31; 3 we read “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” When we think about this kind of love the poverty of our own love comes over us and we realise our love is not like the love of God. How amazing to know we are loved everlastingly. The apostle Paul rejoiced in this truth when he cried “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ”? (Romans 8:35) Divine love is love without reason and without end.

Quote for the week:

Pain is inevitable misery is optional.

The Word for Today

Walking with Jesus – featuring the Mustard Seed Soul Band, from the album “Heart and Soul”, recorded and produced by Ross Gill

My good friend Alex-Emanuel Serban who works for the Romanian T.V channel Credo TV has just completed the Spanish sub titles for Risen! The Musical.  Many  thanks to Jaqueline Lamb and her son Rafi for so graciously translating the English script to Spanish.

So we have the original Risen! The Musical in English – a version with sub- titles in Romanian and now a version with sub- titles in Spanish. Alex is now in the process of creating a version with sub- titles in Mandarin.

I have purposely kept the blog text brief this week so that hopefully you will have time to take a look at the video.

If you could share any of the Risen! The Musical versions that would be great and very much appreciated.

English: https://youtu.be/wYUX1CQEjoY

Spanish: https://youtu.be/vwAEjloTtfQ

Romanian: https://youtu.be/ICSAlaI6YZ0

Quote for the week:

The best way to break bad habits is to replace them with good ones

The Word for Today

I Look Up To Your Heavens – featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “Precious” recorded and produced by Ross Gill

My wife Caroline and I have two tortoises called Frank and Betty (well we had to call them something!) What amazing creatures they are – like a link to prehistoric times. They eat weeds and that got me thinking about how amazing even a leaf is – each having its own DNA- then of course there is the fact that every single snowflake is unique. Looking up to the heavens (had to be today’s featured song title!) is also awe inspiring – seeing all the stars millions of light years away- and what about a sunset – no artist could paint such wonderful pictures.

You can probably guess where this is all going- yes all are testimony to the wonders of God’s creation. We as human beings are His greatest creation of course and sometimes I am reminded of that in what might best be described as “wow” moments. There have been many that I have enjoyed in the world of sport – for example one particular golf shot from Seve Ballesteros through a gap in the trees which only he could have imagined let alone pull off. Susan Boyle in that famous audition for “Britain’s Got Talent” where the audience, who were expecting rubbish, were soon on their feet wowed by her singing of “ I dream a dream” . Also on BGT was “Spellbound” who you may remember were an acrobatics gymnastic group – they won the show in 2010 and were absolutely stunning.

The other day Caroline showed me a clip of this group called “Zucaroh” saying that they were better than “Spellbound” – I thought “no way” but then I was so knocked out by yet another “wow” performance that I thought I must share it.

Quote for the week:

The only way to avoid criticism is to do nothing or be nothing.

John Mason in The Word for Today

Robbie Richardson playing with Tim Downs and Stu Fowler for the Mustard Seed Soul Band at a concert at Paulsgrove Baptist Church 2010

“We Can Do Anything” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “Precious” recorded and produced by Ross Gill

Last week I spoke of Robbie Richardson who has, for many years, played sax, clarinet and flute on Mustard Seed albums. The featured song today “We Can Do Anything” features Robbie’s brilliant playing. This song comes from our album “Precious” which was dedicated to my mum “Audrey”.

In two weeks’ time we will be doing some more recording for the sequel to Risen! The Musical which has a working title of “The Acts of the Apostles- Part One: Fire! “ Our new musical will include some adapted Mustard Seed songs such as “We Can’t set The World On Fire” and “You Are The Shepherd Of My Soul” together with new material – I thought it would be nice today to share the lyrics of one new song that will be sung by the apostle Paul:

Nothing Can Separate Us From Christ’s Love

Did you drift too far?

Did you wait too long?

Did you slip too much?

Were you too uncertain?

Did you not have faith?

Did you cry in fear?

Were your thoughts unclean?

And your tongue unguarded?

Well He won’t stop loving you

He won’t stop loving you,

He can’t stop loving you,

He can’t stop loving cos He is love

Would you not forgive?

Did you hold a grudge?

And refuse your hand,

To a fallen neighbour?

Did you not stand firm?

Did you deny truth?

Did you chose the wrong path

And then blame another?

Well He won’t stop loving you

He won’t stop loving you,

He can’t stop loving you,

He can’t stop loving cos He is love

Nothing can separate us from Christ’s love

No demons below or Angels from above,

Nothing in the present,

Nothing in the future

Not height not depth

No nothing we can measure.

Nothing can separate us from Christ’s love

No demons below or Angels from above,

Not any power

Not any nation,

Not death not life

No nothing in creation.

Nothing can separate us from Christ’s love

Quote for the week:

We don’t know who we are until we know who’s we are.

Every Day With Jesus

“Judas” featuring Tom Millen of the “Original Cast  from the album Risen!The Musical recorded and produced by Joffy Girling (“Judas” follows “Judas Has Betrayed Our Dearest Friend” featuring Alex Knox)

It’s my 10th wedding anniversary today so first may I say a big thank you to my beautiful wife Caroline who loves me and cares for me so wonderfully well. Thank you – I love you very much.

I was delighted to discover that a good friend, Tom Millen is now starring in a film “The Salzburg Story.” Tom sang the part of the disciple James in the CD of Risen! The Musical. How we met made me think of how networks, in particular those associated with Risen! have been created through, what I believe to be, “God instances.”

Some four years ago I was speaking to Mick Mellows who is Godfather to my two sons, James and Christopher. Mick played football for Portsmouth FC and now runs the charity Faith and Football who, in 2015 were winners of the Queens Award for Voluntary Service. I was asking Mick if he knew of a saxophonist as we needed one to record on one of the Mustard Seed albums. Mick said that Robbie Richardson was teaching his daughter, Hannah how to play the sax so I contacted Robbie who subsequently played tenor and alto sax, clarinet and flute or numerous of our albums – he also played in just about all our concerts and “His Story” productions – oh and yes he played at Holy Rood for Caroline and me at our wedding service.

Robbie would often sing the praises of his nephew Josh Belil who was a tenor trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. I asked Josh if he knew of someone that could sing bass as we needed someone to record the part of the disciple Peter for our Risen! The Musical album- Josh recommended Tom Millen. Tom has an amazing vocal range but we decided to use him, not as Peter but as James using his baritone/tenor voice -the result includes today’s featured song “Judas” recorded by Joffy Girling in his first studio, which was a converted garage at the vicarage of Holy Rood church.

I have stayed in touch with Tom and Caroline and I went to London to see him perform brilliantly in Julian Slade and Dorothy Reynolds’ classic musical “Salad Days.” Tom is a really lovely man and deserves every success- congratulations Tom!

Quote for the week:

We form our habits and then our habits form us.

The Word for Today

“Put Your Hand In the Hand Of God” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “Precious” recorded and produced by Ross Gill

Music and sport have always played such a great part in my life. I have so enjoyed ,in my earlier years, playing and coaching all manner of sports but in particular cricket, football and basketball. Now I really enjoy golf which brings me to the point of today’s blog. I love it when I see displays of sportsmanship and in the blog of August 25th 2016 championed Andrew Flintoff’s gesture to Brett Lee in the Ashes match of 2005.Unfortunately sportsmanship is seen less and less these days- Neymar in the recent World Cup rolling around in “ agony “ epitomises this. Cricket once a bastion of fair play is now tarnished with “sledging” even rugby has its “dark arts.” I think however that golf still holds the higher moral ground and I was reminded of this when reading “The Word For Today” last week as It recounted a story of Bobby Jones in the 1925 US Open Championship

Jones’ approach shot to the 11th hole’s elevated green fell short into the deep rough of the embankment. As he took his stance to pitch onto the green, the head of his club brushed the grass and caused a slight movement of the ball. He took the shot, then informed his playing partner Walter Hagen and the USGA official covering their match that he was calling a penalty on himself. Hagen was unable to talk him out of it, and they continued play. After the round and before he signed his scorecard, officials argued with Jones but he insisted that he had violated Rule 18, moving a ball at rest after address, and took a 77 instead of the 76 he otherwise would have carded. Jones’ self-imposed one-stroke penalty eventually cost him the win by a stroke in regulation, necessitating a playoff, which he then lost. Although praised by many sports writers for his gesture, Jones was reported to have said, “You might as well praise me for not robbing banks”.

“The Word for Today” talked about integrity and how Jones believed that losing his integrity was not worth winning the Open for. The USGA’s sportsmanship award is named the Bob Jones Award in his honor.

I was interested to discover that Bobby Jones founded and helped design the Augusta National Golf Club where the world famous Masters Tournament is played for the coveted “Green Jacket.” I was also interested to discover that in 1948, Jones was diagnosed with syringomyelia, a fluid-filled cavity in the spinal cord that causes crippling pain, then paralysis; he was eventually restricted to a wheelchair. He died in Atlanta on December 18, 1971, three days after converting to Catholicism. Jones was baptized on his deathbed by Monsignor John D. Stapleton, pastor of the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta.

Jones was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.^[

Quote for the week:

The church is not perfect that is why people like us are welcome there.

The Word for Today

“You Are The Maker” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “Love Is The Way” recorded and produced by Bob Ross

No real blog this week as have been soooo busy with the annual Crofton Summer Sports Week that I have been running now for 26 years!!

Here are some pics of our brilliant children and brilliant staff.

I have also posted two pics of the Risen! Christ Central Chapel in Southern Nigeria- for details and the opportunity to help finish its construction please visit https://mydonate.bt.com/events/portsmouthgospelchoir

Quote for the week:

If you get fixed on a destination you can miss great things that happen along the way

The Word for Today

Alex Knox with Joffy Girling recording the part of Luke for the sequel to Risen!

I Will Tell featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album ” I Look Up To The Heavens” recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson

A couple of weeks ago I listed the present projects that Mustard Seed Songs are, at present working on. They included:

Risen! The Musical being broadcast on YouTube with subtitles in languages such as Romanian and Spanish.

The success of the Easter tour of the Risen! The Musical Theatre in Education of 17 schools and the hope that funding will be forthcoming to allow for a 2019 tour.

The release of the Portsmouth Gospel Choir’s CD “How Great Are His Signs” with proceeds going to the building of the Risen Christ Central Chapel in Southern Nigeria.

How we have been posting clips of the Portsmouth Gospel Choir’s concert at Kings Church, Portsmouth (in fact the full concert will be posted on You Tube today)

The building of the Risen Christ Central Chapel in Southern Nigeria.

What I did not mention is that we have also been working on the sequel to Risen! The Musical which has a working title of” The Acts of the Apostles – Part One “Fire!” The title is, I trust self -explanatory. The musical is based on the book of the Acts of the Apostles chapters 1- 12. The plan is to one day write a musical based on the Acts of the Apostles Chapters 13- 28 but that is for some time in the future! In the meantime the script has been written, Joffy Girling our amazing Musical Director has recorded the piano score and Alex Knox (see blog of Nov 24th 2016) has sung the guides. He also sung the part of Luke as shown in the featured pic. We now need to record all the other vocal parts and will be looking to members of the wonderful “London Touring Cast” for this as soon as we gain the funding. Today’s featured song   “I Will Tell” will be one of the songs from “Fire!”

Quote for the week:

Learn from the mistakes of others- you will never live long enough to make them all yourself.

Admiral Hyman Rickover

Just a short blog today as I am lamenting England’s loss to Croatia last night. It was all set to be a fantastic night as I was watching with my wife Caroline and also Joffy Girling, Mustard Seed Songs’ Musical Director and Alex Knox who sang the part of John on the Risen! The Musical CD. Alex and Joffy have been staying with me for a couple of days recording the sequel to Risen! The Musical – The Acts of the Apostles – Part One “Fire!” We were also joined by Sam Martin, another musician who plays French Horn in the Royal Marines Band. Alex is an avid Tottenham fan – Sam, Arsenal – so for a few hours at least there was peace from this infamous rivalry! Everything was ready for the perfect celebration of England’s entry to the World Cup Final – the full version of “Football’s Coming Home” ready to be sung at full volume-the pre requisite barbeque with a few beers etc- everything in place but unfortunately Croatia had other ideas and we have to wait another four years before trying again to emulate the wonders of 1966 courtesy of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Gordon Banks, Bobby and Jack Charlton, Alan Ball, Martin Peters, Nobby Stiles, Ray Wilson, George Cohen and Roger Hunt. Never mind it was a great run and with the brilliant weather we have been having the whole country has been uplifted.

Meanwhile in Nigeria the building of the Risen Christ Central Chapel, one of the current Mustard Seed Songs’ projects which I mentioned last week continues. You can see from the pics that the building has come a long way but that there is also a long way to go. It was to fund this church that Mustard Seed Songs produced the recent Portsmouth Gospel Concert of which today’s video clip is another extract.

If you would like to support the building of this church in Cross River State, Nigeria then please visit www.mustardseedsongs.or.uk where you can purchase or download the Portsmouth Gospel Choirs’ CD “How Great Are His Signs” with all proceeds going to fund the church build. You can also visit http://mydonate.bt.com/events/portsmouthgospelchoir/452133 to learn more of the Risen Christ Central Chapel and to make a donation.

Quote for the week:

Keep your fears to yourself but share your courage with others

Robert Louis Stephenson

The Portsmouth Gospel Choir singing “Our Father” in aid of the construction of the Risen! Christ Central Chapel, Southern Nigeria

Mustard Seed Songs have a number of on- going projects of which I thought I would update you.

Risen! The Musical – The full show is now available on https://youtu.be/wYUX1CQEjoY There is also a version with Romanian sub- titles https://youtu.be/ICSAlaI6YZ0 We will soon have sub- titles in Spanish and Cantonese and are in negotiations for sub- titles in Urdu to reach Pakistan and India. Of course we would love the 18 strong London Touring Cast to produce another live performance but need funding for that to happen.

Risen! The Musical Theatre in Education – our special version for children featuring 5 of the London Touring Cast was a great success this Easter playing to 4000 children- again we would love to produce this again but need funding of £10,000 in order to do so.

Portsmouth Gospel Choir– CD “How Great Are His Signs” This is the first CD produced by the fabulous Portsmouth Gospel Choir who sang with Seal in the finals of BBCs “Pitch Battle” and who also performed for the Queen and Royal Family at Westminster Abbey. The CD has five Mustard Seed songs together with the classic worship song “ I Love You Lord.” CDs can be purchased or downloaded by visiting www.mustardseedsongs.org.uk

The Portsmouth Gospel Choir Concert was also recently in a concert at Kings Church, Portsmouth organised by Mustard Seed Songs to raise money for the Risen Christ Central Chapel in Cross River State, Nigeria. The video of the concert, which also featured the cast of Risen! The Musical Theatre in Education and Chelange (formerly known as C.J. Edwards of TVs The Voice) This week’s featured song and video clip- “Our Father” is taken from the concert and tonight we will be releasing another clip “Oh Happy Day” on YouTube before publishing the full concert.

Building the Risen Christ Central Chapel. The story behind this project is told in the blog of December 7th 2017. Next blog I will give you an update of how the construction is progressing but again we need funding in order for the 200 seater Chapel to be completed.

Quote for the week:

Happiness does not come from getting what you want but from recognising and enjoying who you are.

The Word for Today