In Memorium - Alastair Wilson

Instead of doing an ordinary blog I thought I'd share a memorial message on a fellow brother in christ whom I have had many breakfasts with named Alastair Wilson. Sadly he passed away this afternoon from a long illness, I lay in bed praying the following prayer "God, if its in your will please heal him, if not then please provide his family and friends comfort in such a time". He was a very content but with some incredibly strong views and values worthy and honourable to God, he knew what he stood for and never wavered and if you didn't know him you could learn a lot by the characteristics that I have just detailed and there is a poem that I would like to share by C. Henry Scott Holland called "All is well"

Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away to the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other, 
That, we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolute unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight? 

I am but waiting for you.
For an interval.
Somewhere. Very near.
Just around the corner.

All is well. 

Henry Scott Holland 

The funeral I'm sure will be sometime this week and I ask anyone to pray for his family during this time. 

God Bless 

The Heart of Worship

For today I'm going to unpack one of the greatest worship songs of all time and even explain its origins.


Verse 1:
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart

Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

Verse 2:
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You, 
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
And it's all about You, 
It's all about You, Jesus

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship,
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus


This song was written in the days of Soul Survivor a modern british church. It was hugely popular to the point that people were just coming to enjoy the worship team and that was it. Matt Redman the worship leader took drastic actions and for a long period told the worship team not to return for a while and instead church was just pure silence and in a moment of reflection in this period, Matt Redman put pen to paper and wrote down the words you see above "When the music fades, all is stripped away and I simply come longing just to bring something thats of worth". Now I ask what is true worship.


Worship to some is singing songs in church but its more then that, its the way you live your life day in and day out.  To the conservatives its the eucharist, hymnals  from a hymn book and communion every week although I have to say this form is dying and the modern contemporary for is taking over. I'm talking about the modern praise and worship songs from people like Hillsong, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, David Crowder Band etc. and they have even taken the greatest hymns and modernised them to the generation we have today. Lets face it the way church is done today is changing but so must our lives if we are to live as imitators of Jesus and that means completing what Jesus set out to do whilst living a pure lifestyle putting the sinful natures behind us and clinging onto the new.

Walking on Water

I'm going to go back to a story that was mentioned about the time that I Really became a christian


Mat 14:23  And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
Mat 14:24  but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.
Mat 14:25  And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
Mat 14:26  But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear.
Mat 14:27  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."
Mat 14:28  And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
Mat 14:29  He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
Mat 14:30  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me."
Mat 14:31  Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Mat 14:32  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Mat 14:33  And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Picture yourself in this scene, by now you must be picturing heavy torrential waves and intense winds and then comes along this person just walking across water. As if the disciples weren't scared before think of how they must have been to think they were seeing a ghost walk on water. What happens next is quite interesting, Peter  sees something, he sees Jesus the messiah coming towards them and pleads to come out to him which he does but not without a moment of sinking. In that moment I love the words that Jesus tells Peter "Why did you doubt""

What this picture says to me is pretty clear, we may face times of uncertainty and even try to play the pity game but God doesn't want that, he wants us to lay those moments in his hands and then trust him 100% that it will be taken care of.  We of course also need to play the part by taking the bold move and not hold back, instead we need to also take action and listen to what God is saying along the way. The moment we allow such doubt to come into our lives we are in fact setting ourselves up for failure and we begin to sink.

Renovating our lives

What a strange title but I came up with it in a certain way.

At the beginning of every year I decide on some way to shape up my living space. This year is no different.

I have lately been staring at a cluttered wall full of posters over the last few years since I was a student and as I took down those posters leaving only a significant few (about 3) and as I stared and moved stuff around, to my horror I saw a wall full of nicks and in need some serious painting and it got me thinking how we as people cover up the mess that comes about in our lives instead of confronting it head on. I have got ideas on how to brighten up my little living space called my bedroom and also similiar in life we as people need to work at solving the issues that came across in our lives so that our lives can be brightened up and refreshed.