Living4Christ

Spotify Playlists

2012-02-01T11:53:00.006Z

If any of my readers out there use spotify, I thought I would share my worship songs playlists. I have 3; Worship Favorites, Upbeat Worship, and Chillout Worship. Just click the links below to get started (you need Spotify installed on your computer)

If you don't have spotify you can download it for free by clicking HERE. Spotify lets you listen to millions of songs free of charge, you just have to put up with an audio advert (like when listening to the radio) every 3 or 4 songs or so. Or you can go premium and remove the adds from around £5 per month.

This post has not been sponsored by Spotify in any way, I just thought I'd give Spotify a quick plug on my blog as I think it's a great way to share and listen to music socially, it's free to the end user (you) but the artists andmusicians still make money, paid for by the ads you listen to in between the songs. So go check out my worship songs playlists linked above, or make some of your own. Hope you all enjoy, and if you do make some good worship songs playlists post the links in the comments :-)

I know my redeemer lives

2012-02-01T11:15:00.004Z

Jesus>Religion

2012-01-12T23:08:00.009Z

"Blessings"

2011-06-08T15:19:00.011+01:00

While listening to K-LOVE Christian radio yesterday the song Blessings by Laura Story came on. It was the first time I had heard it. It's a great song filled with emotion, has some great lyrics, and is a song that so many of us can easily relate to. Give it a listen, and let me know what you think in the comments. I hope you enjoy the song and it and makes you realise that God's blessings are all around us, it's just that sometimes they aren't in the form we expect them to be.

May 21st, date of Christs return?

2011-05-21T09:35:00.003+01:00

American preacher, Harold Camping, predicted that today will be the date of Christ's return; the rapture. Do I think May 21st is the exact date Jesus will return?

The Bible is pretty explicit in saying that nobody knows the day or the hour (Matthew24:36). When anybody says they know when the end is happening, it is always about their ego and never about God. Also fundamentalists always try to use fear and guilt to coerce non believers... where as Jesus used genuine love to convict them.

See you all tomorrow :-)

You make all things work together for my good

2011-05-18T23:05:00.008+01:00

I just heard the song "Your love never fails" today by Jesus Culture, and I really really like it. I want to share it with you all because the lyrics in the first verse of this song really stuck out to me;

"I know I still make mistakes
But you have new mercies for me everyday
Your love never fails"

What an amazing God we serve that no matter what we do, no matter what mistakes we make, God still loves us unconditionally. His love NEVER fails.

Jesus, I need you right now

2011-05-16T20:36:00.005+01:00

Sometimes you are in a place where no worship song, no Christian book, no preacher or not even a close friend or relative can help you. Aren't you glad that there is a 'very present help in time of need?'. There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother! His name is Jesus! His presence is the most satisfying thing on earth! One moment with Him can change your life forever!

- Matthew Murray
(www.shakethenations.com)

Thought for the day...

2011-05-03T04:09:00.001+01:00

Prov 24:17: Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice.

Long overdue....

2011-01-19T18:09:00.005Z

I keep coming to my own website, hoping for some reason that there will be a new blog post here. But then I realised that it's me that needs to stop being lazy and write some more blog posts!!

So here goes...

I've been up to quite a bit since I last properly updated my blog, been through an emotional rollercoaster, had lots of ups and downs, and worried too much about life. I've had hard times at home, some stressful times at work, and some weird times in my relationships (or lack of!!). But I'm fed up of being stressed out, or being worried, or being scared, or thinking "what if". I just want to enjoy my life, and through it all have fun, and keep praising and glorifying God.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

- Matthew 6:25-27

I am a Christian

2010-11-07T23:46:00.000Z

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not shouting "I'm clean living"

I'm whispering "I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect.

My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain.

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not holier than thou.

I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

So in love with You

2010-11-07T14:05:00.002Z

I'm saturated, intoxicated, liberated, refreshed, renewed, rejuvenated, and satisfied by Your love. I'm settled, safe, secure, and comforted by Your presence. I'm bursting full of Your joy. Jesus, I'm so in love with you.

Pray. Believe. Expect. Receive.

2010-07-29T21:07:00.006+01:00

A few days ago I was just thinking back to a time at the church I used to go to. Every month or so we used to do a 24 hour continuous prayer session, where people would sign up in groups of about 3 or 4, to come and do a 2 hour slot. I remember my first session, me and my friend Alasdair went and did the 2am-4am slot. Man I was tired and so reluctant to get up and go pray at 2am!! But once I was down there them 2 hours just flew by! We were so caught up in prayer and we actually had fun praying at the small hours of the morning.

After a few months the pastors wife and close friend Evelyn announced we were going for something bigger... 7 days of continuous prayer. I wasn't sure if there would be enough people to sign up to doing 7 days of continuous prayer at our church, or even if people would be willing. But the sheet went round, and people signed up and sure enough the week was filled.

Towards the end of week it was announced that we were going to extend it for another week. And then towards the end of that week we were extending it to a month. I saw a pattern emerging!!

So days became weeks, weeks became months, then months turned into years. For over a year we had continuous prayer at our church 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!! We saw amazing things happen in this time, we heard of countless friends, family members, and co-workers coming to the Lord. We heard of healings, broken marriages being restored, debts being repaid, people being blessed beyond anything the world could have provided, and numerous other miracles.

The times I spent in the prayer room at church doing my slot in the 24 hour prayer were some of my best memories of being at Church of the Harvest.

I just wanted to share with you, that prayer changes things!! God does not ignore prayer.

Pray. Believe. Expect. Receive.

It's time not just to talk the talk but to walk the walk!

2010-07-08T15:53:00.007+01:00

"Most of the time, we are part of the answer to our own prayers. Don't pray for souls but refuse to open your mouth; don't cry out out for your families but never tell them about Jesus; don't intercede for hours if you can't even preach for a minute, and don't attend prayer meetings if you won't even invite people to church! It's time not just to talk the talk but to walk the walk!"

- Matthew Murray

(Shake The Nations www.shakethenations.com)

As we travel along life's path...

2010-06-12T13:32:00.002+01:00

As we travel along life's path

Nothing ever stays the same,

All things must change at some time

Whether it be for ill or be for gain.

Yet, the one unchanging factor-

The greatest one of all-

Is that there is a mighty

Power that listens

To every human call.

It will comfort and sustain you

Whenever things go wrong,

It will take your hand and guide you

As life's path you walk along.

So, when dark clouds descend

Upon the path you tread,

Call upon this power to guide you

And it will light the way ahead.

2010-05-09T01:46:00.011+01:00

Check out this great song I've recently discovered through a new reader to my blog. I love the imagery used in the video, offering up all our broken pieces, which are all fixed and put together in the bigger picture. Kinda clever really :-) enjoy!

Who am I in Christ?

2010-05-03T08:56:00.003+01:00

I am...

A child of God - Rom 8:16
Forgiven - Eph 1:7
Saved by grace through faith - Eph 2:8
Redeemed from the hand of the foe - Psalms 107:2
An heir of eternal life - 1 John 5:11-12
Led by the spirit of God - Rom 8:14
A new creation - 2 Cor 5:17
Redeemed from the curse of the law - Gal 3:13
Justified - Rom 3:1
Kept in safety wherever I go - Isa 46:4
Strong in the Lord and His mighty power - Eph 6:10
Living by faith and not by sight - 2 Cor 5:7
Rescued from the dominion of darkness - Col 1:13
An heir of God and co-heir with Christ - Rom 8:17
The light of the world - Matt 5:14
Doing all things through Christ who gives me strength - Phil 4:13
An imitator of God - Eph 5:1
Healed by his wounds - 1 Pet 2:24
Heir to the blessings of Abraham - Gal 3:14
Being transformed by the renewing of my mind - Rom 12:2
More than a conqueror - Rom 8:37
Blessed with every spiritual blessing - Eph 1:3
An overcomer by the blood of the lamb and the word of my testimony - Rev 12:11

I AM a child of God, a co-heir with Christ, bought and paid for AND if I have faith the size of a mustard seed, I can do great things for God. Amen.

From a parent to a child

2010-05-01T08:03:00.000+01:00

I gave you life, but I can’t live it for you.
I can teach you things, but I can’t make you learn it.
I can try to give you direction, but I can’t take responsibility for it.
I can take you to church, but I can’t make you believe.
I can teach you to decide between right and wrong, but I can’t make the decision for you.
I can buy you beautiful clothes, but I can’t make you beautiful from the inside.
I can give you advice, but I can’t force you to take it.
I can teach you to be charitable, but I can’t make you unselfish.
I can give you advice on friends, but I can’t choose them for you.
I can teach you to respect, but I can’t teach you how to show honour.
I can teach you on children, but I can’t keep you a child.
I can tell about the facts of life, but can’t keep your reputation.
I can tell you about alcohol, but I can’t say NO on your behalf.
I can warn you against drugs, but I can’t prevent you from using it.
I can tell you about high achievements, but I can’t achieve them for you.
I can tell you about goodness, but I can’t force you to be merciful.
I can warn you about sin, but I can’t set your standards for you.
I can love you as my child, but I can’t make you God’s child.
I can pray for you, but I can’t make you walk with God.
I can teach you about JESUS, but I can’t make JESUS your KING.
I can teach you about life, but I can’t give you eternal life

Site maintenance

2010-04-29T13:32:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone, just to let you know the website will be undergoing a bit of maintenance this coming weekend so may be down for short periods of time. If you experience any trouble getting onto the website at any point this weekend please try it again in a few hours.

The main reason for the maintenance is moving my blog to a new blogging platform, so anyone who has previously subscribed to my RSS feed will need to re-subscribe in 4-5 days once the move is complete, as the old feed will no longer continue to be used.

Apart from that everything will remain the same (including the website address), and we should have a nice fresh new look coming to the website real soon :-)

Confused

2010-04-28T00:21:00.001+01:00

Hey all, Just a quick update. There's been no posts on here for just over a week because I've had a bad case of tonsillitis and been in hospital for the last 4 days having antibiotics. I'm home now though so seem to be over the worst of it and I'm feeling better everyday.

Apart from that I've been pretty exhausted mentally and emotionally too these last few weeks. Can't really go into detail on the blog. I'm just really confused and don't know what to do, really need some direction and help.

Would really appreciate you guys keep me in your prayers at moment. God will find a way.

Love you all, God bless :-)

Praying for patience...

2010-04-12T21:06:00.000+01:00

"If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? ...If he prayed for courage, does God just give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? ...If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

- God to Joan in the movie "Evan Almighty"

I watched the movie Evan Almighty the other day (a film I have seen many times before), and it is definitely a film I can recommend. Although the theme for the film is loosely based around a Christian bible story (Noah's Ark), it isn't entirely a "Christian" film as such. But having said that, the above quote is an amazing inspirational message and comes at a point in the film where Evan's wife Joan has given up all hope and thinks her husband has completely lost the plot, so decides to move her and the kids out of the house and go away for a while. During this time God appears to her posing as a waiter and gives the above speech to her.

And although the above quote was ultimately written by the movie screen writers, it has a lot of truth behind it. When we are going through hard times in our life it isn't times when God is neglecting us. It's those times when God is paying more close attention to us than ever as he is working on us! I've been going through a lot the last 5-6 months or so and have been wondering "why", and found the answer while watching a movie!!! God is preparing me, building me up, equipping me with essential life skills that I need!!

"You don't become a skilled sailor by going out on calm waters"

...so although I feel like it hasn't been all smooth sailing recently, I'm thankful because I know that God is building me into who he needs me to be, and has an awesome plan for my life, just like each and every one of you :-)

Have an awesome week everyone!!

History Maker for Easter Charts Number 1?

2010-03-30T19:16:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone, just a reminder that it's THIS WEEK (up to and including Saturday the 3rd April) that you need to download "History Maker" by Delirious to try and get them into the UK top 40 charts.

Remember there are two versions of History Maker that will be available; the studio version and the live version. BOTH will count towards the same chart position.

As of writing the studio version and live version are number 1 & 2 respectively on amazon.co.uk bestsellers chart.

So c'mon everyone, for just 49p (from amazon.co.uk) if you are downloading just one track or 98p to download both versions, let's get a Christian song to number 1 in the charts this easter!

DOWNLOAD...

2010-03-30T19:13:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone, just a reminder that it's THIS WEEK (up to and including Saturday the 3rd April) that you need to download "History Maker" by Delirious to try and get them into the UK top 40 charts. Remember there are two versions of History Maker that will be available; the studio version and the live version. BOTH will count towards the same chart position. So if you can download both versions and help get Delirious to number 1!

As of writing the studio version and live version are number 1 & 2 respectively on amazon.co.uk bestsellers chart.

So c'mon everyone, for just 49p if you are downloading just one track or 98p to download both versions, let's get a Christian song to number 1 in the charts this easter!

Are Delirious set to top the UK charts this Easter?

2010-03-22T22:40:00.000Z

Guest post from www.invadetheairwaves.org.uk

When UK Christian band Delirious? announced they were calling it a day, the dream of a top ten hit seemed over. But thanks to an audacious plan by a Nottingham minister, the band could reach no. 1 this Easter!

Towards the end of last year Delirious?, arguably the UK’s most popular Christian music band, announced that after 17 years they were going their separate ways. The decision left many of the group’s fans saddened, many of whom had grown up to the influence of the band’s music. And although Delirious? have enjoyed a huge following amongst Christians worldwide, and have even had ten UK chart entries over the years, they never fully broke into the mainstream.

But now a Christian Facebook campaign could take the band to the top of the charts. Nottingham minister and entrepreneur Alistair Kent has resurrected interest among the band’s fan base and the wider group of Christians in the UK, just in time for Easter.

The recent battle for the 2009 Christmas number one spot saw X-Factor winner Joe McEldery beaten by the relatively unknown American rock group ‘Rage Against The Machine’. UK chart listeners kept tabs on the race to number one with amazement as Simon Cowell’s five-year reign over the coveted Christmas no. 1 slot suddenly came under threat, when most people had thought it would be another forgone conclusion. The victory was secured through the Internet, namely a Facebook group set up by a couple of fans.

The power of modern-day social networking was seen by all when this fairly obscure band hijacked the charts. So why can’t this be done again? No reason, really, as long as there is a cause worth fighting for and a mass of people to fight it. Just as Rage Against the Machine united people who were fed up with X-Factor’s monopoly on Christmas number ones, now the estimated 600,000 Christian Facebook users in the UK are presented with an opportunity to get the message of Jesus Christ back on the agenda this Easter. Alistair Kent is calling on all Christians to put the Delirious? track ‘History Maker’ on top of the UK charts on Easter Sunday.

Alistair says: “Easter for many in this day and age is about bunnies, egg hunts and a school break. But it’s the message of Christ dying for the sins of mankind and his resurrection from the grave that people need to hear. And what better way to get this message across than through the medium of music and the airplay that a number one chart position brings. Although a chart-topping single for Delirious? is a wonderful goodbye gift to them from the fans and the wider church in the UK, it’s much more than that. It’s about a message of hope passing through the airwaves across a seemingly hopeless land.”

To build awareness of the campaign, as many people as possible need to become a fan of the ‘Christian Music Topping the UK Charts’ fan page at www.facebook.com/invadetheairwaves. But it’s going to take more than just becoming a ‘virtual’ supporter of the campaign, it’s going to mean every person downloading the single ‘History Maker’ sometime between Monday 29th March and Saturday 3rd April.

The Facebook page has got off to an amazing start, with over 20,000 people following it in the first ten days. It’s estimated that 70,000 downloads will achieve a chart-topping experience. As well as using the Internet to promote the initiative, churches and other Christian organisations throughout the UK are being contacted to help get the message out.

In the band’s track ‘Revival Town’ you can hear the lyrics, “You may not hear it on the radio, but you can feel it in the air.” Let’s pray and believe that we can experience both this Easter – and together become history makers in this land!

Guest post from www.invadetheairwaves.org.uk

7 Rules...

2010-03-22T18:06:00.000Z

1. Wake up!!
Decided to have a good day. "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

2. Dress up!!
The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

3. Shut up!!
Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand up!!
...for what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good." Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look up!!
...to the Lord. "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

6. Reach up!!
...for something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift up!!
...your prayers. "Do not worry about anything; instead pray about everything." Philippians 4:6

Be my valentine?

2010-02-14T08:38:00.000Z

I love you.
You are mine.
Your name is written upon My heart.
Your prayers are precious to Me.
Your life is in My hands.
I am always with you.
I am nearer to you than your own heart.
I gave my life so that you might live forever with Me.
All I ask in return is your love.
Be My Valentine!
- Jesus