Author: admin

Sunday 18th May 2025

“In the Lord I put my trust;
How can you say to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
2 For look! The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?
4 The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men.
5 The Lord tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
6 Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright.”
Psalm 11 NKJV

“For the Lord is righteous, He loves justice;
the upright will see his face.”
Psalm 11:7 NIV

Righteous Lord,

I am amazed at the relationship David had with You. He knew You could not be contained in a Temple no matter how glorious it was. He knew that You resided in a place other than the one he dwelt in and yet were able to see all men from Your throne. A God beyond his imagination and all powerful. Yet he felt able to question You, plead for Your forgiveness and even look to You for a house to dwell inn forever after death! David came both humbly and boldly to worship and be Your servant.

You, Lord are righteous and love justice. You have not changed. I will never be good enough in my own strength. I am a sinner. Try as hard as I can I cannot make it as a Saint even for a day. But then I know You find me wanting Romans 3:23).. Fire brimstone and burning wind should be my reward. Until You, who loves justice, looked upon me and saw in my heart Jesus and His robe of righteousness covering me. The only one who never sinned and who took my place and my punishment.

So I can and will clearly see Your face and experience personally Your look of love. I can approach You, worship you, speak with You and put my trust in You.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Sunday 18th May 2025
I had forgotten how intimate and wonderful this worship is. And so fitting for today.

Moses stood on a mountain
Waiting for You to pass by
You put Your hand over his face
So in Your Presence, he wouldn’t die
And all of Israel saw the glory
And it shines down through the age
Now You’ve called me
To boldly seek Your Face

Show me Your face, Lord
Show me Your face
And then gird up my legs
That I might stand in this holy place
Show me Your face, Lord
Your power and Your grace
Your power and grace
I would make it to the end
If I can just see Your face

David knew there was something more
Than the ark of Your presence
In a manger Messiah was born
Among kings and peasants
And all of Israel saw the glory
And it shines down through the age
Now You’ve called us
To boldly seek Your face

Show me Your face, Lord
Show me Your face
And then gird up my legs
That I might stand in this holy place
Show me Your face, Lord
Your power and Your grace
Your power and grace
I will make it to the end
If I can just see Your face

Lyrics: Don Potter and John Wilds



Saturday 17th May 2025

Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing!
    The faithful have vanished from the earth!
2 Neighbors lie to each other,
    speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
3 May the Lord cut off their flattering lips
    and silence their boastful tongues.
4 They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content.
    Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”
5 The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless,
    and I have heard the groans of the poor.
Now I will rise up to rescue them,
    as they have longed for me to do.”
6 The Lord’s promises are pure,
    like silver refined in a furnace,
    purified seven times over.
7 Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed,
    preserving them forever from this lying generation,
8 even though the wicked strut about,
    and evil is praised throughout the land.
Psalm 12 NLT

Lord God,

Immortal, invisible, God only wise and the hymn says. And this Psalm starts by lifting us beyond our troubles to our source of help, You Lord.. Help. A good word to start with. No an amazing, all encompassing word to start on. We realise how much we need You. Sometimes Lord my own personal Psalm is just that – HELP! And reassuringly You already know everything. I don’t have to explain it all.

The enemy does not need to send an army to defeat David as he is already beating himself up and feeling isolated. Everybody is lying, boasting and giving false flattery. Everybody? Sometimes it seems the world, our nation is full of people who lie and ignore You God.

But it is not true. Lord break in and remind us as You did David, that You know all this. You are the Lord of history. Your promises have been refined – they are pure. They and righteous. You sent Jesus the perfect source of help even though the ungodly still boasted and strutted around. They do not know their end or they would turn to You. Thank you that You are our very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46). And our eternal home (Psalm 23:6). Help us as we journey.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Saturday 17th May 2025
I selected this version because it makes this a cheerful, hopeful, helpful hymn.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:

Under the shadow of your throne
Your saints have been secure;
All we need is You alone
And our defense is sure.

O God, our help in ages past,
God be our guide
As long as life will last

Before the hills and mountains stood
Or Earth received her frame,
From everlasting you are God,
And forever more the same.

O God, our help in ages past,
God be our guide
As long as life will last

O God our help for years to come
God be our guide
And our eternal home
And our eternal home

Lyrics: Isaac Watts
Arrangement by: The great jungle journey VBS.

Friday 16th May 2025

“1Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress;
have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
2 How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him.
4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
7 You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Psalm 4

God of my righteousness,

David had a full life both as a working boy: shepherd and musician and giant slayer. He had an unexpected life as an adult: as a King, an adulterer, a wanted refugee, a returning King who had failed to discipline his sons. He learned through hard experience.

Sometimes we know Your Spirit within us because as we read a Psalm a different part of it speaks to us, at a different time, and we wonder why we had not noticed it before! It is You getting our attention. Like this Psalm and verse 4 for me today – which reflects something Paul also says in Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath.”

And David inserts a Selah for our attention here! Someone once said to me that Selah is like a take a pause button. Its a command to stop and think about that! Yes be angry. Sometimes anger is our response whether righteous or just human. But old and new testaments tell us to meditate upon it before we sleep and get rid of it and find Your stillness and peace. Stop and think about that! How much better will we feel. And if actions are needed, or words to be said, they will be out of a place of calm and not anger and wrath. If we meditate upon it, it will be brought before and You can take over judgement from us And we who have been forgiven much can forgive with Your help. It is not always easy Lord . . .

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Friday 16th May 2025
Yes for the end of the day. And to be able to sing it at night in peace . . .

The day you gave us, Lord, is ended,
the darkness falls at your request;
to you our morning hymns ascended,
your praise shall sanctify our rest.

We thank you that your Church, unsleeping
while earth rolls onward into light,
through all the world her watch is keeping
and never rests by day or night.

As over continent and island
each dawn leads to another day,
the voice of prayer is never silent,
nor do the praises die away.

So be it, Lord! Your throne shall never,
like earth’s proud empires, pass away;
your kingdom stands and grows forever
until there dawns your glorious day.

Lyrics: John Ellerton