Poem for Today: "Love Flowed Freely"

Love Flowed Freely

When love flowed freely from the Cross,

Man’s richest gain was Heaven’s loss.

When love flowed freely on that day

It washed the darkest sin away.

The Saviour paid the price for sin,

Repentant hearts can enter in.

Love flowing freely from His side,

The bridegroom waits His spotless bride.

When freed from sin, from toil, from pain,

Our joyful praise is Heaven’s gain.

In service now, our arms we raise,

To Him in everlasting praise.

© 2010 Colin Gordon-Farleigh

My choice for the 'Hymn for Today' : "Abundant Life"

Abundant Life   7676 D

TUNE: Angel’s Story

I stand in awe of  Jesus,

My Saviour and my Lord;

He is the true salvation,

He is the Living Word.

He came to earth to save us,

From sin to set us free;

He came for our redemption,

To rescue you and me.

He is the path to heaven,

The Life, the Truth, the Way,

There is no other pathway,

No matter what men say.

He’ll comfort you in sorrow,

And lead you by the hand,

From darkness into glory,

On to the promised land.

O, holy, holy, holy,

The choir of angels sings;

For each soul that is rescued,

To Jesus glory brings.

He is the mighty Saviour,

Who rescues us from strife,

Who heals us when we’re broken,

And gives abundant life.

© 2011 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Update on the Bill in the Lords

The following comes from the Coalition for Marriage whom you can support by donations and by sharing on your social networking page, as well as by word of mouth. Contact them by post at: Coalition for Marriage, 8 Marshalsea Road, London, SE1 1HL or by telephone: 0207 403 7879

Dear marriage supporter,

I thought you would appreciate an update on what has been happening with the same-sex marriage Bill in the House of Lords. There has been lots going on.

The Bill has now completed its Committee Stage. As is usual, there have been no votes during Committee Stage. The Bill now moves to Report Stage, scheduled to take place on 8 and 10 July, when we expect there will be votes on key amendments.

During Committee Stage, many Peers have been pressing for a long list of protections for people who believe in traditional marriage, including:

· Protecting people at work from being disciplined just because they voice support for traditional marriage.

· Stopping local authorities using the Public Sector Equality Duty to ban a church from hiring public facilities just because the church disagrees with same-sex marriage.

· Protecting foster carers from being blacklisted by social workers just because they believe marriage is the union of a man and woman.

· Giving couples the option of marrying according to the real definition of marriage, rather than being forced to marry according to the new genderless definition.

· Protecting the right of teachers to express support for traditional marriage without risking their careers.

· Making clear that freedom of speech about marriage should not be restricted by equality laws.

There have been some passionate and excellent speeches from Peers who support these protections, including from a number of the country’s top legal experts. A former Lord Chancellor and two former senior judges lent their voices to the call for civil liberty safeguards.

The Government has promised to change the criminal law so that criticism of same-sex marriage won’t be, of itself, a hate-crime. We welcome that reassurance, but our primary concern lies with civil, not criminal, law. For example, employment law and discrimination law – where the problems are most likely to arise – are part of civil law. Here, the Government has stubbornly refused to give an inch on safeguarding the freedom of people who believe in traditional marriage.

They even went as far as saying people who work in the private sector – let alone public sector – should be fired if they refuse to provide services for a same-sex wedding. As far as the Government is concerned, there should be no liberty of conscience in those circumstances.

That shows what we’re up against, but we have no intention of backing down. We will be working hard to call for safeguards for people – like you – who support traditional marriage.

This is important work, but we haven’t stopped defending the principle of real marriage. We always said the Government would tie itself in knots trying to redefine marriage, and here is just one example: in the official Explanatory Notes which accompany the Bill, the Government says:

The terms “husband” and “wife” here refer to a person who is married for the purposes of paragraph 1(2)(c) of Schedule 3. This means that “husband” here will include a man or a woman in a same sex marriage, as well as a man married to a woman. In a similar way, “wife” will include a woman married to another woman or a man married to a man. The result is that this section is to be construed as including both male and female same sex marriage. (Read it for yourself, see p29)

In other words, under this Bill, a woman can be a “husband” and a man can be “wife”. It just shows that words lose all meaning when politicians meddle with marriage

Find the Hymns and Worship Songs of Colin Gordon-Farleigh

There are several places to find a selection of my hymns, all of which allow you to Copy & Paste for use in either School Assemblies or Worship Services, as well as simply singing them at home yourself. All I ask is that their use is reported in the usual way to CCLI if it is for any form of public performance, or performance by the public.

You can find them on Facebook by going via the following link.

You can find a wide selection of them on this Blog by searching through under the label for 'Hymns'; 'Hymn for Today' and 'Worship Songs.'

My choice for the 'Hymn for Today : "His Grace"

His Grace  

TUNE: Buckland  77 77

We’re saved by the grace of Christ,

Saved by God’s redeeming love;

We can serve Him here below ,

Till we meet with Him above.

We’ll meet up in heav’n one day,

Then see Jesus face to face;

Worshipping in glory there,

We will praise Him for His grace.

We will know our dear Lord’s love,

 Blessing us upon the earth;

We will meet redemptive power,

Gifted through the Saviour’s birth.

Long to stand before Him now,

Gazing on His holy face;

Worship Him with joy and love,

Glorify his perfect grace.

© 2010 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

The tune @buckland' was composed by Leighton George Hayne (1836 - 1883) and is used to sing the hymn "Loving Shepherd of Thy Sheep."  You can listen to the tune by following this link.

'The Dog That Did Not Bark' : Government surveillance and jihad

The National-Security Right Goes Silent
On the NSA, the dog will not bark.
By Andrew C. McCarthyhttp://www.nationalreview.com/article/351128/national-security-right-goes-silent-andrew-c-mccarthy

ANDREW C. MCCARTHY

The jihad rages on, but the War on Terror is over.

There is no longer a national-security consensus — no longer the political support for wartime defense measures, much less offensive combat operations. While the enemy continues to fight, our will to break the enemy’s will has vanished. After a contentious week, that much is clear. The controversy swirling around shadowy intelligence programs hasn’t gotten to the bottom of those programs, but it tells us everything we need to know about . . . us.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s dog that did not bark is a metaphor worn out by journalists. This week, though, the lack of a bark was loud and clear: The bark of the national-security Right defending the wartime powers of the presidency. For a variety of reasons, many of the protagonists have developed amnesia about how we came to have the programs now provoking all the cavil: the debates over the PATRIOT Act and FISA (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act).

After a series of attacks through the Nineties, the 9/11 atrocities destroyed the World Trade Center, struck the Pentagon, and killed nearly 3,000 Americans. In the savage clarity, our nation finally realized that what I’ve called “kinetic Islam” — a combination of militant jihadists and their sharia-supremacist enablers — was at war with the United States. The PATRIOT Act was a product of our vigorous and persuasive contention, on the national-security right, that the challenge was an enemy force, not a criminal-justice problem. That challenge demanded a national war-footing, not judicial due process.

It was precisely this contention, moreover, that beat back the Left’s effort to intrude the judiciary into the collection of foreign intelligence — constitutionally, a paradigm executive function — when FISA was overhauled in 2008.

In fits and starts over the years, progressives and libertarians have aligned against the war, for different reasons. Hardwired to find American fault in every dispute, the Left is sympathetic to Islamic supremacism’s indictment against the United States, if not its barbaric methods. Libertarians have been wary because war inexorably enhances the power of the state at the expense of liberty — Big Government is more to be feared than the jihad.

That this fear is overstated does not mean it is frivolous. It is real, and has been stoked to a fare-thee-well by the “War on Terror.” The label itself betrays our cravenness. Unwilling to name the enemy for fear of giving offense, the government framed the challenge not as an aggressor but as an aggressive tactic. It encouraged Americans to go on with their lives as normal (lest “the terrorists win”).

Necessarily, this ensured that the public would notice the war only in the government’s defense measures against the tactic. These were thus certain to become more onerous; after all, that was how politicians too timid to say “Islam” or “jihad” proved they were tough on . . . er . . . “violent extremism.” But these defense measures, erosions of liberty and privacy, could be abided only as long as the public felt profoundly threatened. That feeling would certainly not last, no matter how long we had troops on faraway battlefields, if the public was not (a) invested in victory over our enemies; (b) persuaded that being molested at the airport and similar indignities had something to do with achieving victory; and (c) convinced that the lack of similar-scale attacks in the years after 9/11 was due to the defense measures.

The most compelling claim against the war effort, argued jointly by progressives and libertarians, was that there was no conceivable conclusion to a war of this nature. Wars against traditional enemies end when the enemy — usually, a nation-state — surrenders or strikes a treaty. But how can a war against a tactic end?

Consequently, the argument went, the War on Terror would go on indefinitely, and with it the metastasizing security state. This argument is now muted on the Left. Bush-deranged progressives turn out to be quite comfortable with a security state as long as one of their own is running it. But for libertarians, the argument has grown ever more heated.

Nothing, not even war, happens in a vacuum. Over the last six years, as libertarian angst churned over surveillance, detention, military commissions, and drone attacks, the progressive-lite GOP establishment gave way to hardcore Obama statism. As a result, libertarians, quite appropriately, have become a hugely influential opposition faction. They are a big part of the Tea Party’s energy, and the Tea Party is the dynamo of the Right. Increasingly, as the Right’s ne plus ultra has become stopping Big Government’s advance, conservatives and Republicans have been more willing to overlook libertarian objections to adhesive security measures — sometimes, even to see a good deal of sense in them.

[CONTINUE READING ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE] 

Gary McCray sings "I Don't Love You Any Less"

Another great song from 'Songster' Gary McCray for you to enjoy today. Check out Gary's other songs featured on Youtube, and pay a visit to his website.

My choice for the 'Hymn for Today' : "Before Your Throne"

Before Your Throne    66 66

Tune: Eccles

We praise You, our Lord God,

In love and glory now;

We worship You as King,

Before Your throne we bow.

We raise our hands to heav’n,

In love and glory now;

Our sin has been forgiv’,n

Before Your throne we bow.

In rapture, joy and praise

In love and glory now;

Our song to You we raise,

Before Your throne we bow.

We praise You as our friend,

In love and glory now;

Our great and loving King,

Before Your throne we bow.

© 2011 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Gary McCray sings 'Momma Knew How to Pray'

Quote on Prayer by John Bunyan

Flaws in the 'Same-Sex Marriage' Bill & the Government's Stance

	The Government is blocking protections
	Dear marriage supporter, The Coalition Government has agreed to change the criminal law to put it beyond doubt that disagreeing with same-sex marriage is not a hate crime. That should send a helpful message to those who throw around the ‘bigot’ label far too freely. However, Government ministers are being advised by officials in the equalities office to block any other protections in the civil law. We think reasonable changes need to be made to employment law and equality law to protect people like you – people who believe in traditional marriage – but the Government is not listening. The House of Lords is currently examining the Bill line by line. The legislation is getting the kind of prolonged scrutiny that the Government did not permit in the Commons. In the Commons the Government guillotined debate and stacked the committee with the Bill’s supporters, but they can’t do that in the Lords. Now that the Bill is under the spotlight in the Lords, gaps are beginning to show. Faithfulness ‘not necessary’ Astonishingly, the Government says fidelity is not a necessary part of any marriage. The exact quote from the Government minister is: “In terms of the law, marriage does not require the fidelity of couples. It is open to each couple to decide for themselves on the importance of fidelity within their own relationship.” In other words, under the Bill, the Government doesn’t think faithfulness is important in marriage. This is because it wants to avoid the legal problems which would otherwise be created if it introduced laws about adultery or consummation for same-sex marriage. That shatters the argument that this Bill will strengthen marriage. No, it will wreck marriage. Job losses Up until now, officials in the equalities office have been telling Government ministers that the Bill won’t harm the liberty of people who disagree with it. But after pressure in the House of Lords, Government ministers have admitted they want commercial companies to be able to sack staff who refuse to be involved with same-sex marriages. The Government thinks commercial chauffeurs who object to a same-sex marriage should be dismissed. By the same logic, florists, photographers and cake makers would also be in the firing line. We want a reasonable accommodation for such workers, a bit of flexibility which takes account of people’s sincere beliefs. But so far the Government has stubbornly refused. We are also calling for protections for public sector workers like teachers and chaplains; and we want to make sure that local councils can’t penalise organisations who disagree with same-sex marriage. So far, the Government won’t give way. But the Lords are putting the Government on the spot, making life very uncomfortable for them. We are working very hard to defend traditional marriage. We will continue to do so, and we value your ongoing support. Please help us by making a generous donation of £50, £100, £200 or as much as you can afford.  DONATE  Yours sincerely, Colin Hart Campaign Director Coalition for Marriage

On the Demise of St John's Church, Runcorn

On the Demise of St John’s, Runcorn

Here, in the sepulchred silence of the dying day,

A hundred years of passing saints have trod;

Some walking proud, some falling on their knees,

But all of them to spend some time with God.

Here, amidst the glory of pitch-pine and lofty height,

They worshipped in the morning and the night.

Where, Sunday by Sunday,

The people prayed,

And the organ played;

Where hymns were sung in unison,

Supported by the choir in their stalls ―

But that’s not all.

Out on the Bowling Green

Where once at Summer Fete

The woods were seen,

It’s now a JCB that tears the soil.

Roses, daffodils, forget-me-not,

Have all fallen to the metal scoop

And lie discarded in a dying heap.

Yet I recall, and not so long ago,

The times I stood in crow-black gown,

And looking down

Upon those worshippers who congregated there,

In pew after pew, where saints have sat and sin has trod,

I shared the Word of God.

© 2013 Colin Gordon-Farleigh

'Indian Love Call' sung by the legendary Slim Whitman

One of Slim's greatest hits. Thank you for the music, Slim, we'll never forget you.

In memory of the great Slim Whitman

Today I'm thinking of the legendary Country Singer, Slim Whitman, who died yesterday aged 90. It seems like only yesterday when I first discovered Slim, yet it's actually 56 years ago. At least his music lives on. 

Photographic Memories of Holidays in West Wales

Just a few photographs from holidays spent in West Wales, reminding me of the urgent need to go there once again and satisfy the feeling of hiraeth that is flooding over me today.

 Whether you are by the coast or inland theer is always an abundance of beautiful scenery to enjoy.

 A quiet woodland spot is calming for the soul.

 Plenty of water to enjoy, whether river or sea.

 A quiet beach ideal for family fun and pleasure.

Criccieth in West Wales is a beautiful place to be. 

Castles abound all over the Principality 

4 Great Songs for you to enjoy.

I have just posted three great songs to the Sheer Joy Music Reverbnation page, so why not check them out and have a listen. You can buy these songs on iTunes, CD Baby and Amazon. The first song is by Jennifer Douglas, the second is by Lauralei and the last two are from Milli Alaira.

"Love Away the Hate" --- Jennifer Douglas
http://www.reverbnation.com/c./poni/208018595

"What Did You Mean?"  --- Lauralei
http://www.reverbnation.com/c./poni/208014939

 "If Only I Had Wings"  --- Milli Alaira
http://www.reverbnation.com/c./poni/208017331

"Dance!"  --- Milli Alaira
http://www.reverbnation.com/millialaira/song/9729516-dance

"Living Water" : My choice for the 'Hymn for Today.'

Living Water  7775 

We will drink living water,

We will drink living water,

Yes, we’ll drink living water,

From Jesus, our well.

He will feed and sustain us,

He will feed and sustain us,

Yes, He’ll feed and sustain us,

When we give ourselves.

We will never go hungry,

We will never go hungry,

No, we’ll never go hungry,

The rest of our days.

He will cleanse us for ever,

He will cleanse us for ever,

Yes, He’ll cleanse us for ever,

When His name we praise.

We will never be thirsty,

We will never be thirsty,

No, we’ll never be thirsty,

When His name we raise.

For we’ll drink Living Water,

We will drink Living Water,

Yes, we’ll drink Living Water

From Jesus, our well.

© 2007 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Funeral Poems: "My Friend"

My Friend

There’s something more than wealth,

Important — more than health,

More precious than the summer rose,

When life is drawing to a close.

To look back once, toward the end,

To know I’ve known you as a friend.

In happiness, throughout the years,

We’ve shared our joy between the tears;

A shoulder always there, on which to cry,

Never once the need to say a last ‘Goodbye’.

I give my thanks for being constant, true,

With hope, — I’ve done the same for you.

© Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Funeral Poem: "Softly"

Here is a poem which I will read out at a funeral service that I will conduct on Friday. The first verse was written by an anonymous author. I have added the last two verses.

Softly

Softly the leaves of memory fall,
Gently I gather and treasure them all.
Unseen, unheard,
You are always near,
So missed, so loved, so very dear.

Softly the light from the stars above,
Glinting and twinkling their message of love.
Unseen, unheard,
You are always near,
So missed, so loved, so very dear.

Softly the sound in heaven above,
Silent the words to my whispered love;
Unseen, unheard,
You are always near,
So missed, so loved, so very dear.
© 2013 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Colin Gordon-Farleigh on the subject of "When I retire ..."

In August of this year I will reach the age of 70. For some years now people keep on insisting on raising the spectre of retirement with me, asking me when I plan to retire. Well, I can now share with you all the plan for my retirement that I have decided on, and which I do not plan to vary from unless the Lord leads me otherwise. Quite simply it is this:
"When the day comes that there are no longer any souls that need rescuing from the mouth of hell and directing towards the arms of the Almighty, then, and only then, will I retire."

Great Christian Quotes by A.W. Tozer

"Let me never become a slave to crowds."

"Most Christians don't hear God's voice because we've already decided we aren't going to do what He says."

 "The weakness of so many modern Christians is that they feel too much at home in the world. In their effort to achieve restful adjustment to unregenerate society they have lost their pilgrim character and become an essential part of the very moral order against which they are sent to protest. The world recognizes them and accepts them for what they are. And this is the saddest thing that can be said about them. They are not lonely, but neither are they saints."

 "Religion today is not transforming people; rather it is being transformed by the people. It is not raising the moral level of society; it is descending to society's own level, and congratulating itself that it has scored a victory because society is smilingly accepting its surrender."

 "It is more important that God be glorified then that I be saved!"

"Go empty your head and get your heart filled and you'll be better off."

"I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain."

"Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshippers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ,
are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified. The body becomes stronger as its members become healthier. The whole church of God gains when
the members that compose it begin to seek a better and a higher life."

"The neglected heart will soon be a heart overrun with worldly thoughts; the neglected life will soon become a moral chaos; the church that is not jealously protected by mighty intercession and sacrificial labors will before long become the abode of every evil bird and the hiding place for unsuspected corruption. The creeping wilderness will soon take over that church that trusts in its own strength and forgets to watch and pray."

"Until self-effacing men return again to spiritual leadership, we may expect a progressive deterioration in the quality of popular Christianity year after year till we reach the point where the grieved Holy Spirit withdraws - like the Shekinah from the temple."

 "Wise leaders should have known that the human heart cannot exist in a vacuum. If Christians are forbidden to enjoy the wine of the Spirit they will turn to the wine of the flesh....Christ died for our hearts and the Holy Spirit wants to come and satisfy them."

"We need a baptism of clear seeing. We desperately need seers who can see through the mist--Christian leaders with prophetic vision. Unless they come soon it will be too late for this generation. And if they do come we will no doubt crucify a few of them in the name of our worldly orthodoxy."

"Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late - and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it
simply will not work. To pray for revival while ignoring the plain precept laid down in Scripture is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble. Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience."