Mark Smethurst

"Here is love, vast as the ocean" - the love song of the revival

2010-03-07T16:16:00.003Z

"Here is love, vast as the ocean
Lovingkindness as the flood
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven's eternal days".

When we sang this hymn in church this morning someone turned to me and said, "Is this a new song?". They had never sung or heard of this wonderful hymn before!

Its lyrics (well, the first two verses anyway) were written by Welsh preacher and writer William Rees, whilst its melody was written by American Preacher Robert Lowry, a prolific hymn writer. William Williams added its lesser well known third and forth verses. It was originally written in Welsh, but was translated into English by William Edwards who added it to the Baptist Book of Praise in 1900.

It sprung to prominence late one Wednesday evening in Ebenezer Baptist Church, Abertillery, in 1904. A lone voice sang it out as an overflow of the heart after four hours of waiting on God; a meeting of around 1000 people crammed into every nook and cranny of that chapel. It, being widely known as the 'love song of the revival', became the anthem of a move of God which was to see around 100,000 souls swept into the Kingdom of God, 3000 or so in Abertillery alone. The local newspaper, the South Wales Gazette, reported (amongst many other details);

"Drunkards have been soberised, publicans have lost much business, conduct on public streets has been elevated, and the police and magistrates have had quieter times... The bottom of the pits have been utilised as centres for prayer and praise meetings, and there has been a general raising of the standard of public life".

I find stories like these hugely inspiring, and they go to fuel the fire of faith in my spirit for all God is doing and is going to do in our times. It drives me to prayer, and to press deeper into the Holy Spirit. I don't want a repeat of what God has done in the past; I am seeking God for an unprecedented move in which thousands are impacted by the love that the revival hymn talks about. These are exciting times; God is on the move and we're a part of it!

1 Million turn out to Haiti Prayer Meeting

2010-03-05T23:13:00.007Z

I came across this video this week on YouTube. To be honest, it brought me to tears. After a quick google search I also came across this excellent article (click here to view) giving further insight into what's been happening.

The key is prayer fuelled by the Spirit of God. The Missionary who wrote the letter in the above article draws a fantastic point; "What has been happening and is continuing to happen in Haiti did not happen because of the earthquake. It has been happening because Haitian Christians know how to pray."

My response is simple: Holy Spirit, teach me to pray.

Sunshine on a rainy day?

2005-06-27T08:01:00.000Z

Remember Cliff Arnall? Who? On January 24th this year I
wrote about a psychologist from Cardiff University who had come up with a formula stating that January 24th was the worst day of the year. Well, he's been at it again - but this time a formula to prove that last Friday, 24th June, was officially the best day of the year.

In his project commissioned by the Ice Cream maker 'Walls', he concluded the following formula - O + (N x S) + Cpm/T + He. The variables are 'O' - outdoors and outdoor activity, 'N' - nature, 'S' - social interaction, 'Cpm' - childhood summers and positive memories, 'T' - temperature, and 'He' - future holidays and looking forward to time off. Dr Arnall said: "Happiness is associated with many things in life and can be triggered by a variety of events. Whether it's a sunny day, a childhood memory, or something as effortless as eating a delicious ice cream, I wanted my formula to prove the key to happiness can really be that simple." He had to mention Ice Cream, didn't he?

The reality of last Friday for many people, particularly in Yorkshire, was rain and flash floods though. Surely it wasn't sunshine on a rainy day for them? When asked about this Dr Arnall stated "This will pass - you do get summer storms and skin is waterproof". Very pastoral, Dr Arnall!

Make your own mind up on Dr Arnall's formula. I've made mine - never to buy Walls Ice Cream again! Whatever you decide, make today the best day of the year by giving 100% - stick in there and make a difference. And do the same every day, whether June 24th, or January 24th.

A Friday Thought

2005-06-24T11:44:00.000Z

Many people try ... and fail. But worse than that, many people fail to try. All truly successful people have failed at some point in their life - faliures of varying magnitude. Successful people react to faliure in one easy step - get over it, leave it behind and move on. That's what makes them a success - the ability to move on and try again. Be a success today ...

April Fool

2005-03-31T21:39:00.000Z

A bit of fun for the 1st April! Being a Church Leader, I've seen some interesting things in Church Notice Sheets. Here are some examples of some interesting ones - if you're part of a church, why not try and get one of these into your Church Notice Sheet as a bit of April Fools Fun!

1. Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa will be speaking tonight at Calvary Memorial Church in Racine. Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.
2. Announcement in the church bulletin for a National PRAYER & FASTING Conference: "The cost for attending the Fasting and Prayer conference includes meals."
3. Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
4. "Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands."
5. The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled due to a conflict.
6. The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."
7. Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.
8. The Rector will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing "Break Forth Into Joy."
9. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.
10. Don't let worry kill you off--let the Church help.
11. Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
12. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.
13. Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
14. The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir.
15. Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
16. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a Nursery downstairs.
17. Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person(s) you want remembered.
18. Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy lunch.
19. The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb entertainment, and gracious hostility.

All you need is love ...

2005-03-18T17:32:00.000Z

It's the title of the famous Beatle's song. Go on ... you're singing it in your head now aren't you? .... 'All you need is love ... dah dah dah dah dah'. But it's true. When we get to the end of all our pretence, consumerism and self-indulgence, all we really need as men and women is love. Not love from another man or woman, but love from God.

For the past week I, along with a few friends from my church in Chepstow, have been dragging a large exhibition trailer around some town centres where we live, as well as our local racecourse, with the message 'All you need is love'. The message is clear on the trailer - it's in big white letters on a red background - 'All you need is love ... love is all you need'. We give out leaflets explaining that the greatest love than can be found in this world is found in God - his love is a perfect love, centred completely on you and me. His desire greater than anything else is that you know how great his love is for you, and that you experience the powerful effect of it in your own life.

If you want to know God's love in your life for the first time today - just ask him to show it to you. He will. Trust me. God's love is all you need.

Official! Today is the worst day of the year.

2005-01-24T16:34:00.000Z

This is the title of a news feature on wanadoo.com today - my homepage. I have to say right at the beginning - it's not true!

Cliff Arnalls, a Psychologist from Cardiff University, who specializes in seasonal disorders (whatever that is???) has done a calculation; 1/8W+(D-d) 3/8xTQ MxNA. Where: W: Weather D: Debt d: Money due in January pay T: Time since Christmas Q: Time since failed quit attempt M: General motivational levels NA: The need to take action.

EH?

It's amazing how easily we as humans are affected by our natural surroundings. I remember a January a few years back where I felt fairly down. With the dark mornings, dark nights, cold weather, and general feeling of nothing happening too soon to look forward to - January for some people can be a tough month. I spoke to an older gentleman on Saturday outside my house as I took down our Christmas lights (better late than never!) who was telling me how hard he has found Christmas and now the New Year as last year his wife of 55 years died. There are many people who find this time of year hard.

What did I do when I had my low January? I looked to my answer. When asked why he came to this earth, Jesus said 'I have come so that you can have life, and life in all its fullness'. That doesn't just go for the months of July, September, February or May. I goes for every day of every month of every year! When I ask Jesus to fill me with His life - it doesn't matter how close to Christmas I am, what my debt levels are, or what my general motivational levels are (as Cliff Arnalls would base his research on), what matters is how amazing Jesus is! With His life in my life there can be no worst days in the year! Every day is filled with life!

For the not-yet-Christian reading this - ask Jesus to fill you with His life today. If you genuinely do, he will fill you up. Try it. For the Christian reading this - experience and enjoy the life of Jesus today, and spread it around with everyone you meet.

Have a great rest of the day .... and a great rest of the month. And Cliff Arnalls, why not add a 'J' into your formula, where "J" = the life of Jesus. That would mess up your results!

Back in the web-world

2004-12-29T22:02:00.000Z

HAPPY CHRISTMAS! We're back. Had a great time over Christmas at Colette's parents. Josiah loved his first Christmas too. I know it's been 10 days since my last blog. Sorry. Life got busy over Christmas. But I have some thoughts brewing. Will try and write them up in the next few days. In the meantime ... have a great Christmas week!

Reality Check

2004-12-19T22:00:00.000Z

OK, I know it's a week since my last Blog - life has been busy this week - but I've been thinking just now. About reality. You see, so many things claim to be real, but on further investigation are merely fakes. I don't know if you remember the adverts for Coke that were around a few years ago. Coke claimed to be the 'Real Thing'. Isn't it interesting that now on Coke adverts they no longer claim their product to be the 'Real Thing' (well, apart from in the USA where they still use the caption 'Real'). Is this because they no longer claim that their product is the 'Real Thing'? No - it's merely that their advertising campaign has ended making these claims. Isn't it a stupid claim to make? Of course Coke is real - most of us drink it, and for those of us who do, we know that it isn't some imaginary liquid in a make believe can. It really is real! (Hey, this is deep isn't it!).

This time of year is always nerve racking for parents of younger children. It's the time of year that children ask, 'Dad, Mum, is Father Christmas real?'. Now every parent that I know has battled over the answer to this question; do they say 'yes', and effectively lie to their children, leaving them in a world of unreality, or say 'no' and dash their child's dreams of a reindeer with sleigh in tow landing on their semi-detached roof, and a fat man in red suit dropping down their very small (if at all existent) chimney to deliver every present on the list they sent to him two months earlier? The truth is, there is no such person as Santa, (sorry to spoil it if you still think that he is real!) but many of us maintain the story that there is such a person as Santa, and he really does visit every child in the world and bring presents on one special night a year.

There is a film which came out at the cinema recently. I haven't seen it yet, but I have seen the trailer. I think I'll like the film. It's called 'The Polar Express'. You can watch the trailer by clicking here (you need Windows Media Player to view). The opening line of the trailer is this: 'What if there was a place beyond your imagination, and to get there all you have to do is believe?' It goes on, 'Come, journey to a world where dreams become real'. Later in the trailer the character that Tom Hanks is the voice for says, 'Sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see'. I know it's a kid's film, but there is more truth in that trailer alone than there is in most films around today! My message today is this ... there is a place where dreams become real, and all you have to do to get there is believe. It's not a place that can be seen right now, but it is most definitely a real place. And it is beyond your imagination ... believe me.

How do I know it's real? I have experienced it - and do so every moment of every day of my life. It's a place where my dreams become reality, where the impossible becomes very possible. And its name? The kingdom of God. When Jesus came to this earth (and yes, he is real - in fact there's more historical evidence of Jesus walking this earth than Julius Caesar!) he came to let us know what the kingdom of God is like. And when you look at what Jesus did, you can easily see the impossible becoming reality - water into wine, blind people seeing, those with fatal skin diseases being made well, dead people coming back to life, to name just a few!

To enter the kingdom of God is straightforward - believe. Believing in Jesus is not as hard as you may think - right now if you open yourself up to him - genuinely open yourself to Jesus - you will find a belief and a faith in him beginning to rise up within you. And then you too will begin to know the reality of the kingdom of God.

As you come into the kingdom of God, you will begin to see your dreams turning into reality. What are your dreams right now? What are the things that right now are only in your imagination? Get ready - because if you are in God's kingdom, those things are about to become reality. Are you sick and need to be well? Ask God to do it. Need finance? Ask God to provide. Need an impossible situation to change? You're in God's kingdom, where the impossible becomes possible, so get ready for a change in that situation.

If you're not a Christian and reading this, there is a world waiting for you to discover. All you have to do to experience it is believe. Open yourself up to Jesus now, and begin to enjoy life in his kingdom. If you're a Christian and reading this, live as a true citizen of the kingdom of God today - open yourself up to the impossible today and see what God wants to do for you! And hey, why not spread some of that impossible becoming possible to someone who's not yet a Christian today?

You know, it is true - sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see. That's reality to me anyway.

This time six years ago ...

2004-12-12T18:16:00.000Z

This time six years ago, what were you doing? I bet you can't remember exactly. I can. This time six years ago I was speaking. I was speaking at an event that I will never speak at again. I was speaking at a once in a lifetime event that none of you will ever speak at. What was that event? My wedding day!

Yes, six years ago today I married Colette, and I have never regretted it! In fact, being married to Colette has been the most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my life. She is an amazing woman. She is my best friend, my lover, my helper, a wonderful mother to our son, Josiah ... she is faithful, honest, beautiful, funny, wise ... she has the voice of an angel (particularly when singing), an enchanting smile, a lightness and freedom of spirit envied by many. I could go on ...

Anyone that says that marriage gets harder the longer you do it, in my opinion and experience, is wrong. Marriage gets better day by day, month by month, year by year. The challenges merely serve to deepen love, the arguments serve to sharpen character. As time builds, love grows.

Every day I thank God that he brought Colette into my life, and caused her to fall in love with a klutz like me! But today especially, six years from our wedding day, I take time and say a particular thank you to God, for my gorgeous Colette.

I've joined the bloggers!

2004-12-07T16:44:00.000Z

Where I live, blogging is the new craze. Like the day at school when one trendy kid brought in a yoyo and the next day everyone came in with a yoyo. In South Wales (where I live) blogging is the same - one kid started blogging, and now the rest of us have joined in!

Why have I joined in? Everywhere you look you find opinions. TV, Radio, Newspaper, Pub, Shops, Schools, Gym, Workplace. I have opinions too, and like everyone else I believe my opinion to be right. There are so many questions in life - and to every question there are myriads of answers all pertaining to be the answer. But there is only one true answer to every question in life, and even though some might say that I am copping out with my answer, it is one that I choose to rest in. And it works. All the time. For every question. My answer is the only answer. Get to know me, and you'll get to know my answer!

Faith is an interesting thing. We can't make ourselves have faith. Faith comes from outside of our natural selves, when we open ourselves up to the one who gives faith, we enter a world no longer governed by the rules of natural society. Faith is like the wardrobe leading to Narnia. It's like the mirror leading to Wonderland; the red pill leading to the Matrix. It's because of faith that my answer answers every question. Every other competing answer is merely playing around with earthly thought, but my answer will transport you into the world of the impossible, the world of the (without faith) unbelievable.

So that's the reason for my blog. I have the answer, not an answer, but the answer. As you read you'll get to know me. You'll meet my family. You'll meet my mind, my thoughts, my feelings. You'll get to know what I do each day. But most of all in my blog, I hope you meet one more person ....

... my answer.