Gary Grant

I have been listening to Matt Redman's new album in the past few days. I would strongly suggest you go to iTunes and buy the album for yourself and make an investment into your own spirit. It's great contemporary music for worship. But without a doubt there is one key song on the album which is speaking into my heart.   It is the song "Mercy". The lyrics are ..... "I will kneel in the dust at the foot of the cross, where mercy paid for me. Where the wrath I deserve, it is gone, it has passed. Your blood has hidden me. Mercy, mercy, as endless as the sea. I'll sing Your hallelujah for all eternity. We will lift up the cup and the bread we will break, remembering Your love. We were fallen from grace, but You took on our shame and nailed it to a cross. Mercy, mercy, as endless as the sea. I'll sing Your hallelujah for all eternity. [repeat] May I never lose the wonder, oh, the wonder of Your mercy. ...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles . And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV)   I was reading this verse in Hebrews this morning in my quiet time and these words jumped out at me. Sin easily entangles. It seams easier to sin than it does to not sin. How do you define sin ? Missing the mark, missing the target, ......has been my best ever definition for my life, and it seams that for some, maybe you, and certainly for me... Its easy to sin. Its easy to miss the mark, to miss the target of my life. Why ? What ? When ? How ? Those que...

Often in my life I get puzzled. I get confused by things that happen around me, and often, by things that happen to me and the stupid choices I sometimes make for myself. However there are some other things about life that puzzle me, and make me question a few things about myself, but also faith. Here are a few of my puzzles.... 1. Why someone can accept Christ and his kingdom! and walk in his ways! and then just turn around and walk away from the love of Jesus and serving in his house, the church ?!?!?! Now I get it that churches mess with people's heads, and that the demands and expectations from the church over people is sometimes way over the top, I also get it that sometimes our heirarchy systems leave a bad taste in people's mouths .... but walk away from Jesus ..? .... I have seen some who have had active roles in leadership, in helping others get their head around Jesus and his love, in church! only for them to turn around and walk away! seeing church and Jesu...