Liane Hadley, Conwy

After thinking there is no way I could contribute to this, having never been a ‘blogger’, I want to thank you for the opportunity to remind myself of how wonderful God’s grace and mercy has been over the years. Time to sit and ponder these questions has been an encouragement and blessing; I hope it may be for anyone reading too.

Which verses would you take to the desert island?

I have never considered being limited to a few select Bible verses. What a privilege that, at the click of a button, I have access to several versions of the Bible in my pocket and can search through it with ease. However, there are some particular verses that stand out to me for various reasons.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

I was saved whilst I was at Bangor University in 1999, but had very little Biblical literacy. At baptismal classes, the foundations of the Christian faith were laid out methodically. It was the Bible verses that we were encouraged to learn by heart that made the most impact; they still remind me of the joy of those earliest moments of salvation. Whenever I am struggling with doubts or insecurities I can refer to these words and be reminded how awesome the gospel is and my position in Christ.

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

The next verse became very memorable to me when we were living in Bolivia. We were at a bit of a crossroads; earnestly seeking whether to stay in Bolivia or return to the UK. I was desperately sad and homesick but fought it constantly, believing that I wasn’t serving God properly if I gave up. Our dear neighbour, Anita Cook, a long term missionary, wrote to me sharing these encouraging words. I felt the burden of the decision making lift and rejoiced in the freedom to know that our mighty, compassionate God takes great delight in His people and even rejoices over them with singing. It still encourages me to this day, especially when I get sucked into self-pity and negative thought patterns...He is mighty to save!

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is so well known but has a particular poignancy for a certain time in my life. In October 2007 I went for a routine 18 week pregnancy scan. The midwife was having trouble hearing the heartbeat so sent me into the hospital for an emergency ultrasound. I remember on the journey asking the Lord to be with me and help me. Sadly, our baby had died and I was to be induced 2 days later to deliver it.  During that time, I know many prayers went up for us and we felt an amazing strength to face the trial knowing God was with us. Following this event, a close friend presented us with a painting with Psalm 23 on and it quite honestly depicted a lot of our experience at this difficult time.

Who would you like to find on the island for company?

Having grown up in a non-Christian home, I would really like to have the opportunity to take my great-grandad Bert to the Island. He was the minister of a United Reformed Church in Rayleigh, Essex, where I grew up. He married my Mum & Dad, although we didn’t worship at his church or follow Christ as a family. My brother and I were relatively close to my great-grandparents as they were local and we would go visit them once or twice a week. Grandad Bert (Albert Syrett to be exact!) was always cheerful, smiling, with red-rosy cheeks and time to spend with us. He died when I was 7 or 8. It was not until I came to know the Lord Jesus myself, 13 years later, that I wondered how often he had prayed in anguish over our salvation, the reason for his cheerfulness became clear. Even in death, I vaguely remember visiting him in a hospice and he was still smiling - I guess he knew where he was headed and that was a comfort in his last moments. I would love to meet him on the island so that we can glorify God, rejoicing over answered prayer and listen to his ministry that I never had the chance to hear. So readers, please keep praying for your grandchildren and great-grandchildren, even if you do not live to see their transformation yourself!

Which song would you take to the island?

This was possibly the hardest one of the three to decide upon. I love listening to music and have found life's big moments defined by listening to certain pieces. I often turn to music when I am struggling emotionally and/or spiritually and I find it resonates with me in a way that sometimes just reading alone doesn’t. Having not grown up in church, I’m not always at ease with some of the old hymns and generally listen to more contemporary worship music. However, if there was one song to remind me of the essence of the gospel and to focus my mind on Christ, it would have to be Horatio Spafford’s ‘It is well with my soul’ - albeit sung in a more contemporary style! One of my favourite covers is by Jimmy Needham. I can’t completely imagine all the writer went through when he wrote it but I can testify to some of the amazing comforts and kindnesses in dark times that are expressed in this song.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin — oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! —
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Anne Gamston, Gloucester

Having been on the Christian pathway for sixty five years, I am still amazed at the goodness of God who brought me to repentance & faith, revealing to me the love & beauty of the Saviour. Whilst the pathway has not always been easy and there have been many adversities, none the less the real joy of an eternal hope, of sins forgiven and cleansing in the blood of Jesus Christ has been such a blessing through the years.

Which verses would you take to the desert island?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Having been brought up in a non-Christian home and yet, at the age of eight, longing to know God, must surely be a work of the Holy Spirit in my life. It was another five years before I heard the gospel preached, which brought me to understand my need to trust the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of my sin.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

As with others, to mention verses of scripture which have been an encouragement as well as a challenge, would mean quoting the whole Bible. However, Proverbs 3:5-6, which is inscribed in my wedding ring, has been a daily reminder of my need to trust the one who knows the future. By the enabling of the Holy Spirit, helps me to do so, although 'not leaning to my own understanding' is a challenge!

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

The love which God showered upon me is truly wonderful and I can only say with the hymn writer: 'Oh that my soul could love and praise Him more!'

Which song would you take to the island?

This line comes from the hymn I have chosen to have on the Desert Island as a reminder that He is always watching over me and will never leave or forsake me. Here's a link to the hymn being sung.

Immortal honours rest on Jesus' head,

My God, my portion and my daily bread;

In Him I live, upon Him cast my care;

He saves from death, destruction and despair.

He is my refuge in each deep distress,

the Lord my strength and glorious righteousness,

Through floods and flames He leads me safely on,

and daily makes His sovereign goodness known.

My every need He richly will supply,

nor will His mercy ever let me die;

in Him there dwells a treasure all divine,

and matchless grace has made that treasure mine.

O that my soul could love and praise Him more,

His beauties trace, His majesty adore,

live near His heart, upon His bosom lean,

obey His voice and all His Will esteem.

Who would you like to find on the island for company?

Being on a Desert Island, with only one other person, would be a real challenge because as a society we rely on and interact with many people. There are those who are well known from the past and there are many who have lived godly lives, quietly getting on with the Lord's work. One such person is Sister Eva of Friedenshort, who having come to faith as a young girl in Germany, chose to give up a very privileged life to help those whom society ignored or wanted to dispose of. She used what resources she had to care for abandoned children and the destitute, seeking to show the love of Christ whilst teaching them the word of God. With often poor health and little resources, she gave everything in order to point people to the Saviour. Her calm manner was a testimony to the love and grace of God. She proved again and again that He is able to supply all needs and many were richly blessed because of her sacrificial life in which she always gave glory to her heavenly father.

Christ for us: Our righteousness

Christ in us: Our sanctification

Christ through us: Our strength

This was her motto and the word impossible in the work was not in her vocabulary as she believed with all her heart that with God all things are possible in His will. An ideal person to be with on a Desert Island.

Jonny Raine, Cwmbran

I actually have a secret desire to visit a desert island. In fact, specifically, I’d like to make a trip to the south pacific to visit some of the atolls – ring shaped islands with a lagoon in the centre. I’m not sure I’d like to be isolated from civilisation for all that long though, so a short trip would about do it for me.

Which verses would you take to the island?

…Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine. Ezekiel 47:1-12

If I may make a slight break with the pattern, I’d take a passage rather than a smattering of isolated verses. Since preaching through the book of Ezekiel four years ago, my favourite passage has been Ezekiel 47:1-12.

This passage is wonderfully poetic and rich in imagery. Ezekiel has had a vision of the newly rebuilt temple and he’s looking around. Then he’s shown this trickling stream coming from out of the temple. He walks through it and the river gets deeper and deeper until he cannot stand in its depths. As he looks to the banks of the river which are littered with trees on either side. Fruit trees abound bearing fruit every month and with leaves that heal. And he’s told it flows into the Dead Sea, where it turns the salty water into fresh water and brings it to life, teeming with fish.

It’s so profound in describing how all the richness of life and abundance flows out of Jesus, both now and especially in all that we receive in the new heavens and earth. It’s likely picked up by Jesus when he speaks of living waters flowing out of the believer (John 7:38) and in Revelation 22 when it speaks of the river flowing through the eternal city with the tree of life on either side, bringing fruit each month and with leaves that heal.

I love the picture language in the Ezekiel passage, given those allusions. But I still don’t feel like I’ve plumbed its depths, so I’d like to spend time meditating on it more. It conveys so much of the delights of the gospel and of all we have in Jesus.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

Having broken with tradition, let me just choose one other verse that powerfully struck me thirteen years ago in my own Bible reading times and that has remained with me ever since. God’s love is generously extravagant and poured out upon us to the point that we are called his children. How brilliant is that! And that is what we are!

Who would you like to find on the island for company?

I think one obvious candidate for company would be the recently deceased, Eugene Peterson. I found his book ‘The Pastor’ so helpful, as well as some of his other books, and would love to spend more time chatting things through with him. I’m sure he would have a wealth of wisdom to share. Another person that would be good to have on the island is Johnny Cash, so long as he can bring his guitar. He’d be good to have around for his music and stories.

But perhaps my top choice would be Andreas Bodenstein of Karlstadt. He was around at the same time as Martin Luther and made advances more quickly than Luther did. Some would say he moved too quickly on things (Luther included), but I’m not convinced.

When he was left in charge of the church at Wittenberg, because Luther was in hiding, he made some important changes. For example, he opened up the Lord’s Supper to all believers rather than just the minister and he conducted the service in the common language of the people rather than in Latin. As time went on, he stopped wearing Priests clothing and wore the clothing of peasants, as he had a particular burden to reach them. I’m sure he didn’t get everything right, but he would certainly be an interesting person to talk through and to get a different kind of insight into the reformation than what we’re more familiar with.

Which song would you take to the island?

Well, if I were taking something that wasn’t a Christian song, an all-time favourite album is Nimrod by Greenday. If it had to be one track from that album, then it would predictably be Good Riddance (Time of your Life). More recently I’ve been enjoying listening to Youth Lagoon. And if I had to choose one track from his three albums, it’d probably be 17.

But, being a bit more spiritual, my choice at the moment would be Man of Sorrows, Lamb of God. It expresses so wonderfully the narrative and meaning of the crucifixion in its verses and our joy in the chorus; but the bridge is the high point for me, brilliant biblical truth there!

Man of sorrows Lamb of God
By His own betrayed
The sin of man and wrath of God
Has been on Jesus laid

Silent as He stood accused
Beaten mocked and scorned
Bowing to the Father's will
He took a crown of thorns

Oh that rugged cross
My salvation
Where Your love poured out over me
Now my soul cries out
Hallelujah
Praise and honour unto Thee

Sent of heaven God's own Son
To purchase and redeem
And reconcile the very ones
Who nailed Him to that tree

Now my debt is paid
It is paid in full
By the precious blood
That my Jesus spilled
Now the curse of sin
Has no hold on me
Whom the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed

See the stone is rolled away
Behold the empty tomb
Hallelujah God be praised
He's risen from the grave

Geoff Thomas, London

My Mother and My Debt

My mother, Bess, was one of four children, one of whom had learning difficulties; they lived in a little terrace house in Merthyr Tydfil. Her father worked as a ganger for the railroad and her Uncle Oliver was converted in the 1904 Welsh Revival, for the rest of his life was an evangelist. Uncle Oliver carried a text around the town and he preached in the open air on Saturday nights; He could never resist the opportunity presented to him when he was with a crowd of people to talk to them all about the Lord Jesus Christ. If it were a day trip to the seaside, he would get up, leave his children making sandcastles and talk to the people sitting on the beach; “Isn’t this a lovely day, ladies and gentlemen? And do you know that it was God who made this world and he sent his own dear son, Jesus Christ, to be the Saviour of all who put their trust in him…” If his brother-in-law, a farmer, was hosting a family gathering then the men would go for a walk on the mountain in the afternoon and the women would make the farmhouse supper. It would not be long before Uncle Oliver spoke to the men, “Let us have a word of prayer to thank God for his glory and goodness to us.” And he would take the same evangelistic initiative if he were speaking to one person, for example to my cousin: “Look, Bobi, at this patch of ground, at the flowers and clover and grasses, here and here and here. Let us thank God for his presence with us.” My cousin told me how powerful it was. The Lord used Uncle Oliver powerfully in my mother’s conversion.

On Fridays, Uncle Oliver led some youth meetings; writing songs and teaching them to the twenty children who attended. My mother was a young teenager at the time, during the First World War, and she attended every Friday. It was at some time during those years, that she ‘gave her heart’ to Jesus Christ quite artlessly, and then simply followed him all her life.

My mother was betrayed by the liberals who occupied the pulpit in the Baptist church she attended, but lacked any discernment to pass judgement on them. She simply went to gospel meetings, anniversary services, and conventions and listened intently to the messages. But, in 1929, Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones came to speak in her town and she heard him. When I went to hear him thirty years later, she recalled to me some of the things he had said that she had never forgotten: “See the opposition to the gospel here in the New Testament and the muddles people made of their lives then. It is just the same today. Man does not change, and neither does the gospel.” When I would hear him, he would still be saying the same.

I went with her to the Baptist Chapel, and she gave me an imperial mint to suck after the third hymn. We moved to Hengoed, a church which had its origins in the conversion of a number of people at Mount Pleasant, Maesycwmmer. Their evangelistic earnestness was not there appreciated and they moved across the valley to Hengoed and planted this church. The older members had a stirring testimony and there my mother and I worshipped. One Sunday night in March 1954 I was given assurance as I heard the Word of God that the atonement of Christ covered my guilt and through him God accepted me, and then I was baptised.

My mother always sang the old hymns under her breath, quite unconscious that she was doing so, throughout her life. “How sweet the name of Jesus sounds,” “Jesus the very thought of Thee,” “Crown him with many crowns,” and so on. One day, a close friend, Brian, said to me, “Your mother is remarkable isn’t she?” “Yeah…” I said cautiously, looking for some explanation to his remark. He said, “The way she sings hymns all the time.” I thought, “His mother doesn’t sing hymns!?” I thought every mother sang hymns!

I was my mother’s pastor for the last twenty years of her life. My debt to her is enormous. I long to see her again in heaven. I sometimes think I want to see her more than the Lord Christ; But no, the Lord first and then his bride. I just want to thank her for what she did for me. I never showed her the gratitude that I should have. But she will not know what I am talking about, “When did I help you like that?” she will say, and I will have time to explain.

So, what verses would I find convicting and precious on my desert island?

Her children rise up and call her blessed. Proverbs 31:28

A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30

Jesus went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. Luke 2:51

Dai Hankey, Cardiff

Which verses would you take to the desert island?

So here I am on a desert island! Not sure how it happened to be honest - one minute I was sat in a coffee shop in Cardiff, then the next minute I’m all alone on an island with nothing to my name but palm trees, a handful of coconuts and a basketball called Wilson. Still it could be worse - I could be stranded on Barry Island!

Joking aside, I’m actually still here in the coffee shop in Cardiff and there are no waves or coconuts in sight. But this is still an intriguing exercise - if I was cast away and cut off from the rest of the world on a deserted island, with only a handful of Bible verses, which ones would I want to help me to navigate the various moments and moods that might ensue? For what it’s worth, here are the ones I’d want to be pulling from the pockets of my faded Bermuda shorts…

I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 43:25

I would want this verse that has perhaps impacted my life more than any other. Through this verse, I not only hear the voice of God declaring the totality of forgiveness I have received for ALL my sins - past, present and future. But I am also reminded why God has forgiven me - for His sake, not mine! Since he forgives me for His own sake, not mine, then by neither receiving nor revelling in His forgiveness, I am depriving Him the glory and joy of forgiving me. Understanding this one truth has brought me more freedom than my feeble words could ever convey.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

Another scripture I may well be clinging to would be the one that God gave me and my mam when she was first diagnosed with cancer. It is perhaps the ultimate win-win verse for a Christian contemplating life and death. My mam lived for Christ more fully and beautifully than any other human I’ve ever known; and now, having finished her course and left the pain and struggle of this world behind, she is enjoying the glorious gain of eternal paradise in the presence of her Saviour. If I’m gonna die on this island I reckon I’ll want the same verse to give me the same peace.

The heavens declare the glory of God. Psalm 19:1

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him. Psalm 103:11

One of the things I’d most appreciate about my new desert island setting would be the lack of invasive synthetic lighting. I’d like to think that, with an absence of street lights and shimmering city illumination, I’d be able to see the stars in all their glorious beauty. And as I star-bathe beneath the Milky Way I’d mediate on verses like these which would remind me that, whatever circumstances I’m currently faced with down here, I have a God above who is both glorious and loving and worthy of my worship.

I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5

As an extrovert, I’m pretty sure that loneliness would be one of the biggest challenges that I would face on the island, so I would need to be reminded that I am never truly alone because my God is with me. Therefore I would almost certainly need this promise I’ve clung to and quoted throughout my Christian life.

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:19

Perhaps a verse that I would find myself quoting as I scrabbled around the island and generally tried to stay alive would be these gracious words of Jesus to the Apostle Paul to encourage Him in the midst of his agonising struggles.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39

I am sure that there will be moments when I’ll be sinking in depression and great despair on the island and I’ll need some seriously chunky Scriptures to keep me afloat. During such times there are not many better options than these verses.

So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:7

This would be another little nugget I’d definitely want in my pocket. It has been my favourite verse for many, many years now. It’s a verse that perfectly and succinctly captures my testimony and crystallises the security that I now have in my new identity as a blood-bought child of God and co-heir with Christ. It has also been a great encouragement to me in moments of great temptation and deep shame as it reminds me that I no longer have to live as a slave to sin.

You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19

This verse I’d like to have as the water laps around my little island on every side. It would both graphically illustrate and help me to celebrate the forgiveness I have in Christ.

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephanaiah 3:17

This verse means a lot to me as it blew my mind when I first discovered it and has continued to do so ever since. This verse has shown me that, while God is holy and pure and just and righteously wrathful, He is also a Saviour who graciously draws near, appeases our turbulent hearts with His great love and even sings loudly for joy over us as His precious, redeemed people. On those days when I might not feel like singing to Him, I would be reminded that He is singing over me, and I’d like to think that hearing His song with ears of faith might cause my song to rise again.

Who would you like to find on the island for company?

If I could take one person to the island with me it would have to be the Welsh preaching warrior, Seth Joshua. Seth is from my hometown, Pontypool, and was a bare-knuckled boxer before Jesus grabbed hold of his life and commissioned him to take the gospel to some of the darkest and most dangerous places in Wales. I’d want to hear some of his stories, be inspired by his courageous faith, glean from his wisdom and most of all learn from him how to pray more fervently. I’d also probably ask for some boxing tips too! (Check out Geraint Fielder’s epic book ‘Grace, Grit and Gumption’ to learn more about Seth).

 Which song would you take to the island?

If I only had one song to sing on my island it would have to be my favourite ever hymn, ‘It is well with my soul’ by the wonderfully named Horatio Gates Spafford. I’ve sung this song more than any other and still can’t sing the third verse without tears welling up.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!