Welcome to 2019!
Last Sunday morning we took a look at Psalm 37:25 (NLT) “Once I was young, and now I am old….” We spent some time there and concluded that for most of our congregation, we can relate.
As I read the second part of this verse God stirred my spirit…. “Yet I have never seen the Godly abandoned or their children begging for bread”. This was a statement of the Psalmist’s own personal experience. And I can also personally attest to the same thing.
God has never abandoned me, nor have I ever seen my children begging for bread! Yes, there may have been times the cupboards were bare - but we HAVE NEVER gone without. We have never had to “beg” God…..He has always provided. It is that point I feel to drive home on this the first Sunday of 2019.
The process of this week’s sermon preparation was pretty exciting. In fact, I stopped in at Erhard’s Monday morning and was quite excited to tell him my message for Sunday was ready! During the night, my mind had been actively searching the scriptures and singing a hymn.
The hymn was “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”. Funny thing was that Judi had that as one of the songs to sing last Sunday, but due to us running a bit late, we didn’t sing it. As I sang it, I actually laughed in my sleep, because it was exactly a fit for this week’s message regarding “The Unchanging Christ!
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS O GOD MY FATHER
THERE IS NO SHADOW OF TURNING WITH THEE
THOU CHANGEST NOT THY COMPASSIONS THEY FAIL NOT
AS THOU HAST BEEN, THOU FOREVER WILL BE
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
MORNING BY MORNING NEW MERCIES I SEE
ALL I HAVE NEEDED YOUR HAND HAS PROVIDED
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, LORD UNTO ME
What a promise!
¨ No shadow of turning
¨ Thou changest not
¨ As thou hast been, thou forever will be
Then in my dream state, I saw a man playing a guitar, singing a song I thought I remembered as “The Unchanging Christ”. I had no idea of the singer or the lyrics, just a suggestion of the title. This was all Sunday night to Monday morning. So when I got up, I went to the computer and within a few hours the message outline was complete. Judi and Erhard can tell you I was pretty excited.
I put a request out to some of my old friends, friends from my early salvation years and asked if anyone knew of a song about the unchanging Christ. Within hours, we discovered through a friend of a friend, that it was, “The Unchanging Christ” written and sung by Don Weeks.
“Over the hills of time,
into this heart of mine.
Walked Christ the Lord one night
Changing my life.
Old things are passed away.
This is a brand new day
He is in every way, the unchanging Christ.”
As the day progressed, I became a bit confused, because I didn’t clearly see the reason this song was laid on my heart, after all that had been 45 years ago.
Maybe I was wrong about its importance to the sermon…..but then it dawned on me. I activated the words, “The Unchanging Christ” on the minds of a dozen people and maybe that was it.
And then I saw a note on face book:
Bruce Newman to Morgan Weeks: “I knew the song as soon as I heard the title, your dad would be proud, a true testament to his song writing talent.”
Morgan Weeks to Bruce Newman: “Thanks Bruce Newman for the tag!! I wiped a tear knowing what God gave him is still touching lives for the Kingdom!”
Perhaps this was a gentle God reminder for Morgan Weeks
I love how God confirms the ideas He places in your heart. Last Tuesday I received this note from one of the recipients of the Sword & Trowels we send out: Good afternoon Ed, How good to remember! Thankfully our God changes not and His mercies are new every morning. Best to You and Judi as you soldier on for HIM in 2019. Yours in Christ - Don & Debbie
“Our God changes not”! I love it!
We are constantly changing - that is good. As time moves on, we move along with it. For us to be “changing” is good. · We want to become more like Jesus · We want to be more loving and forgiving · We want God to change us into His image…so we can testify to the world around us what Jesus has done for us
Change is good and not changing is good too!
Take our opening scripture: Psalm 37:25 “Once I was young, and now I am old, yet I have never seen the Godly abandoned or their children begging for bread”. I don’t want that to change…..ever!
Consider these few scriptures:
¨ James 1:17 “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”
¨ Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?”
Change is good and sometimes necessary.
We may change…. circumstances may change · relationships may change - But Jesus does not!
He is always there for us…. always dependable · always concerned for us
Hebrews 13:5-8 “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never leave you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
Remember your leaders, who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever. This means that Jesus is here with you. If He was with the Saints in the Old Testament, helping them and guiding them, then He is also here today with you, wanting to do the very same thing. He wants to be involved in your daily life.
Never in all eternity will you have to worry about God changing.
¨ God cannot change
¨ He cannot break a promise
¨ He cannot stop loving you
And because of that, you can always count on Him being there in your life, even when it doesn't seem like He is. He doesn't change. You can always count on Him.
Time is filled with swift transition,
Naught of earth unmoved can stand,
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.
Trust in Him who will not leave you,
Whatsoever years may bring,
If by earthly friends forsaken
Still more closely to Him cling.
Covet not this world’s vain riches
That so rapidly decay,
Seek to gain the heavenly treasures,
They will never pass away.
When your journey is completed,
If to God you have been true,
Fair and bright the home in glory
Your enraptured soul will view.
Hold to God’s unchanging hand,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand;
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.
Several years ago around this time of year, I had gone to Penticton to do some shopping. As I got out of my truck in the Walmart parking lot, I heard a voice say, “Hey buddy any change?” Seemed like an innocent enough question, but I don’t remember him saying, “Do you have any change”? I’m sure the fellow was thinking quite differently…..but it got me to thinking about the new year ahead. Had there been any change? Or was it as some say, “The same old same old”.
If I was asked that today after hearing this message, the conversation I’m sure would have gone something like this: “Hey buddy any change?” “No Change - for my Jesus is still the same, yesterday, today and yes forever. His mercies are New every day - Great is His faithfulness!”
Last Sunday morning we took a look at Psalm 37:25 (NLT) “Once I was young, and now I am old….” We spent some time there and concluded that for most of our congregation, we can relate.
As I read the second part of this verse God stirred my spirit…. “Yet I have never seen the Godly abandoned or their children begging for bread”. This was a statement of the Psalmist’s own personal experience. And I can also personally attest to the same thing.
God has never abandoned me, nor have I ever seen my children begging for bread! Yes, there may have been times the cupboards were bare - but we HAVE NEVER gone without. We have never had to “beg” God…..He has always provided. It is that point I feel to drive home on this the first Sunday of 2019.
The process of this week’s sermon preparation was pretty exciting. In fact, I stopped in at Erhard’s Monday morning and was quite excited to tell him my message for Sunday was ready! During the night, my mind had been actively searching the scriptures and singing a hymn.
The hymn was “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”. Funny thing was that Judi had that as one of the songs to sing last Sunday, but due to us running a bit late, we didn’t sing it. As I sang it, I actually laughed in my sleep, because it was exactly a fit for this week’s message regarding “The Unchanging Christ!
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS O GOD MY FATHER
THERE IS NO SHADOW OF TURNING WITH THEE
THOU CHANGEST NOT THY COMPASSIONS THEY FAIL NOT
AS THOU HAST BEEN, THOU FOREVER WILL BE
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
MORNING BY MORNING NEW MERCIES I SEE
ALL I HAVE NEEDED YOUR HAND HAS PROVIDED
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, LORD UNTO ME
What a promise!
¨ No shadow of turning
¨ Thou changest not
¨ As thou hast been, thou forever will be
Then in my dream state, I saw a man playing a guitar, singing a song I thought I remembered as “The Unchanging Christ”. I had no idea of the singer or the lyrics, just a suggestion of the title. This was all Sunday night to Monday morning. So when I got up, I went to the computer and within a few hours the message outline was complete. Judi and Erhard can tell you I was pretty excited.
I put a request out to some of my old friends, friends from my early salvation years and asked if anyone knew of a song about the unchanging Christ. Within hours, we discovered through a friend of a friend, that it was, “The Unchanging Christ” written and sung by Don Weeks.
“Over the hills of time,
into this heart of mine.
Walked Christ the Lord one night
Changing my life.
Old things are passed away.
This is a brand new day
He is in every way, the unchanging Christ.”
As the day progressed, I became a bit confused, because I didn’t clearly see the reason this song was laid on my heart, after all that had been 45 years ago.
Maybe I was wrong about its importance to the sermon…..but then it dawned on me. I activated the words, “The Unchanging Christ” on the minds of a dozen people and maybe that was it.
And then I saw a note on face book:
Bruce Newman to Morgan Weeks: “I knew the song as soon as I heard the title, your dad would be proud, a true testament to his song writing talent.”
Morgan Weeks to Bruce Newman: “Thanks Bruce Newman for the tag!! I wiped a tear knowing what God gave him is still touching lives for the Kingdom!”
Perhaps this was a gentle God reminder for Morgan Weeks
I love how God confirms the ideas He places in your heart. Last Tuesday I received this note from one of the recipients of the Sword & Trowels we send out: Good afternoon Ed, How good to remember! Thankfully our God changes not and His mercies are new every morning. Best to You and Judi as you soldier on for HIM in 2019. Yours in Christ - Don & Debbie
“Our God changes not”! I love it!
We are constantly changing - that is good. As time moves on, we move along with it. For us to be “changing” is good. · We want to become more like Jesus · We want to be more loving and forgiving · We want God to change us into His image…so we can testify to the world around us what Jesus has done for us
Change is good and not changing is good too!
Take our opening scripture: Psalm 37:25 “Once I was young, and now I am old, yet I have never seen the Godly abandoned or their children begging for bread”. I don’t want that to change…..ever!
Consider these few scriptures:
¨ James 1:17 “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”
¨ Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?”
Change is good and sometimes necessary.
We may change…. circumstances may change · relationships may change - But Jesus does not!
He is always there for us…. always dependable · always concerned for us
Hebrews 13:5-8 “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never leave you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
Remember your leaders, who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever. This means that Jesus is here with you. If He was with the Saints in the Old Testament, helping them and guiding them, then He is also here today with you, wanting to do the very same thing. He wants to be involved in your daily life.
Never in all eternity will you have to worry about God changing.
¨ God cannot change
¨ He cannot break a promise
¨ He cannot stop loving you
And because of that, you can always count on Him being there in your life, even when it doesn't seem like He is. He doesn't change. You can always count on Him.
Time is filled with swift transition,
Naught of earth unmoved can stand,
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.
Trust in Him who will not leave you,
Whatsoever years may bring,
If by earthly friends forsaken
Still more closely to Him cling.
Covet not this world’s vain riches
That so rapidly decay,
Seek to gain the heavenly treasures,
They will never pass away.
When your journey is completed,
If to God you have been true,
Fair and bright the home in glory
Your enraptured soul will view.
Hold to God’s unchanging hand,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand;
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.
Several years ago around this time of year, I had gone to Penticton to do some shopping. As I got out of my truck in the Walmart parking lot, I heard a voice say, “Hey buddy any change?” Seemed like an innocent enough question, but I don’t remember him saying, “Do you have any change”? I’m sure the fellow was thinking quite differently…..but it got me to thinking about the new year ahead. Had there been any change? Or was it as some say, “The same old same old”.
If I was asked that today after hearing this message, the conversation I’m sure would have gone something like this: “Hey buddy any change?” “No Change - for my Jesus is still the same, yesterday, today and yes forever. His mercies are New every day - Great is His faithfulness!”