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Great is Thy Faithfulness

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The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV

I love singing “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, when I sense the peace and contentment of God’s care at Thanksgiving, Yet, both the writer of Lamentations as well as Thomas Chisolm, the hymn writer, were going through difficulties and trials when they wrote these words. They remind us that if rejoicing in God’s faithfulness, has to wait for everything be going right, then we would be an ungrateful people much of the time. But today’s verse and the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, draw their power from the triumph of God’s grace when everything is going wrong. While composing these lyrics, Thomas Chisolm suffered from such ill health that he was forced to leave the pastoral ministry, and he wrote the lyrics as a poem, reflecting his trust in God in spite of his problems. Later, he sent his friend William Runyan, the poem and Runyan when on to write the melody we sing today. In the Bible, the prophet Jeremiah tells us of God’s great faithfulness and love after his nation had been conquered, Jerusalem lay in ruins, and Solomon’s temple had been robbed of its treasures. With nothing left to show for the centuries of Israel’s glory, power and success, Jeremiah finds the steadfast love and mercy of God are an unshakeable hope that is new every morning. So, whatever you are facing this Thanksgiving, allow God to gently remind you that His mercies never fail, they are new every morning, because His faithfulness and love will never come to an end!

Disability Ministry

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‭ ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ Luke 14:21b ESV

We have followed the ministry of Joni Eareckson Tada for many years and the outreach that Joni and Friends has done around the world is inspiring. So I was delighted the other night to have the regional director for Central Florida come and present the pathway for building such a ministry at our church. Though our group was tiny compared to the size of our congregation, I believe a seed was planted and will in God’s time grow into what He desires for our community. This is our little huddle, minus yours truly who was taking the shot.

That is my dearest in silver and blue on the left and Amy Schipper the Florida director on the right. The night began with a touching story, that I share with you today as a call to consider such a ministry in your community.

Have You Invited Jesus for Thanksgiving?

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And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Mark 10:47 ESV

The story behind the writing of the hymn, “Pass Me Not” is both interesting and complicated. It all began one day when the now famous hymn writer, Fanny Crosby, went to speak at a prison. As she passed between the cell blocks, she heard one of the prisoners calling out, “O Lord, please don’t pass me by.” This led Fanny to sit down soon afterward and pen the familiar words, “Pass me not oh gentle Savior, hear my humble cry!” These were almost word for word the cry of the blind beggar named Bartimaeus who we meet in Mark’s gospel. Bartimaeus was sitting by the side of the road as Jesus began to pass and he cried out with both desperation and faith. Desperation, because he knew that only Jesus could help, and faith because he believed that He would. But even beyond the Biblical application, we can find even another layer of meaning, when we realize that, Fanny Crosby, just like Bartimaeus had been blind most of her life.

But as we sang together today at Sunshine Memory Care, I was struck by the fact that my friends there, were not singing these words in desperation or sadness, but with faith and joy. Next week is Thanksgiving and few of these precious people will have any family to sit down with, and the piece of turkey with a bit of gravy on their lunch menu is all the celebrating they will get to do. But God knows every one of them by name. He has the hairs of their heads all numbered and if no one else will sit down with them, they know that Jesus will, if they simply invite Him in! If Jesus remembers them, He also remembers you. In all the busyness of your holiday season, remember to slow and then invite Jesus into your heart for Thanksgiving! It is an invitation He will never refuse!