Sunday 24th November 2013 - Our Faithful God - Martin Kedian

T 17 NOVEMBER 2013 OUR FAITHFUL GOD I STAND HERE THIS MORNING AWARE OF THE TROUBLES OF THIS WORLD OF ITS SICKNESS AND PAIN AND THINK OF A VERSE OF THE HYMN ABIDE WITH ME VERSE 2. SWIFT TO ITS CLOSE EBBS OUT LIFES LITTLE DAY EARTHS JOYS GROW DIM ITS GLORIES PASS AWAY CHANGE AND DECAY IN ALL AROUND I SEE O THOUGH WHO CHANGEST NOT ABIDE WITH ME MANY OF US CAN TESTIFY TO THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD HERE THIS MORNING MYSELF INCLUDED I WANT US TO LIFT OUR EYES AND BEHOLD A GOD WHO IS FAITHFUL WHO WAS WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME TEXT LAMENTATIONS 3:22 3:25 BECAUSE OF THE LORDS GREAT LOVE WE ARE NOT CONSUMED FOR HIS COMPASSIONS NEVER FAIL THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS I LOVE TRUE STORIES THEY LINGER LONG IN THE MEMORY HERES ONE IN ARMENIA IN 1998 SAMUEL AND DANIELLE SENT THEIR YOUNG SON ARMAND OF TH SCHOOL SAMUEL SQUATTED BEFORE HIS SON AND LOOKED HIM IN THE EYE HAVE A GOOD DAY AT SCHOOL AND REMEMBER THAT NO MATTER WHAT ILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU THEY HUGGED AND THE BOY RAN OFF TO SCHOOL HOURS LATER A POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE HIT THE AREA IN THE MIDST OF PANDEMONIUM SAMUEL AND DANIELLE TRIED TO DISCOVER WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THEIR SON THE RADIO ANNOUNCED THAT THEIR WERE THOUSANDS OF CASUALTIES SAMUEL GRABED HIS COAT AND HEADED FOR THE SCHOOL ON HIS ARIVAL HE SAW TOTAL DEVASTATION THE SCHOOL WAS A PILE OF RUBBLE OTHER PARENTS WERE STANDING AROUND MORNING AND CRYING FOR A TIME SAMUEL JOINED THEM THEN SAMUEL FOUND THE PLACE WHERE ARMAND,S CLASSROOM WAS HE LIFTED OF A BROKEN TWISTED ROOF BEAM OF THE PILE OF RUBBLE AND THEN A ROCK AND PUT IT TO THE SIDE THEN ANOTHER AND ANOTHER ONE OF THE PARENTS LOOKING ON ASKED WHAT ARE YOU DOING DIGGING FOR MY SON SAMUEL ANSWERED YOUR JUST GOING TO MAKE THINGS WORSE THE BUILDING IS UNSTABLE AND HE TRIED TO PULL SAMUEL AWAY FROM HIS WORK SAMUEL SET HIS FACE LIKE FLINT AND KEPT WORKING AS TIME PASSED ONE BY ONE THE OTHER PARENTS LEFT THEN A FIREFIGHTER TRIED TO PULL SAMUEL AWAY FROM THE RUBBLE SAMUEL LOOKED AT HIM AND SAID WONT YOU HELP ME THE FIREFIGHTER LEFT AND SAMUEL KEPT DIGGING ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO THE NEXT DAY HE TOILED PARENTS PLACED PICTURES OF THEIR CHILDREN AND FLOWERS IN THE RUINS BUT SAMUEL KEPT WORKING HE LIFTED A BEAM AND TOSSED IT ASIDE WHEN HE HEARD A FAINT CRY HELP HELP SAMUEL STOPPED AND LISTENED BUT NOTHING THEN HE HEARD A MUFFLED VOICE PAPA SAMUEL BEGAN TO DIG FURIOUSLY FINALY HE COULD SEE HIS SON COME ON OUT SON HE SAID WITH RELIEF NO ARMAND SAID LET THE OTHER KIDS COME OUT FIRST BECAUSE I KNOW YOU,LL GET ME CHILD AFTER CHILD EMERGED FROM THE HOLE I WONDER WHAT THEY THOUGHT WHEN THEY SAW THEIR FACES IN THE PICTURES PLACED IN THE RUBBLE UNTIL FINALY ARMAND EMERGED SAMUEL TOOK HIS SON IN HIS ARMS AND ARMAND SAID I TOLD THE OTHER KIDS NOT TO WORRY BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU,D ALWAYS BE THERE FOR ME FOURTEEN CHILDREN WERE SAVED THAT DAY BECAUSE ONE FATHER WAS FAITHFUL SO THEN HOW MUCH MORE FAITHFUL IS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WETHER TRAPED BY FALLEN DEBRIS OR ENSNARED BY LIFES HARDSHIPS AND STRUGGLES WE ARE NEVER CAST ADRIFT FROM GODS FAITHFULNESS HE IS TRUE TO HIS CHARACTER HE IS RELIABLE AND TRUSTWORTHY AND CAN BE COUNTED ON ALWAYS HERE IS A SIMPLE DEFINITION GOD,S FAITHFULNESS MEANS THAT EVERYTHING HE SAYS AND DOES IS CERTAIN HE IS 100% RELIABLE 100% OF THE TIME HE DOES NOT FAIL FORGET FALTER CHANGE OR DISAPPOINT HE SAYS WHAT HE MEANS AND MEANS WHAT HE SAYS AND THEREFORE DOES EVERYTHING HE SAYS HE WILL DO KEY PASSAGES ON GODS FAITHFULNESS LETS LOOK AT SOME EXODUS 34::6 THE LORD THE LORD THE COMPASSIONATE AND GRACIOUS GOD SLOW TO ANGER ABOUNDING IN LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS DEUTERONOMY 7::9 KNOW THEREFORE THAT THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GOD HE IS THE FAITHFUL GOD KEEPING HIS COVENANT OF LOVE TO A THOUSAND GENERATIONS DEUTERONOMY 32::4 HE IS THE ROCK HIS WORKS ARE PERFECT AND ALL HIS WAYS ARE JUST A FAITHFUL GOD WHO DOES NO WRONG UPRIGHT AND JUST IS HE JOSHUA 21::45 NOT ONE OF THE LORDS GOOD PROMISES TO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL FAILED EVERY ONE WAS FULFILLED PSALM 25::10 ALL THE WAYS OF THE LORD ARE LOVING AND FAITHFUL FINALY PSALM 89::8 REMINDS US. O LORD GOD ALMIGHTY WHO IS LIKE YOU YOU ARE MIGHTY O LORD AND YOUR FAITHFULNESS SURROUNDS YOU THESE VERSES WHEN TAKEN TOGETHER ESTABLISH THAT GODS FAITHFULNESS IS NOT SOME MINOR OR SECONDARY PART OF HIS CHARACTER TO STATE THAT GOD IS FAITHFUL GOES TO THE VERY CORE OF WHO HE REALY IS IF HE DIDNT KEEP HIS WORD HE WOULDN'T BE GOD I AM AN ENGINEER. I THINK LIKE AN ENGINEER I THINK OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD LIKE A CAR ENGINE PISTONS FAN BELTS WATER PUMPS AND THOUSANDS OF MOVING PARTS ALL WHIRL AROUND WITHIN A SMALL SPACE PRODUCING POWER TO CREATE MOMENTUM THE PARTS ALL WORK TOGETHER IN SYNCHRONISATION IN HARMONY AS COMPONENTS OF THE WHOLE ENGINE THAT IS THE WAY GODS ATTRIBUTES FUNCTION TOO IF YOU TOOK AWAY LOVE GODS CHARACTER WOULD BE INCOMPLETE GODS LOVE WORKS WITH ALL THE OTHER ATTRIBUTES HIS LOVE WORKS WITH HIS JUSTICE TO PRODUCE THE RIGHT RESULTS WE CAN COMPARE GODS FAITHFULNESS TO THE OIL IN THE ENGINE THAT LUBRICATES AND KEEPS EACH PART RUNNING SMOOTHLY GODS FAITHFULNESS MEANS THAT EACH ATTRIBUTE IN HIS CHARACTER IS WORKING AT FULL CAPACITY AT ALL TIMES WHEN DOES GODS LOVE FAIL NEVER BECAUSE HE IS FAITHFUL WHEN IS GOD LESS THAN HOLY NEVER BECAUSE HIS CHARACTER IS PURE AND HE IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL TO WHO HE IS AND TO WHAT HE SAYS A W TOZER PUTS IT THIS WAY ALL OF GODS ACTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH HIS ATTRIBUTES NO ATTRIBUTE CONTRADICTS ANY OTHER BUT ALL HARMONISE AND BLEND INTO EACH OTHER IN THE INFINITE ABYSS OF THE GODHEAD GODS FAITHFULNESS IS AT THE CORE OF HIS VERY NATURE HE IS KNOWABLE. HOLY THE CREATOR. OMNIPOTENT OMNISCIENT. OMNIPRESENT JUST SOVEREIGN UNCHANGING AND LOVING BECAUSE HE IS FAITHFUL TO HIS OWN CHARACTER HE NEVER CHANGES ANY OF HIS ATTRIBUTES 1 THESSALONIANS 5::24 THE ONE WHO CALLS YOU IS FAITHFUL HE WILL DO IT THE HEBREW WORD FOR LOVE IS HESED A WORD RICH WITH MEANING IT HAS WITHIN IT THE IDEA OF LOYAL LOVE A LOVE THAT HAS BEEN FAITHFUL FOR ALL OF TIME A LOVE THAT WILL NOT LET US GO BECAUSE IT DOES NOT DEPEND ON EMOTION BUT ON AN ACT OF THE WILL GOD IS FAITHFUL AND WILL FOR ALL TIME STICK BY THE PEOPEL HE HAS CHOSEN GOD LOVES US BECAUSE HE PROMISED TO LOVE US AND NOTHING CAN CAUSE HIM TO BREAK HIS PROMISE. HE IS A FAITHFUL GOD AS BAD AS THINGS ARE FOR SOME IF IT WAS NOT FOR GOD FOR HIS LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS FOR HIS LOYALTY THINGS WOULD BE MUCH WORSE SCRIPTURE TELLS US HIS COMPASSIONS NEVER FAIL THE WORD COMPASSIONS IS PLURAL THAT IS VERY UNUSUAL IN ENGLISH HE IS NOT COMPASSIONATE THE ONCE HE IS COMPASSION PERSONIFIED GODS COMPASSIONS ARE PLURAL BECAUSE HIS MERCY IS INTESE AND LIMITLESS IT COMES ROLLING IN WAVES FROM THE VERY PRESENCE OF GOD THE RIVERS OF MERCY RUN FULLY AND CONSTANTLY THEY NEVER RUN DRY THE WORD COMPASSION COMES FROM THE HEBREW WORD WOMB IT ROOT MEANING IS PROTECTION FROM HARM TO HAVE COMPASSION IT SHOWS US THE GENTLE FEELING OF CONCERN AND CARE THAT GOD HAS FOR HIS CHILDREN THE WORD LITERALLY MEANS TO BE MOVED IN THE HEART OUT OF LOVE FOR ANOTHER GODS COMPASSION EMANATES FROM DEEP WITHIN HIM AND FLOODS OUR LIVES HE IS MOVED IN HIS HEART WHEN HE PICTURES YOU WILL GOD MEET OUR NEEDS HOLD THIS THOUGHT. THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING THATS THE WAY IT IS WITH GODS COMPASSION AND MERCY YOU CAN NEVER USE IT UP ITS LIKE MANA IN THE WILDERNESS GATHER AS MUCH AS YOU NEED IT WILL NEVER RUN OUT JUST ENOUGH FOR THAT DAY TRUST HIM THERE WILL BE SOME MORE TOMORROW. DONT LIVE ON YESTERDAYS BLESSING THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING GODS BLESSING IS NEVER EARLY BUT IT ISNT LATE EITHER THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING WHAT IS MY HOPE FOR LIVING SIMPLE. THAT GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS HOW AMAZING IS THE LIMITLESS SUPPLY OF GODS GRACE OFFERED TO US AT THE START OF EACH AND EVERY NEW DAY LETS CELEBRATE HIS FAITHFULNESS EVERY DAY TO SAY THAT GOD IS FAITHFUL IS TO SAY THAT HE IS COMMITTED TO YOU HE IS STEADFASTLY DEVOTED TO YOU AND IS LOOKING TO PULL US OUT FROM UNDER THE RUBBLE OF THIS LIFE HIS FAITHFULNESS IS A SHIELD OF PROTECTION AS WELL A STORY TO FINISH A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS AN ATHEIST AND WAS TRAINING TO BE AN OLYMPIC DIVER WAS CHALLENGED BY HIS FRIEND ON MANY OCCASIONS ABOUT FAITH IN CHRIST HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE HAD NO USE OF CHRIST IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS ONE NIGHT HE WENT TO THE COLLEGE POOL TO PRACTICE. THE LIGHTS WERE OF BUT THE MOON BRIGHT ENOUGH TO PRACTICE HIS DIVES HE CLIMED UP TO THE HIGHEST BOARD TURNED HIS BACK TO THE POOL ON THE EDGE OF THE BOARD HE EXTENDED HIS ARMS OUT AND SAW A SHADOW ON THE WALL THE SHADOW WAS IN THE SHAPE OF THE CROSS INSTEAD OD DIVING HE KNELT DOWN AND FINALY ASKED JESUS TO BE HIS LORD AND SAVIOUR AS HE STOOD UP ON THE DIVING BOARD A MAINTENANCE MAN WALKED IN AND TURNED THE LIGHTS ON THE DIVER GASPED IN HORROR THE POOL HAD BEEN DRAINED FOR REPAIRS LETS SING A HYMN GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS