as emmit & i were headed to the grocery store this morning i turned on the radio to listen to the weather (it looked like we were going to get caught in some rain). i had left the radio on 89.9fm, a classical station located in canada, the evening before. what i heard in the next five minutes, or so, was almost surreal yet gripped my heart & mind with such a strong sense of the reality of my Lord i just couldn't change the station. so, i listened on. what i perceived to hear was an old man, a very old man, quietly singing...
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet, never failed me yet,
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.
This one thing I know, for he loves me so.
he sang with such carefree & confident joy in his Lord. he continued to sing this simple song over & over & over. i thought this heavenly song would never end & wondered how in the world this got on national radio. as he continued to sing his voice began to fade out a bit & another strong younger male voice began singing the same words...
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet, never failed me yet,
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.
This one thing I know, for he loves me so.
how beautiful! it was almost as if the younger man's voice was the old man proclaiming the same wondrous message in his earlier years. i thought to myself in these minutes how very much i desire these same words to be my heart's cry at the end of my life...the great faithfulness of my great God! He is faithful to the very end.
"Who will separate us from the love of God? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? just as it is written, 'For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is IN Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39 AMEN!!!
what a glorious, merciful, gracious, loving God we serve! His abundant strength is made perfect in our human weaknesses.
"Remember my affliction & my wandering, the wormwood & bitterness. Surely my soul remembers & is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I have hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him" Lamentations 3:19-25
There is an unwavering, unfailing, steadfast, confident hope found in the Lord.
Jesus' blood never fails
By John Fischer
There is a quirky piece of music written and recorded by the British composer Gavin Bryars that features a continuous running tape loop of a homeless man recorded on the streets of London singing an old Gospel song, “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet.” The old man’s voice is wistful and wobbly, with a Cockney accent that somehow carries with it a toothless grin you can almost see, and a confidence that stands in stark contrast to his situation.
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet, never failed me yet,
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.
This one thing I know, for he loves me so.
A reporter, who was a friend of the composer, recorded this little song by accident while researching a story on London’s poor, and Bryars was captivated by its simple grandeur. He was haunted by the power of the old man’s sincerity and the boldness of his hope even though, by his own admission, he does not share his faith. That’s when he got the idea to immortalize the man’s testimony by writing an orchestral accompaniment that would weave intricately in and around the sinewy voice as it repeated, over and over again, its confidence in the never-failing love of Jesus. The end result is a 75-minute recording that gradually works its way through various musical shades and colors while the toothless voice grins on and on.
Little did he know it was going to turn into something of a phenomenon. The piece scored a pop hit in Britain and did fairly well in America. Though it is considered a classical recording, its unique composition appealed to a broad range of people, especially a younger audience that turned it into a sort of pop icon.
Think about it: a bum out on the streets in the lowest of states, carrying a hopeful message to hundreds of thousands of people about the reality of Christ’s love that defies his health, his circumstances, and the physical conditions that are his daily reality. Hearing it always makes me see whatever I might be going through at the time in a different light.
“Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39 NLT Or, to put it another way, whatever happens to you or me, we can always say, “Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.”
http://www.gavinbryars.com/Pages/jesus_blood_never_failed_m.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnYA0w4cWiE (the full song)
copy & paste the link above in your browser to hear a brief clip of this song.
Look at the bottom left of the web page
He is Faithful
to the man i love
Mrs. C.H. Spurgeon, the wife of the great theologian from the 1800s, Charles H. Spurgeon, puts my thoughts & affections into words: "how little i then thought that my eyes looked on him who was to be my life's beloved; how little i dreamed of the honor God was preparing for me in the near future! it is a mercy that our lives are not left for us to plan, but that our Father chooses for us; else might we sometimes turn away from our best blessings, and put from us the choicest and loveliest gifts of His providence." the theologian says this of his wife, which i echo from my heart towards my husband, "i knew i loved you very much before, but now i feel how necessary you are to me." (Mrs. C.H. Spurgeon , by Charles Ray, 1905) my husband has come to mean more to me through our six years of marriage than i ever thought could be possible. i eagerly anticipate the years the Lord, in His grace, gives to us together as husband & wife & as a family.
throughout this year i have been studying through a book by Martha Peace called The Excellent Wife. the Lord has opened my eyes to my weaknesses as a wife, in what specific areas i need to change in obedience to God's word, & is graciously turning my eyes back to His word and teaching me how to truly love mitch, honor him, respect him, and submit to him...for the Lord's glory and for the testimony of His wondrous grace in our lives. yes, this statement flies in the face of what we hear & are taught every day through the media, talk shows, public female figures, movies, books, magazines, etc, etc. but what does the Word of God say...Titus 2:3-5 "older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to LOVE THEIR HUSBANDS, love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, BEING SUBJECT TO THEIR OWN HUSBANDS, so that the word of God will not be dishonored." (emphasis added). God's word truly is sufficient to meet all my needs & lead me in the right way. II Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;" (emphasis added) Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet & a light to my path." Psalm 19:7-11 "the law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. they are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honey comb. moreover, is your servant warned; in keeping then there is great reward." II Peter 1:3 "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness; through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory & excellence." Isiah 40:8 "the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." i love my husband because he is a gift from my Lord specifically for me, because my God commands me to ("you shall love your neighbor as yourself" Galatians 5:14...my husband is my closest neighbor:), because i desire to glorify God in my marriage & life. so, you ask, do you have the perfect marriage? uh...yeah right. a big good grief NO! of course not. who does? i'm convinced there's no such thing:) we are simply two sinners saved by the grace of God to live for Him during our stay here on this earth. the difference then...our reliance is on the Lord, the Holy Spirit, and His eternal, everlasting word.
happy 6th anniversary, sweetheart...& happy father's day to the best daddy in the whole wide world! i love you.
Mighty is the Power of the Cross
What can take a dying man and raise him up to life again?
What can heal a wounded soul?
What can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness?
What can mend our brokenness?
Brokenness
Chorus:
Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross
What restores our faith in God?
What reveals the Father's love?
What can lead the wayward home?
What can melt a heart of stone?
What can free the guilty ones
What can save and overcome?
Overcome
(chorus)
It's a miracle to me
and It's still a mystery
It's a miracle to me
The power of God
For those who believe
Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross
Chris Tomlin Mighty Is The Power Of The Cross Lyrics
Songwriters: Craig, Shawn; Tomlin, Chris; Reeves, Jesse;
www.jango.com/ml?artist=Chris%20Tomlin&title=Mighty%20Is%20The%20Power
%20Of%20The%20Cross
~copy & paste link into browser to listen~
by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For every sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
"In Christ Alone"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music
