“God is Faithful” in Australia!
“GOD IS FAITHFUL” IN AUSTRALIA!
OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL EVERY DAY AND EVERYWHERE!
Here is a testimony of a specific circumstance in which God used the message of His faithfulness through “God is Faithful” (a choral anthem written by my husband, Travis L. Boyd, and publshed by Lorenz) to bless and encourage the hearts of His people. In 2003, over 300 people from Oklahoma went to Australia for an incredible mission trip. The main performing group was The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma. The group gave concerts in serveral large and well-known venues, such as the Sydney Opera House, and then split into smaller groups to minister in local churches. Over 90 of the people on this trip were the wives of the Churchmen; and for the first time ever on a Churchmen mission trip, there were enough of us to form 2 women’s choirs, which ministered in Churches and even in a pineapple canning factory during our time in Sydney, Newcastle, and Brisbane and surrounding communities.
The women’s choir that I was in, directed by Singing Churchmen member Tyrone Smith, sang at Annerley Baptist Church, near Brisbane, on Sunday morning, May 11th, 2003, which was Australia’s Mother’s Day. Although the Singing Churchmen were no longer singing “God is Faithful”, the two womens’ choirs were singing an SSAA arrangement of the song. I had been asked to sing the solo on “God is Faithful,” and I had done so during the Worship Service that day.
Our womens’ choir rehearses at Annerley with director Tyrone Smith prior to the service (minus a few members who were taking pictures of the group)
Later on, during the fellowship meal after the service, a woman approached me. She told me that her name was Noela (pronounced Nola), and that she was not a member of Annerley Baptist Church and did not live in Brisbane. She said that she was only at the church that morning because it was Mother’s Day. She and her husband had driven from their home 2 and a half hours away to be there with his Mother. Noela confessed that she almost did not make the trip to visit her Mother-In-Law. She explained that she had been fighting cancer and that she was feeling discouraged.
A lovely lady with a beautiful smile, Noela spoke with a radiant faith as she said, “I believe that I am here today by Divine appointment.”
However, she did feel an urging from the Spirit of God to come to Brisbane; and, with her husband’s encouragement, she made the trip. She told me that she now felt it was a divine appointment for her to be there. Noela said that the message of God’s faithfulness had come across to her so clearly as she listened to “God is Faithful” that she knew why we were there on that day and why God had prompted her to come. Several of us talked with Noela as long as we could, and it was an amazing conversation. God had so touched her and encouraged her heart through the message of His faithfulness that she seemed radiant with faith in His goodness and faithfulness to her, and Noela in turn became an encouragement to all of us. It was a very brief encounter, but I will never forget it.
I can think of many times when God has also touched my heart with His love and encouragement, just as he touched Noela’s heart. Comfort or encouragement can come through a kind word, a prayer, a song, a note, a sermon, a scripture passage or verse, and certainly through God’s presence within us and as revealed to us through the kindness and compassion of others. God is faithful to Noela, He is faithful to me, and He is faithful to you! Be encouraged today as you thank Him for His faithfulness! Encourage others as well. Remember that just as God is eternal, His faithfulness is eternal; and it continues as He continues. God is a keeper of promises, and He is faithful!
So, in light of the eternal faithfulness of our God,…
“When you find it hard to understand
And you’re just not sure you have the strength
To do all God commands…
When the task seems overwhelming,
You can rest within His hands.
For the One who called you is faithful!
God is faithful.
He will not forget His own.
God is faithful.
He’ll never leave you all alone.
He’s right beside you,
Waiting to guide you,
For the one who called you is faithful.
God is faithful!
He is always there when human eyes can’t see…
So aware of all your hurts and all your deepest needs!
God is faithful! He will not forget His own.
My God is faithful!
He’ll never leave you all alone.
He’s right beside you,
Waiting to guide you,
For the One who called you is faithful.
God is faithful!”
Lyrics to “God is Faithful” by Travis L. Boyd, SATB Choral anthem and Orchestration, Copyright 2003, Lorenz Publishing Company, a division of the Lorenz Corporation
Self-published copies of the SSAA, TTBB, and SATB octavos and the Orchestration that pre-date the Lorenz publications, Copyright Travis L. Boyd
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FROM LORENZ MUSIC: “God is Faithful”…SATB Choral Anthem with solo throughout
* A full orchestration is available for this piece, as heard in the studio demo.
* A performance/accompaniment CD is also available, and it features the orchestration as heard in the publisher’s studio demo.
Here is my Sound Cloud audio of the Lorenz Studio Demo Recording for “God is Faithful”.
* Lorenz product page for “God is Faithful” : http://www.lorenz.com/product.aspx?id=10_2978M
Here, you will be able to click the listening link (music notes) and then immediately click the sample pages link (Adobe icon) to allow you to listen to the professional studio demo recording of the anthem while you view the music.
(To returen to this blog, please use the ‘back’ arrow.)
Note: See our blog post entitled “Blessings Through God’s Faithfulness” for more information about the story of this song (& info about recordings by both The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma and The Sons of Jubal). https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/blessings-through-gods-faithfulness/
* Vimeo Performance Video link: (TTBB arrangement, recorded at a Sons of Jubal concert in September, 2010) http://vimeo.com/15390308
SoundCloud of the TTBB version of “God is Faithful,” sung by The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, under the direction of Dr. Bill Green, from the Churchmen CD entitled, “God is Faithful.” (Note: “God is Faithful” is also the title song on a CD which was recorded by the Georgia Baptist Convention’s Sons of Jubal, under the direction of Dr. Jon Duncan.)
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– C. Boyd
Note: For more information on the story of this Australia mission trip testimony, check these links:
Annerley Baptist Church website: http://www.annerleybaptist.org.au/
Annerley Baptist Church facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Annerley-Baptist-Church/189082151110455#!/pages/Annerley-Baptist-Church/189082151110455
Information about the city of Annerley (near Brisbane, Australia: http://queenslandplaces.com.au/annerley
Pray for the people of Australia and of Annerley Baptist Church. Their Pastor, Brother Jim Johnston, retired at the end of 2012 after 16 and a half years of service there. The people there were so kind, providing corsages for each of the women in our choir, plus a single red rose (mindful of the fact that mothers were being honored and that we had left our families to come). They had prepared a meal for us and were so friendly as we shared time together that day. What a blessing it was to be in the midst of Christian brothers and sisters who live on the other side of the world and to feel so welcome and at home. 🙂
Annerley Baptist Church Pastor, Brother Jim Johnston, and our womens’ choir Director, Tyrone Smith
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Here is a Youtube video of singer Debra Eden’s solo version of “God is Faithful,” recorded on Debra’s CD entitled, “It Was Love.” The video was put together with the recording by Debra’s sister. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIdfLJOo3q8
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ MORE POSTS LIKE THIS ONE?
Link to our “Song Stories” category to see all of the song story posts: https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/category/song-stories/
Note: This post, it it’s entirety, can also be found at the end of our song story poat on “God is Faithful”. This is not the story of how the song came to be written, which forms the main body of “Song Story for God is Faithful”. Rather, it is an additional testimony about the power of the message of God’s faithfulness to encourage and bless.
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Worship Sounds Music 