by Pastor Cecil | Apr 9, 2009 | Colossians
Colossians 1:19-20
“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
As I recall my professional counseling days, I was sometimes confronted with parents who had lost a child. In my attempt to bring comfort, I would empathize with them. Unfortunately, when I said that I knew what they were going through, they reacted in a distant manner.
It dawned on me that I could not know what they were experiencing since I had not lost a child. That all changed on July 11, 1991, when our oldest daughter, Brenda, slipped into eternity. Joyce and I had witnessed others say farewell to a loved one, but now we knew that reality first hand.
The Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit had been One throughout all of eternity. Then Jesus, the Son, was sent to this earth to fulfill God’s prophetic purpose—to bring the offer of salvation to all who would receive it.
God had a perfect plan from the very beginning. Many prophecies in the Old Testament pointed to the cross and Jesus’ atonement for our sins. He had never known sin throughout all eternity or during His life here on earth—yet He became sin for us.
Where did Jesus obtain victory for us? Often people point to the Resurrection as the point of victory. I would have to disagree. When we recall the very first Passover in Egypt, it was the blood applied to the lintel and doorposts that gave protection from the angel of death.
The occupants of a home might have been prominent, righteous and full of good works, but if the blood was not applied—the first-born would die! In like manner we may hold an important position, do many wonderful things and even appear to be religious, but without the blood applied—we are lost.
So where did Jesus assure our victory over sin and death? On the cross! The very moment His life faded and the last drop of His precious blood was shed, Satan was a defeated foe. That is why the very last words of Jesus on the cross, as recorded in John 19:30 were: “It is finished!”
Have you experienced the “finished work” of Jesus Christ in your own life? Do you know for certain that if that muscle in your chest, called the heart, stopped beating—you would be prepared to meet the Lord? Please pray the following prayer:
God be merciful to me a sinner! I believe Christ died for me and that His precious blood will cleanse me from all my sin. By faith I now receive the Lord Jesus Christ into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Help me to do your will each day. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 8, 2009 | Luke
Luke 19:45-48
“Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, ‘It is written, [My house is a house of prayer], but you have made it a den of thieves.’ And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.”
There have been a few times in my life when I was so dirty I looked like a dust ball. This was after spending hours on a mower or plow. It was a sheer delight to step into a shower and wash away the accumulated dirt and grime.
In the week of His crucifixion, Jesus exposed the sin of the leaders. He saw that they had violated the sanctity of the temple by allowing commercial enterprises to exist in a place they should have kept holy.
The religious hierarchy had departed far from God’s demand for holiness. They compromised in order to profit financially. They may have justified their actions by claiming that allowing peddlers in the temple was just to make it easy for the pilgrims to be able to sacrifice. Jesus was not deceived!
As I read today’s Scripture I am struck with the reality that anytime Jesus comes into our life, He wants to cleanse us. He will not tolerate our feeble excuses for allowing sin to contaminate us. He is the only One who can clean us completely.
We might ask ourselves the question: “How does Jesus go about cleansing the sin in our life?” John makes it very plain in First John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Is there sin in your life that needs to be cleansed? Read this verse and obey it!!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 7, 2009 | Daniel
Daniel 9:25-26a
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself.”
The portion of today’s Scripture that I have underlined (Messiah shall be cut off) is worthy of careful consideration. It is easy to read through a passage of God’s Word without pausing to understand what is meant. This was the day in the Passover when the lamb for the sacrifice was to be “cut off” from the rest of the flock.
I can recall attending rodeos where there was an event that featured sheep dogs. Upon a command the dog was to “cut off” a specific sheep from a flock of sheep and herd it into a pen.
Jesus knew His time had come in accordance with prophecy. Just as the people “cut off” the Passover Lamb to be examined before the Seder Dinner (His Last Supper), so Jesus was cut off to be examined and found faultless. He was the perfect Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.
After a week of vicious attacks by the religious rulers, they brought their false charges to Pilate. He listened to their charges and knew they were bogus. In spite of the lack of justification to condemn Jesus, Pilate gave in to them, but washed his hands condemning a “just” man. In other words, Jesus was found to be the faultless and perfect Lamb of God.
How does this affect us? It is glowing evidence of the sinless nature of Jesus. Every other man, woman and child was tainted by the sin-stained blood of Adam. Jesus was sinless in every way. He was the only One who could pay the price to set us free from Satan’s control. By His blood we can be set free from the death sentence of sin. Praise the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 6, 2009 | Daniel
Daniel 9:25-26a
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself.”
I must confess that I am not a mathematician. I have often wished I could return to my early grades and grasp the fundamentals in order to be able to comprehend the beauty of mathematics. I can’t do that, so I will allow others to ply their skill.
In 1895, Sir Robert Anderson, a gifted biblical scholar and mathematician, was head of Scotland Yard. He wrote an article in which he calculated the amount of days necessary to fulfill this prophecy in Daniel 9. It came to 173,880 days.
It has always been interesting to me personally, when God’s clock concerning this prophecy started. In was March 14, 445 B.C. My birthday is March 14th, but contrary to what some may think, it does not go back to 445 B.C.
Here is where we need to fasten our spiritual seatbelts and observe the fantastic beauty of God’s intricate timing. Starting with 3/14/445 B.C. and going 173,880 days we come to April 6, 32 A.D. Do you know what day that was? The first “Palm Sunday” when Jesus entered Jerusalem to the praises of His followers.
Throughout this week I would like to examine the deeper meaning of what this week of weeks, means to the true believer of Jesus Christ. Let us begin by meditating on the fantastic fulfillment of prophecy given to Daniel over ninety years before the decree was issued on March 14, 445 B.C. WOW!!!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 3, 2009 | John
John 19:25-26
“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!'”
It is not likely that you are familiar with the name, Elizabeth Clephane. She lived in a small town just south of Edinburgh, Scotland, and died in 1869 at the young age of 39.
As illness crept into her life, she expressed her love for the Lord in her writings. After her death, two of her poems were adapted into hymns. One was “The Ninety and Nine” and the other is our featured hymn for this week, “Beneath the Cross of Jesus.” As you read the words and listen to the music, picture a young woman who was nearing the end of her life, yet had a confidence in where she would spend eternity.
“Beneath the Cross of Jesus“
Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock
within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness,
a rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
and the burden of the day.
O safe and happy shelter,
O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where Heaven’s love
and Heaven’s justice meet!
As to the holy patriarch that
wondrous dream was given,
So seems my Savior’s cross to me,
a ladder up to heaven.
There lies beneath its shadow
but on the further side
The darkness of an awful grave
that gapes both deep and wide
And there between us stands the cross
two arms outstretched to save
A watchman set to guard the way
from that eternal grave.
Upon that cross of Jesus
mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One
Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart
with tears two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love
and my unworthiness.
I take, O cross, thy shadow
for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by
to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame,
my glory all the cross.
To access Beneath the Cross of Jesus, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/beneaththecrossofjesus in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
