by Pastor Cecil | Jul 31, 2009 | Daily-E-Votionals
Psalm 51:6-7
“Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”
James Nicholson was a true servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. He lived in Washington D.C. back in the 1800’s. He was a born again believer and a committed evangelistic and Sunday school worker in the Wharton Street Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1872 he wrote the hymn, “Whiter Than Snow.” He also wrote the hymn “I Love To Tell the Story.”
The music for this hymn came from William G. Fischer of Philadelphia. Mr. Fischer was a well known musician who led music for many evangelistic meetings during that era.
“Whiter Than Snow“
Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I want Thee forever to live in my soul;
Break down every idol, cast out every foe—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Refrain: Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies,
And help me to make a complete sacrifice;
I give up myself, and whatever I know—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Refrain:
Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat,
I wait, blessed Lord, at Thy crucified feet,
By faith for my cleansing, I see thy blood flow—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Refrain:
Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait;
Come now and within me a new heart create;
To those who have sought Thee Thou never said’st “No”—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Refrain:
To access Whiter Than Snow, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/whiterthansnow 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
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 30, 2009 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
I am so glad that we serve a God who is big and powerful enough to speak for Himself. He does this through the divinely inspired Bible. “It is the power of God unto salvation to all who will believe” (Romans 1:16).
Unfortunately there are far too many church groups who have the audacity to stand in opposition to God’s Holy Word and change it to fit their own particular brand of sin. God’s holiness is not open for debate. Sin is sin and His Word is true!
It always bugs me when I hear so-called scholars make comments that a particular writer of Scripture was only expressing his own ideas. Pardon me, did they not read this passage in 2 Timothy? It does not say that “some Scripture” is inspired (God-breathed), “ALL Scripture” is inspired (God breathed).
What does “God breathed” mean? It means that God speaks through the mind and intellect of those He has chosen to pen the words of our Bible. The Bible is comprised of 66 Books written over a period of about 1,500 years by over 40 authors from all walks of life. These writers had different kinds of personalities, and were faced with all sorts of challenges.
It was written in three languages on three continents, and it covers hundreds of controversial subjects. Yet, it fits together into one cohesive story with an appropriate beginning, a logical ending, a central character, and a consistent theme. Only a mighty God could breathe His divine inspiration into men and do that! What a mighty God we serve!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 29, 2009 | Colossians
Colossians 3:22-23
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
It seems I can still hear our kids in play as one would remark to the other, “You’re not the boss of me!” I don’t know that anyone appreciates being bossed around, so it is no wonder that resentment often arises on the job. We do not like someone telling us what to do—even when they are our supervisor. Who is your boss?
Today’s Scripture convicted me many years ago. I was working for a man who seemed to view himself to be a Viking warrior. He was the topic of conversation in the break room and at any other time a group of us gathered together. Our comments were not at all respectful of his position.
As the Lord convicted me, I went to his office and asked for his forgiveness for the manner I had behaved toward him. I confessed that I had made derogatory comments about him and was truly sorry. I asked for his forgiveness and made a pledge to speak to him directly if I disagreed with his decisions.
What I did not know was that he was aware of the things being spoken behind his back. The other thing I did not know was that he had just been authorized to promote someone to the position of deputy director. He chose me ahead of others who had more seniority, in part because I was someone he could trust.
Today’s Scripture is very clear about how we are to behave in the workplace. If Paul is saying how slaves are to respond to their masters, how much more does it apply to employees. He says “in everything” and even when the boss is not around. Not to get a promotion, but doing it as unto the Lord. How do you stack up?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 28, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 17:27-28
“A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.”
I have frequently shared many of the witty sayings of the Probate Judge I worked for when I was a Juvenile Probation Officer in Caldwell, Idaho. That was so long ago that it qualifies as “the good ole days.”
One of Judge Riordan’s favorite expressions was; “He was so stupid that every time he opened his mouth he subtracted from the sum total of human intelligence!” I recall that statement every time I read this Scripture in Proverbs 17:27-28.
It is amazing the number of people who speak when they should be listening. The problem is that they often are so busy speaking that they fail to understand what is going on.
Here is a personal example: I once attended a workshop on how to witness for the Lord. We were taught the Scripture verses to use and the sinners prayer to pray, and were then placed in a simulated setting to share what we had learned.
When it came my turn, I left the room while the scene was being set up for me. When I returned, the chairs were arranged something like seats on an airline. I was to sit next to a man (one of my fellow students) to whom I had been selected to witness.
I had just started my rehearsed presentation when the person reacted with anger and tears, accusing me of being insensitive and thoughtless. I was stunned into silence, as the class (and my distraught passenger friend) laughed at my shock.
What I did not know and did not take time to listen to was that this man had just lost his mother and was on the plane taking her back home for the funeral service. I had failed to listen first before sharing the good news of the gospel. Wow! What a lesson for us all!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 27, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 15:13-15
“A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.”
Several years ago I was in the hospital room of a friend and member of our congregation. He was a medical doctor and his wife who was also in the room, was a registered nurse. All seemed to be going well when Bob remarked that he couldn’t see his toes. We laughed and thought he was speaking of his eyesight.
We suddenly heard alarms and a call for a code in this room. Bob had developed internal bleeding from a ruptured vessel in his heart. His wife looked somber as she spoke and said; “Cecil, this is very serious!” (As if I needed to be told!)
The Lord graciously spared Bob’s life and since that time he has changed in many ways. He has chosen to exchange his unhealthy habits for healthy ones. He has also chosen to deepen his walk with the Lord. It has been a joy to observe him as he increases his knowledge of God’s Word, God’s Will and God’s Ways.
The Scripture for today speaks about the heart. It strikes me that in the Proverbs we are given contrasts. Concerning the heart in this passage we are presented with two positive options (happy heart and a discerning heart) and two negative options (heartache and the mouth of a fool).
Consider the consequences of each: We are told that the cheerful heart enjoys a continual feast. On the other hand all the days of those who choose the negative path are wretched. What does your heart examination reveal? Remember that we have the choice as to which heart condition we will have.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
