by Pastor Cecil | Jul 3, 2009 | Psalm
Psalm 46:1-3
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah”
Joyce and I have been reading through the book of Psalms. It is absolutely astounding that David was beset by so many storms. He was attacked on all sides by his enemies who desired to take his life. Do you feel that way sometimes?
King Saul was a demented king who imagined that David was attempting to take the kingdom from him. (Actually it was the Lord who had rejected Saul because of his wickedness and failing to keep the Lord in control of his life.)
In many of his psalms, David cried out to the Lord and then praised the Lord for giving him a safe place of refuge. That is the same with us today. We may be tossed and torn by the storms of life, but the Lord always gives us a haven of rest. That is the hymn for this week.
“The Haven of Rest“
My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea,
So burdened with sin and distressed,
Till I heard a sweet voice, saying,
“Make Me your choice”;
And I entered the “Haven of Rest”!
Refrain: I’ve anchored my soul in the “Haven of Rest,”
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.
I yielded myself to His tender embrace,
In faith taking hold of the Word,
My fetters fell off, and I anchored my soul;
The “Haven of Rest” is my Lord.
Refrain
The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole,
Has been the old story so blest,
Of Jesus, who’ll save whosoever will have
A home in the “Haven of Rest.”
Refrain
How precious the thought that we all may recline,
Like John, the beloved so blest,
On Jesus’ strong arm, where no tempest can harm,
Secure in the “Haven of Rest.”
Refrain
O come to the Savior, He patiently waits
To save by His power divine;
Come, anchor your soul in the “Haven of Rest,”
And say, “My Beloved is mine.”
Refrain:
Whatever you do, do not let the Savior pass you by!
To access The Haven of Rest, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/thehavenofrest 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 2, 2009 | John
John 1:29-30
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'”
I once read of the work of a man who was ministering in Eskimo villages along the Bearing Sea. As he shared the Word of God with them he noted a lack of understanding from time to time.
On one occasion he was sharing the Gospel using the Scripture I have chosen for today. The response from the people was blank and empty. He knew something was missing, so he decided to pray more earnestly about it.
The next day he spoke with one of the elders and asked him why the people acted so confused about this passage. The elder scratched his head and asked, “We do not understand what the word ‘Lamb’ means. Please explain to us.”
Not long after this, the missionary observed the seals calving on the ice. The baby seals were tiny and totally helpless. Their mothers would be gone for long periods seeking food and the babies were totally vulnerable. He knew he had found his answer for the elders.
The next time the people gathered to hear the Word of God, he read John 1:29, but with a difference: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Baby Seal of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'” He explained to the group that Jesus was as innocent as a baby seal. Jesus never used His divine power, but allowed Himself to die so men, women, boys and girls could have their sins taken away and be prepared for heaven.
This man’s creative use of God’s Word reached into a culture of ice and snow to reveal that Jesus died for them. Many of the people repented of their sins and accepted Jesus into their hearts. Praise the Lord for His tender mercy!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 1, 2009 | Genesis
Genesis 4:6-7
“Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it.’ “
Contrary to popular principle and practice, anger is not a right, and not an acceptable way to deal with the stresses of life. I have heard the comment that it is good to explode in anger and not let it eat at you from the inside. Just remember, it was shortly after this Godly counsel given in today’s Scripture that Cain in anger slew his brother Abel, and thus was guilty of the first murder in the history of mankind.
God speaks His wisdom concerning anger and resentment in His counsel to Cain. “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” The implied answer is “yes.” That is exactly what it takes — doing what is right in God’s eyes.
I can almost hear screams of protest about all of the pressures and circumstances of your life, which cause you to explode in anger. That is mere justification! God is not interested in your justification of the circumstances that cause explosive outbursts. He simply instructs us to do right.
As I think about the things in my own life that generate anger, I see it is most often times when people mistreat me or the ones I care about. I think that all of us are fragile creatures. We ministers are no exception.
People say cruel things that are not true or perhaps taken out of context. We are hurt and must deal with the anger and resentment. A pastor’s anger is no more justified than anyone else’s anger. What was it that God said to Cain? “Do what is right!” It applies to each and every one of us.
James gives a very clear word of instruction concerning this topic in James 1:19-22 “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
That hits home! We are to get the Word of God into our life and the filth of the world out of our life. When James uses the phrase “which can save you,” he is not talking of personal salvation, but rather the saving of us from our anger.
James is speaking to the “brothers” who know the Lord, yet allow the garbage of the world to cause a worldly reaction. This should not be! He challenges us to rely more on the Word of God and less moral filth and worldly evil. That equals a life that is under the control of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, and be a blessing.
– – Pastor Cecil
