by Pastor Cecil | Dec 25, 2009 | Luke
Luke 2:13-14
“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’ “
When I was a young husband and father we lived for a time in Vancouver, Washington. The choir was so hard pressed for talent that I was accepted as a member. We were to sing several Christmas Carols as a part of the program. We were located under the balcony and the lights were so low that we could hardly see our music. So it was inevitable that there would be some slips.
The program called for us to sing “Hark, The Herald Angels Sing.” Because of the dimness one of our sopranos jumped the gun. Suddenly out from under the balcony came a loud voice, “HARK!” The crowd could not control their laughter. When quiet returned, the pastor, who was narrating the program pronounced: “Hark! Hark! The lark in the dark!” Even the soprano enjoyed the humor.
It was a joyous night on that Judean hill when the angel announced the birth of the promised Messiah to a group of lowly shepherds. I can just imagine the laughter and joy as they rushed to Bethlehem to find the new born King of kings.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, “Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing,“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.
Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing,“Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth.
Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing,“Glory to the newborn King!”
Come, Desire of nations, come, Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed, Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power, Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing,“Glory to the newborn King!”
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface, Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain, Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart, Formed in each believing heart.
Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing,“Glory to the newborn King!”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 24, 2009 | Luke
Luke 3:15
“The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.”
I can clearly remember the moment we received the news that Joyce was given the word that she was pregnant. She was “expecting!” I am not sure if that is the term that is still used today to describe an expectant mother. We might say a woman is PG, in a family way, or some similar description. Regardless of the term, it means a child is on the way.
The people of Jesus’ day had been expecting the promised Messiah for centuries. They were expecting the fulfillment of prophecy that seemed so long in coming. In addition, they were looking for a conquering Messiah, not a tiny babe in a manger or a Savior on a cross. They were expecting, but they were expecting the wrong thing for the wrong reasons.
Most folks are self-absorbed. They desire the things that will make them feel better or making life easier for themselves. Not that you and I are that way—heaven forbid! That is all too often our own personal objective.
Christmas 2009 is at our doorstep. Beyond the glitter and hype, what is the deeper meaning of this day? It is that we have a Savior who has come. That’s right, He has already come. Just as people rejected Him then, consigned His mother to a stable in which to give birth, and watched with indifference when He was crucified, so the vast majority ignore Him today.
In what way are you spiritually expecting? Are you eager for Him to be the Lord of your life, or are you content to float along with the masses? Do you expect Him to give you the power to minister for Him? I pray that you and I are expecting!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 23, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 27:14
“If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.”
Time zones are very interesting. As I type this, it is 8:58 a.m. Pacific Time. That does not mean it is the same time in all areas of the world. For instance, it is 5:58 p.m. in Berlin, Germany. It is 11:58 a.m. in New York. Time is a relative thing and depends on where you live.
There have been numerous times when family members who live in the eastern United States call to offer a happy greeting. The only problem is that we are still fast asleep and their happy greeting is not—–let’s just say it is not well received!
Now what spiritual connection can we make with this passage? To me it is very clear that there is a time when words are well received and a time when quietness is far more appropriate. Many people who have recently experienced some form of trauma in their life are in need of quietness rather than words.
This is especially true when it comes to witnessing for Jesus. There are some who seem to be convinced that people will hear if they speak louder or repeat over and over the claims of the Gospel. Sadly, they often drive people away from the Lord rather than into a personal relationship with the Savior.
I recall working with a couple who were experiencing marital conflict. She knew the Lord as her personal Savior, but he didn’t and was adamant that he was not interested. As our counseling progressed I saw him begin to soften. I began to use this statement; “You know you are coming closer and closer to trust the Lord to save you, aren’t you?” As I began to nod, he nodded back. Within a few months he became a Christian. Praise the Lord for quietness!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 22, 2009 | Nehemiah
Nehemiah 4:14
“After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the LORD, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.'”
Ezra had previously returned to Jerusalem with a remnant of the exiles who had survived the 70 years of exile. Ezra and his remnant had rebuilt the temple, but they faced oppression and conflict with the people living in that area, many of whom had been moved them from their original homes, much like the Palestinians in modern day Israel.
We read in Nehemiah 1:3, that he a sad report was given. “They said to me, ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.’ “
Nehemiah was crushed and heart-broken. For days he mourned and fasted as he cried out to the Lord. The Lord heard his prayer and gave him favor with the king. He was allowed to return to Jerusalem with 42,360 Israelites and 7,337 servants. Their task was to rebuild the walls of the city.
It was a dismal scene which greeted them and there was considerable opposition. It just seemed to be more than they were able to accomplish. It was then that Nehemiah gave the encouragement that we find in today’s passage. The reason they were to have courage and not be afraid was because it was the Lord Himself who was great and awesome and who would give the people the strength to withstand their enemies.
Question time! What walls need rebuilding in your life? I am not talking about walls of separation, but walls of stability and purpose in your life. Who are the enemies who oppose you? What are your weapons to defend against these foes? Nehemiah encouraged the people by reminding them of who their God was and how great and mighty is His name. We need to keep that in our mind as well. We serve a God who is above all of our adversaries! We need to begin living as more than conquerors!
Take a look at the walls which are broken down in your life — the gates which have been burned. Ask the Lord to give you the strength and determination to see to the rebuilding of those walls. Do not be overcome by the world, but overcome the world through Him who is there beside you to bring the victory.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 21, 2009 | John
John 4:42
Special Note: I upgraded to Windows 7 over the weekend and I thought the transition would go smoother, but the email software is different, etc., so all that to say, Russ & Janelle Hansen are helping me with E-Votionals until I get the new software mastered. – Pastor Cecil
“Now we believe…and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
Silent Night? Have you had one of those lately? Ever? About the closest I have ever come was one starry night in the middle of a campground with my husband Russ and our two young daughters. We had only the popping of the burning logs on the campfire to distract us from the marvelous silence of the star-filled midnight sky.
We now live in the middle of a small town where from just about anywhere you can hear the trains in the distance rumbling through our city. The calm, quiet air of a wintry city night here in the Northwest carries a variety of other sounds to my listening ears, too. But, occasionally, when the burdens are heavy and the cares are many I don’t even notice those sounds. Instead, I hear only a profound silence. Not a beautiful silence like we had in our camping experience so many years ago, but a painful silence. The kind of deafening silence when you ask a difficult question and hold your breath for the answer…..and the answer does not come.
On a silent night like that I may be calling out to God with concerns too deep to share with others, and in my preoccupied bubble I hear only the silence. Did God hear me? Does he care? Has he forgotten me in my little small town?
At this Christmas time of the year I am reminded of the seeming silence of God in the 400 years between the happenings of the Old Testament and the New. I’m thinking the people of Israel might have laid silently in their homes or on their rooftops at night wondering if God still heard their cries, did He care about His people?…would He ever fulfill His promise of a Savior…deliver them from their suffering…had He forgotten them?
And then one silent winter night, a star shone above another small town, the Son of God was quietly born, and the answers to all our questions began to unfold. Jesus would show us that God did care, He does listen, He loves us and He is a God who keeps His promises.
Silent night. Holy night. Love’s pure light. He heard. He still hears. And after that silent night, in the dawn of a new day, we can say along with the Gospel writer, “Now we believe…and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world” (John 4:42).
Merry Christmas!
Janelle
To access Silent Night, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/silentnight 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
