by Pastor Cecil | Feb 8, 2010 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 13:12
“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
What a wonderful day it will be when all of the questions of life are removed and we see clearly the reality of God’s plan and purpose for us. At times we may catch glimpses in this life, but in glory we will have perfect understanding.
Last week I mentioned the apprehension as we descended through the thick fog in an attempt to land at the Boise airport where I was to deliver the message at my brother’s funeral. I really was not in fear as to any danger we may encounter since I knew there was radar and our altimeter to keep us from flying into the ground. My real fear was that at any moment we might hear the pilot apply power which would indicate that we were returning to Seattle and I would not be able to deliver the words the Lord had intended for me to speak.
There was a round of applause as we touched down and taxied up to the gate. As the plane stopped, I quickly stood in order to leave the plane as quickly as possible. The door had not yet opened, when the husband of a couple that had been seated in front of me looked up and asked; “Are you Cecil Thompson?”
Can you imagine what a shock that is to have a complete stranger call you by name? As it turned out, my niece’s husband was there to pick up this couple. They had also flown over for my brother’s service. In fact the husband was speaking with Alan on the cell phone who asked if they might have seen me. I shudder to think how he described me so the husband would ask if I was Cecil. (Slanted forehead and beady eyes? Nah!)
One of these days, those of us who have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior will pass through the fog bank we call, life, and enter into the heaven God has prepared for us. We will know each and every person who has ever lived. What joy it will be to see clearly without the sin clouded fog of this world. What a sight we will see!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 5, 2010 | Genesis
Genesis 9:16
“Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
Without rain there could be no rainbow. Without sun there would be no rainbow. God has graciously made a covenant with all creatures on the earth that there would never again be a flood such as there was in Noah?s day.
I can recall that Joyce and I were once driving along the beautiful Columbia River gorge in Oregon. A rain shower had recently swept across the area, and now bright sunlight flooded the area. As we drove, a rainbow seemed to follow the car. I know it was a refraction of the sunlight, but it was an awe inspiring sight.
Back in 1879 Rev. J. K. Alwood was equally moved as he observed a rainbow in the western sky late one evening as he was traveling home. When he arrived at his home, he immediately composed the hymn for this week; The Unclouded Day.
“The Unclouded Day“
O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies,
O they tell me of a home far away;
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
Chorus:
O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home,
Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me of a home where my friends have gone,
O they tell me of that land far away;
Where the tree of life in eternal bloom
Sheds its fragrance thru the unclouded day.
Chorus:
O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home,
Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me of the King in His beauty there,
And they tell me that mine eyes shall behold,
Where He sits on the throne that is whiter than snow,
In the city that is made of gold.
Chorus:
O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home,
Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me that he smiles on His children there,
And his smile drives their sorrows all away;
And they tell me that no tears ever come again,
In that lovely land of unclouded day.
Chorus:
O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home,
Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
To access The Unclouded Day, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/uncloudedday 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 | Feb 4, 2010 | Ephesians
Ephesians 6:12-13
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Many of you have written to ask if I am still stuck in a fog bank approaching the Boise airport or just what happened to me. Believe me when I tell you that it was my intention to present an air of mystery and hopefully entice you into reading “The Rest of the Story.”
Yes, we did land and I was able to deliver the message that the Lord had put in my heart. Something Pastor Erwin Lutzer has written impressed me — he struck hard with what happens a moment after we pass through the curtain separating life from death: “We will either be enjoying a personal welcome from Christ or catching a glimpse of gloom as we have never known it.”
In the case of my brother I am confident that it was the personal welcome from our Savior and Lord. I recalled how our grandfather’s final words before slipping into eternity were, “Well, there’s Jesus now!”
With those words there was no doubt about grandpa Thompson’s current address. He is certainly not stuck in a fog bank somewhere, or in the dismal depths of a sinner’s hell. No, he is in his eternal home, and I am equally confident that he and my brother (along with all the others) are rejoicing as never before!
Where is grandpa Thompson? With the Lord! Where is my dear brother? With the Lord! Does this give us confidence and hope? Without a doubt! Praise the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 3, 2010 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 13:12
“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known!”
I want to give a special thanks to my dear friend and our webmaster, Russ Hansen for taking over for me these past three issues of the Daily-E-Votional. He truly is a brother beloved!
I was preparing to board the plane that would take me from Seattle, Washington to Boise, Idaho in order to deliver the funeral message for my brother, Harold. This was going to be a difficult task, but it was also a privilege. I had prayed for the message that the Lord would have me to deliver, and really felt the strong desire to fulfill this responsibility.
Shortly before the announcement to board, the Customer Service Agent delivered an unsettling bit of information: “May I please have your attention? We have just been informed that the conditions for landing in Boise are marginal. At this time we are within limits, but things could change by the time you arrive. It may not be possible to land, so the flight may have to return to Seattle.”
With this cheery bit of news we boarded our flight for the 90 minute flight to Boise. Ninety minutes later we felt the plane bank to the left and began flying in large circles. After ten or fifteen minutes the captain announced that, in fact, the conditions were not favorable for landing, but that we would continue circling the airport and hoping for a break in the fog.
We circled for about thirty five to forty minutes when the captain again gave us more words of encouragement: “Folks, we are running a little low on fuel. Two other planes have attempted to land and were unable to do so. We will just have enough fuel for one attempt to land before we will return to Seattle.”
As we entered the bank of intense fog there was nothing to be seen from the windows but white nothingness. Where were we? How high above the earth and were we heading in the right direction? The pilot might know (we certainly hoped so), but we had no idea where we were.
As we make our way through life, we may think we know where we are, or wonder where we are or have no idea where we are, but thank God we have the Captain of our faith who is never in doubt about our location. He is the one we must trust in to bring us to a safe and secure landing.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 2, 2010 | John
| Special Note: Pastor Cecil is out of town holding his brother’s funeral, so he’ll be gone for a few days. Please remember to pray for him and his family at this time. Thanks, Russ |
John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Have you ever wanted to ask God, “Why?”
Thirteen year old Logan Henderson of Whitman, Nebraska, did just that. He prayed and asked God why his special new born calf broke it’s back so it had to be put down. And Logan heard a special response from God. And Logan heard a special response from God. Watch the video below to hear Logan’s own accounting of what happened…
Remember Logan’s statement he heard from God, “My Son was special but He died for a purpose.” It reminds me of one of the most treasured verses in Scripture, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17). Jesus did come for a purpose. The primary purpose is stated clearly in 1 John 2:2, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Jesus said of Himself in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” God paid an incredible price for relationship with us through the suffering and death of His only Son. He wanted to redeem us and break the power of sin in our lives.
Some in our culture want to say there are many ways to God, but Jesus made it crystal clear that the only way to God was through Him. Why is He so exclusive? Because, as the Scripture says above, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Without Jesus’ shed blood, our sins are not atoned for. Hebrews 7:24-25 says, “. . . because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” So not only are we able to come to God because of Jesus shed blood to cover our sins, but Jesus is interceding for us on an ongoing basis.
Have you put your faith and hope in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for you? If you have, you “will not perish but have eternal life.” If you haven’t, God is waiting for you with open arms. I urge you to make that choice today, you’ll never regret it.
To access God Why?, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/godwhy in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Brother Russ (for Pastor Cecil)
