by Pastor Cecil | Feb 6, 2015 | Daily-E-Votionals
Psalm 90:1-2
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
“O God, Our Help in Ages Past” is a hymn by Isaac Watts and paraphrases Psalm 90. It originally consisted of nine stanzas. In present usage, however, the hymn is usually limited to stanzas one, two, three, five and nine.
The hymn was originally part of The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, published by Watts in 1719. It has often been sung for special occasions in England. It was sung in 1941, at a religious service on board HMS Prince of Wales attended by Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt as part of the conference creating the Atlantic Charter. It was also sung at the funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965.
Later composers subsequently incorporated the tune in their own works. For example, George Handel used the tune in an anthem entitled, O Praise the Lord.
Oh God, Our Help In Ages Past
Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guide while troubles last,
And our eternal home.
To access Oh God, Our Help In Ages Past, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/ogodourhelpinagespast/ 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 5, 2015 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:4-6
“But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.”
Way back in my distant past I was a County Juvenile Probation Officer. I was riding with a County Deputy Sheriff as we transferred one of my probationers from one facility to another. We saw the signs that warned of road construction and to be prepared to stop. It was not long before the flagman signaled for us to stop. The deputy turned on the warning flashers.
We were the only vehicle in our lane and the flagman came over and began talking about what kind of work they were doing. He said it would be a delay of about ten minutes. We were enjoying speaking with him when he shouted, “Look out!” A vehicle was approaching and he could tell they were not going to stop. The crash propelled our car forward. Fortunately they were not driving too fast. There were no injuries.
The deputy called for a State Patrol to investigate. The driver of the other car was very intoxicated. She told the investigating officer that we were in the wrong. She was irate and said, “He ditn’t shtignal offercer!” Needless to say she was arrested for driving while intoxicated.
As we go through our life we face dangers from every side. Had that drunk driver been going faster we could have been ushered into eternity. Moment by moment we must be alert not only for our own welfare, but to be used as God’s servants.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 4, 2015 | John
John 1:10-12
“He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
Do you ever feel weary of well doing? Does it seem that those around you have no intention of leaving their lives of sin and turning to God? Are your earnest attempts to rescue the perishing having little or no effect?
A friend recently shared how depressing it is to work tirelessly with someone ravaged by alcohol and drugs only to have long hours of counseling and assisting wiped out when the individual reverts back to his/her old habits. The tragedy for society is that these individuals often resort to criminal activity to support their addictions.
I wish there was a way to ensure that our efforts would always produce positive results, but that is not the case. My experience in both fields of law enforcement and ministry (Law and Grace!) has taught me that rejection is far more the norm than acceptance.
Is that a reason for discouragement? I think not. If most of the lost sinners in Jesus’ day refused to believe Him, then I know most will still reject the wonderful message of the gospel. Rather than being discouraged by rejection, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus and continue being His faithful witnesses.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 3, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 6:9-11
“How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”
It was generally not the intention of a person to become an out and out sinner, yet here they are entrenched in a life of sin. Some time ago I either read or heard about the devastating way a person drifts into a life of sin. Follow the flow:
THOUGHTS: What we think leads to the next step, WORDS.
WORDS: What we say is generated by our thoughts and leads ACTIONS.
ACTIONS: May seem insignificant at first, but they lead to HABITS.
HABITS: Without realizing it our habits become our CHARACTER.
CHARACTER: Who and what we are determines our DESTINY.
DESTINY: Our life on this earth will someday end. Our DESTINY starts with our thought life. How would you describe your thought life? It is very important to take evaluation while there is time.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 2, 2015 | Acts
Acts 20:24
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
There is something of a phenomenon going on in the Pacific Northwest this weekend. I just returned from the store and was amazed at the vast number of people wearing blue and green. From babies to the elderly and all ages in between, they were wearing these colors. Some also sported a logo of the head of a large bird of prey. You guessed it — it’s Super Bowl Sunday and for the second year in a row the Seattle Sea Hawks are competing. The people wearing these jerseys, caps, and other paraphernalia are showing their support of the team.
I am sure if we were in New England we would see fans wearing colors and logos of the New England Patriots. For those of you in other parts of the world, think of the sport that is popular in your country and think of the fan support of the local team.
In today’s Scripture Paul is describing his life in Christ as a race. It is not enough for him to merely be a fan or spectator — he is an active participant. Being a true “fan” of Jesus Christ is more than wearing team colors or logos, it is getting on the field and giving everything for Him. Are you a player or just a fan?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
