by Pastor Cecil | Mar 23, 2015 | Joshua
Joshua 14:15
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Last week I took a trip down memory lane with my son Dan, his wife Donna, and my daughter Lori. We travelled to my birthplace (Camas, Washington) to attend the funeral of my cousin, Gene.
I also wanted to share with my kids the house where I lived as a boy, the building that housed the restaurant my parents owned and operated, the church where I gave my heart to the Lord, and the grave of my grandparents, Earnest and Lola Thompson. It was grandpa Thompson who left this world by breathing, “Well, there’s Jesus now!”
Things have changed dramatically in the 65 plus years since I lived in Camas. The house had been remodeled and tripled in size, the restaurant building now housed an insurance agency, the church was a different denomination . . . only the graves remained the same.
As I reflect back on that poignant day of showing my kids where I had lived, I have been struck by the fact that I do not live there anymore. After all these years and everything I have experienced, my temporary home is in Tumwater, Washington, and my eternal home is in heaven. Oh, how I long to be there!
I fear that many people spend too much time living in the past–places they have lived, positions they have held, titles they have received, relationships they have enjoyed, and various other things. Look beyond, dear friend, we do not live there anymore!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 20, 2015 | Ephesians
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
I suppose many of us have heard humorous stories about someone approaching the gates of heaven and being required to prove that their actions on earth merited entry into God’s heavenly kingdom. Beep! Wrong answer!
A person may do amazingly good works here on earth and still miss heaven. It is not what we do for God that determines where we will spend eternity—it is what He has done for us. When we repent of our sins and accept Him as Savior and Lord then—and only then—is our name is written down in glory.
The writer of this week’s hymn, Charlotte Elliot, was offended when someone asked her if she was a Christian. She told him to mind his own business. Later as she was contemplating his question, she began to wonder what it took to become a Christian. She called him and he explained to her the plan of salvation which she accepted. It was then that she wrote this hymn, “Just As I Am.”
“Just As I Am“
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
To access Just As I Am, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/justasiam 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 | Mar 19, 2015 | Mark
Mark 7:21-23
“For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”
This is a somewhat delicate subject, but I was recently thinking of some of the things my mother said to me. From what I hear, there are others of you who heard this same admonition from your own mother; “Be sure to wear clean underwear, you may end up in the hospital and what would they think!”
From my experience in the emergency wards they often just cut off all of the garments of a patient and have no time to inspect whether the underwear was clean or not. I think it is still a good idea to be prepared!
There is a spiritual parallel to being prepared with those things not obvious to the eyes of people around us. It is only as we peel off the façade of our outward appearance that the reality of who we are is revealed. Jesus reveals in this passage that all of the evil things imaginable are from within. It is these things which defile us in the sight of God.
We may walk and talk as holy men and women of God. The real question is what lies beneath? Do we have the clean underwear that can only come by a life lived in submission to the will of God and a readiness to confess our sins in order for Him to forgive us and cleanse us. Remember to PUT ON CLEAN UNDERWEAR!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 18, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 4:12-13
“I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
There was blinding pain and then darkness. The accident had been so catastrophic that the doctors struggled to save the victim’s life. Hour after hour they fought against the odds and finally turned the corner. With a sigh of relief they made their way from the surgical suite.
They had saved a life and for that they rejoiced. The tragedy was that in order to save the patient’s life, they were required to remove both legs just above the knees. Now it was time for the patient to become a cripple or a new creation. Regardless, things would never be the same.
In 1952 I was joined with Joyce, my precious wife, as one flesh. We were not just two people living in the same place, we were truly one. Over the next 62 years we laughed, cried, created, struggled, and served the Lord. That came to a sudden end for me on January 13, 2015. We were no longer one flesh. I had experienced an amputation from the most beautiful part of my life.
Now I face the vivid reality of the choice I must make: Either let the waves of grief cause me to become a cripple or allow the Lord to provide me with the ability to look through the tears and respond to the needs around me. I do not choose to limp through the rest of my life. As I read in Hebrews 12:1-2: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 17, 2015 | Numbers
Numbers 32:23
“But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.”
I have often experienced the sadness of discovering the secret sins of those who appeared to be innocent and righteous. When in the company of Christians they pretended to be super saints. But then there was that other side. When they thought they were safe from being recognized, they did things they never would have done around their Christian friends.
A repairman who was a devout Christian was called to repair a piece of equipment in a local bar. He had completed the repairs in the equipment room and was on his way out when he noticed his pastor sitting cozily in a booth with a woman who was not his wife. The pastor lost his wife and ministry because of his sin!
Joseph had been treated cruelly by his brothers and everything seemed to have been taken from him. Their betrayal could have made him bitter. Instead, he became a sterling example of being faithful even when removed from the eyes of his family or friends. He might be far from them, but he was not far from God!
That is a truth each and every believer should remember. We are never far from God. He not only knows our every action, He knows our every thought. We will never need to worry about being caught when we purpose in our heart to live by His Word and walk close to Him.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
