by Pastor Cecil | Oct 9, 2015 | 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.”
Years ago my wife 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 kept pace beside the car. I know it was just a refraction of the sunlight, but what an awe inspiring sight.
There are two requirements to produce a rainbow, rain and sun. Without rain there could be no rainbow. Without sun there would be no rainbow. In the rainy times of our life, God’s tender care for us brings His rainbow of blessing. God’s covenant of love did not say that we would be free of rain, but He is always with us in the storms of life.
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.
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video The Unclouded Day, fromGloryScapes™ Christian Hymns.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 8, 2015 | Isaiah
Isaiah 61:3
“To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Have you ever known Christians who look like they have been baptized in vinegar? Let’s get a little more personal: Do YOU sometimes look or act like you are awash in a vat of vinegar? If Jesus is our joy (and He is!), we need to let our faces show it.
Please stop right now and read today’s Scripture once again. Do you notice anything interesting? Let me assist you: Beauty for ashes, oil of joy for mourning, garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. In the physical world this seems to be out of step with reality. In God’s economy these reactions should be the normal way of thinking and acting.
Immediately the question arises, how do I go about making a change in my way of thinking? How do I get the joy of Jesus as the hallmark of my life? To me the answer seems to be quite simple. It is taking our eyes off of our selves and keeping them on Jesus. Fall in love with Him all over again. Instead of asking what He can do for us, ask what we can do for Him?
Have you found that joy in Jesus? Start immediately! Take time to get alone with Him and thank Him for everything He has done for you. Let His love sweep you off your feet!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 7, 2015 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 9:5
“Everyone will deceive his neighbor, and will not speak the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves to commit iniquity.”
This morning I was waiting at a stoplight to turn left. The left-turn light turned green and I was about to start when a car ran the red light and careened past me, narrowly missing my left front fender. I recall many times cars coming into an intersection when the light had gone from amber to red, ignoring the danger and in fact, speeding up.
My experience as a police officer leads me to believe that, in almost all of such incidents, if the offender was pulled over they would deny their offense. Most often they would claim, “The light was yellow when I entered the intersection!”
From the days when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, human nature has not wanted to admit its guilt. Even when substantial evidence is provided, denial is still maintained. I have seen police videos showing offenders committing crimes–but when shown these videos, the offender still denies their offense. Go figure!
God wants us to be open with Him and confess our sins. Denial of our offenses will always hurt ourselves more than others. 1 John 1:9 tells us that it is only when we confess our sins that the Lord is able to forgive and cleanse us. Our denial blocks the path of God’s forgiving grace. DON’T DENY IT!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 6, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 2:3-4
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
One of the most depressing, yet humorous stories I can recall is of a pastor who had been preaching a series of sermons on the topic of humility. As he was greeting people at the door several weeks into the series, a little lady came up to him and said, “Oh, Pastor, I have been so blessed by your messages. You know I do not have very many things to be proud of, but one thing I am proud of is my humility.”
The pastor felt like crying! She had missed the point of what true humility was. I think that may be all too true of most of us. We tend to focus on ourselves and what we are doing rather than making the Lord our focus.
When we have a solid awareness of our dependence on the Lord we are able to reflect His glory to those around us. It is not so much what we do for Christ as it is what we allow Him to do through us.
My desire is to be a conduit of His mercy and grace to others. People need to see us die to ourselves and live for others. That was the message Paul was trying to get across to the Philippians. Join me in giving ourselves away!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 5, 2015 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 17:8
“For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
I frequently visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem. No, I do not take a plane ride but rather use the Internet to view the wall ( see http://english.thekotel.org/cameras.asp). The images are updated every few minutes, so it is very current. Sometimes the wall has many visitors who pray while touching the wall, while at other times only a few are present.
One of the most intriguing things that fascinates me are the plants which grow between the cracks on the wall. This is a very dry region and there is very little moisture. In spite of the lack of regular rain, the plants continue to grow out of the wall. They are able to survive because they have roots that travel deep into the crevasses that exist between the multi-ton stones that make up the wall. I am told that there are at least six distinct plants that grow out of the wall.
I am reminded that sometimes we may feel that we have been planted in the midst of a block wall where little spiritual nourishment is available. But wait! There is! It is to be found in the crevasses of the Word of God. He has given us the spiritual water that will sustain us in the dry and arid world in which we live. Praise God for the water of life that is able to cause us to grow!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
