by Pastor Cecil | Sep 22, 2017 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18
“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”
Though an invalid for much of her life, Eliza Edmunds Hewitt was always active and enjoyed a long personal friendship with Fanny Crosby. These two women met often for fellowship and discussion of their new hymns. Eliza was a school teacher in Philadelphia and a Christian lay worker who was committed to write songs to teach children the basic truths of the gospel. This song was written for her own Sunday school class in Philadelphia.
Miss Hewitt often attended the Methodist camp meetings at Ocean Grove, New Jersey. It was here that she collaborated with Emily Wilson, the wife of a Methodist district superintendent in Philadelphia, in the writing of this triumphant gospel hymn–a favorite of young and old alike. “When We All Get to Heaven” was first published in 1898.
When We All Get to Heaven
1. Sing the wondrous love of Jesus, Sing His mercy and His grace. In the mansions bright and blessed He’ll prepare for us a place.
Refrain: When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
2. While we walk the pilgrim pathway, Clouds will overspread the sky; But when traveling days are over, Not a shadow, not a sigh.
Refrain: When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
3. Let us then be true and faithful, Trusting, serving every day; Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay.
Refrain: When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
4. Onward to the prize before us! Soon His beauty we’ll behold; Soon the pearly gates will open; We shall tread the streets of gold.
Refrain: When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video, “When We All Get To Heaven” from GloryScapes.com. by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/whenweallgettoheaven/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 21, 2017 | Ephesians
Ephesians 5:25-26
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.”
In my years as a Christian counselor I meet many husbands that are self-centered to the extreme. The usual attitude toward their wife seems to be “What are you doing for me?” or “Don’t expect me to do things around here, that’s a wife’s job!”
I despair when a husband digs his heels in and refuses to assume the role of a husband as presented in the Word of God. They are more influenced by what other men have to say than what God has to say.
So what does God say about the role of a husband? Just read today’s Scripture and you will clearly see a precise job description. To sum it up, he is to love his wife as Jesus loved the church and died for her. Here is a quick question, Husband: Are you dying for your wife? Do you love her as much as you love your own body?
Think about the church of Jesus the Christ for a moment. Is the church perfect? No! Is the church always loveable? No! Does the church always deserve to be sacrificed for? No! Does the church need Christ’s sacrifice to purify her? Yes!
Listen, Husbands! Jesus’ life is your guideline. He is your example — not what you want or how you feel, but what He has done for us.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 20, 2017 | Philippians
Philippians 3:12
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.“
In the second chapter of Joshua we read that the two Israelite spies were saved by the action of a prostitute named Rahab. She not only saved their lives, but gave them valuable inside information. She said that she knew that God had given them the land because the whole land was in fear of the Israelites. She asked that when they conquered the land that she and her family might be spared.
Rahab followed their orders and the Israelites kept their promise to her. In the sixth chapter we read that Joshua sent the same two spies to rescue Rahab and her family.
But the story does not end there, my friends. She was saved, but God had not forgotten her faith. In Hebrews 11:31 she is mentioned along with the faithful of the ages. In James 2:25-26, she is mentioned as one who was considered righteous for what she did. Even more amazing, the first chapter of Matthew lists Rahab in the genealogy of Jesus.
Now, that brings us to the practical aspects of the forgiveness of sins in our lives. When we confess our sins, we can begin to live as new creatures. It is certainly not God who brings your sins of the past to your mind and causes you turmoil. If it is not the Lord, it is coming from the other side, and that means Satan. It is only by God’s GRACE that we are saved!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 19, 2017 | Philippians
Philippians 3:20
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
My residence is in Tumwater, Washington. My zip code, however, is Olympia, Washington. There are instances where a person’s place of residence is in an area that shows a different location than where they actually reside.
There are certain localities where a person’s residence is nearer a town or city in another nation. One road, river, or railroad can make a distinction as to how an address is determined.
When I was stationed in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, Canada, I had a mail box with a Canadian address. Mail sent to that address came to me, but I was not a Canadian citizen. I was only a temporary resident.
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are citizens of heaven. We may have a temporary address here in this world, but our forever home is celestial and eternal. I frequently find myself homesick for a place I have never been, but I will reside there forever and ever. That is my real citizenship!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 18, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 26:39
“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’”
Communication with God is something that many of us desire to cultivate. I fear that in my own prayer life I tend to have a list of answers I want the Lord to respond to. If I fail to see those requests answered the way I want I begin to wonder if I have prayed in error.
I recently read an eye-opening view of prayer by John Stott: “Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or bending His will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating our will to His.”
When I read that statement by John Stott, I immediately thought of the prayer Jesus prayed in the garden just before His arrest and crucifixion. Our Savior was committed to the Father’s will above His own.
If Jesus subordinated His own desires to the Father, how much more must you and I submit our own requests to the Lord? We all too often pray for our pain to be eased and our needs met instead of seeking to find how God can use what we are going through for His purpose and glory. I want to learn to pray for His will above my own.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
