by Pastor Cecil | Dec 31, 2018 | 2 Peter
2 Peter 1:3
“His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.”
I recall an old saying; If you are not standing on the promises, you’ll just find yourself sitting on the premises. The gripers, moaners, and fault finders of the world, are generally composed of those who are the “sitters on the premises.” If you are one of them, I hope to serve you your eviction notice.
Have you ever asked someone how they doing and hear the response; Pretty good under the circumstances. I often will respond by asking them what they are doing under there.
So, what is Peter saying in this passage? He says that God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him. I don’t know what everything means where you live, but in my mind it means the whole ball of wax!
Just take God at His word and start applying His word to your situation and thank Him for the victory. It is all from Him, and for Him, and to Him. Refuse to take credit for what God does through us and praise His mighty name!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 28, 2018 | Psalm
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.”
This week’s hymn by Isaac Watts is a paraphrase of Psalm 90. It originally consisted of nine stanzas. In present day 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. For instance it was sung in 1941, at a religious service on board HMS Prince of Wales, attended by Sir Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt as part of the conference creating the Atlantic Charter. It was also sung at the Funeral service for Winston Churchill in 1965.
O 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 enjoy this free inspirational video: O God, Our Help in Ages Past, go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/ogodourhelpinagespast/
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 27, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
How clean are you? Do you possess a steadfast spirit? Are you open to the Lord doing the work that only He can do to mold you into the person He desires for you to be in serving Him?
How many unintentional spiritual failures have you experienced just because you became too busy with worldly pursuits? Let me ask yet another penetrating question. Have you ever made a commitment to someone, then after days, weeks, or even months, realize that you have failed to follow through? (It’s getting a little uncomfortable isn’t it!)
It is easy to see the faults of others while at the same time ignoring our own short comings. I think that the more easily we find fault in others, the easier it is to overlook the lack of trust in our own lives. There have been many times that people have disappointed me by saying one thing and then doing another. I want to strive to never allow that to be true of me.
I always want to take my hurts to the foot of the cross and leave them there with the One who is rejected by so many. My desire is to live more like Him every day. With the help of the Lord we can be more like Him by committing ourselves to learn more about Him from His Word.
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 26, 2018 | 1 John
1 John 5:13
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”
There is always a danger of forgetting the vital truths from the Word of God. John, who liked to think of himself as the beloved disciple, wants us to always remember the truth of his teaching. He was an eye witness to the ministry of Jesus and shared the gospel message with passion and power. Recall John 3:16
Prior to the celebration of Christmas there were messages and pageants that portrayed the birth of our Lord. We must never forget the truth of His birth to an humble maid servant and the announcement to lowly shepherds.
But … there is more!
We must always keep in mind that Jesus came to die in order that anyone who trusts in Him can inherit eternal life. That is the greatest news we can share with a sick and dying world while there is still time.
Christmas day 2018 may be gone, but the reality of the gospel message must never be forgotten. We need to make it a priority to share the good news of salvation as often as the Holy Spirit opens the door for us. Keep your eyes open!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 25, 2018 | John
John 1:1-14
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
This is my personal message for each and every one of you! Merry Christmas!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
