by Pastor Cecil | Aug 23, 2016 | Ephesians
Ephesians 3:14-15
“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”
A few weeks ago my granddaughter’s husband was quizzing me on our family history. Off the top of my head, I was able to share what I could remember back several generations. That started me thinking about spiritual families.
To me, a spiritual family is more important than a physical family. It is not that our earthly / biological families do not matter, but they are temporal and exist for only a short period of time. Our spiritual family is from God and will remain for all of eternity.
Our spiritual family tree goes back to God Himself. We are not the result of some primordial sludge that somehow evolved. Our roots go back to the hand of God who is the Creator of all things and for Whom all things are named.
Since we have such a noble family tree, we need to live in such a manner that will bring honor to the family. We do that by spending quality time with other members of the family and encouraging each other to keep on keeping on until we reach that wonderful family reunion in heaven!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 22, 2016 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:22
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
Any time a believer compromises with the world there is an appearance of wrong. It may be easy for the believer to argue that no sin was actually committed, but what signals are being sent?
The Apostle Paul spoke about weaker believers who may be struggling with the issue of meat offered to idols. If these baby believers had been a part of some group that worshipped idols and considered the meat offered as sacred, they would carry the stigma along with them once they had become believers.
Paul says that the meat had no such stigma for him, but if in eating it the weaker brother was made to stumble, he would not eat it. I wish each of us would have that same sensitivity for others. We need to evaluate our actions in relation to the impact they have on those around us. We are a walking and talking example of what true believers should be.
Here are a few things to evaluate in your life that may give a wrong appearance: The way we dress, the words we use, the places we go, the things we listen to, the people we associate with, the things we watch, just to name a few. Here is the question: Are you giving any appearance of sin or evil in your life?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 19, 2016 | John
John 4:13-14
“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’”
Not only is Olympia, Washington, the State Capitol, but there is also another significant claim to fame. In the 400 block of 4th Avenue is an artesian well. People are able to fill containers of this pure cool water. It is a fountain flowing freely.
The composer of this week’s hymn is William Cowper. He was born in England in the year 1731. He suffered many personal losses during his early years that caused him much mental anguish. Loss after loss of those that were close brought him to the brink of despair.
Through all of his ordeals the Lord kept drawing him. He finally received Jesus as his personal Savior and began writing hymns and poetry. It is fascinating that he lived in a small house just behind the home of his pastor, John Newton, who wrote the wonderful hymn,Amazing Grace. Thank the Lord for the fountain of redeeming blood that cleanses us from all of our sin.
There Is A Fountain
There is a fountain filled with blood
drawn from Immanuel’s veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he
Wash all my sins away
Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God
Are saved, to sin no more
For since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply
Redeeming love has been my theme
and shall be till I die
When this poor lisping,
stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave
Then in a nobler, sweeter song
I’ll sing thy power to save
Enjoy this week’s free inspiration video, “There Is A Fountain” from Gloryscapes.com by going to:http://gloryscapes.com/thereisafountain/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 18, 2016 | Philippians
Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Self sufficiency is a constant battle for most of us. When we are called upon to serve the Lord, we frequently focus our attention on what we are doing rather than what God is doing through us.
If you doubt what I am saying, just let someone else get the credit for something you have done for the Lord. How do you feel? Is there a spirit of resentment and even jealousy in your heart? Ouch! That hurts, doesn’t it?
In order to get a good grasp of today’s passage of Scripture, it is essential we recall who is writing it. It is none other than Paul. He is the one who has been beaten, starved, stoned, ship-wrecked, and accused falsely. That is hard to equate with “… do all things …”
I think what Paul is trying to say is that he stays doing as the Lord directs him to do. If in that process he is allowed to observe the results, great! If he experiences only the rejection and persecution, that is great as well. It is not his reputation that is at stake, but the Lord’s. When we do all things through Christ we rest in His strength.
What are you doing for the Lord? Are you doing it in His strength or are you relying on your own ability? Remember, He is the One who strengthens us!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 17, 2016 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 12:8-9
“Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Why do bad things happen to good people? Have you ever asked that question? Have you ever prayed for God to answer your prayer for a specific thing and fail to see it answered? If so, join the crowd. As parents of three young children, we often heard their pleas for one thing or another. They would try every trick in the book in an attempt to get their parents to relent. There were times when we decided that it would be okay to grant their requests, but at other times we had to refuse.
Why did we refuse? It was not that we did not love them. Of course we did. Was it because we wanted to see them suffer? Of course not! Why did we turn a silent ear to their pleas? Simply because we felt that it was for their welfare not to grant the request.
They might not see it at the time, and in fact, they may never know fully why we turned a deaf ear. We knew and sometimes it was better not to let them know the reasons. That is the way it is with God. He knows what lies ahead and when He fails to grant our request, we need to trust Him. His grace is sufficient!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
