by Pastor Cecil | Mar 26, 2015 | Luke
Luke 21:2-3
“For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
Throughout my life I have been in positions of authority. Watching actual police programs on TV we see offenders blaming the officers who arrest them instead of admitting they were in the wrong and submitting to authority. I once served as a police officer and met people who became agitated and belligerent when they were confronted. It was evident that they had just been guilty of some type of violation, but they refused to be responsible for their actions.
In each of the positions of authority I came under the authority of someone who was above me. Authority comes as a result of being assigned to a position of authority and not entirely based upon merit. Each authority figure has someone who is in authority above them. They in turn have someone they answered to and up the chain of command it progresses. Societies experience chaos and disintegration when people demand to do their own thing without regard to the consequences.
More and more, we observe people in this old sin-sick world that detest any form of authority. They rebel and protest in order to reject the rules of the society of which they are a part. The rejection of authority is anarchy. That is not good!
The final authority is God! Every human authority will one day stand facing the Judge of all the earth. Our failure to recognize and submit to His authority has eternal consequences. I for one do not want to have my own way when it comes to the will of God. I choose to allow Him to be my final authority.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 25, 2015 | Hebrews
Hebrews 11:1-3
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”
It was in the early seventies and I had been studying the beautiful concept of faith. I was discussing the subject with a fellow believer and asked him how he would define faith. He smiled, recited Hebrews 11:1, and then sat back with a pleased grin on his face.
When I asked him to put that scripture into his own words, he struggled and just recited the scripture again. I suddenly realized that just mouthing the words of Scripture does not mean that we actually understand what God has for us in His Word.
Then I envisioned an ice cream cone on a hot summer day and suggested that my friend imagine we were on our way to the ice cream shop. I asked him what his favorite flavor was. He told me and as he did, I noticed he licked his lips. It was then I suggested that we enjoy the goodness of the ice cream before we were served.
In the same way, we have God’s promises in His Word that we can begin to enjoy here even before we get there. We can begin to enjoy the answers to prayer by trusting in the Lord and joyfully allowing Him to have control of our life. By faith we have victory here, and glory, too!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 24, 2015 | Psalm
Psalm 55:16-18
“As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice. He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for there were many against me.”
It seems like a lifetime ago (it almost is) when our kids were toddlers. They began to demonstrate their independent streak when they would interrupt what Joyce or I were doing with the words, “I do it myself!”
That same attitude continues into our adult life in one form or another. This is especially true in spiritual matters. We read in God’s Word that we are to follow Him in all that we do, but by our actions we seem to be saying to God that we want to do it our way and by ourselves.
It is crystal clear that salvation comes by grace through faith, yet millions of people seem to think that they can achieve salvation by their own works. God is not interested in our puny works. He is, however, interested in our obedience. In 1 Samuel 15:22b, Samuel relates to King Saul: “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
That was true back then and it is still true today. When we read God’s commands in the Bible they are the same yesterday, today, and forever. We need to stop trying to do things our way and start doing things God’s way!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
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
