by Pastor Cecil | Jul 12, 2013 | Psalm
Psalm 107:29-30
“He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven.”
It seems that each of us is called upon to face storms in our life. It may be physical infirmity, financial reversals or the loss of a loved one. It is not the storm that matters, but how we react to the storm.
Back in 1873, Horatio Spafford and his family were scheduled to sail on the French steamer ‘Ville de Havre’ from New York to England where he was to assist the great evangelist, D.L. Moody. Because of a last minute business crisis Mr. Spafford sent his family on ahead and he would follow on a later ship.
Unfortunately the ship his family was on collided with another ship and sank. There was a terrible loss of life. Spafford and his wife lost their four daughters. Nine days later Horatio Spafford received a cable from his wife that simply said, “Saved alone.” What poignant words.
Later, as he was sailing to meet his wife, he asked the captain to let him know when they were near where the accident had occurred. It was there that he penned the words of this week’s hymn, It Is Well with My Soul.
It Is Well With My Soul
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
To access It Is Well With My Soul, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/itiswellwithmysoul/ 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
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 11, 2013 | 1 John
1 John 2:15-16
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
Many years ago there was a popular comic strip called Pogo. It featured a possum called Pogo and was set in the Okefenokee Swamp in Florida. Pogo and the other characters in the swamp were certain that they were about to be attacked by an unknown enemy. As they searched for this army they happened to look into the water and discovered who they were looking for. They returned to the others who had been waiting and announced: We have met the enemy and they is us!
Pride is such a persistent transgression that we need to be aware at all times of the many ways it can appear. A preoccupation with our feelings may seem to be a normal reaction to what we are enduring, but it may also be a pride of self that seeks to keep self in control rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to be in control.
The accumulation of things may at first appear to just be a desire to collect things that are special. But closer observation can reveal that the reason we collect things is to own something, or to possess more some-things than others have.
Need I go into the mania to seek a title that inflates the ego? Doctor, Master, Bishop, Reverend, Holiness—Grand Poobah! Some titles may be earned, but even if they have been granted after years of study, they must never be paraded. Mom and Dad gave me the name Cecil, and that is a good enough title for me.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 10, 2013 | Genesis
Genesis 2:24
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
July 10, 1952 was a blistering hot day in Nampa, Idaho. I am not sure what the official high was for the day, but it was well over 100 degrees. A great day for a wedding! Actually it was! For some of you who may be mathematically challenged (I am one myself), that means we are celebrating sixty-one years of marriage today.
Our wedding day was a day that Joyce and I had been looking forward to for a long time. We had been sweethearts all through high school and had known for years that we would be married when we graduated. It was only a month after graduation that we pledged our love to each other and became ONE FLESH.
In a day when couples usually live together before marriage, we might seem old fashioned and dated. The excuse that many people give for violating the Word of God by living together is that they want to be sure that their marriage will work. The fact of the matter is that a higher percentage of these arrangements end in heartache and divorce.
God established a beautiful gift when He created the marriage union between a man and woman. This is a sacred gift and one that we need to cherish. Joyce and I have had such a fantastic life together that it is hard to explain it to others. I personally do not think that it requires a formula or prior training. It is simply becoming ONE FLESH!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 9, 2013 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 2:1-2
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will be qualified to teach others.
There are certain people in each of our lives who have made a significant impact. In my life it was an old man named Ernest. I say old, but that was from the point of view of a four-year-old boy. In fact, Ernest was only in his 60(s). Now that I have passed into my 70(s), that seems pretty young. He was one of those precious souls that loved the Lord from the depths of his being, and was not afraid to demonstrate it in his actions. He used an old Bible that was as worn and battered as he. The cover of his Bible bore scars from excessive use.
Ernest used to sit in his old rocking chair and read his Bible. He would read silently, but his lips would move as he read verse after verse. Sometimes he would hold the younger grandchildren on his lap as he read the life-revealing Word of God. One could only wonder if he realized he was impacting those young lives by his quiet devotion.
There came a day when Grandpa just did not feel right. He consulted a doctor and learned that he had cancer. At that time, medical treatment for cancer was limited, so he suffered many days of pain and exhaustion. Realizing that his days on this earth were very also limited, Ernest sent word to his eight children that he would like to see them all one more time. They came from Texas, California, and those who lived near him in Washington State.
In his final hours of life, he shared from his heart all that God had done for him, and how much he loved the Lord. As his children gathered around his bed in that small living room, he encouraged those of them who were not serving the Lord to do so while there was time. For those who did know the Lord, he challenged them to be faithful in their walk. His breathing became easier, and it seemed as if the pain had been removed from his body. He raised up on his elbow and looked toward the door. These were the last words of Ernest Thompson, my grandfather: “There is Jesus now!”
I cannot begin to count the number of times I have told the story of Grandpa Thompson. I do know it is nothing as compared with the countless times I have thought of his words. It has given me a hope that there is a heaven to be gained, and a hell to be shunned. It has been a constant beacon to direct my way through the storms of life.
What about you who have not had a Grandpa Thompson? You are stuck with me! Stop that whimpering right now!!!! You see, I was not in that room when grandpa died. His words and the scene were related to me by my dad. I have been living the glory of the death of Grandpa Thompson based upon of what my dad had seen and shared. Now that I have related it to you, it is up to you to accept it in faith and allow it to give you a light in your darkest night.
Paul encouraged Timothy to recall those meaningful words and the actions that he had observed in Paul’s life and pass them on to the faithful who could in turn pass them from one to the other. It might be said that the Gospel was the first and greatest multilevel marketing strategy in the world. It only takes one who will duplicate himself in the lives of others, who in turn will repeat the process, until the world realizes the presence of Jesus.
None of us know for sure where we will be when it is our time to die. We also have no idea when it will be. The only certainty is that each of us will die unless the Lord catches up His church in the rapture. I have a driving ambition to be faithful in teaching and living as Jesus has instructed. I myself am a Grandpa Thompson now.
As I mentioned earlier, I am already older than my grandpa Ernest Thompson was when he died. I have many precious spiritual children and grandchildren. I want them to see my battered Bible, and watch as I read those precious words, and also watch as I live a life that is committed and real. Regardless if I die surrounded by people, or all alone, my desire is that my last words will be: “There is Jesus Now!”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 8, 2013 | Philippians
Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
I recall hearing a seminary professor tell how easy it is to downplay the things that are meaningful or important to another person. If they have achieved some major goal in their life it is easy for us to ignore it or act as if it were insignificant.
This professor related how he would go out of his way to get excited about some accomplishment that someone shared with him. Someone had told him about some verse they had memorized and he exploded with joy and congratulations. It was just the response that person needed. It seems that others near him had always made him feel inferior and worthless. He went on to become a dynamic spiritual leader in his area.
It does not have to be spiritual accomplishments that we give praise to. We had a small man with a severe learning disorder in a church that I served as an associate pastor. The man could barely talk, but he loved to bowl. Somehow I discovered he carried a small book with his bowling scores written down. Each week I made a point of looking at his book and getting excited about his scores. They were sometimes 25 or 30, but I tried to make him feel special. It not only made Roscoe feel special, it made me feel that I had met an angel unaware.
Who do you know that needs to be lifted by your approval? What words can you speak or actions shown that will make that person feel special? Try it!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
