by Pastor Cecil | Jun 4, 2018 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 2:12
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”
It is a tragic fact that many in our world are living in deception — the deception that doing more good things than bad things, or simply knowing about God, is enough to qualify them for heaven. Beep! Wrong answer!
In Deuteronomy 30:19 Moses proclaims the words the Lord had given to him for the people: “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you today life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life that you and your children may live.”
God does not desire that anyone should perish, so much so that He sent His only Son to die on a cross and be raised in victory over death in order that we may have life, and to have it in great abundance. God offers us eternal life, but we must make it personal by confessing our sinful nature and receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.
Paul gives specific instruction of how to become “born again” in Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” I urge you, MAKE IT PERSONAL!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 1, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 46:1-3
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
The Haven of Rest Quartet began singing in the year I was born, 1934. I can recall First Mate Bob introducing the program after a fog horn sounded. The quartet then would sing the words of this week’s hymn.
As we struggle through the storms of life it is a wonderful assurance that God provides a haven of rest where we can safely escape the wild waves of adversity. I thank God that many times in my life I have found God’s haven of rest for my own soul. In the book of Psalms, David refers to the storms of life. He was attacked on all sides by his enemies who desired to take his life. Do you feel that way sometimes?
His predecessor, King Saul, was a demented king who imagined that David was attempting to take the kingdom from him. (Actually it was the Lord who had rejected Saul because of his wickedness and failing to keep the Lord in control of his life.)
In many of his Psalms, David cried out to the Lord for help and immediately praised Him for giving him a safe place of refuge. That is the same with us today. We may be tossed and torn by the storms of life, but the Lord always gives us a haven of rest. That is the hymn for this week.
The Haven of Rest
My soul in sad exile was out on life(s) sea,
So burdened with sin and distressed,
Till I heard a sweet voice, saying, (Make Me your choice)
And I entered the Haven of Rest!
Refrain: I have anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest; I will sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I am safe evermore.
I yielded myself to His tender embrace,
In faith taking hold of the Word,
My fetters fell off, and I anchored my soul;
The Haven of Rest is my Lord.
Refrain: I have anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest; I will sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I am safe evermore.
The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole,
Has been the old story so blest,
Of Jesus, who will save whosoever will have
A home in the Haven of Rest.
Refrain: I have anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest; I will sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I am safe evermore.
How precious the thought that we all may recline,
Like John, the beloved so blest,
On Jesus strong arm, where no tempest can harm,
Secure in the Haven of Rest.
Refrain: I have anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest; I will sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I am safe evermore.
O come to the Savior, He patiently waits
To save by His power divine;
Come, anchor your soul in the Haven of Rest,
And say, ‘My Beloved is mine.’
Refrain: I have anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest; I will sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I am safe evermore.
To access The Haven of Rest, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/thehavenofrest/ 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
by Pastor Cecil | May 31, 2018 | Luke
Luke 11:1
“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’”
True prayer is not presenting God with a long list of requests and hoping that at least one of them is answered! Rather, it is being in harmony with Him and speaking with Him in confident expectation.
In today’s Scripture, it is evident that John the Baptist had taught his disciples how to pray. Since John preached a message of repentance, it seems reasonable that his instructions for prayer focused on repentance. As the disciples of our Lord listened to His prayers, they must have detected a difference and wanted to know how they should pray. From their request we have the words which we have come to know as the “Lord’s Prayer,” but may be more accurately called the “Disciple’s Prayer.”
All too often people pray with selfish motives. They want to increase health, wealth or wisdom for their own benefit. On the other hand, God desires to meet our needs but also provide extra resources. These resources, however, are not intended for us to provide ourselves with lavish lifestyles. When God opens heaven’s floodgates, He will also open a door of opportunity for us to wisely invest in eternal matters.
“LORD, PLEASE TEACH ME TO PRAY IN FAITH, BELIEVING!”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 30, 2018 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 34:1a
“Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land.”
Flying at night on a commuter airline is especially revealing. Washington is a fairly large state, but when climbing to a relatively low altitude, the lights of Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Portland, Tri-cities, Walla Walla, Yakima, Moses Lake, and Spokane are all clearly visible. What a view!
What about those who are blind? I am always in awe of the things that blind people can “see” without the aid of eyesight. Their perceptions are so keen that touch and sound enables them to “see” what sighted people may never see. What a view!
Isaiah was given keen spiritual sight when he wrote in Isaiah 64:4 — “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.”
Now that is the view God wants us to see! In the times of frustration and disappointment in this life, we need to recognize that the greatest views in this life are nothing. God has given us a new life that is in Him. We are new creations! We have been born again when we invite the Lord into our heart. WHAT A VIEW!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 29, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 115:5
“They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see.”
Recently I observed a driver making a right turn at an intersection. The traffic light was red for him and he was permitted to make a right turn, but only after coming to a complete stop and insuring that no on-coming traffic was approaching.
I was in an inside lane and watched as he narrowly missed the car having the right-of-way. It was then I noticed that he seemingly averted his eyes from the car he had cut in front of … as if by not looking at the other driver, his action was okay.
We once had a small dog named Perky. Perky loved to come to the table at meal time. He knew he was not supposed to, so he would turn his head away from the table as he drew near. Perky thought if he could not see us we could not see him.
Sometimes I think we treat God the same way. We fail to focus our attention on Him and thus feel that He cannot see us. That is totally false thinking. God knows us better than we will ever know ourselves, yet He still loves us enough to die on the cross for us. May God forgive us our blind eyes and allow us to see the reality of His love for us.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
