by Pastor Cecil | Nov 22, 2018 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Being thankful is not (or at least it should not be) a once-a-year thing. As members of God’s family we are to be thankful at all times. It is not our prerogative to choose when and what we will be thankful for.
In today’s Scripture, Paul admonishes the church at Thessalonica (as well as all of us) that we are to: Rejoice always. Do you frequently look as though you have been baptized in vinegar? That, my dear friend, is not being continually joyful.
Paul’s second admonition is that we are to: Pray without ceasing. Here is another embarrassing question: How is your prayer life? Are you continually speaking to the Lord in prayer? It is a discipline that we need to pursue.
The last admonition is in line with today’s topic. Here is what the Lord expects of us: In everything give thanks. Chew on that while you are munching on your sumptuous dinner. What if you had little or nothing to eat? Would you still give thanks? That is exactly the Lord’s will in any and every circumstance.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 27, 2018 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Being thankful is not (or at least it should not be) something that we need to be reminded to do. As members of God’s family we are to be thankful at all times. It is not our prerogative to choose what we will be thankful for — it is a choice that needs to be as natural to the believer as breathing.
In today’s Scripture, Paul admonishes the church at Thessalonica (as well as all of us) that we are to: “Rejoice always.” Do you frequently look as though you have been baptized in vinegar? That, my dear friend, is not having an attitude of always rejoicing.
Paul’s second admonition is that we are to: “Pray without ceasing.” Here is another embarrassing question: How is your prayer life? Are you continually speaking to the Lord in prayer? It is a discipline that we need to pursue.
The last admonition is in line with today’s topic. Here is what the Lord expects of us: “In everything give thanks.” Chew on that while you are munching on your next sumptuous dinner. What if you had little or nothing to eat? Would you still give thanks? That is exactly the Lord’s will for us in every circumstance. Make sure you adjust your attitude to conform to God’s standard for believers.
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 7, 2018 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18
“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”
Though an invalid for much of her life, Eliza Edmunds Hewitt was always active and enjoyed a long personal friendship with Fanny Crosby. These two women met often for fellowship and discussion of their new hymns. Eliza was a school teacher in Philadelphia and a Christian lay worker who was committed to write songs to teach children the basic truths of the gospel. This song was written for her own Sunday school class in Philadelphia.
Miss Hewitt often attended the Methodist camp meetings at Ocean Grove, New Jersey. It was here that she collaborated with Emily Wilson, the wife of a Methodist district superintendent in Philadelphia, in the writing of this triumphant gospel hymn–a favorite of young and old alike. “When We All Get to Heaven” was first published in 1898.
When We All Get to Heaven
1. Sing the wondrous love of Jesus, Sing His mercy and His grace. In the mansions bright and blessed He’ll prepare for us a place.
Refrain: When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
2. While we walk the pilgrim pathway, Clouds will overspread the sky; But when traveling days are over, Not a shadow, not a sigh.
Refrain: When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
3. Let us then be true and faithful, Trusting, serving every day; Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay.
Refrain: When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
4. Onward to the prize before us! Soon His beauty we’ll behold; Soon the pearly gates will open; We shall tread the streets of gold.
Refrain: When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video, “When We All Get To Heaven” from GloryScapes.com. by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/whenweallgettoheaven/
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 9, 2018 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.“
Sometimes in life we face challenges that seem to be much harder than we are able to bear. In today’s Scripture we are given three admonitions that appear to be impossible for us to obey: ALWAYS REJOICE, ALWAYS PRAY, ALWAYS GIVE THANKS.
What about the times when our world is turned upside down and we feel like we’ve been dropped inside of a tornado? When I stop to think about it, those are the times when I need to be most blessed to have a God in heaven who is stronger than the storms of life. It is in the midst of the ordeals of life that the Lord is able to use my situation for His divine will to be done.
In Acts 6 we meet Stephen, a glorious believer during the times of the early church, who was fully committed to doing the will of God in spite of the oppression from the very men responsible for crucifying Jesus. Stephen did not allow their opposition to defeat him and was willing to sacrifice his own well being in order to proclaim the truth of who Jesus really was ― their promised Messiah.
The stones that the religious bigots hurled at Stephen could not do harm to his eternal soul ― he was already in Christ Jesus and he was at the gateway to glory. What a homecoming was waiting for him!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 29, 2017 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18
“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”
Though an invalid for much of her life, Eliza Edmunds Hewitt was always active and enjoyed a long personal friendship with Fanny Crosby. These two women met often for fellowship and discussion of their new hymns. Eliza was a school teacher in Philadelphia and a Christian lay worker who was committed to write songs to teach children the basic truths of the gospel. This song was written for her own Sunday school class in Philadelphia.
Miss Hewitt often attended the Methodist camp meetings at Ocean Grove, New Jersey. It was here that she collaborated with Emily Wilson, the wife of a Methodist district superintendent in Philadelphia, in the writing of this triumphant gospel hymn–a favorite of young and old alike. “When We All Get to Heaven” was first published in 1898.
When We All Get to Heaven
1. Sing the wondrous love of Jesus, Sing His mercy and His grace. In the mansions bright and blessed He’ll prepare for us a place.
Refrain: When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
2. While we walk the pilgrim pathway, Clouds will overspread the sky; But when traveling days are over, Not a shadow, not a sigh.
Refrain: When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
3. Let us then be true and faithful, Trusting, serving every day; Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay.
Refrain: When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
4. Onward to the prize before us! Soon His beauty we’ll behold; Soon the pearly gates will open; We shall tread the streets of gold.
Refrain: When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video, “When We All Get To Heaven” from GloryScapes.com. by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/whenweallgettoheaven/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 21, 2017 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
“And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.”
It is difficult to live in peace when the world around us is nothing but chaos. There is strife on every hand, and even within the church of Jesus Christ there are factions that war against each other. If you have ever been involved in a conflict with other Christians, you know that it seems like a no-win situation.
Years ago I heard the story of a pastor who had an obstinate member of his congregation who was a constant source of conflict. He prayed fervently for the Lord to help to alleviate the problem. One day a pillar of the church, a prayer warrior, approached the pastor and said that he had been praying for the Lord to do what only He could do about the troublesome member.
It was a few weeks later during a prayer service that this prayer warrior was called on to pray. He had prayed for the trouble maker so frequently in his private prayers that he forgot that brother “X” was sitting right behind him as he prayed: “Lord, you know how much trouble old brother “X” has been causing. Lord, please sweeten him up or take him home to heaven.” What an embarrassing moment!
Paul informs the Thessalonians about the steps to peace: 1. Live in peace with each other. 2. Warn those who are idle and disruptive. 3. Encourage the disheartened. 4. Help the weak. 5. Be patient with everyone. Five easy steps. Why do we make it so hard?
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
