by Pastor Cecil | Feb 19, 2018 | Hebrews
Hebrews 4:16
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
There are at least two ways we may approach God’s throne of grace — barely or boldly. Barely means we slink our way toward His throne expecting to be thrown out at any second. Boldly means we accept God’s open invitation to come into His presence as His own dear child.
When our oldest grandson, Zane, was quite small, he used to follow my dad around like a shadow. Zane and his great grandfather had a close relationship. From time to time, being a normal boy, something that he was playing with would break. Zane would never be upset. He would confidently exclaim, “Papa fitz it!” For those of you who have a hard time with kid talk, that means “Grandpa will fix it!” That should be our attitude toward the Lord.
How then should we pray? With praise and assurance that God will use all situations to bring about His goodness and grace. We pray with anticipation, looking for the answers, paying attention to what is happening, and eager to give God the glory. Three things to remember when we go to the Lord in prayer: ATTITUDE! ATTITUDE! ATTITUDE!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 12, 2018 | Hebrews
Hebrews 11:7
“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”
The definition of spiritual faith is found in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Now unless I am missing something, substance and evidence are things that can be touched, held, and collected as exhibits. Faith on the other hand is usually described as being unseen but needing trust to believe that it is real. Hebrews 11:1 melds the two ideas together.
I have often used the analogy of going to a favorite ice cream store on a hot day. The enjoyment of your favorite ice cream cone does not begin when you take your first lick of that delectable treat — it is thinking about it on the way to the store.
In like manner we begin to enjoy the pleasures of our eternal home with the Lord as we walk this pathway of life. We may encounter conflicts, pain, and distress along our pathway, but we can demonstrate our righteousness by believing what God says is true. When we doubt God’s word, we demonstrate our unrighteous nature and this is displeasing to God. God desires for us to trust and believe!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 27, 2017 | Hebrews
Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Back when I was eight or nine my parents owned a café in Camas, Washington, called Kelly’s. I have many fond memories of spending time in and around that place. Sometimes I would help the dish washer, but in reality was more hindrance than help.
Years after we had moved away from Camas I always wanted to drive by and see if Kelly’s was still open. I had told my wife Joyce about it enough times that she was no doubt tired of hearing my stories. A day came when I took a trip down memory lane with Joyce.We were able to find my family’s old house and the old church where I had given my heart to the Lord, but my heart saddened when we saw the building where Kelly’s had once been. It was now an insurance agency. Rats!
There were other instances where we tried to find some favored spot only to discover the use had changed and it was entirely different from the way we remembered. It is disappointing to have the buildings of our past change, but it is heart breaking to discover that some people have changed for the worse.
In today’s Scripture we are urged stay the course and walk in such a way that our life will be an example to others. Jesus is always the same and that is the rock upon which we are to build our life.
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 6, 2017 | Hebrews
Hebrews 1:3
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word.”
As often as possible I love to watch the passage of the International Space Station through the night sky. It takes me back to the time I first observed the passage of Sputnik long ago in 1957. It is a thrill to observe these satellites pass so silently across the dark skies above our heads.
The believer’s light source is not in his or her own actions, but in what the Lord shines into their life. Just as Jesus was “the radiance of God’s glory,” so we are called to shine forth with the illumination of His presence in our life.
As we sail silently through the dark skies of this old sin-sick world, I pray that each of us will turn our eyes upon Him. As we do, people should see His brilliance reflected in us. As Jesus is the exact representation of the Father, so must Jesus be the source of our light.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 27, 2017 | Hebrews
Hebrews 10:35-36
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”
I recall seeing a poster of a kitten barely hanging onto a rope with its two front paws. Under the picture was a caption that said … HANG ON! I think we all have moments in our life when we feel we are barely hanging on.
The writer of Hebrews encourages us to hang onto our confidence and not throw it away. He goes on to assure us that our perseverance will not simply be rewarded, but it will be RICHLY rewarded.
At times we place our confidence in our own strength or possibly we rely on others. While it is good to have others come along side of us and to do the best we can in our life, there is a far more vital thing we must do … we must accomplish the will of God!
How much time do you spend seeking to know and doing the will of God for your life? Discovering God’s will for us is found as we spend time with Him in the study of His Word and communing with Him in prayer.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 26, 2017 | Hebrews
Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
It seems I have always been intensely interested in the field of criminal justice. A review of my resume’ says I have been employed as a city police officer, a dispatcher, a juvenile probation officer, a criminal justice planner, and a college professor of criminal justice classes.
One of the things I have learned well through this extensive involvement is that evidence is something that is tangible and able to be presented in court as proof. Without it, the case rests only on circumstantial (or inferred) evidence.
So here is the paradox in Hebrews 11:1– substances have solid qualities, but faith is ethereal. Evidence is something touchable that is marked for exhibit and a number is placed on it for identification, and yet here in Hebrews it is described as being not seen.
What this verse reveals to me is that we are to have faith that is solid. It is not the namby-pamby type of stuff that cowers in the corner and hopes for the best. It is the bold and positive assurance that God’s Word is true and worthy of our trust.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
