by Pastor Cecil | Feb 26, 2019 | John
John 5:43
“I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.”
I once received a fictitious story that sadly describes how easy it is to escape personal responsibility to do the will of God.
“There were once four brothers: Every-one, Some-one, Any-one and No-one. They had a very important task to do. Every-one was sure that Some-one would do it. Any-one could have done it, but No-one did it in the end. Some-one was angry because it could have been Every-one’s job. Every-one thought that Any-one could have done it, but No-one realized that No-one will do it in the end. In the end, Every-one was angry at Some-one because No-one did what Any-one could’ve done.”
Does that sound familiar to you? I do not mean this humorous vignette, but the reality of the situation it describes. We are prone to expect others to do the job that the Lord calls us to do. Even when we accept responsibility for doing God’s work, we put off and put off, sometimes so long that we leave the job undone.
What is God putting in your heart to accomplish for Him? If you see a ministry that needs to be performed and wonder why someone is not doing it, it may well be that you are the one for the task. Are you faithful in doing God’s will for your life?
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 18, 2019 | John
John 4:13-14
“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’”
Not only is Olympia, Washington, the State Capitol, but there is also another significant claim to fame. In the 400 block of 4th Avenue is an artesian well. People are able to fill containers of this pure cool water. It is a fountain flowing freely.
The composer of this week’s hymn is William Cowper. He was born in England in the year 1731. He suffered many personal losses during his early years that caused him much mental anguish. Loss after loss of those that were close brought him to the brink of despair.
Through all of his ordeals the Lord kept drawing him. He finally received Jesus as his personal Savior and began writing hymns and poetry. It is fascinating that he lived in a small house just behind the home of his pastor, John Newton, who wrote the wonderful hymn, Amazing Grace. Thank the Lord for the fountain of redeeming blood that cleanses us from all of our sin.
There Is A Fountain
There is a fountain filled with blood
drawn from Immanuel’s veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he
Wash all my sins away
Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God
Are saved, to sin no more
For since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply
Redeeming love has been my theme
and shall be till I die
When this poor lisping,
stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave
Then in a nobler, sweeter song
I’ll sing thy power to save
Enjoy this week’s free inspiration video, “There Is A Fountain” from Gloryscapes.com by going to: http://gloryscapes.com/thereisafountain/
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 25, 2018 | John
John 1:1-14
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
This is my personal message for each and every one of you! Merry Christmas!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 8, 2018 | John
John 9:4
“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”
A friend once sent me a photo of a can of rust remover that was coated with rust. Perhaps that is a vivid reminder that it is what is on the inside that counts! The humorous irony of that picture of a rusted can of rust remover sent my mind racing back across the years to someone’s remark that it is better to burn out than to rust out. As I think about it, I really do not recall knowing anyone who worked to death serving the Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
I am sad to confess that I have known many who became rusty in the work for the Lord. The fire they once had in service began to flicker and the oil in their lamp ran dry. Instead of returning to the Lord for a fresh supply, they pressed on in their own strength. Sadly, it wasn’t long before spiritual rust began to eat away their luster.
How do we insure that we will not fall into the same rusty rut? I think the answer is in staying close to the Lord in all that we are doing. Rather than performing to please other people, we need to always be focused on pleasing the Lord. That means we need to start each day with prayer and the Word. It is the oil that will lubricate and preserve us for each day, but we need that fresh supply on a daily basis.
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 8, 2018 | John
John 3:30-31
“He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.”
John the Baptist became a mighty man of God that brought a message of repentance to the people in Israel. People flocked out to hear him, responded to his message and were baptized. You might think that John would be jealous of his territory and his reputation. His entire life had been devoted to serving the Lord in unwavering obedience. Now Jesus had appeared to begin His earthly ministry.
How would John react? Would he jealously hold tight to his ministry and reject the ministry of Jesus? The answer was “No!” The words that John spoke in today’s Scripture should be our attitude as well: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Wow! That is so profound and unexpected. Later, the disciples of Jesus would argue about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom. But here is John turning his back on personal gain.
When John’s disciples reported that many of his followers were now following after Jesus, he did not express resentment or bitterness. He knew that it was essential for him to fade into the background and allow His Lord to increase and accomplish His task. Are you willing to surrender your pride and self-centeredness? I pray you are!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 24, 2018 | John
John 14:2
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
One of the benefits while serving in the US Air Force was base housing. It was nice to know that when you arrived at your new assignment, you would have a nice place to live. Each base had different styles, but they were always adequate.
We were reminded that they did not belong to us and were only for us to use while we were assigned to that particular base. We were required to leave the units spotless when we left so the new officer’s family would feel welcome.
In civilian life we were in a far different frame of mind. The things that we wanted in our own home were often beyond what we could afford. Then there was the maintenance issue. Even in the finest home, there were things that needed to be repaired from time to time.
In today’s Scripture, Jesus describes a home that will be our final home. It will be a mansion of beauty that is beyond our imagination. God knows us inside and out and knows what will satisfy us completely.
As a born again Christian we are part of God’s family and the mansion is now being prepared for us. Not only that, we are going to have resurrected bodies that will be able to enjoy our new home to the fullest. Spend time thinking about it!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
