by Pastor Cecil | May 18, 2016 | John
John 8:12
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”
I frequently receive solicitations through my e-mail offering the brightest flashlight on the face of the planet. Well, it may not be specifically described in that manner, but they make it sound as if I cannot live without it.
Now I want you to know that I am not adverse to light. As a teen, I learned to quietly slip into the house a few minutes after curfew because I did not want my parents to know I was late. A few times, however, I found myself stumbling over a chair or table. My mom had a habit of rearranging the furniture. Hmm! I wonder if she did that as a ploy to hear when I came home?
It is sad to realize that many people have not received The Light (Jesus) that came into the world to free us from the inky blackness of sin. We are born into sin and the only way for the light to shine is to receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. It is not by infant baptism or doing good works, but only by confessing our sins and asking the Lord to take control of our life.
Do you have His Light in your life? If not, I urge you to take that vital step right now. I assure you that this Light is definitely the brightest light in the universe!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 11, 2016 | John
John 12:26
“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”
I recall driving with our family into an unfamiliar city years ago. The people we were visiting tried to give directions, but finally instructed me to just stay where I was and they would come and guide us to their home. Have you ever tried to keep up with someone who knows where they are going and seems to forget you are trying to follow them? Thankfully we finally made it to our destination (with only a few frayed nerves).
Sometimes in our spiritual journey we may be encouraged to follow certain religious leaders. Unfortunately, some of those leaders take their eyes off of the Lord, leaving their followers in confusion and disenchantment.
Today’s Scripture comes from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. He is the One we are to follow. In order to follow Him we must discover where He is. That, my dear friend, is within the pages of our Bible.
Searching the pages of God’s Word will reveal where Jesus is and what He is telling us to do. When we discover where Jesus is at work, we need to stay close enough to Him so that we will discover the steps and stops of our Lord.
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 6, 2016 | John
John 5:30
“I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”
I recently observed a man with his right hand raised and a big smile on his face. He looked like he was bidding on something at an auction, but there was no auction going on. It was then that I observed his cell phone in his hand. Perhaps he was just trying to get better reception. But no, he was taking a SELFIE.
I am not sure where this preoccupation with taking pictures of one’s self came from, but to me it’s disturbing. I know that I’m an old stick-in-the-mud, but let’s face it, there are a lot better things to take pictures of than ourselves.
Pride comes in all shapes and sizes, and perhaps selfies are an indication of just how subtly it can slip in. In today’s Scripture we read the words of Jesus. If the Son of God can say that He Himself can do nothing without doing the will of His Father, we need to pay attention.
As we examine our life and our conduct, are we placing attention on our self? Do we live to please us or to please Him? Are we seeking our own will or His will? I want to get rid of the selfies in my life and live for Him.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 2, 2016 | John
John 17:6-7
“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.”
I recently discovered my mom’s old photograph album. It must be almost 70 years old. As I thumbed through the pages of old black-and-white photos, there were precious few of the people that I could identify. Sadly, Mom had not recorded their names on the backs of the pictures … so they remain unidentified.
I sent several to my cousin, but he was able to identify only a couple people. We both are stymied and have no one that we can call upon to identify the people in those black-and-white photographs. He told me he found a similar album in his grandmother’s house after she died and had the same problem. He threw the photos away as there was no one alive to identify them.
This incident causes me to wonder if we could be identified as true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Would people be able to identify us as true believers based entirely on our actions? Without the name “Christian” on our back, would we be the same as those old black and white photos — UNIDENTIFIED? Think about it!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 8, 2015 | John
John 16:12-13
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”
I recently enjoyed lunch with a pastor and his wife that I have known for many years. We both served as pastors in Burns, Oregon. We were from different denominations, but we shared the same Savior and Lord.
As we reminisced about the way the Lord had worked in our lives, there seemed to be a common thread of awareness — our encounters with people who delight in playing the Holy Spirit for others.
This is a sensitive area because God directs us to live and teach according to His Word. When people become aware of those who are living contrary to the Word, they feel compelled to act on their own to correct and direct.
Listen! The Holy Spirit is far more able to convict and convince others of their sins than you or I. He may lead us to speak words of correction, but we should only do so after much prayer and fasting in order to insure that it is of the Holy Spirit and not simply our personal running ahead of God.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 23, 2015 | 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.’”
Olympia, Washington is Washington’s State Capitol. 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
To access There is a Fountain, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/thereisafountain/ 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
