by Pastor Cecil | Aug 25, 2017 | Psalm
Psalm 29:2
“Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness”
There have been times in my life when I have worked in dirt and grime. By the time I had finished my work it seemed that I had been coated with the filth. I could hardly wait to take a shower and clean myself up. In this sin sick world we often need to come near God’s cleansing shower and experience His holiness.
Reginald Heber was born at Malpas, Cheshire, England, April 21, 1783 to a heritage of wealth and culture. By the age of five, he had read the Bible so thoroughly that he could give chapter and verse for chance quotations.
He composed many hymns, but served his entire life without seeing them published. It was only after his death that as many as 57 of his hymns were recognized. It was to the Lord that he dedicated his works. Such is the case with this week’s hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy!
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! tho’ the darkness hide Thee
Tho’ the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Enjoy this free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com. To access Holy, Holy, Holy! Please go to: http://gloryscapes.com/holyholyholy or click on the image below.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 18, 2017 | 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://gloryscapes.com/thehavenofrest/ in your browser or click on the image below.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 16, 2017 | Psalm
Psalm 53:2
“God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.”
I recall one of my grade school teachers who seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. Not that I was a problem of course, but every time I did something I was not suppose to do … she saw me. I did kind of live in constant fear of her.
Unfortunately, we tend to carry over that attitude toward God. We picture Him as always watching out of the portals of heaven in order to catch us when we do something that is wrong. That is an inaccurate picture of God.
In today’s scripture we see that God is always watching. It is not so much that He is trying to catch us in our sin, but rather He desires to discover those who have a spiritual understanding of God and who are actively seeking to find Him in all of His glory.
When God watches you does He see a person who is actively seeking to do His will or their own will? It should be our heart’s desire to understand more about the nature of God each day. The Father gives us the Word – the Son gives us the Way – the Spirit gives us the Witness. We only have to become aware!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 8, 2017 | Psalm
Psalm 32:8
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”
I have many friends who have lost their eyesight. That does not mean they are blind — they are just not able to use their eyes. That may sound strange, but I have found that these friends have developed keen senses through touch and sound that makes them very aware of what is going on around them. Discernment does not rely on one particular sense we may or may not possess. People with 20/20 eyesight may be “blind” to things that are going on around them.
I recall a couple that operated a spiritual retreat center in the beautiful hills of Idaho. I had listened to the wife welcome guests and explain the amenities several times before, so this time I just sat at the rear of the room and observed.
It was then that I noticed her husband. He was also sitting in the rear of the room, but he was communicating with his wife with his eyes and by slight nods of his head.
After the welcome session I spoke with the couple and discovered that he was so shy he could not speak to a group. She, on the other hand, depended on his subtle cues to insure she was presenting things properly. What a team! We all need to be aware of the cues the Lord sends our way.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 4, 2017 | Psalm
Psalm 91:4
“He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.”
I once read about a forest service worker who was walking through an area that had just been ravaged by a forest fire. He saw a strange mound and stopped to check it out. To his astonishment it was a mother bird that had been killed by the fire. As he knelt to examine the bird, he heard a peep from under the pile of ashes. When he turned the bird over he found several chicks.
Instead of flying to save herself, the mother had sacrificed herself in order to protect her brood from the fire that was sweeping toward them. That is what Jesus has done for us. He wants to shelter us under His wings from the firestorm of life.
In 1896, William Cushing wrote the words and Ira Sankey composed the music to the hymn, Under His Wings. Enjoy this featured hymn from GloryScapes.
Under His Wings
Under His wings, I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild.
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me and I am His child.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are over;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
To access Under His Wings, this week’s free inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/underhiswings/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 1, 2017 | Psalm
Psalm 143:10
“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may your good Spirit lead on level ground.”
I recall being a young grade school boy and suffering through dull and lifeless classes. As I look back over my school years from this vantage point, I see that I might have profited by starting school one year later. It was not that I was stupid, but my learning capacity was a little delayed.
It was not until 11th grade that I discovered that I was teachable. It was my speech teacher, Miss Helen Wilson, who held the key to open my mind. She did it by being excited by my progress and giving me encouragement. I not only began to get above-average grades in her class, but in all of my classes.
It would be easy to feel resentment toward all my other teachers who only saw me as an underachiever. I have come to understand, however, that they had no idea that there was potential just waiting to have someone discover my teach-ability.
We may never have a Miss Wilson in our life to encourage or motivate us, but we do have the precious Word of God that is even greater. All we need to do is open the Word and become teach-able!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
