by Pastor Cecil | Nov 19, 2019 | Psalm
Psalm 31:24
“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”
“I hope he chooses me! I hope he chooses me!” Those were the words that went through my mind as sides were being chosen for any team game we played when I was a young boy. Suffice it to say, I was usually one of the last to be called. More like a booby-prize than a cherished prize.
That concept of the meaning of the word “hope” seems to be all too common. It is thought of as wishing for something that could possibly happen, but we know the likelihood is very slim.
Let me correct that idea for us once and for all. The Hebrew word for hope as used in today’s scripture is the word yachal. It carries with it the meaning of expectation. Do you hear that? It is expectant waiting for something the Lord has prepared especially for us!
Please read that last sentence over one more time. It is expectant waiting for something the Lord has prepared especially for us! It is not what we desire for ourselves, but what God wants to do in and through us. I think the greatest joy in life is to be used of God.
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 8, 2019 | 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: https://gloryscapes.com/holyholyholy/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 1, 2019 | Psalm
Psalm 46:1
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
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: https://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 | Oct 18, 2019 | 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 am 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.
Enjoy this free inspirational video. To access Under His Wings, please go to: https://youtu.be/Bgb3d6hiTpU
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 16, 2019 | Psalm
Psalm 103:1-2
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
All too often we become focused upon our wants and forget to praise and thank the Lord for all that He has blessed us with. I am here to tell you that we can never be able to adequately praise Him for all of His blessings!
The Psalmist continues to mention that God forgives all of our sins (when we ask Him), heals all of our diseases (but we may not understand how until we meet Him in glory), He redeems our life from destruction, crowns us with His glorious loving kindness and tender mercies, satisfies our mouth with good things, and renews our youth like the eagles! All I can say is – – WOW!
I recall a comic strip that had a small boy with a cloud of dust constantly around him. Everywhere that boy went his cloud of grime followed him. I wonder if there is not a similar aura around us. We either exude gladness or gloom.
I may not be a lot of things; in fact my attributes may be overshadowed by my failures, but the thing I strive for is to be one who brings blessings into the lives of the people around me. I want to encourage each of us to strive to become the people of God who bring joy with us wherever we go. BE A BLESSER!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 13, 2019 | Psalm
Psalm 90:1-2
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
This week’s hymn by Isaac Watts is a paraphrase of Psalm 90. It originally consisted of nine stanzas. In present day usage, however, the hymn is usually limited to stanzas; one, two, three, five, and nine.
The hymn was originally part of; The Psalms of David Imitated in the language of the New Testament, published by Watts in 1719.
It has often been sung for special occasions in England. For instance it was sung in 1941, at a religious service on board HMS Prince of Wales, attended by Sir Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt as part of the conference creating the Atlantic Charter. It was also sung at the Funeral service for Winston Churchill in 1965.
O God, Our Help In Ages Past
Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guide while troubles last,
And our eternal home.
To enjoy this free inspirational video: O God, Our Help in Ages Past, go to: https://gloryscapes.com/ogodourhelpinagespast/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
