by Pastor Cecil | Jul 22, 2009 | Titus
Titus 3:5-6
“He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit, Which He poured out [so] richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (The Amplified Bible)
As I write these words, it is July 20th. It is the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepping onto the surface of the moon. Watching the replay of that historic event, it brought back many memories as the world watched spellbound.
Around the world there was a universal cry: “WE DID IT!” Wait a minute—how did that “WE” get slipped in there? People who had no part in the planning or performance of this monumental task were now eager to shout: “WE DID IT!”
It has the same connotation of a sporting arena filled with thousands of screaming out-of-condition fans, chanting: “WE DID IT!” “WE DID IT!” “WE DID IT!” In reality it was the athletes who had devoted themselves to train and perfect their skills who actually won, but the “out of shape” fans declare: “WE DID IT!”
Spiritually we can fall into that same mindset. God sent His own dear Son, Jesus the Christ, to do the work that only He could do. Some people reject the finished work of Jesus on the cross. They throw themselves into doing good works in order to be able to claim salvation by telling God: “WE DID IT!” It doesn’t work, friend!
We can (and should) shout the praises to our wonderful Savior and Lord for what He has done for us. We can glory in the victory that has been won in our behalf, but we can never say: “WE DID IT!” With praise on our lips we can lift our hearts toward heaven and humbly say: “HE DID IT!” Praise the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 12, 2009 | Titus
Titus 2:11-14
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.”
These are very momentous days in the Thompson household. Joyce and I are about to become great-grandparents for the first time. This is especially meaningful since our granddaughter, Jenna, is the daughter of our Brenda, who went to be with the Lord in 1991. She is also the brave girl who donated one of her kidneys to our daughter, Lori. And now she is in labor to give birth to a son. We know that Brandon and Jenna will make wonderful parents for little Rhett.
Isn’t it strange how quickly life changes? It seems only a few days ago that Joyce was expecting our first baby. The years have fled by so quickly that it almost seems like a blur. Some of the things I had hoped to accomplish failed to be born. The expectations were there, but time, responsibilities or other interruptions allowed the expectations to slip away. That is okay for my human expectations, but what about the spiritual expectations?
Let me give you a quick illustration of what I am thinking about. I once became frustrated because I did not have the time to study the Bible as I should. I was working for the Idaho Law Enforcement Planning Commission at the time. It was a very demanding job that allowed no free time.
I made it a matter of prayer and waited “EXPECTANTLY” for God to show me time that might be available for study. I think it was during the night, shortly after praying this prayer that the Lord revealed several units of time that I could use for Bible study.
One of them was my lunch hour. I started bringing Bible study materials to work and was in eager anticipation for the lunch hour to arrive. I closed my door and laid my materials out on the desk for a delicious “lunch” in God’s Word.
The story does not end there. Several others who worked for the agency became aware of what I was doing and began to bring their study material and study along with me in the office.
If you are in expectation to be used by the Lord, start by praying and asking the Lord to show you things that you have not seen before.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
