by Pastor Cecil | Feb 14, 2020 | Luke
Luke 15:20
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”
In the parable of the Prodigal Son the wayward son returned to the home of his father. He did not expect to be received as a son, but was in hopes that he could be employed as a servant.
We know the story of how the father was lovingly anticipating the return of his son. He loved the wayward youth and eagerly met him with love and extravagance. It was not because the boy deserved it, but because he needed. The father was eager to give it to this son who had returned.
Clara Fiske Scott lived from 1841 to 1897 and tragically died after being thrown from a buggy being pulled by a runaway horse. She was a prolific hymn writer, but only this week’s featured hymn is still in circulation. Think of her hymn as it relates to a wayward son who has come home.
Open My Eyes
Open my eyes, that I may see,
glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key,
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Refrain: Silently now I wait for Thee,
ready my God, Thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.
Open my ears, that I may hear,
voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
everything false will disappear.
Refrain:Silently now I wait for Thee,
ready my God, Thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.
Open my mouth, and let me bear,
gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare,
love with Thy children thus to share.
Refrain: Silently now I wait for Thee,
ready my God, Thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.
May the words of this hymn become our constant prayer. In the moments when the cares of this world tend to blind us to the mighty power of God unto salvation may our eyes see the open arms of the Savior waiting to receive us home.
To access; Open My Eyes, this week’s inspirational video from please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/openmyeyes/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 13, 2020 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 17:10
“I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”
I have heard people from many religious persuasions (even atheists) take the Lord’s name in vain. It blows my mind that they profane the name of Jesus or God. Why do they not profane their own supposed god or one they deny? I think that they know the truth but refuse to admit it.
Perhaps you have heard the joke about a church that fasted and prayed for lightning to strike a tavern that was scheduled to open next door to the church. Sure enough, the night before the tavern was due to open it was struck by lightning and burned to the ground.
The tavern owner sued the church, claiming that they were responsible for his business being destroyed. The church argued that they were not responsible for the destruction. In his deliberation the judge said that he was confounded. He was dealing with a tavern owner who believed in the power of prayer and, on the other hand, a church congregation that didn’t! Ouch!!
Tragedies are a very real part of the human experience. It may be a personal or family tragedy or it may be something that impacts a community or even a nation. It is then that people call out to the One true God and Jesus Christ His Son.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 12, 2020 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 4:14
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”
Our world today is experiencing catastrophic events to such a degree that it causes even the most cynical doubters to wonder what is happening. Tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, tidal waves, explosions, terrorist attacks—you name it. In today’s Scripture, Paul assures us that our hope is in our resurrected Lord.
In Matthew 24:6-8, Jesus spoke of signs which would be indicators of the end of the age. Here are just a few He mentions: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom will rise against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these things are the beginning of birth pain.”
In light of all these life-threatening events happening around us, we need to remember a vital truth. We will give an account for every action (or inaction) when we stand before the Lord. We should live as if we will be with Him the next minute — we very well might be!
As we anticipate the trumpet call of God, it is time for us to examine our lives. Do we still have a fervent love of God, or have we lost our first love? May our prayer be “Not my will Lord, but Thine be done!”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 11, 2020 | Isaiah
Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
As we go through life we often encounter trials and tribulations. All too often we spend our time begging God to get us out of these situations, rather than asking Him to use the situations for our good and His glory.
One of my first memories as a child was being terrified of trains. I would hear the whistle of a steam locomotive and immediately scream with fear. I can vaguely recall my mom holding me close to her and trying to calm my panic.
Today’s Scripture is a verse that I memorized a few years later as a young boy. It has been a comfort to me across the years. I notice that we only need to do two things. Actually we are to refrain from doing two things. We are not to fear and we are not to be dismayed.
The assurance that God gives us is fivefold: 1. He is with us. 2. He is our God. 3. He will strengthen us. 4. He will help us. 5. He will uphold us with His righteous right hand. That is good enough for me. I will just do my part.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 10, 2020 | 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
