by Pastor Cecil | Apr 8, 2020 | Job
Job 19:26
“And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God.”
I am stunned by the morbid preoccupation of people trying to reverse the aging process. Television ads tout expensive products that are guaranteed to make you look years younger. More and more people are having surgery to nip and tuck the sagging parts into what is supposed to be younger looking flesh. Cosmetic surgery often makes one look like they are wearing a mask and they can hardly smile.
Can I let you in on a little secret? None of us are getting younger. It seems like more and more of my friends and former members of congregations that I served as pastor have slipped into eternity. Those that remain are showing their age! A quick peek into a mirror shocks me at my aging process. I don’t mind. I have a new body waiting for me!
It is sad that with all of the energy and money being spent to prolong the life span that will soon pass away, many give little thought to preparing for a life that will last forever. Job had it right when he says that his skin will be destroyed. His encouragement was that he was going to receive a new and glorified body.
I for one want to devote my few days of this life in serving the Lord who has promised me that He has a new and improved body prepared for me. That is the ultimate way to reverse the aging process. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 7, 2020 | Luke
Luke 10:2
“Then He said to them, ‘The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’”
It is human nature to desire to stay in our warm and snug comfort zone. Many times Satan abuses this desire to remain comfortable in order to keep us from doing God’s will and working in God’s harvest fields.
It is a fact that God wants us to move out of our comfort zone. Inside our zone of comfort we focus most, if not all, of our energy on ourselves. In so doing we often neglect the needs of those around us.
The harvest fields that Jesus speaks about in this passage are the lost and dying all around us. You know, there are different types of harvest fields. When wheat or barley is harvested, all of the grain is gathered at one time.
In a field of strawberries, only those berries that are ripe are picked. It requires many subsequent trips to complete the harvest. It is the same way with the souls of men and women. Some may be gathered all at once in a mass crusade, while others must be picked one at a time.
As we move out to the harvest field we must stop and consider when the crop is ready. It is not our comfort zone that is important, but the harvest. Are you ready?
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 6, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 56:11
“In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
People are often given labels that mark them for years or even for their entire lives. I was given such a label as a young boy. That label was that I was a slow learner or one who lacked mental capacity. I suffered the taunts of others who seemed to be sharper than I was.
Sadly, I accepted their label and LIVED DOWN to their estimation of my ability. This was not from just my childhood friends, but my school teachers and some church members as well.
The result was that I believed what people labeled me and failed to apply myself to trust the Lord to use me as He saw fit. Believing what people said about me placed more trust in what others said than in what God said. God had a plan for my life and I needed to listen to Him rather than others.
Listening to God allowed me to graduate from college and then earn a Master’s Degree from graduate school. I only reference these things to show that God can use us to do what He desires for us to do. I urge you to seek His true labels rather than man’s FALSE LABELS!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 3, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 33:1-3
“Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.”
Fanny J. Crosby was a tiny woman. She stood under five feet and weighed less than 100 pounds. Because of being maltreated for an eye infection when she was only a few months old, she spent the remainder of her 95 years totally blind.
This tiny dynamo wrote over 8,000 poems and hymns during her lifetime. She composed her poems and hymns entirely in her mind and then dictated them to a stenographer. She was said to be able to work on as many as twelve hymns at once before dictating them all out.
Fanny felt that it was a special gift from God that she should be blind all of her life, and she thanked Him for that gift. She felt that when she arrived in heaven, the first face she desired to gladden her sight would be her precious Savior. It was in 1896 that she wrote the hymn selected for this week.
Praise Him! Praise Him!
1. Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory;
strength and honor give to His holy name!
Like a shepherd Jesus will guard His children,
in His arms He carries them all day long:
Refrain: Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness; praise him! Praise him ever in joyful song!
2. Praise him! Praise him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
For our sins he suffered, and bled and died;
He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
Hail Him! Hail Him! Jesus the Crucified.
Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows,
love unbounded, wonderful deep and strong:
Refrain: Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness; praise Him! Praise Him ever in joyful song!
3. Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Heavenly portals loud with hosannas ring!
Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever;
crown Him! crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King!
Christ is coming! over the world victorious,
power and glory unto the Lord belong.
Refrain: Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness; praise Him! Praise Him ever in joyful song!
To access the free inspirational video for this weeks, as well as other videos, please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/praisehimpraisehim/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 2, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 18:32
“It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.”
I can still recall the voices of our children when they were small — “I do it myself, Daddy!” More often than not Daddy had to step in and not only do the original task but correct the damage done by tiny hands. Their intentions were good, but their ability was not sufficient for the task.
There are battles to be fought in our life and if we think we can handle them without God’s help, we are sadly mistaken. Our strength is never sufficient for the battles we face, but we serve the Lord God who created all things.
We need to stop from time to time and remind ourselves of the awesome power of the God we serve. It may appear that things are out of control, but He is able to do abundantly above all that we can even imagine.
If it is the Lord who arms us for battle (and it is), we need to draw freely from his arsenal of spiritual weapons. Two of these weapons are study of His word and bowing before Him in prayer. When was the last time you took advantage of God’s arsenal and armed yourself for battle?
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
