by Pastor Cecil | Jun 30, 2020 | Matthew
Matthew 5:11
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”
I once had a man from my congregation make an appointment to talk with me. He came to our home and we enjoyed a light lunch before going into my office. Out of the clear blue I heard these words: “I hate your guts!” Wow! You could have knocked me over with a feather. Prior to this there did not seem to be any sort of conflict between us, so his statement was an unexpected blow.
With my mind reeling, I prayed silently for God’s wisdom and strength. With as much sincerity as possible I said, “I am so glad that you feel free to share your feelings with me.” From that incident I would like to suggest a few ways to respond to and love the unlovable:
(1) Rely on God’s wisdom in dealing with the person.
(2) Realize that these unlovable people need love—perhaps more than others.
(3) Remember how unlovable our sins are in God’s sight.
(4) Rejoice that we are counted worthy to encounter persecution.
(5) Respond with love rather than retaliate with resentment.
What happened on that Sunday evening so long ago? We spent time together as he poured out his heart. As he was leaving he looked me directly in the eye and said, “Pastor, I love you so much!” Double Wow! That was certainly a dramatic change from the statement he had declared earlier. God is so good!
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 29, 2020 | Luke
Luke 12:35-36
“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.”
One of the major elements in defending against aggression is being on alert at all times. I can still recall the long night hours when I was on alert for any sign of threat to our nation. Thankfully, we were never attacked, but there were many simulated threats to insure our readiness to react.
When you are wide awake and expectant, it is much easier to react quickly and appropriately. When the night hours slip by and your eyes feel like they are filled with sand, it is necessary to react in a professional manner that comes from long hours of training.
In our spiritual walk we never know when the enemy will mount an attack. We can almost be certain that this attack will occur when we are weary and worn. If we have not spent the time in self examination, prayer, and Bible study, we leave ourselves vulnerable to the attack.
There is one thing we can be sure about: We will meet our Lord face to face. It may be at the moment our eyes close in death or it may be when the trumpet sounds and we are called up to meet the Lord in the air. Either way, we must be on the alert with our lamps burning bright. Are you on the alert?
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 26, 2020 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:10-11
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Back during my high school days, I worked weekends and summers for a concrete contractor. Believe me when I tell you that things were different back then. There was very little pre-mixed concrete that was delivered by large rotating carriers. We were the mixers! We had a pile of sand, another of gravel and sacks of concrete that we had to combine shovel by shovel and bag by bag, water was then added.
In order to get the sloppy concrete into the foundation, we had to deliver it by manual labor. We had large wheelbarrows that we filled then pushed to the point of delivery. In the building process a solid foundation was essential. A weakened foundation could lead to the building falling.
As we travel through this life we often see people that have not laid a foundation that will withstand the storms of life. Sadly when storms strike, their foundations fail. It is during the storms that we need the solid foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep us safe. John Rippon published this hymn in 1787.
HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION
- How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
2. Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
- When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
- The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
Enjoy this free inspirational video of, “How Firm A Foundation” by going to: https://gloryscapes.com/howfirmafoundation/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 25, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 23:4
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
I am sure you have heard the old expression that there are two things you can always be confident of encountering: Death and Taxes. We are constantly reminded of both. We pay taxes on everything we purchase, and taxes are withheld from our earnings. We also are reminded of the eminence of death as we say farewell to friends and family who slip into eternity.
We may be stuck with taxes all of our days on this earth, but we can certainly do something about the matter of death. When we open our heart’s door and invite the Lord Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord, we pass from death to life.
As I think about it, this is the greatest testimony we give to unbelievers. Every person on this earth walks in the shadow of death, but for the believer in Jesus we have passed from death to life and the grave has no power or dread for us. We have the wonderful assurance that eternal life begins at the foot of the cross.
If you have never made the choice to accept eternal life, I urge you to do so before you do another thing. It may be the last thing you ever do, but it will last for eternity!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 24, 2020 | Hebrews
Hebrews 12:9
“We have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?”
I think it was the comedian Rodney Dangerfield who continually complained that he received no respect. This complaint has not been limited to Dangerfield, but is shared by many people. Many assaults and even murders have been committed because someone thought they were not given the proper respect.
In my experience with the criminal justice system, as well in private counseling, I have discovered a one-way street: Those people who are so adamant about receiving respect are most often the ones who show little respect to others.
The word respect as used here in Hebrews 12, is the Greek word entrepȏ. It may also be interpreted as reverence. Wow! That is a quality that is rarely seen in our modern world!
We may think of it as the lack of reverence and/or respect to those in authority around us such as parents, employers, or elected officials – but that is nothing in comparison with the reverence and respect that is due to our Lord Jesus Christ. When was the last time you honored Him with the respect He deserves? Now is the time to act!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
