by Pastor Cecil | Jun 16, 2020 | Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 9:12
“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
I vividly recall sitting at the bedside of our daughter as she was dying. Joyce had gone home and it was just Brenda and I in that quiet room. In the past weeks I had remembered her as a little girl in a frilly pink dress. Now she was a mother of three beautiful children, just moments from ascending to be with the Lord.
This was no time for me to focus on the loss, but on the joys that awaited her in glory. As I focused upon the glory which awaited her, I almost felt a pang of homesickness for heaven. One of the Scriptures I quoted for Brenda was Psalm 23. Verse 4 was especially precious: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” It was this promise that made her funeral a few days later a celebration of praise.
Some people experience sickness and incapacitation of one sort or another. In those times it is well to consider the way God’s people have suffered across the centuries of time. Some of the greatest songs or poems of praise were penned at times of suffering.
Fredrick Lehman penned the words of the old hymn, “The Love of God”. Actually, he wrote only the first two verses. The third verse was written nearly one thousand years ago by a Jewish songwriter. They were found penciled on the wall of a patient’s room in an insane asylum.
The general opinion was that this inmate had written the epic in moments of sanity. Listen to the words: “Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry. Nor would the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.”
Each of us is given a choice in dealing with the pain and agony of this life. We can sigh and moan about how hard our situation is, or we can soar above the circumstances and praise the Lord from whom all blessings come! I, for one, choose to soar! Come and soar with me!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 15, 2020 | Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 9:12
“No man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.”
Back in 1967 I was with the US Air Force, stationed at Whiteman AFB in Missouri. My wife Joyce and I were on our to the base and nearing the home of one of the members of the church we were attending. I noticed a friend of ours, Captain Terry Pullen, waving his hand frantically. He was having car trouble and had stopped there for assistance. I pulled in the driveway and got out of the car. (It was not a wise thing to do!)
Immediately as I closed my door a huge dog roared around to my side of the car with teeth bared and snarling. It was clear that he meant business! When the dog came after me, Terry jumped in the back seat on the passenger side. “The coward!” He even had the audacity to roll down the window and tell me to be careful because the dog was vicious. I was so glad that he told me. I never would have known!
I am not sure how I managed to get the door open and back inside the safety of the car without being eaten alive, but I finally made it!
That incident reminds me that we can easily fall into the trap of the enemy of our souls. Satan knows how to put various kinds of lures along our pathway to heaven. We may have the best of intentions, and one little detour shouldn’t hurt—but it does!
The Apostle Peter, knew what it was like to be ensnared by words and actions that resulted in his failing his Master, Jesus Christ. I love the words he writes in I Peter 5:8-9: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
Peter describes an accurate picture of the devil prowling around looking for prey. Do you notice that he gives specific steps of action when being faced with the traps of the enemy? Let me list them for you:
- “Be self-controlled and alert.”
- “Resist him, standing firm in the faith.”
- “Know that others are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
There we have it! This is a very simple plan to steer clear of the devil’s traps. Can I share something with you? The plan is much easier than the implementation. Read number three again. We are not alone! I want you to know that I pray each day that I send these messages out that it will keep you from falling. I will be here for you.
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 12, 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!
- 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!
- 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!
- 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 | Jun 11, 2020 | Job
Job 3:5
“May darkness and the shadow of death claim it; may a cloud settle on it; may the blackness of the day terrify it.”
It has been 75 years since the military invasion at Normandy, an event that has become known and commemorated as D-Day. June 6, 1944 was a day highly anticipated on both sides of the English Channel. Hitler had been tricked into believing that it was merely a feint to distract his forces from the real landing that he presumed would be at another location. Thank the Lord he was wrong! Casualties could have been even higher than the estimated 20,000 from both sides.
Most of those men who fought and died that day would much rather have been back home with their loved ones. They were there because they were either forced into service or because they felt a call to serve their country.
Each of us regularly finds ourselves in the ultimate battle with the enemy of our souls. Satan is a crafty enemy and will try every means to stop God from having His will in our life. We have a secret weapon against this powerful enemy . . . it is the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised to send after He ascended back to heaven. We know that event as Pentecost, which we will commemorate this Sunday, June 9.
When we hit the beaches to battle the enemy, remember that we have this powerful weapon that is there with us. Many of the service members of Christ have died on the beaches, but we are promised victory! God’s D-Day is the defeat of Satan for all eternity.
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 10, 2020 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:7
“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.”
Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a situation that seemed to have no solution? I am tempted to describe one or two of my own, but if I do it may prevent you from relating to your particular no-win situation. How do we cope?
In today’s Scripture we are cautioned to avoid becoming wise in our own eyes. This is very hard for us to grasp since we seem to have the desire to control things around us.
When we encounter evil or injustice we often rise up with righteous indignation and want to correct the situation. God’s Word makes it clear that our fervent anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
How are we to avoid using our own abilities when faced with the problems that confront us? The answer is very clear. First and foremost we are to trust in the Lord with all of our heart. That means letting go and letting God have control.
Secondly, we must acknowledge God in all of our ways. The Hebrew word for acknowledge is the word yada. It means in part to learn more and more about God and His ways. We do that as we rest in Him, study His Word, and discover more of His wonderful attributes.
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
