by Pastor Cecil | Jul 17, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 145:10-11
“All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power.”
The older I get (and I am getting up there), the more disturbed I am about senseless killing. This is not only true of attacks on other people, but also on the killing animals just for the sport of it. In my hunting days I did shoot game, but it was for food not for sport. Now, however, there are many that hunt only for bragging rights, not for food. God meant for us to be keepers and protectors, not killers.
In 1225, when he was feeling ill and losing his sight, Francis of Assisi wrote about what was always on his heart: the praise of God. In All Creatures of Our God and King, his love for God and the world He made comes out very strongly.
Probably because he lived such a simple life, he noticed things that we, in our busy lives, tend to overlook. Francis believed that all earth’s creatures get their life from God and that we all depend on Him for our continual existence.
All Creatures Of Our God And King
1. All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
O, praise Him, Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
O praise Him, O praise Him,
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
2. Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heav’n along,
O, praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!
O, praise Him, O praise Him,
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
3. Let all things their creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness
O, praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
O, praise Him, O, praise Him
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
4. And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O, praise Him! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!
O, praise Him, O, praise Him
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Enjoy this free inspirational video, from Gloryscapes.com by going to: https://gloryscapes.com/allcreaturesofourgodand king/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 16, 2020 | Acts
Acts 11:26
“And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch. There must have been great rejoicing in the church, not so much for Saul since he was not well known and was still a student of The Way, but for the encourager and teacher Barnabas.
For an entire year the church (a great many people) assembled and listened as Barnabas taught them the basic principles of being sold out soldiers for Jesus Christ.
Prior to this time the followers of Christ were known only as believers or sometimes THE WAY. In Antioch they began to be called Christians. That was a name that gave identification and in some cases insured they would experience persecution.
Barnabas was the primary teacher in this dynamic church and for an entire year he taught a large number of believers what it meant to be a sold out follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Among those who sat under his teaching was Saul who would become known as Paul. WOW!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 15, 2020 | Acts
Acts 11:25
“Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul.”
It is important to grasp the significance of what Barnabas did in searching for Saul. Remember that there was no rapid transit systems back then and so travel was done on foot. Tarsus was roughly 80 miles northwest of Antioch, so it would have taken the better part of a week for Barnabas just to get there. Then there was the daunting task of finding him in fairly large city. Without doubt Barnabas must have been led by the Holy Spirit to find the man God would use in a mighty way.
Keep in mind that at this time, Saul was not the mighty man of God that we see later in the New Testament. He was a fairly new convert to Christianity and was the target of the Jewish religious leaders who wanted him dead.
I can only imagine the conversations that took place between Barnabas and Saul about what would happen next. Finally Barnabas convinced Saul to leave the city where he had been raised and travel into the unknown with a man who had been the one who had paved the way for him to have access to the Apostles back in Jerusalem.
A new life for both of these men was about to begin!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 14, 2020 | Acts
Acts 11:24
“He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”
What adjectives would someone use if they were asked to describe your character? Have you ever considered that question? Would you have to close your ears so you would not feel embarrassed by their negative comments? We have in today’s Scripture the glowing adjectives used to describe our dear friend Barnabas.
The first adjective is good. That word implies that he had merit and a reputation for doing the right thing at the right time. A good reputation qualified Barnabas to be trusted for service to the Lord and the early church.
He was also a man that was full of the Holy Spirit. That necessitated him to be empty of self. It is impossible to be full of the Holy Spirit and full of yourself at the same time. A spirit-filled believer must increasingly have more of Christ and less of self.
The final adjective mentioned was that he was full of faith. Barnabas was a believer who let go of any sense of self-importance in order to allow the Lord to accomplish His work through him. Oh, for more believers who would live their life in such a manner as Barnabas!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 13, 2020 | Acts
Acts 11:23
“When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.”
Veni, vidi, vici is a Latin phrase popularly attributed to Julius Caesar. In essence it means I came. I saw. I conquered. The long-lasting result of Caesar’s conquests was a trail of suffering and death.
Barnabas was sent on a mission to Antioch to investigate reports that believers had fled Jerusalem because of the persecution and had started a church in that city. They wanted to send someone who knew what true believers were and one that was a faithful follower of the risen Lord Jesus. Barnabas was their man.
When Barnabas arrived in Antioch he saw that the grace of God was evident in this new church and he rejoiced with them and EXHORTED them. That means he gave them words of encouragement and blessing. We need more of that today!
Not only did he encourage them, he instructed them to remain faithful with a steadfast purpose. It is too easy to get our eyes on minor divisions and lose sight of the calling God has given us to keep our eyes on Him and Him alone. Barnabas’s report to the church back in Jerusalem must have been received with great rejoicing.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
