by Pastor Cecil | Aug 31, 2020 | Philippians
Philippians 3:14
“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
I recall once being given a button with the initials PBPGINFWMY. They stood for the phrase PLEASE BE PATIENT GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH ME YET. I think the Apostle Paul echoes this sentiment in the third chapter of Philippians.
The giants of the faith never claimed to be perfect. In fact they have been quick to admit they are constantly in need of God’s redeeming grace. All we like sheep have gone astray. I wish it were not so, but it is a spiritual reality.
I take great encouragement in the fact that Paul confesses his personal need for continual spiritual growth and renewal. If Paul needed a closer walk with the Lord I assure you that I need it even more so.
God never calls us to be perfect little saints; I failed at that long ago. He calls us to consistently be pressing upward toward the goal of being more Christ-like. That is the greatest achievement for us to strive to attain in this journey through life. There will come a day when we will be called to be eternally with the Lord. If you are like me you yearn to hear the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 28, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 90:1-2
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
This week’s hymn by Isaac Watts is a paraphrase of Psalm 90. It originally consisted of nine stanzas. In present-day usage, however, the hymn is usually limited to stanzas; one, two, three, five, and nine.
The hymn was originally part of; The Psalms of David Imitated in the language of the New Testament, published by Watts in 1719.
It has often been sung for special occasions in England. For instance, it was sung in 1941, at a religious service on board HMS Prince of Wales, attended by Sir Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt as part of the conference creating the Atlantic Charter. It was also sung at the Funeral service for Winston Churchill in 1965.
O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST
- O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
- Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
- Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
- A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
- The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.
- O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guide while troubles last,
And our eternal home.
To enjoy this free inspirational video: O God, Our Help in Ages Past, go to: https://gloryscapes.com/ogodourhelpinagespast/
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 27, 2020 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:18
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Being thankful is not, or at least it should not be, a once-a-year thing. As members of God’s family we are to be thankful at all times. It is not our prerogative to choose when or what we will be thankful for.
In today’s Scripture, Paul admonishes the church at Thessalonica (as well as all of us) that we are to give thanks in everything. Do you frequently look as though you have been baptized in vinegar? That, my dear friend, is not being continually thankful.
Paul also encourages believers to pray continually. That brings us to another embarrassing question: How is your prayer life? Are you continually speaking to the Lord in prayer? It is a discipline that we need to pursue.
The last admonition in line with today’s theme is that the Lord expects us to thank Him in all circumstances. Chew on that while you are munching on your sumptuous dinner. What if you had little or nothing to eat? Would you still give thanks? That is exactly the Lord’s will in any and every circumstance. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 26, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 57:7
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise.”
Steadfast! The Hebrew word is Niphal. It means: to be set up, be established, be fixed, to be firmly established, be stable, be secure, be enduring, securely determined, to be directed aright, be fixed aright, be steadfast (in the moral sense).
Just because a person gives a glowing testimony does not insure a steadfast walk with the Lord. I have known some yo-yo Christians—on fire for the Lord one moment and cold as a cucumber the next. One of the problems with yo-yo Christians is that their lack of spiritual steadfastness makes witnessing difficult for faithful Christians. That is why it is sometimes essential to spend years of steadfast living before certain non-Christians will be willing to listen to the gospel message.
Having spent many years in the criminal justice field as well as a military career, I have heard the disparaging comments from the world crowd. Believe me, they did not candy coat their feelings! Hypocritical (or yo-yo) Christians were called names I will not repeat here.
Would you describe yourself as a steadfast Christian or a yo-yo Christian? If you desire to have a steadfast walk with the Lord, start right now by making a covenant to be faithful and true to Him in all that you do—then do it!
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 25, 2020 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 3:17
“For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we are going to experience periods of suffering in our days here on earth. There are some teachers and preachers who try to convince their listeners that only good things come to those who trust (and send in a generous offering).
Jesus prayed for all of His disciples (including us) that His Father not take us out of the world, but be with us in the world. All of His disciples suffered terribly here on earth, but oh, what peace and comfort awaited them as they were welcomed into paradise.
Suffering in and of itself is not worthy of praise. We can be the source of our own suffering and it certainly is not worthy of praise. We might truthfully say that we can endure suffering and be a blessing, or we can cause suffering and be a pain!
The question arises then, what are we suffering for? Are we the cause of our own suffering, or is the Lord allowing us to shine forth as bright lights in the midst of our suffering? I want to be on God’s side suffering for the right reason!
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
