by Pastor Cecil | Oct 16, 2020 | Luke
Luke 24:29
“But they constrained Him, saying, ‘Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.’ And He went in to tarry with them.”
If you knew that you were very near the end of your life, what would you write? The author of this week’s hymn, Henry F. Lyle, was preaching his final sermon to the small congregation he had served for over 20 years. He was so weak that he had to be helped to the pulpit.
He encouraged his parishioners to rely on the Savior who loved them enough to die for them. His prayer, reflected in this hymn, is a prayer that each of us can breathe when we approach the valley of death.
ABIDE WITH ME
- Abide with me—fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens—Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!
- Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me!
- I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.
- Hold Thou Thy word before my closing eyes,
Shine thru the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com. To access Abide With Me, please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/abidewithme/
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions! – –
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 15, 2020 | Acts
Acts 14:19
“Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.”
I would like to let you in on a little secret. You probably are already well aware of this truth, but I want to share it anyway — popularity is fleeting and fickle. Popularity polls can reverse in such a moment of time that it takes your breath away.
Some of the most tragic counseling sessions I have ever experienced were with people who had placed their confidence in what others thought of them. When the fickle finger of fame turned away from them, they were devastated.
Paul repeatedly received accolades from the crowds, some elevating him to the position of a god. Even when he protested their adoration, they proclaimed their faith in him and the God he preached. That lasted until trouble makers arrived and suddenly he was stoned and left for dead. There has never been a time in my life when I experienced anything of that sort, but I have had those who professed to be faithful friends turn against me.
In prayer and contemplation I have found comfort in the life that Paul lived. He never sought applause or popularity from the people. He only wanted to be faithful to his Lord so that one day he would hear the words that really count: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” That is the way I want to live.
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 14, 2020 | Proverbs
Proverbs 14:34
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”
It is quite depressing to wake up each morning and be struck with the reality that we live in the midst of a sinful and unrighteous day and age. The writer of Proverbs states without equivocation that a nation is exalted when it is characterized by righteousness. That virtue is hardly to be found these days!
The writer also states that sin is a reproach to any people. The word reproach as used in this verse in the Hebrew word chesed, which in this context means a wicked thing. That is certainly an apt description of the effect sin has on our society.
What should be our response to the sinful condition of our world? We find the answer in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Many revivals in the past have been started by a few believers who were willing to humble themselves and pray until they touched the hem of His garment. It is time to evaluate our commitment to obey God.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 13, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 51:10-11
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”
Have you ever wondered who you can count on to do what they have promised to do? Let me ask another, more-penetrating question. Have you ever made a commitment to pray for someone and after days, weeks, or even months, later realize that you have failed to follow through? You have betrayed your trust, my friend!
It is a serious thing to violate your promise to those around you, but what about the promises you have made to the Lord―promises that you made to Him but that you have failed to keep? I must confess that there have been times I have had to hang my head in shame and ask the Lord to forgive my failure.
It is easy to see the faults of others while at the same time ignoring my own shortcomings. I think that the more easily we find fault in others the easier it is to ignore our own failures.
There have been many times that people have disappointed me by saying one thing and then doing another. It hurt and made me feel betrayed. The answer is to take my hurt to the foot of the cross and leave it there.
May God richly bless you as you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 12, 2020 | Luke
Luke 17:3-4
“Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
If you are like me, there are times when a song pops into your head and it seems that you go over and over it. In the past day or so I have had that experience. The song is one that Bing Crosby sang many years ago — Easy to Remember, But So Hard to Forget referred to a sweetheart that was gone but not forgotten.
As I have thought about the words, I have been reminded how difficult it is for some people to forgive. The easy part is remembering the offense against us — forgetting the offense is the hard part.
Across the years I have been called upon to counsel many people dealing with the issue of forgiveness. They may say they have forgiven the offender, but at the same time their actions reveal that their thought life continually dwells on the way they were treated by the other party.
I have come to realize that the only reasonable way of dealing with our inability to forget the offenses of others is to focus on our own. Imagine a situation where another person is guilty of 85 percent and we are guilty of 15 percent. We must remember our own transgressions and ask the Lord to show us how to forget our hurt.
May God richly bless you as you by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
