by Pastor Cecil | Feb 26, 2021 | Matthew
Matthew 6:27
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
True Christian character is certainly seen in our biblical heroes, but it may often be seen in those of more recent times. Hope is a character quality that looks beyond our immediate circumstances and shows what we as believers have waiting for us.
In the Sweet By and By is one of the most enduring songs written after the Civil War. It was composed by Sanford Bennett who was the owner of a drugstore in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. He had just returned from the war. A friend, Joseph Webster, a gifted musician trained formally in composition, came to the store each day to talk and play chess. Often Webster would be depressed and down.
When asked what was wrong, Webster would often reply; “It will be alright by and by.” That idea hit Bennett like a flash of sunlight! As Bennett later described the incident, he took out a pen and it was all over in thirty minutes. A new hymn was born. In short order he was singing the words along with Webster and two other friends. That hymn was perfect for the post-Civil War era because it conveyed pathos with a mixture of comforting warmth. It came to typify the virtues of spiritual hope.
Sweet By and By
There is a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way,
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by;
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
We shall sing on that beautiful shore,
The melodious songs of the blest;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise,
For the glorious gift of His love,
And the blessings that hallow our days.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
Enjoy this free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com by going to: https://gloryscapes.com/sweetbyandby/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 25, 2021 | 1 John
1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Sin has been – is now – and will continue to be a problem until Jesus returns. Sin is not a subject that we generally choose up sides and debate. Sin is more commonly committed than discussed. Sin is frequently denied! (Please re-read this paragraph and let it sink in.)
We often apply the following assessments: Sin is what YOU do! An error in judgment is what I do! YOU CONFESS yours. I will just try to WORK ON MINE. That, my precious friend, is the maggot’s nest of a judgmental attitude, a denial of personal sin, and a sure way to appear to the world as a first-class hypocrite!
We seem to enjoy the spiritual sport of making the sinner grovel and cower before the so-called holy ones and do penance until we are satisfied. To me, that is wicked. It is interesting that John, the beloved disciple, is the one who wrote the letter of I John. He was Spirit-filled, beloved of the Lord, saw visions of the heavenlies, yet he still talked about dealing with personal sin.
In John 8, when the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus, He simply bent down and wrote in the sand and said, “He that is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” One by one the woman’s accusers turned and departed. Only Jesus was left standing there with the woman. DEAL WITH IT!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 24, 2021 | Psalm
Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Many years ago I attended an Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts conference held in Seattle. At the last session each attendee was given a small button with the letters PBPGINFWMY that stood for PLEASE BE PATIENT, GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH ME YET. I liked it then and I like it now.
Sometimes spiritual leaders give the impression that they are so holy they regularly dine with the angels. The truth of the matter is that we simply like angel food cake — we don’t dine with them. None of us are perfect and I think spiritual leaders should be more open in sharing our failures. We need times of humiliation to remind us that we are still under construction. I think it is safe to say that we will always be under construction.
Years ago I heard an evangelist tell of a woman that spoke to him after a service and mentioned that she thought he was very mature. He rushed home and looked up the word mature so he would be better able to enjoy all of its meaning. To his dismay the definition read “ripe and getting rotten.” Oops!
Never stop the construction process. We should never know the meaning of retirement when it comes to doing the work of the Lord. We may be retired from the job that we have held throughout our life, but when it comes to doing the work of the Lord it is always “under construction.” God is still at work!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 23, 2021 | Philippians
Philippians 3:12
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”
When God’s Word says our sins are forgiven, does that mean we are free, or does He still hold them against us? We might say that we are set free, but do we actually walk away from our sinful past and have victory in our lives? The Lord wants us to be free from the sins of our past once they are confessed. Satan wants to continually dredge up the dregs of our past and accuse us. Trust God!
In the second chapter of Joshua we read that the two spies were saved by the action of a prostitute named Rahab. She was confident that God had given the land to Israel and the whole land was in fear of them. She asked that when they took the land that she and her family might be spared.
Rahab put her confidence in the men who her people considered enemies. The result of her confidence was the salvation of her entire family and the added blessing that she ended up in the human lineage of Jesus.
Sometimes we may feel that the obstacles of life are just too much for us. That may be true, but those same obstacles are nothing to God. He is only interested in our confident trust. We may not be finished with the life the Lord has given us to live, but there are exciting days ahead for us!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 22, 2021 | Psalm
Psalm 75:5
“Do not lift up your horn on high; do not speak with a stiff neck.”
What an unusual phrase: “a stiff neck.” In the New American Standard it is rendered “an insolent pride.” It may either be given as a word picture, while it may also serve more as a definition.
One of the places we see the picture of insolent pride displayed is during sporting events. Not always, but frequently we observe athletes with outstretched necks parading back and forth like proud peacocks. It has become common enough that penalties are often assessed because it is described as taunting.
But that is nothing compared to the picture of those arrogant boasters who, in their pride, stand opposed to God. These people may claim to be wise, but wisdom is in their own eyes and God will have the last word. Oh, how much better it would be if they would turn from their arrogance and honor God.
Let me close with a favorite passage found in Proverbs 3:5-6, which is the clearest way to steer clear of having an outstretched neck: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
