by Pastor Cecil | Apr 13, 2021 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 8:3
“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”
We all have heard about what the world needs, and as we listen closer we discover that what is proposed is nothing but froth. By that I mean that there is a great deal of puffing and little substance. In the sales world it is an all too common practice.
I fear that in Christian circles it is also far too common a practice. Many individuals and organizations puff up the gospel as if it was not able to sustain itself without them adding something extra. That is tragic!
Moses is reminding his readers that God was the One who sustained them with food that came directly from the hand of God. I guess we might call it the original “angel food cakes.” It was God’s provision for man’s needs!
Today we receive spiritual food from the throne of God’s grace through the Bible. I pray that your own personal Bible is well worn with use. Not only did God feed His people during the exodus from Egypt, He feeds us spiritual food today!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 7, 2021 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 29:29
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
I fondly recall days spent in Shreveport, LA when I was stationed there with the US Air Force. The military had assigned me there, but God had placed me there to sit under the spiritual guidance of two men: Jack Dedman and Dr. John Hall.
Many hours were spent together as we searched God’s Word and listened to sermon tapes (that was in the days of the reel to reel tapes). The technology may have been dated by today’s standards, but the messages were timeless.
God had used these two men of God to use books and tapes (as well as their own studies) to flesh out the truth of God’s word. My wife Joyce and I would relish the time spent in the homes of the Dedmans and Halls.
The reason we were moved by the instruction of these two men was that they followed the instruction of today’s passage. They studied the WORD and then revealed what they learned to others. May we do the same!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 10, 2020 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 6:7
“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
We live in a day and age where young people show little respect for their parents, or anyone else for that matter. Teen violence has reached such epidemic proportions that it is not uncommon for murders to occur simply because someone frowned.
As adults it seems that we are reaping what we have sown. We have removed the Bible from our classrooms and replaced it with atheistic theories that lack all sound reasoning. Our children are being taught false ideas of science that have been disproven. We have allowed a godless modern media to take the place of positive biblical truth.
In today’s Scripture, parents are mandated to not only teach spiritual truths to their children but to do so diligently. How can we do that when we barely spend over ten minutes a day even speaking to our kids?
When did you last actively search the Bible to discover exciting ways to draw your children closer to God? When did you last take the time to speak to your children about what the Bible says? Get busy, parents. You have work to do!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 7, 2020 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 30:19
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”
Moses was in the midst of his “upper desert discourse”—the book of Deuteronomy. He was recounting to the people of all that the Lord had done for them in the days of aimless wandering for the past 40 years.
Think of all of the miracles that the people witnessed in their deliverance from Egypt. You wonder how they could ever turn their back on God. One of the great miracles that we often overlook is the condition of their attire. After forty years walking in the desert sand, neither their sandals nor their clothing had worn out. How long does the life stay in your clothing and shoes?!
Moses challenges the people to accept the life and blessings that the Lord offers. It was a choice that they needed to make—God’s way or the way of death. It seems impossible that they would choose the way that leads to death, but they did.
We are offered the same option. In Christ we have life and blessings. But there are so many who refuse to go God’s way and instead continue along the path that leads to death. I urge you, therefore—choose life!!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 17, 2020 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 30:19
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!”
A young man, named Dan came to my office for counseling. He had more than his share of troubles, one of which was his job. He worked for a potato processing plant. It was a seasonal job and not very appealing. Dan complained of the working conditions and especially about his supervisor.
I asked Dan the worst task associated with his job? Without hesitation he said it was cleaning up rotten potatoes at the end of the processing line. I smiled (my evil smile) and said: “I would like for you to volunteer for that job. But not only volunteer for it, count the ways you can be thankful for it.” My advice was not met with a great deal of enthusiasm – – but he finally agreed to do it.
A week later Dan burst into my office with more excitement than a kid who has discovered a stash of candy. He had followed through and asked for the assignment. His volunteering for that despised task so shocked his obnoxious supervisor that his whole attitude toward Dan changed. Within weeks Dan’s pay was increased and at the end of the season Dan was the last of the temporary employees to be let go.
It was a choice Dan had made. Dan determined in his heart to serve this menial task – – as unto the Lord! He said that one of the benefits of that assignment was the time alone with God. He worked alone and could spend all the time he wanted on memorizing and meditating on Scripture as well as praying to the Lord with joy in his heart. His choice was to be content with a task that others despised. Wow! That was dynamite!
My prayer for each of us is that we would begin to live our lives fully for Christ. What a change the world would see if they observed believers living a totally dedicated life. Let others see the joy of serving Jesus in the way we live our life for Him!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 31, 2020 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 30:19
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”
We all make choices. Sometimes those choices are insignificant, but other times they are the difference between life and death. While dangerous decisions may result in physical death, a far more serious consequence awaits those who fail to choose the eternal life that is available through the shed blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.
The book of Deuteronomy is Moses addressing the children of Israel at the end of their 40-year wilderness wandering. It was not God’s choice for them to wander for forty years, but it was a consequence of their failure to trust in Him.
Today we are also called to make a choice. We can either choose to accept the gift of eternal salvation and be assured of an eternity with the Lord, or we can do nothing and be lost for eternity.
Even after receiving Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we can choose His life flowing through us or we can continue to operate in our own strength and be defeated over and over again. Personally, I choose Life and will follow after Him!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
