by Pastor Cecil | Dec 14, 2020 | Matthew
Matthew 24:33
“So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!”
“Are we there yet?” is one of the most common questions children ask their parents when the family is traveling to a particular destination. We could be in the middle of the desert with no signs of humanity anywhere when that question would pop up. I must confess that I have been tempted to stop the car in the middle of a barren area and announce: “We are here!” I wonder what they would have said.
As we travel through the desert places of this life we often are prone to ask ourselves the same question our children asked of us: “Are we there yet?” The answer for us may very well be the same as we gave our kids: “Look around you. Do you think we are close?”
The honest answer in our own life is that we are getting nearer and nearer each day. This is true in at least two ways: The first is that we never know when our heart will stop and we will be transported to the Paradise of God; the second is that the trump will sound and we will be raptured to be with the Lord forever.
In either case, we need to work with all of our ability to perform the tasks that the Lord has prepared for us to accomplish. Rather than being impatient for His return, we simply need to be faithful until He calls us to our forever home!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 7, 2020 | Matthew
Matthew 26:43
“And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.”
It was on this date in 1941 that Japanese carrier-based planes bombed Pearl Harbor and catapulted the U.S. into World War II. Some have commented that the attitude of complacency that the U.S. demonstrated was like being asleep at the wheel!
Back when I was working as a city police officer, a patrolman that I worked with related an embarrassing moment. He was working the graveyard shift (11 p.m. – 7 a.m.) and he was exhausted. As he approached an intersection where the traffic light was red, he decided to put his car in park and close his heavy eyes for a few seconds. He was not sure how long those few seconds were, but he was rudely awakened by a paper boy who timidly said, “Sir, the light is green now!” Wow! We laughed ourselves silly thinking about it.
Spiritually we all too frequently find ourselves much like the disciples of Jesus. He left them to go pray, but they fell asleep. Before we become too critical of those dozing disciples, how often have we dozed instead of remaining faithfully awake in our service to the One who gave His everything for us? I for one want to renew my commitment to be more faithful.
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 3, 2020 | Matthew
Matthew 26:43
“And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.”
It was on this date in 1941 that Japanese carrier-based planes bombed Pearl Harbor and catapulted the U.S. into World War II. Some have commented that the attitude of complacency that the U.S. demonstrated was like being asleep at the wheel!
Back when I was working as a city police officer, a patrolman that I worked with related an embarrassing moment. He was working the graveyard shift (11 p.m. – 7 a.m.) and he was exhausted. As he approached an intersection where the traffic light was red, he decided to put his car in park and close his heavy eyes for a few seconds. He was not sure how long those few seconds were, but he was rudely awakened by a paper boy who timidly said, “Sir, the light is green now!” Wow! We laughed ourselves silly thinking about it.
Spiritually we all too frequently find ourselves much like the disciples of Jesus. He left them to go pray, but they fell asleep. Before we become too critical of those dozing disciples, how often have we dozed instead of remaining faithfully awake in our service to the One who gave His everything for us? I for one want to renew my commitment to be more faithful.
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 4, 2020 | Matthew
Matthew 11:13
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
It is sad when we shut our ears to the very things that we should be listening to. God makes every effort to speak to us, but we fill our lives with such clutter and confusion that His voice goes unrecognized and unheard.
I recall a young professional man who signed up for one of our Bible classes where the format was to pass out question sheets for each student to answer before the next class. This particular young man was in a class being taught by his manager. As he attempted to complete the question sheet, he could not find any of the answers. Amused, he could hardly wait for the class to start to see how his manager would react to this oversight.
To the young man’s shock, however, every question had been answered by the other class members. He was confused as to why he, a college graduate, could not answer questions that the other members had answered? About three weeks later this young man went into his manager’s office and expressed an emptiness he felt. Ultimately, he received Jesus into his heart.
Do you have ears to hear? You may be a born again child of God, but do you have the spiritual ears to hear as God speaks to you? Matthew 6:6: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 21, 2020 | Matthew
Matthew 5:11-12
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
One Sunday, following our evening service, a man in the congregation asked if he might come to the parsonage and talk with me. I was delighted to meet with him. When he arrived for our appointment we shared a light lunch before going into my office. Suddenly, out of the clear blue, came these words: “I hate your guts!”
Wow! You could have knocked me over with a feather. Prior to this there did not seem to be any indication of a conflict between us, so his blunt statement was a blow. With my mind reeling, I prayed silently for God’s wisdom and strength. With as much sincerity as possible I answered, “I am so glad that you feel free to share your feelings with me.”
From that incident I would like to suggest a few ways to respond to and love the unlovable:
- Rely on God’s wisdom in dealing with the person.
- Realize that these unlovable people need love—perhaps more than others.
- Remember how unlovable our sins are in God’s sight.
- Rejoice that we are counted worthy to encounter persecution.
- Respond with love rather than retaliate with resentment.
What transpired on that Sunday evening so long ago? The two of us spent time together as he poured out his heart. As he was leaving he looked me directly in the eye and said, “Pastor, I love you so much!” Wow! What a dramatic change from the comments he had made earlier. God is so good!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 20, 2020 | Matthew
Matthew 10:29-31
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Many times we face uncertainty and loss. The things or people we counted upon for our support are not there when we need them. Even when we pray, we feel that the Lord is far from us and does not hear our supplications.
When looking back over the years of my life, I discover that in those times when I felt like I was abandoned and alone, God was the nearest to me. It was not so important that I felt Him, but that I just kept on doing what His Word said; eventually I found that these times of quietness were preparing me for increased service.
The more I search the pages of Scripture, the more I find that God’s people have not been immune to the dark days of disappointment. Joseph, for instance, was treated cruelly by his own brothers. Instead of sulking and feeling sorry for himself, he learned the Egyptian language and became the most valuable servant in Potiphar’s house and also later in the prison. Even as Prime Minister in Egypt he was cut off from his home and family.
When the opportunity finally came for him to bestow vengeance upon his brothers who had sold him into slavery, Joseph realized that his time of tribulation was all God’s plan. All he had to do was live one day at a time. That is easy to say, but hard to do. I want to always practice having Godly courage in my own life!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
