by Pastor Cecil | Oct 28, 2020 | Proverbs
Proverbs 29:25
“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”
Joyce and I used to enjoy watching a cooking show called “Cooks Country.” The program’s intro was a particular favorite part. It was a scene of a tiny Vermont village where church chimes pealed out the tune to “Safe Am I.”
As I recall, the lyrics were something like this: Safe am I in the hollow of His hands. No foe can harm me, no fear alarm me, for He keeps both day and night. Those may not be the precise words, but I think they are pretty close.
There have been times in my life when I felt threatened. There was one moment when a car was careening toward my car and it could have been a fatal accident. Suddenly the other car swerved back into its own lane ending the threat.
I know that if the impact had occurred and my life would have ended, eternity with the Lord would have begun. It gives me wonderful assurance to know that whether I live or die, I am kept safely in the hollow of His hands.
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 | Aug 4, 2020 | Proverbs
Proverbs 14:5
“A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies.”
Years ago, in the middle of the night while my wife Joyce was awake feeding our baby son, she happened to spot a small mouse out for a leisurely stroll. Now to me this seemed to be normal and proper behavior for a mouse. To Joyce it was a national crisis. With a scream she fled into our bedroom and issued this ultimatum: “You will be getting up with the kids in the middle of the night until that mouse is gone!”
Well, needless to say, that got my attention! Traps were immediately set at every logical location. After a week the traps were still empty and I was on permanent night duty. It was then I came up with a remarkable plan (although not necessarily an honest one). I walked into the kitchen and got down on my knees to look under the refrigerator. I pulled out the empty trap and called in my best fake happy voice, “Honey, do you want to see it?”
In a way it was one of my finest hours—but in reality is was pure and simple deception. I have already confessed it to the Lord and to Joyce, so do not hammer me about dealing with the issue. Joyce squealed and said, “Just get it out of here!” I walked outside and made noises as if I was throwing it in the garbage can. Remember, it was all just a farce—there was no mouse. I did not actually say there was, but I had lied by intimation.
Do you have any “mice” in your life? Are there things that you say and do in order to lead to a conclusion that is not true? Do you lead people to believe you are a dedicated Christian when, in fact, you are hiding sin in your life? Confess!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 10, 2020 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:7
“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.”
Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a situation that seemed to have no solution? I am tempted to describe one or two of my own, but if I do it may prevent you from relating to your particular no-win situation. How do we cope?
In today’s Scripture we are cautioned to avoid becoming wise in our own eyes. This is very hard for us to grasp since we seem to have the desire to control things around us.
When we encounter evil or injustice we often rise up with righteous indignation and want to correct the situation. God’s Word makes it clear that our fervent anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
How are we to avoid using our own abilities when faced with the problems that confront us? The answer is very clear. First and foremost we are to trust in the Lord with all of our heart. That means letting go and letting God have control.
Secondly, we must acknowledge God in all of our ways. The Hebrew word for acknowledge is the word yada. It means in part to learn more and more about God and His ways. We do that as we rest in Him, study His Word, and discover more of His wonderful attributes.
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 21, 2020 | Proverbs
Proverbs 18:24
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
As we grow older it seems that we lose more and more friends. Hardly a week goes by without receiving word that another friend has gone to be with the Lord. It was only a few months ago that I received word of the passing of Chris Vosler.
Years ago Chris gave me a gift of a plaque that reads, “A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you’ve been, accepts who you’ve become, and still gently invites you to grow.”
As close as our dearest friend or friends may be, we have a friend who is still closer. I am speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who is with us at all times. We are never really alone when others have departed, for He stays with us through the dark hours of the night.
When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is there beside us. When we receive devastating news, He is there to provide the comfort and solace to ease the pain. When we receive news that calls for rejoicing, He makes it even better for we have One who rejoices with us. At all times, and in every circumstance, our Dearest Friend makes our life worth living.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 26, 2020 | Proverbs
Proverbs 11:30
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”
The days of our life are brief and uncertain. There are some who spend much of their time striving to be healed of some physical ailment. I am not opposed to healing, but I hate to break it to you —all healing is temporary! We all are going to die unless we are caught up to meet the Lord in the Rapture of the Church.
Please understand that I do not want to rain on our parade, but I want for us as believers to be prepared to share the real life that is available to those who have been born again.
Those fruit growers who maintain orchards know that at times it is necessary to prune back their trees. Branches are lopped off and their trees frequently look like there are more branches on the ground than on the tree. If the tree could talk it might complain that it is being killed. Just the opposite is true. It is being prepared to produce a better crop!
When we experience painful losses in our life we might react by spending our energy blaming God or others. We might use all of our energy to correct things that cannot be corrected. What we need to do is yield to our Master Gardener and allow Him to prepare us to bear much fruit!
Blessings dear hearts! Trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
