by Pastor Cecil | May 21, 2021 | Proverbs
Proverbs 14:34
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”
I can recall a time when towns debated whether to allow stores to remain open on Sunday. It was as if we considered sin a tangible thing to be dealt with. That attitude may not have been directed from the Lord but from the misguided idea that we can legislate morality.
Those were simpler days, but I am not sure that the heart of man was any more pure back then than it is in our modern world. Sin is sin and rather than observing current trends it has always been a transgression of God’s will for our lives.
Be that as it may, the terrible condition we see in our world today should shake us to the core and cause us to call upon the Lord to hear our prayer. It is only as we allow Him to come into our chaos that we will find answers to our sin problem.
We are called to be the light of the world. That does not mean that we have to occupy a pulpit somewhere, it does mean that we can and should have a voice to speak the words of hope to this old sin sick world. Jesus is our greatest need! Share Him with someone today!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 10, 2021 | Proverbs
Proverbs 14:34
“Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”
If we were to select any type of media today, we would find a tragic display of sinful actions. I can recall a time when godly conduct was admired and sought after. That is not the case in our modern world. Our current society seems to be seeking the grungiest of the grungy to emulate.
It is a sad commentary that even some of our modern churches have chosen to give their rules and regulations (or the removal of them) a higher priority than the Word of God. In essence they have become their own god – – notice the lower case “g”.
Jesus told His disciples that a sign of the last days would be similar to the days of Noah before the flood. The people of Noah’s day were interested in only those things that satisfied their carnal appetites. Does that sound like our day and age?
It is our duty as true believers to allow our light to shine brighter than ever before as sin makes the world around us darker and darker. Are you and I shining bright for Christ in the inky darkness of this age? I pray that we are.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 31, 2021 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
The first time I flew in a private aircraft I was blown away at the view I had never seen before. It was just me and the pilot, who was a distant cousin of mine. After we had been flying for fifteen or twenty minutes, he told me to take control.
As I moved the wheel the plane responded more sensitively than I had anticipated. Fortunately my cousin had his own control and we were quickly back on an even keel. He allowed me to retake control and demonstrated that a soft touch on the wheel is all that is required.
Many times in flying with the Lord we are like I was on that day so long ago when I flew with my cousin. We dip and dart because we have not learned the secret of a delicate touch.
It is well for us to stop and evaluate our walk with the Lord. Are we using too strong a control of our actions? Do we dip and dart instead of allowing our Lord to tenderly cover our hands on the control of our life? As we fly with the Lord we will learn the value of a delicate touch in many areas of our life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 13, 2021 | Proverbs
Proverbs 12:15
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.”
Since he had become a Christian, Al had always tried to do what was right. He read his Bible and prayed frequently. As he grew spiritually Al was able to see the hand of God at work in his life. Then something happened!
Al owned a classic automobile that he had restored from the ground up. When the restoration was finished he decided to sell it for a huge profit. Then he had a better plan (or so he reasoned). Al decided to keep all of the profits to buy an even more expensive auto that would bring even more profit so that he would be able to give more to the Lord.
But from the very beginning things began to go wrong. There were huge unforeseen costs that drained his money and embittered his heart. He focused all of his attentions inward instead of upward and it led to disaster.
Trying to please God on our own terms rather that doing what God requires is always doomed to failure and destruction. It is not how smart we are, or what wonderful position we fill, or how much money we make that counts with God. It is and always has been that we do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 30, 2020 | Proverbs
Proverbs 18:8
“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.”
It was many years ago when I was a pastor of a church with an active prayer chain that I received a call from a woman I did not know. She asked to see me and we arranged a time to meet at a local café where I often met with people for counsel.
Since I had never met this woman I was in the dark about what she wanted to discuss. She began our conversation by stating that she was “the other woman.” I was still at a loss. Then she asked if our prayer chain had not identified her as the woman who was having an affair with a certain man in our congregation. She had heard rumors that we named her as the guilty party that needed prayer. I assured her that she was not on our prayer chain and that we would never allow such requests.
That encounter reminded me that it is possible to indulge in sanctified gossip. It disguises itself as legitimate concern, while having an underlying prurient interest. Anytime we hear a prayer request that is met with “Really?!” get rid of it and pray for the Lord to cleanse our hearts of SANCTIFIED GOSSIP.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 24, 2020 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:18
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”
With a subscriber base that reaches around the globe, each day I receive reports of trials and persecution that the saints of God are experiencing. It is easy to feel true sympathy for these people.
As I pray and meditate about those who are experiencing persecution, I am immediately aware that we are to rejoice with these people. In today’s Scripture the Greek word for “blessed” is “makarios.” It means to be happy to the point of rejoicing.
Why on earth would someone who is experiencing lies, persecution, and insults rejoice? The reason we encounter harsh treatment is to demonstrate our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
It is essential to examine our persecution to determine if the cause is the result of faith in Jesus Christ or because of some type of our misconduct on our part. We cannot claim to be persecuted for Christ’s sake if we are guilty of doing something wrong.
Here is the bottom line—if we encounter ordeals in our life that are not the result of our sinful actions, we are blessed. We are told to count it joy and even to rejoice in our trials. We don’t need to pity, we need to praise!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
