by Pastor Cecil | Dec 25, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 98:4
“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.”
Throughout scripture we are called upon to make a joyful noise before the Lord. In Psalm 98, all of creation is called upon to make a joyful noise before God. All around us we see the hand of a loving God who cared enough about us to send His own dear Son into the world to provide us with salvation.
This beautiful hymn was written by Isaac Watts. As we read and listen to the words of this moving Christmas hymn, we need to stop and ask ourselves if we are making a joyful noise before the Lord or just noise.
“JOY TO THE WORLD!”
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found
Far as, far as, the curse is found
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video, “Joy To the World” from GloryScapes.com by going to: https://gloryscapes.com/joytotheworld/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 27, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 98:4
“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.”
Throughout scripture we are called upon to make a joyful noise before the Lord. In Psalm 98, all of creation is called upon to make a joyful noise before God. All around us we see the hand of a loving God who cared enough about us to send His own dear Son into the world to provide us with salvation.
This beautiful hymn was written by Isaac Watts. As we read and listen to the words of this moving Christmas hymn, we need to stop and ask ourselves if we are making a joyful noise before the Lord or just noise.
“JOY TO THE WORLD!”
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found
Far as, far as, the curse is found
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video, “Joy To the World” from GloryScapes.com by going to: https://gloryscapes.com/joytotheworld/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 18, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 95:2
“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.”
I once pastored a small congregation of loving and caring believers where the members’ average incomes were minimal at best. The local mill that employed several of our families had to downsize and many jobs had been lost.
Even in these meager circumstances, our church was asked to adopt the pastor and his wife of an even smaller congregation than ours. Undaunted by our lack of funds, however, some of our people contacted friends in the community where this pastor served to find out what the couple needed, which turned out to be major appliances. We knew we could not afford to purchase new ones … but we could buy used items and restore them.
The project took time and effort, but we undertook it with love and a sense of excitement. Our good deed, however, was not received in the same spirit. There was no sense of joy or thankfulness from the recipients, but one of resentment that they were given USED items rather than NEW. We had worked hard to give the best we could, but their lack of thankfulness was very apparent.
The attitude of gratitude was certainly missing in that situation―a gift offered sincerely out of love and compassion resulted in a slap in the face. As we approach the season of giving it is vital that we take the time to show our thankfulness . . . not for what gifts we receive, but for the people who are part of our lives.
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 9, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 83:14-15
“As the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with Your tempest, and frighten them with Your storm.”
One of my favorite things in the fall and winter months is to sit in front of my woodstove and watch the flames consume log after log. I purchased my little woodstove several years ago after an ice storm left us without power and heat for almost a week.
When I chose the stove, I picked one that was small enough to comfortably fit into our living room, yet large enough to heat the entire house of just over 1400 square feet. I also wanted a flat top so it could be used to cook in an emergency.
As I watch the flames through the glass door, I am reminded that this is fire under control. It is useful and efficient. The wildfires that destroyed homes and businesses last summer and early fall were destructive because they were fire out of control.
The fire of God must always be under His control. That is why it is imperative that we stay close to Him and spend quality time in His Holy Word. It is not that we burn brightly for ourselves, but that we let the fire of God glow through us.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 3, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 41:12
“As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever.”
A true rejoicing of my heart is all of the friends that I have made across the years. Though I seem to make friends easily and naturally, I never take them for granted — each one is a very a special gift. But this has not always been the case.
As a boy I don’t recall ever having an especially close friend. Oh, how I longed for that kind of bonded relationship! Most of my life has been spent feeling that I was unique in that regard. But now, being somewhat matured and having talked with more and more people, I realize that most people feel they lack true friends, especially when they are growing up.
This passage in Psalm 41 certainly is prophetic of Jesus and Judas Iscariot, but it also has personal implications. There are those times in life when our closest friends turn their backs on us and we find ourselves all alone. This is the time when we need to experience the friendship of Jesus who will never leave us or reject us.
There is an old hymn that goes something like this: “Standing somewhere in the shadows you’ll find Jesus, He’s the only One who cares and understands.” Jesus is our true friend!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 29, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
During my service as a police officer I sometimes needed to search a subject to see if they had a concealed weapon or some type of contraband. When asked if they had such items it was common for the suspect to respond, “Search me!”
In our home, when an item was mysteriously broken Joyce or I would ask who was guilty of breaking it. All too often we heard, “Search me?” I am sure that none of you had that experience with your kids. Right!!
Today’s Scripture is a heart-felt plea from the Psalmist David for the Lord to dig deep into his heart and expose the thoughts and intents that were hidden deep. It was David’s desire to discover his inner motivations so he could live his life in such a way that would be pleasing to God.
What is your personal motivation? Are you willing for the Lord to show you what is hidden deep within? Are there desires and motivations that are not pleasing to the Lord and prevent you from living a life of victory? Just be open and ask the Lord to search and show you your deepest need.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
