by Pastor Cecil | Jan 24, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 18:2
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
We are told that the persecution of believers around the world is increasing. Many are tortured for their faith and some killed. It has been estimated that there are over 100,000 deaths each year at the hands of the enemies of the cross.
Ira Sankey was a singer and song writer who ministered alongside evangelist D. L. Moody. He had experienced an extended time of trial and tears in his own personal life. It was during this time of agonizing prayer that the song Hiding In Thee was born. I am so thankful that the Lord heard and answered his prayer. It has ministered to many people across the years.
About twenty years after Sankey wrote his beautiful piece, Sergei Rachmaninoff was experiencing many problems in his life. He had a mental block, could not write, and felt useless. After several years of emptiness he broke out of his doldrums and composed his Second Piano Concerto. It is a joy to feature a blending of both works this week. ENJOY!
Hiding in Thee
O safe to the Rock that is higher than I,
My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly;
So sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine, would I be;
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
In the calm of the noontide, in sorrow’s lone hour,
In times when temptation casts o’er me its power,
In the tempests of life, on its wide, heaving sea,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe,
I have fled to my refuge and breathed out my woe;
How often, when trials like sea billows roll,
Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul.
Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
To access this week’s free inspirational video, please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/hidinginthee/
God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 17, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 30:4
“Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.”
Years ago I heard an illustration about a little boy who had climbed on the roof of his house to retrieve his ball. It was one of the cedar shingle roofs that had been weathered for many years. As he reached for his ball, he suddenly began to slowly slide down the steep pitched roof. He knew that there was nothing to stop him, and without Divine intervention, he was in for a very bad fall.
He began to pray as loud as he could for the Lord to save him. Just before reaching the edge of the roof, a rusty old shingle nail was sticking up and snagged the seat of his pants. He looked toward heaven and shouted out, “Forget it Lord, this nail has saved me!”
Are you are able to visualize those times when God touched us in a special way, but we failed to give Him the thanks and praise He so rightly deserved? We need to start paying on what we owe in the way of exaltation and rejoicing.
In our hectic world we all too often are caught up with our own concerns that we fail to thank God for all He does for us. Without Him all we do and all we hope to do amounts to nothing. It is only what is done for Christ that matters!
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 7, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 29:4
“The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.”
It is amazing that we live in a world where sound is so important—yet there are so many who fail to hear the most important message on earth. It is not because His voice is soft and quiet, which it can be; but our Scripture for today indicates that it is mighty and powerful. The reason that we do not hear the voice of God is because we do not choose to hear Him.
A young man who had spent his life in the wilderness visited a friend in a large metropolitan city. The streets were filled with the racket of cars, buses, trains, voices—any and all types of noise. He suddenly stopped and asked his friend to listen. Utterly confused, the friend wondered what he was supposed to be listening for. “A cricket,” he was told. Walking toward the curb, the visitor bent over and pointed. There, amidst all of the world’s clamor, perched a small black cricket.
Because his ears knew what to listen for, and the sound was different from all of the distracting noises of the city, the visitor could hear the tiny cricket. In that same manner, we can hear the voice of the Lord in our life … but only when we have a willingness to listen.
We read here in Psalm 29:4 that the voice of God is louder than all of the noise-producing events we may encounter (rapids, floods, waves, fires, winds, etc). That assures us that the Lord makes Himself heard above any “storm” we may be passing through. God is speaking – Listen.
May God richly bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
