by Pastor Cecil | Aug 29, 2008 | 2 Samuel
2 Samuel 12:4-7a
“‘Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.’ David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man!’”
Back in the 1970’s I was working for the State of Idaho and also taught a Bible class at the Idaho State Penitentiary. One of the men had been convicted of murder and was serving a life sentence. One night he was sharing with the group what had happened. His act was accomplished in the heat of emotion. His evening had begun in a festive atmosphere but ended with him behind bars for life.
The result of our actions will always result in consequences. The result of doing things God’s way will result in honor and blessing. Refusal to obey God and His commands will carry shame and dire consequences.
David was God’s selection to be the mighty King of Israel. David had served the Lord faithfully for many years and God had showered him with honor and blessings.
In 2 Samuel 11:1, we read; “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army.” What a sad sentence. At a time when David should have been with his army he stayed at home. I am sure that he rationalized that he was needed back home, but that was not the place he was called to serve. KINGS LEAD—THEY DO NOT SEND!
You no doubt recall the sad story of David’s sin. He STAYED—He STARED—He STOLE—He SLEW! He was guilty of not going into battle with his men; of committing adultery and of killing Bathsheba’s faithful husband.
I am sure that David’s conscience bothered him, but it is possible that he may have thought he had escaped the consequences. God knew! Not only did God know, but He sent a prophet named Nathan to confront David about his sin.
As we read today’s Scripture, we see that David is enraged by a wealthy and powerful neighbor who would steal his poor neighbor’s one ewe lamb. He fumed out his vengeance on such a vile man but was stopped in his tracks by Nathan’s words of judgment: “You are the man!”
David repented of his sin, but there were serious consequences. Like my friend at the Penitentiary, a consequence was required. In David’s case it was the death of his baby and chaos between his sons.
Repentance also had its consequences. My friend became a born again Christian and led many other inmates to Jesus. David felt the touch of the Lord and wrote many Psalms with a broken heart. He became known as a man after God’s own heart. Where are you right now? I urge you to repent and reap the consequences of God’s love and forgiveness.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 28, 2008 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:3-6
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Today I received the following from Bible Bill. You may want to contact him at for_sharing_truth@yahoo.com. The illustration is so poignant that it deserves to be shared as widely as possible.
LESSON OF THE ROSEBUD (Author unknown)
A young, new preacher was walking with an older, more seasoned preacher in the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice. The older preacher walked up to a rose bush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing any of the petals.
The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry. But, because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try and unfold the rosebud while keeping every petal intact. It wasn’t long before he realized how impossible this was to do. Noticing the young preacher’s inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem:
It is only a tiny rosebud
A flower of God’s design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.
The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
God opens this flower so sweetly,
Then in my hands, they die.
If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
The flower of God’s design,
Then how can I have the wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?
So, I’ll trust in Him for leading
Each moment of my day.
I will look to Him for His guidance
Each step of the Pilgrim’s way.
Are you busy trying to open the petals of your life, only to discover that you are ripping them rather than unfolding them? The answer is in today’s Scripture: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Stop relying on your own intellect or abilities, but commit yourself totally to the Lord who can do what only God can do.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 27, 2008 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 15:16
“When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name, O LORD God Almighty.”
Over the years as a Christian Counselor and Pastor, I have been inundated with people who experience sadness and depression. In most cases there had been, or presently was, a devastating event, but not always.
I may not be the smartest man in the world, but one thing I learned quite early is that you don’t tell someone to cheer up and be happy when their chin is on the ground and they are so low they have to look up to see the ground!
Is there a solution to overcome the problem of our heartache and despair? Well, according to today’s Scripture, joy and delight come from devouring God’s Word. That means more than simply reading His Word—we need to memorize it and meditate on it as well.
Back in 1910 an evangelist by the name of Luther Bridgers was traveling to preach the Word. His wife and three boys stayed with her parents while he was away. One night while she was there, the house caught on fire and Bridger’s wife and three sons died in the flames.
When word of the tragedy reached Rev. Bridgers he was crushed. He immediately went to the Lord in prayer and allowed Him to do what no human counselor could do. After a time, he felt the joy that only the Lord can give. He knew that he would see his family again when he went to be with the Lord.
As he felt the healing strength of the Lord pour over him and fill him with a joy that the world can never know, he penned the words to a song that has filled many of us with hope across the years.
“THERE’S WITHIN MY HEART A MELODY”
There’s within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low,
“Fear not I am with thee, Peace, be still
in all of life’s ebb and flow.”
(Refrain) Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest name I know.
Fills my every longing, Keeps me singing as I go.
Though sometimes he leads through waters deep,
trials fall across the way,
though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,
see his footprints all the way.
(Refrain)
Soon he’s coming back to welcome me
far beyond the starry sky;
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown;
I shall reign with him on high.
(Refrain)
Is there a melody in your heart today? Are you fractured, broken, full of suffering and pain? In the midst of the stormy seas of life there comes One who is able to give joy and peace in the midst of our turmoil.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 26, 2008 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
Many years ago I had the opportunity to be on a committee with author and speaker, J. Allan Peterson. One of his books that stands out in my mind is: Your Reactions Are Showing.
I am not sure if it was in that book or in one of his messages that he told the fable of a poor farmer in a country ruled by a cruel warlord. This man had one son and only one young unbroken horse.
One day his son was trying to tame the young horse when he was bucked off and broke a leg. The farmer’s neighbors gathered to console him on this tragedy. The farmer refused to be depressed. “This may be a good thing or a bad thing. I will just wait and see.”
Shortly after the son’s accident the warlord came through the village and took every young man to go with him into battle—that is with the exception of the son with the broken leg.
Not long after, word was received that the battle had gone terribly wrong and the warlord, with all of his army had been slain. Only one young man was left in the village—the son with the broken leg. Was the accident a good or bad thing?
We are told in Scripture that we live in a world filled with trials and pain. If you do not believe it, talk with some of us that are old enough that clerks no longer ask to see our ID to prove we qualify for a senior discount! Believe me—getting older is not for sissies.
Paul in writing to the church at Corinth wants to remind them that even though the process of aging may take away our physical ability, we believers are being, “Renewed day by day.” Are you in the process of being renewed day by day?
How does this daily renewal take place? Where is the spiritual outlet that will allow us to “Plug in” and charge up our spiritual batteries? Paul provides the secret in the very next verse; “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
There is the secret of daily renewal. It is not what we do, so much as it is Who we fix our eyes upon. The writer of Hebrews sums it up this way in Hebrews 12:2-3: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 25, 2008 | John
John 6:32-35
“Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘from now on give us this bread.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.’”
Have you ever wondered about the short sighted crowd of over 5,000, who had been fed on a small boy’s lunch and then wanted more? They followed Jesus across Galilee, not to worship Him, but to get free bread on a regular basis.
Before we become too critical of these seekers of a free lunch—what about our own selfish attitudes? Is it just possible that we serve the Lord for what it will benefit us?
Let me get up close and personal. Have you ever felt that you were deserving of God’s gifts and blessings because you were a good and faithful servant?
I recall hearing about a precious servant of God who travelled the globe to help and encourage missionaries. With a sad heart he discovered that there were many sincere hearts who were there, not because God had called them, but because they thought if they did something noble for the Lord they would be blessed.
Often we hear appeals to give, serve or go in order to receive physical and financial blessings. My study of the book of Job reveals that this most righteous man in all the earth lost it all: Sheep, oxen, camels, donkeys, servants and the greatest loss of all—his ten children.
How would you respond to that blast from the furnace of adversity? Here is how Job responded in 1:2; “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. May the name of the LORD be praised.” There, my dear friend is a true hero of the faith!
Joseph experienced horrible treatment, even though he was innocent before the Lord. Why did he have to endure year after year in an Egyptian prison, even though he was innocent? God was going to use him to be the salvation of his family and that God’s people would be birthed.
Did Joseph see all of the results? Not really. He was reunited with his family, but it would be over 400 years before God’s people would come out as a people of God’s choosing.
Whatever we do, we must not think that God is obligated to fill our bank account or place us in a mansion (That is coming later) because we are faithful and obedient. His blessings are so far above the mere “stuff’ of this world that it is a waste of time to seek after things that will pass away.
I remember a sign that marked the entrance into Northwest Nazarene College many years ago. There was a Scripture verse above the sign that still burns into my mind. Matthew 6:33; “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” I want to seek after His kingdom and His righteousness, then let Him give me what He wants me to have.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil
