by Pastor Cecil | Nov 7, 2008 | Psalm
Psalm 75:1-5
“We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, for Your Name is near; men tell of Your wonderful deeds. You say, ‘I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly. When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.’ (Selah) To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns. Do not lift up your horns against heaven; do not speak with an outstretched neck.'”
What an unusual phrase: “- – an outstretched neck.” It is rendered that way in the New International Version of the Bible. In the King James Version it is: “- – a stiff neck.” In the New American Standard it is: “- – an insolent pride.” In the first two versions we have a word picture, while in the NASB we find more of a definition.
One of the places we see the picture of insolent pride displayed is during sporting events. Not always, but frequently we observe athletes with outstretched necks parading back and forth like a proud peacock. It has become common enough that penalties are often assessed because it is described as taunting.
But that is nothing compared to the picture of those arrogant boasters who, in their pride, stand opposed to God. These people may claim to be wise, but wisdom is in their own eyes and God will have the last word. Oh, how much better it would be if they would turn from their arrogance and honor God.
From time to time a story is passed around the Internet of a school teacher who was a professed atheist. This man seemed to delight in demeaning any student who professed faith in Jesus Christ. One student was adamant about her faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. It was a simple faith, and she did not make an issue of it, but it affected her whole life.
One day this teacher thought of a way to humiliate this girl and at the same time demonstrate his atheistic position. He asked the girl to go to the window. He then said to her; “Mary, look all around, do you see the flowers and grass and trees?” Mary responded that she did. Do you see God anywhere?” Mary answered, “No.” He then asked her to look up into the sky. He asked her, “Mary, do you see God in the sky?” Again Mary answered, “No.”
When Mary had returned to her seat, the teacher smiled smugly (with an outstretched neck) and said, “You see class, we have just proved that there is no God!”
Mary raised her hand and asked to speak. The arrogant teacher granted her request. Mary called to Ted, a boy who was seated in the first row. “Ted,” she said, “Do you see our teacher, Mr. Smith?” Ted answered that he did. Mary then asked, “Ted, do you see Mr. Smith’s brain?” Ted said, “No.” Mary smiled to Mr. Smith and quietly asked, “Have we just proved that you do not have a brain?” Mr. Smith gave the class an assignment and never tried such a stunt again.
Silly story? Yes it is. But it is no more silly than the people with pompous attitudes toward God. They seem to feel that their rejection of God proves that there is no God. How ridiculous. It only proves that they do not believe in God!
But wait! What about those who believe in God, but have never entered into a personal experience with Him. I am sad to say that there are those believers who also stretch out their necks in pride and arrogance. They rely on themselves rather than trusting in the Lord. In their pride they call upon God only when they get into trouble.
Let me close for today with this passage in Proverbs 3:5-6, which is the clearest way to steer clear of having an outstretched neck: “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.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 6, 2008 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 15:31-34
“I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’ Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’ Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God–I say this to your shame.”
There is a very old story about a pig and a chicken who wanted to do something special for their friends. After a prolonged discussion, they decided to have a breakfast. The pig suggested that the chicken provide the eggs for the breakfast. The chicken—you’ve heard this before I am sure—the chicken said that the pig should provide the bacon. The pig was outraged at the suggestion. He gave these notable words: “With you it is just an offering, with me it is total commitment!”
We live in a world where people are more interested in involvement than they are in commitment. It appears that Paul was writing to the people in Corinth who demonstrated much the same traits. He even intimates that they had deviated from Scripture so far that some of them no longer believed in the life hereafter. He is almost verbally shaking them from their lethargy and calling them back to the place of total commitment.
We can be involved in religious things and never have a personal experience with Jesus Christ. It scares the living daylights out of me when I talk with people about the Lord who feel they are ready for heaven, because they were baptized as a baby or that they live a good life. That is not what Scripture says. You will recall the visit of Nicodemus to Jesus one night. In John chapter three, we read that Jesus impressed upon Nicodemus that you must be born again. Not simply be involved in some good activities, but a new creature in place of the old. That is still the requirement today!
I feel that because of the compromise and lack of commitment which we have witnessed over the past fifty years, we are now reaping the horrible crop of destruction. Timothy McVeigh kills 162 innocent people in Oklahoma City, and when asked about the infants and children who also died, he passed it off as just collateral damage. How sick we have become because of our involvement without commitment.
Some time ago I was sent an e-mail that attributed the following words to a high school girl who attended Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. I am not sure if she wrote it or not, but the words are so true and profound regardless of who wrote them:
“The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but less solutions; more medicine, but less wellness. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space; we’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice. We have higher incomes, but lower morals; we’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare, more leisure, less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. It is when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom.”
Isn’t that profound? We live in a time when technology can bring volumes of information that we choose to use or totally ignore. Too many of us are involved without being committed. There is a cost to be paid for total commitment, but the reward is worth it all!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 5, 2008 | Philippians
Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
It seems that all too often we have replaced excellence with convenience. We tend to get by with the least amount of effort, time, or cost. As a result, we fail to encounter excellence. We surely can think of examples in the human family, but why spend the time trying to think of illustrations from mankind, when we can use the life of Jesus Christ as the epitome of excellence and also One who is praiseworthy.
In the first part of this verse, Paul lists four qualities that lead to excellence and praiseworthiness: TRUE – NOBLE – LOVELY – ADMIRABLE. I want to consider each in the life and character of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
TRUE: After feeding thousands of people with a few scraps of food, they wanted Him to continue feeding them as Moses had done in the wilderness. Jesus replied in John 6:32-33: “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.”
Jesus is True! His Word is true and His actions are true. All that can be known about truth is to be found in Him. Do you want to think about something of excellence and praiseworthiness? Think about the Truth that came into the world. Think about how Jesus was true in all He did and was.
NOBLE: The Greek word for noble is “eugenes.” It is from two words: “eu” means (well), and “genos”, which means (family or race). It can therefore be defined as “WELL BORN.” It is good to think about the birth of Jesus and in as much as He was born of a virgin (that is humanly impossible), and was born of the Holy Spirit (that was a supernatural provision by God for the perfect Lamb to be slain for the sins of the world).
Never has there been one born of such “noble” circumstances. We could and should think of the noble character of Jesus. No other noble on earth could match His qualifications. It was the True Nobility of heaven that hung on the cross, was buried in the tomb, and arose, triumphant over death, hell and the grave! Wow! That is powerful.
LOVELY: It is not generally the custom to think of a man as being lovely. That may be due to the fact that we men are ugly by nature. (I was going to say that was a joke, but it is so true I will let you decide whether it was funny or accurate).
Jesus was and is lovely. If we are to think of lovely as being pleasing and agreeable, then Jesus is certainly lovely. We can picture Him in touching the sick and afflicted with such gentleness, care and concern, that He glows with beauty and grace. We need to think on those lovely qualities.
ADMIRABLE: In the King James Version, “admirable” is translated as “good report.” I like that much better. It seems that the world clamors for bad reports and the media works overtime searching for bad news and then glorifies it. The problem is that bad reports not only demean the person being reported on, but they also destroy something within us. We then become cynical and negative.
We need to see in Jesus the living example of One who was always worthy of a good report. He taught good principles—He lived a perfect example and He died an atoning death. He will always be worthy of our good report as we think about Him and the life he lived.
How is your thought life? Are you getting bitter or better? Think about the bad news and get bitter. Think about Jesus and get Better!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 4, 2008 | 2 Chronicles
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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Are you confused by the title of today’s E-Votional? It is a derivation of the word, “revive.” The definition of revive is: “To return to consciousness or life : become active or flourishing again.”
I once knew a lady who spent a great deal of effort in trying to get unbelievers to act like believers. The result of her efforts?—She was exhausted by her fruitless efforts and created such animosity among the unsaved that they became resistant to the Gospel.
In reading today’s Scripture, I immediately notice something in the first few words: “If My people, who are called by My name.” That identifies the people who are being addressed.
Why is this important? It is because we are the ones who need to be revived. The unsaved need to be—vived. I know there is no such word, but I hope you understand my meaning. They need to experience salvation.
When we pray for the Lord to heal our land, there must be a revival of the people of God. We believers need to fall in humility on our face and cry out to the Lord to forgive us for losing our first love—the love of Christ.
We must demonstrate our humility by confessing that we have strayed from God’s way and have gone our own willful way by loose living and indifference to the things of God. May God hear our prayers and bring life through faith in Jesus Christ to those who are spiritually dead.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 3, 2008 | 1 Kings
1 Kings 18:20-21
“So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people said nothing.”
Choice! We each have opportunities to choose to do what is right or to do what is wrong. But there is a third choice—to do nothing! Back in the 1700’s, Edmund Burke coined a phrase that has been used many times since: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Wow! What a profound statement! But what does it look like in action? I think it means that we are willing to be out of step with the majority in order to do what we know is right.
Back in 1966, I served as Personnel Officer at St. Anthony, Newfoundland, Canada. It was a remote radar site and had a reputation for hard drinking and loose living. As one of ten commissioned officers, we often had our meals in a separate dining room.
As was my custom I would bow my head and quietly return thanks for the food. Some of the others smirked and made comments, but I simply smiled and kept on with the practice.
One evening the Commanding Officer, Ward McComb, called for our attention as we were seated. He made the following comment. “We all have noticed that Captain Thompson bows his head and returns thanks before his meals. Some of you have made unkind comments to him. I want it stopped! He is to be honored for his stand and from now on I want him to return thanks before all of our meals.”
I was stunned that, by choosing to go God’s way, I had a ministry. From that time on, many of the men came to me for spiritual counsel, since our Chaplains only visited once a month.
In today’s Scripture we read about a challenge that the prophet Elijah gave to King Ahab. Ahab had followed the gods of his wife, Jezebel. Not only did Elijah challenge Ahab, he also challenged the people of Israel. To the people he said; “If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
It is heartbreaking to read of the response from the people; “But the people said nothing.” That is the basis of Edmund Burke’s quote. The very fact of saying nothing, is in fact, making a choice.
God never calls us to remain neutral. In the storms of life we are commanded to launch out into the deep in order to rescue the perishing and care for the dying. Elijah challenged the people of his day. We need to hear that challenge today!
About 500 years earlier, Joshua had challenged the people of his day as we read in Joshua 24:14-15; “Now fear the LORD and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
I implore you right now—choose the Lord and serve Him with your whole heart! As for me and my house, we choose to vote for Jesus!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
