by Pastor Cecil | Jan 30, 2009 | Psalm
Psalm 23:4
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
This has been a week for hymns. As I recall I featured a hymn or spiritual song each day. As usual we close the week with a wonderful and free video from GloryScapes. I hope you enjoy the scenes and music as much as I do.
This week’s video features the song, “Just A Closer Walk With Thee.” This is a prayer that I want to bring to the Lord. It is my fervent desire to draw nearer and nearer to the Lord with each passing day.
In the words of today’s Scripture, David gives us assurance that even when we pass through the valley of the shadow of death we need not be paralyzed with fear because the Lord is near us. Enjoy this week’s video:
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Refrain
When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Refrain
To access the inspirational music video, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/justacloserwalkwiththee or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 29, 2009 | 1 John
1 John 1:5-7
“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
I have read that there really is no such thing as darkness. Darkness is the absence of light. Modern night-penetrating devices can only function with a certain degree of light. If there is not enough light from stars or artificial lights, the operator sends a beam of near-infrared light that is invisible to the naked eye, but provides light for the device to see in the dark.
Sometimes we speak of being in the dark, but when our eyes become accustomed to the dark, it is possible to see what we did not see at first. I have heard that many pirate captains wore eye patches over one eye, not because they were blind, but so that when they went below decks they would be able to see if some of the crew were planning to mutiny.
As a boy we used to sing a little song about being a light. We would go through the motions as if we were holding a candle to illuminate the dark. As I read the words once again I am transported back in time:
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Won’t let Satan blow it out.
I’m gonna let it shine.
Won’t let Satan blow it out.
I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Let it shine til Jesus comes.
I’m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine til Jesus comes.
I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel – NO!
I’m gonna let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel – NO!
I’m gonna let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Let it shine over the whole wide world,
I’m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine over the whole wide world,
I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
My prayer is that my life will be a candle in the darkness of this sin-sick world. The source of our light is Jesus. He will provide the fuel to keep our light burning until He calls us home. Even after we have gone to be with Him, may the warm glow burn in the hearts of those whose lives we illuminated.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and light the world around you!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 28, 2009 | Psalm
Psalm 65:5-7
“You answer us with awesome deeds ofrighteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by Your power, having armed Yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.”
So you want to get away from it all? The rat race, I mean. You long for peace and tranquility to settle your stress and frustration. The thought of simpler and more sedate times is often appealing. Public television recently aired a program called Alone In the Wilderness. It chronicles the year in the life of a man who left civilization and built a cabin in the Alaskan wilderness. The utter isolation was interrupted occasionally by a small bush plane which brought him supplies and mail—but other than that it was only Dick and the deer.
As idyllic as the scenes of the program might be, isolation is not the answer to the hustle and chaos of daily living. Man is by his very nature created to have interaction with others. There may be recluses that cut themselves off from other people, but by their actions they are revealing that there are problems which have not been resolved.
In Mark’s Gospel, chapter four, we find the story of Jesus who was surrounded by a huge crowd of people. The crowd was so large that He got into a boat and sat in it as He taught the people who were on the shore. At evening He told His disciples to take the boats to the other side of the lake. (According to Mark 4:36, there were several boats).
Jesus went to sleep on a cushion, but a furious squall came up and threatened the boats. Remember that many of these disciples were seasoned fishermen who had spent their lives out on this lake in all kinds of weather. Now came a storm threatening to swamp them.
In their fear and alarm they called out to Jesus. It seemed impossible that He could sleep through such a storm. The men woke Jesus and asked Him if He didn’t care if they were about to drown. It is then that we read the quiet words of power which He proclaimed in Mark 4:39: “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! (peace) Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”
I want to remind you once more that these men were not simple recreational boaters. They had spent their lives in all kinds of weather conditions and if they felt that the situation was desperate, it really was. They had almost come to the conclusion that all was hopeless and that they would never reach shore again. I think that when they called to Jesus, it was not so that He would quiet the wind and waves (that had never been done in their experience).
I feel that they woke Jesus to have Him prepare for the inevitable drowning. Jesus shocked them when He demonstrated that His power was great enough to control the forces of nature. It was not necessary to have seen Him do this before, it was enough that His word was powerful enough to resolve the problem.
We all face the challenges and turmoil of everyday living. You may be facing situations which are threatening to “swamp your boat!” Now is the time to call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember that it is Jesus who has the power to calm and bring order out of chaos.
There is an old hymn that was composed by Elisha A. Hoffman. The title is I Must Tell Jesus. Consider the words of this great hymn:
“I must tell Jesus all of my trials, I cannot bear these burdens alone; In my distress He kindly will help me, He always loves and cares for His own.”
“I must tell Jesus all of my troubles, He is a kind compassionate friend; If I but ask Him, He will deliver, make of my troubles quickly an end.”
“Tempted and tried, I need a great Savior. One who can help my burdens to bear; I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus, He all my cares and sorrows will share.”
“O how the world of evil allures me! O how my heart is tempted to sin! I must tell Jesus and He will help me over the world the victory to win.”
Chorus: “I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! I cannot bear my burdens alone; I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 27, 2009 | Romans
Romans 8:38-39
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
As I was praying and meditating about what to write today, I began to think of the mighty love of God. There is nothing that we can ever do to merit His love. The only thing we can do is receive His offer of eternal salvation. After we have been born again we cannot merit His favor by what we do—our obedience to His commands is part of our new spiritual life.
I cannot think of any better way to express the majesty of God’s love for us than the old hymn by L. M. Lehman, The Love of God. Here is what Mr. Lehman wrote about how the hymn came about:
“One day, during short intervals of inattention to our work, we picked up a scrap of paper and, seated upon an empty lemon box pushed against the wall, with a stub pencil, added the (first) two stanzas and chorus of the song…Since the lines (3rd stanza from the Jewish poem) had been found penciled on the wall of a patient’s room in an insane asylum after he had been carried to his grave, the general opinion was that this inmate had written the epic in moments of sanity.”
Prayerfully read the words:
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
Refrain: O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure,
The saints and angels’ song
When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Refrain
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Refrain
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 26, 2009 | James
James 1:2-4
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Last week Joyce and I were following a car that was dragging his anchor. You know what I mean—driving several miles below the speed limit and delaying traffic—of which I was one.
Joyce began to laugh and reminded me of my prayer for patience. I was attending a conference in Salt Lake City. The day before the conference started, I was stuck in one delay after another. By the time I reached my room I was very agitated. Well maybe a few clicks beyond agitated.
When I tried to study my Bible and pray I kept thinking of my lousy attitude while driving into town. I confessed it before the Lord and then asked Him to help me to become more patient. I prayed that same prayer before going to breakfast.
I wanted to get to the first session early, so when I went into the coffee shop I sat at the counter. Everyone knows that you receive faster service when you sit at the counter—right? WRONG!!
I waited and waited and waited some more. It did not take me very long to realize how the Lord was teaching me a lesson. I began to thank Him for giving me the chance to exercise patience so soon after praying for it.
The next thing I noticed was how upset my waitress was. People who came in long after I did had finished their breakfast, paid and left the cafe—but I was still sittting in a relaxed manner at the counter. It was hilarious to see her back in the kitchen arguing with the cook. They began to look around and suddenly became excited. They had found my ticket!
My poor waitress apologized over and over. She said, “I’m so sorry, your order ticket had dropped down behind the cook’s counter and that was the cause for the long delay.” I simply smiled and said, “No, that was not the reason. The real reason is that I prayed for patience and this was my test.”
The Greek word for “perseverance” in today’s Scripture is the word, Hypomonē. It is defined as: patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance. God’s people across the ages have been called upon to exercise this discipline that can only be developed during trials and ordeals.
The next time you encounter an attack or fiery trial (you may be in one right now) use the God given pattern that James presents in today’s Scripture: “Consider it pure joy!” Why? Because God is at work in and through you! Praise the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
