by Pastor Cecil | Jan 23, 2009 | James
James 4:7-10
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
What cross do you bear in life? What hardship or difficulty prevents you from being what God wants you to be? Fanny Crosby lived from 1820 to 1915. Because of a medical error to her eyes, she was blinded. That did not stop her, or suppress her spirit.
Here is a poem she wrote at age eight:
“Oh, what a happy child I am, although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world contented I will be!
How many blessings I enjoy that other people don’t!
So weep or sigh because I’m blind, I cannot – nor I won’t.”
Over her 95 years she wrote something like 8,000 hymns, many that have touched and blessed the hearts of countless people. One of those hymns is our inspirational video for today, “Draw Me Nearer.”
Here are the words of the chorus:
“Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord
to the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious bleeding side.”
I want that to be my own prayer. I pray that it will be yours as well.
To access Draw Me Nearer please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/drawmenearer in your browser 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 22, 2009 | Isaiah
Isaiah 55:6-9
“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'”
Having a practical nature, I usually try to consider spiritual reality on the basis of illustrations which provide meaning. Consider two fleas on a huge Saint Bernard dog trying to describe to the other the vastness of their world. Not only have they never been off the dog, they have never ventured beyond the dog’s hind leg. There is no way they could do it!
We are very much like those two fleas. We can talk a good talk and argue a good case for our view of things, but we have never seen the whole picture. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul describes our limitations as, “- – looking through a glass darkly,” the NIV interprets it, “- – we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror.” We are limited by our human knowledge or lack of it.
I once heard a sermon by Dr. W. A. Criswell of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. I cannot for the life of me recall the sermon, but I do recall an illustration. He was trying to illustrate the heart of deceitful man, and to show how we will go to great lengths to appear smarter than we really are. Here is his illustration:
Two drunks in a bar were arguing over anything that came to mind. They eventually came to the topic of religion and began a loud boisterous debate over which of them was the most religious. In utter frustration, Bill said to Fred, “You don’t know anything about the Bible! I will bet you $10 that you can’t recite the Lord’s Prayer!” Fred stared back through an alcoholic haze and said, “I’ll take that bet! Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.'” Bill stared at him in amazement, reached in his billfold for a $10 bill, gave it to Fred and replied, “I had no idea you knew it!”
Oh how sad the lack of knowledge about God and His ways. We can bluff our way past those who have even less knowledge of the Bible than we do, but God knows all about us. There is no way we can fool Him. He knows every thought before we think it and every word before it comes from our lips. That fact should sober us to the reality of cleaning up our act and preparing our heart so that we are acceptable in His sight.
Isaiah was inspired by God to reveal to us the fact that our ways are far removed from His ways and our thoughts from His thoughts. Isaiah urges us to seek God when He may be found and to call upon Him while he is near. There will come a time when it will be too late. The Lord may come at any moment. Then it will be too late to go to Him for mercy. An accident or sudden health incident can prevent our brain from functioning. Then it will be too late to call upon His name. Our hearts can become so callous to the prompting of the Holy Spirit that we are spiritually deaf. Then it is too late to seek the Lord.
I can recall as though it was yesterday, being in the last service of an old time camp meeting. I was sitting with a group of teens, one of which was my cousin, Wayne. Across the aisle from us sat his Dad. We could see tears rolling down his Dad’s cheeks. Wayne and I walked over to him and begged him to go forward and give his heart to the Lord while there was still time. He shook his head and you could almost see him dig his heels in. He made no move, and the service ended without him responding.
That was the last time anyone could remember him showing a softness toward God. His life on this earth ended in hardness of heart and bitterness of soul. Sad, sad the bitter wail, almost, but lost. We need to draw near to God, not only for salvation, but for peace and usefulness. What change is needed in your life? Make it now!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 21, 2009 | Matthew
Matthew 5:11-12
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Isn’t it strange—no, tragic, that so many people start out on fire for the Lord only to have that fire sputter and dim to a flicker or less. The things of God used to hold the highest priority—but that was long ago.
In His first public sermon Jesus gives us the steps to victorious Christian living. Today’s Scripture is the culmination of following His first steps of the Beatitudes, or as I titled today’s issue: Be-attitudes.
Recently I heard a minister use them in a sequential manner. Beginning in verse three of Matthew five, we have these beatitudes: poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and finally, those who are persecuted.
These are attributes that must be developed in order to develop true spiritual maturity. To be poor in spirit means that we become empty of self and see ourselves as poor, destitute beggars who will perish without the salvation that the Lord gives.
When we see ourselves as poor and needy we will begin to mourn for our sins that separate us from God. This leads to a spirit of meekness and total dependence on the Lord to lead, guide and direct.
Our meek dependence upon the Lord will lead naturally to a hunger and thirst for righteousness. As we develop a hunger for the things of God we will begin to see the needs of those around us and we will experience the spirit of mercy.
Isn’t this a beautiful progression? As we see the lost and dying around us and exercise mercy we will find the things of this world hold less and less appeal. That leads to our being purified. The pure in heart will see God in a way they have never seen Him before.
I hope you have your Bible open to Matthew five so you are able to follow the sequence of spiritual growth. It is not until we develop a pure heart that we are able to become peacemakers. It is not the United Nations or any other political body who will bring about peace—it is God’s people living out His plan for our life with joy and delight.
There is more! Dare I say it?—PERSECUTION! That doesn’t seem right does it? Humanly speaking we expect God to protect us and keep us from attack. Nope! God’s people have always experienced persecution.
Reading Christian biographies, I discover that the period of persecution is usually when the greatest spiritual fruit is produced. The important thing is how we react to persecution. Crying and moaning when persecution arises is the normal reaction. But what does Jesus say? It is our Scripture for today. Jesus says that we are to rejoice! We are to be ecstatic! Why? Because our reward is in heaven! Praise the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 20, 2009 | Daily-E-Votionals
Psalm 103:1-2 (Amplified Bible)
“Bless—affectionately, gratefully praise—the Lord, O my soul, and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! Bless—affectionately praise—the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all [one of] His benefits.”
The concept of blessing has come to hold more meaning to me than ever before. We either bless or curse with our mouths. At times I have talked about how actions speak louder than words. That does not mean we are to be silent—rather we are to speak blessing into situations and then act in the manner that is consistent with our words.
When performing wedding ceremonies, I present this challenge to the couple: “Will you listen to (her/his) inmost thoughts and be considerate and tender in your care of (her/him)?” That is a very good challenge for every couple. Listen to other people’s inmost thoughts! Be considerate! (That means doing to others as you would have them do unto you – that is the Golden Rule!). Be tender! Care for each other! Think of the difference it would make if we all put that concept into practice.
Many of us are familiar with the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5, Jesus introduces a godly lifestyle. He does this by presenting the Beatitudes. Each of the Beatitudes begins with the phrase, “Blessed are you.” The phrase sounds good, but do we really have an understanding of its meaning?
I am captivated by the meaning of words. Each day I delight in solving the crosswords in the newspaper, which I supplement with books of former crosswords puzzles from the New York Times. Believe me, they are mind zingers. The nuances of words can determine several different meanings. Just as the word bless in the above passage means to affectionately praise, so the term blessed in the Beatitudes has more depth of meaning. In the Amplified Bible, it is rendered this way: “Blessed — happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous [that is, with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions].”
Throughout Psalm 103 we read of conditions that we tend to complain about, instead of blessing the Lord for. You will notice that it is far beyond our normal understanding of the term blessed or blessing. It is not just saying, “Have a nice day, if you can work it into your busy schedule.” On the contrary, it means, “Keep your eyes on the Lord and not on the circumstances.
A humorous story is told of two boys who had totally different views of life. One was a complainer who never was satisfied—the other was a kid who loved life and loved people and was always looking for something positive in every situation.
As the story goes, a team of sociologists wanted to put the two to the ultimate test. The first boy was placed in a room filled with wonderful toys, games, and pleasant things. He did nothing but gripe and complain about first one thing and then another. He demonstrated his outlook on life, and it was not a blessing to him or those around him.
The second boy was placed in a dismal room filled with nothing but piles of horse manure. After a time the researchers returned and found him happy and joyous, grinning from ear to ear. When they asked him why he was so happy he replied; “With all of this horse manure, there just has to be a pony somewhere!” He was looking beyond what he could see and visualized what was possible. That, dear friend, is the concept of blessing that Jesus was teaching.
Where do you fit into the concept of blessing? When someone asks, “How are you doing?” and you respond, “Pretty good—under the circumstances.” ask yourself: What am I doing under the circumstances? Get out and above them. Begin to be a blessing by blessing people in a meaningful manner.
I will continue to sign my letters and correspondence with a blessing. My deepest desire is that you now will know what I mean when I bless you!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 19, 2009 | Luke
Luke 12:15
“Then He said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'”
Wednesday morning I was returning home following our men’s Bible study. A car passed me that I recognized as a well known “luxury car.” I have a pretty good idea of the price that is required to purchase one of these cars. The second hand car that I drive is not a luxury car as such, but to me it is luxurious.
I can remember when I was a kid (it is a hard stretch to remember that long ago) when we would travel across the country to visit my grandparents on the panhandle of Oklahoma. It was blistering hot and there was no such thing as car air conditioners back then. Compared to cars back then—we all drive luxury cars!
Each week we read a newspaper column called “The Amish Cook.” The writer commented about the differences from one Amish community to another. They lived in Indiana where everyone drove open buggies. When they moved to Michigan they now drive enclosed wagons. To them it is a luxury!
Think about houses we live in today compared to those of our childhood. What a dramatic change. What was considered as a luxury home back then could be a very substandard home today. Get the picture?
Since that time I have contemplated about items that are called luxurious. As I have been thinking about this subject I have thought about what constitutes luxury. Here is what I have concluded—Luxury is what is considered better than what others have.
Just a few hours ago I was watching the local news and saw a segment on a new Astin-Martin dealership that has been opened in the Seattle area. The salesman who was introducing the cars remarked that the price was something well over two-hundred thousand dollars. Ouch!
Read again what Jesus says in today’s Scripture: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
From reading this we can see that there are different kinds of luxury we are greedy for: possessions, abilities, recognition or looks—on and on it goes. The question that we need to ask ourselves in light of Jesus’ statement is this: What are we hungering for?
The most luxurious things of this world will never satisfy the longing in our heart. Only Jesus can satisfy our soul—only He can cleanse and make us whole. With Christ in our heart we have the most precious possession of all, and it will last for eternity!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
