by Pastor Cecil | Jan 8, 2010 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 1:17
“Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.”
Over the centuries, there have been many souls who faced trials and tribulations on every side. The ordeals tried their very being. In the midst of their pain and agony they cried out to God in heaven who became their greatest source of solace.
Think of slaves who were bought and sold like cattle. They were branded, banded and forced to endure hardship that is beyond description. The common element that has always held suffering saints steady is the realization that this world is not their home. They may be a stranger here on earth, but they will be at home in heaven.
“Wayfarin’ Stranger“
I’m just a poor wayfaring stranger
A travel’n through this world of woe.
But there’s no sickness, no toil nor danger
In that bright world to which I go.
Refrain
I’m goin’ there to see my father;
I’m goin’ there no more to roam.
I’m just a-goin’ over Jordan,
I’m just a-goin’ over home.
I know dark clouds will gather ’round me,
I know my way is rough and steep;
But golden fields lay just before me,
Where God’s redeemed no more shall weep.
Refrain
I’m goin’ there to see my mother;
I’m goin’ there no more to roam.
I’m just a-goin’ over Jordan,
I’m just a-goin’ over home.
I want to sing salvation’s story,
In concert with the blood-washed band;
I want to wear a crown of glory,
When I get home to that good land.
Refrain
I’m goin’ home to see my Savior;
Who shed for me His precious blood;
I’m just a-goin’ o’er Jordan,
I’m just a-goin’ o’er home.
I’m just a-goin’ o’er home.
I’m goin’ home.
To access Wayfarin’ Stranger, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/wayfarinstranger 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 7, 2010 | Matthew
Matthew 8:18-20
“When Jesus saw thr crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to Him and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
Make no mistake, there is a cost in following the Lord. This is a fact that we need to keep in our mind at all times. Anyone who chooses to follow Jesus in hopes of obtaining a life of ease and luxury is in for a big disappointment. However, we do receive so many benefits that it is impossible for us to count all of them!
Our inner motives must be sincere and focused on coming under the discipline and teaching of our Lord through His Word. We must see ourselves as sinners who need to experience a new birth and cleansing from our sins by the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without the application of His blood there is no cleansing of sin and a new birth.
Having experienced the new birth, it is essential that we grow in Christ. This growth is known as discipleship. As the word discipleship implies, it is means that we become a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is just as if we were walking the dusty roads of Israel as one of the Lord’s follower—going where He went and doing what He said to do.
The call to commitment is always there for us. Jesus wants a total commiment, and He knows when we fall short of being totally committed. He will not accept a half-hearted commitment. He wants all of us! More than mere words, He wants action. It is not just speaking about being sold out for Christ, He wants to see it in our lives.
It is part of our human nature to depart from the truth of God’s Word. That means it is easier for us to lie than to tell the truth, to steal than to be honest or to be unfaithful than to be faihful. We may be able to fool those around us, but there is no way we can fool the Lord. He knows our inner thought and motives. Before we even speak a word, He knows what we are going to say. Read Psalm 139:1-4.
Blessings dear hearts. May we be faithful disciples as we follow close to Him!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 6, 2010 | Titus
Titus 3:4-7
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
I was not always prim and sophisticated the way I am today. (Cough! Cough!) Back in our college days, Joyce and I were full of creative pranks. One Sunday afternoon two other couples were at our house and we decided to create a new quiz program.
This was in the days of radio, so all we needed was a little up-beat music and a lot of imagination. We would call people from the church we attended and asked a question that if answered correctly would merit a nice prize. The question was: On a can of Grow Pup dog food, what are the words that appear directly under the name, GROW-PUP DOG FOOD?
As far as we knew there was no such product and so we were safe that people would not answer the question correctly and receive the fantastic prize we had promised for a correct answer.
It was a riot that night at church to hear people excitedly relate about the fact they had been called by a national quiz show. Before long it began to dawn on them that someone had played a prank.
There is a prankster abroad in the world who has a far more sinister motive. Satan is the enemy of every true believer or those who seek to be born again and have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Satan uses exaggerations, lies, half-truths, promises of great joy or whatever it takes to prevent trust in Jesus alone for salvation. Satan can make us feel like we need to do more to merit salvation, or take the opposite direction and convince us that everyone is going to heaven, so just live it up and be happy. Lies! Lies! God’s Word is our authority and as we spend quality time feasting on its truth we will find that He has made the way clear for us to follow.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 5, 2010 | 2 Timothy, Daily-E-Votionals
2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
For those of you with a keen eye and a photographic memory, you will notice that this is the same Scripture that I used in yesterday’s E-Votional. That is by design rather than by accident.
One of the most common accusations against Christians is that they are too judgmental. What does that mean? I think it basically means that we sometimes are prone to play Holy Spirit for other people. We tell them what they should or should not do in areas that are not mentioned in Scripture.
In this wonderful passage of Scripture in 2 Timothy, we find that God’s
Word is “useful.” In the King James it is translated “profitable.” In either case it sounds more like a tool than a weapon doesn’t it?
A careful study will show that it is not used as a weapon of judgmentalism, but rather as a tool used to teach, rebuke (correct false teaching), correct, and train in righteousness. A teacher soon learns that if you drive a student off by a harshness you may never be able to bring about understanding. Proverbs 15:1; “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 4, 2010 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Our local newspaper (I use the term very loosely) carries a minister’s message each Friday. Last Friday there was an article written by a practitioner of a group that does not hold the Word of God as our final authority.
I was grieved to read her comments about heaven. That’s right, she does believe in heaven, but it is a heaven of her own devising and not what the Word of God says about heaven. Her heaven is comprised of anyone and everyone without regard to requirements for entry. She also had the audacity to say that these questionable characters in heaven pray for us here on earth.
It was extremely clear that there was little or no understanding of what God’s Word has to say. Without reading and understanding God’s Word, we can and will be blown about like a tumble weed in a windstorm.
Paul’s challenge to his son in the faith, Timothy, is bold and broad. He say that “all” Scripture is God breathed (inspired). It is not selective portions, but the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation that show forth God’s plan, purpose and design for each and every one of us.
It is only by spending quality time in His Word that we will be able to tell the false teachers from the true. How about making a vow to the Lord to spend at least ten minutes a day reading and meditating on His Word.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
