by Pastor Cecil | Jan 31, 2013 | Psalm
Psalm 100:4-5
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
World War II ended when I was eleven years old. I can recall the absolute joy in the celebrations that erupted with the news that the war had ended. People that were too old, or like me, too young to participate in the war, still celebrated as if we had been on the front lines of the battle.
It was several years later that I was blessed to meet three Japanese students who were attending college in Nampa, Idaho. These beautiful Christian students had a glow and joy that transcended the horrors of war; they taught us that God is able to end the battles in this world and prepare us for the joy that await us in heaven.
It is fascinating to observe the difference in people who have gone through times of trial. Some have developed a bitter and resentful spirit. To me it signifies that they are still fighting the battles that overwhelmed them in the first place.
Then there are the real examples of victorious saints. Rather than being overcome by the trials and tribulations of life, they have allowed the Holy Spirit to empower them. They enter the presence of the Lord as true victors. They are thankful about trials that others see as defeats. They rejoice that the Lord is beside them and become an example to all of us. I hope you are part of this crowd of witnesses!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 30, 2013 | James
James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
Several years ago I received an e-mail requesting prayer for a prayer worrier. I am sure the writer meant prayer warrior—but (as I have done so many times) the writer had misspelled the word and thus changed the meaning.
I have been thinking about the difference between the two, so I went to the dictionary and found this definition for warrior: One who is engaged in or experienced in battle. One who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict. That sounds like someone you would like on your side, right?
Here is the definition for worrier: One who thinks about unfortunate things that might happen. Whoops! That is certainly not the person I would feel confident to have in my corner as a prayer partner.
Where would you find yourself as it relates to prayer? Are you a mighty warrior who eagerly brings matters before the Lord or are you a worrier who tosses and turns fretting over the worst thing that might happen.
Here is the way the Amplified Bible describes the doubter in the Scripture for today: [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]. Be a WARRIOR, not a worrier for the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 29, 2013 | Isaiah
Isaiah 6:8
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: (Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?) Then I said, (Here am I! Send me.)
What constitutes a call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ? I am not sure that I have the answer for everyone, but I know my own experience. It was in 1953 in Amarillo, Texas. I was attending Jet Aircraft Maintenance School and Joyce and I were living in a small upstairs apartment. One Sunday afternoon I was surrounded by an awareness of God and an urgency to proclaim the Word of God.
At this time I was also aware that my call would be different. It was as if the Lord was telling me that I would be His servant in the trenches, as it were. I was to begin preparing myself for ministry, but my call was to be used where He sent me, and that would not necessarily be to an established church.
For years I ministered in places where the US Air Force sent me. It was a thrilling time to see doors open and needs that suddenly appeared. I preached, taught, and made myself available in areas that lacked an established church or minister.
You may be facing a call in your own life. My counsel to you is to wait upon the Lord. Allow Him to reveal the plans He has for you. Do not wait for the established avenues to open up. If God shows you that He is opening a door for you—walk through it!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 28, 2013 | Luke
Luke 12:35-36
Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
In the past few months there has been a program on the Weather Channel that has intrigued me. It is called Iceberg Hunters. The reason for my interest is that the iceberg hunters live and work out of St. Anthony, Newfoundland. That was where I was stationed with the US Air Force back in 1967. Our radar site was an early warning station to protect our nation against surprise attack.
One of the major elements in defending against aggression is being on alert at all times. I can still recall the long night hours when I was on alert for any sign of threat to our nation. Thankfully we were never attacked, but there were many simulated threats to insure our readiness to react.
When you are wide awake and expectant it is much easier to react quickly and appropriately. When the night hours slip by and your eyes feel like they are filled with sand, it is necessary to react in a professional manner that comes from long hours of training.
In our spiritual walk we never know when the enemy will mount an attack. We can almost be certain that this attack will occur when we are weary and worn. If we have not spent the time in self examination, prayer, and Bible study, we will be very vulnerable to the attack.
There is one thing we can be sure about—we will meet our Lord face to face. It may be at the moment our eyes close in death or it may be when the trumpet sounds and we are called up to meet the Lord in the air. Either way, we must be on the alert with our lamps burning bright. Are you on the alert?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 25, 2013 | Luke
Luke 18:35-38
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ He called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’
Several years ago I was watching an episode of The First 48. This is a program that follows homicide detectives as they try to solve murder cases. The suspect in the homicide was a young woman with an extensive criminal history. As the detectives questioned her, she was defiant and bitter. She railed out at them because of her miserable life and denied any involvement in the murder.
It just so happened that her interrogation took place on Thanksgiving Day. There were many police officers who had to work that day and in order to show kindness, the department had brought in a complete buffet of tasty food.
After spending fruitless time interrogating the young woman, the detectives left her alone and went into the main office to get a plate of food. One of the detectives suddenly remembered the young woman and filled a plate for her and returned to the interrogation room.
The detective placed the plate of food in front of the young woman and said, “Let’s thank the Lord for the food.” He took her hand and the other detective’s hand. He prayed for each of them at that table and thanked the Lord for the food. Suddenly there was a heart-stopping transformation.
The young woman began to weep and poured out her need to get right with the Lord. She confessed the terrible crime she had committed and asked the Lord’s forgiveness for the horrendous crime she had committed. Wow! In that moment, this miserable girl cried out to the Lord to not pass her by, and He didn’t. It reminds me of the old hymn, Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior.
Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior
Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief,
Kneeling there in deep contrition;
Help my unbelief.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in Heav’n but Thee?
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
To access Pass Me Not, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/passmenot/ 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
