by Pastor Cecil | Sep 6, 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!’
In an episode of The First 48, the suspect in a 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.
As it so happens, her interrogation took place on Thanksgiving Day. There were many police officers on duty that day and so the department had brought in a complete buffet of Cuban 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 took it back into the interrogation room.
When the detective placed the plate of food in front of the young woman he observed a heart-stopping transformation. The detective said; “Let’s thank the Lord for the food.” He took her hand and the other detective’s and prayed for each of them at that table and thanked the Lord for the food.
The young woman began to weep and said, “I need to get right with the Lord. I want to tell you everything that I did and I want the Lord to forgive me.” 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, Oh 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
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 5, 2013 | Psalm
Psalm 43:5
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
Have you ever received one of those notices from the friendly folks at your bank informing you that there is a deficit in your checking account and you need to take action immediately or dire action will follow?
It is very easy for us to feel overwhelmed by circumstance. As a result, we spend far too much time wallowing around in self-pity or complaining that life is so hard we can hardly stand it.
When I read today’s Scripture, I visualize a group of athletes getting set for their event. You can see each of them pausing and even see their lips moving as they tell themselves that they can do it. It will require their very best, but they can do it.
Sometimes we need to give ourselves a pep talk. To others it may appear that we are talking to ourselves, and in fact I guess that is what it is. But as we read this passage in Psalm 43:5, it is a clear picture of the Psalmist talking to himself. He is distressed. His dauber is in the mud, so to speak. He is trying to shake his own shoulders and wake up spiritually. He gives himself as well as us the answer: “But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). That, Dear Heart, is how to overcome a PRAISE DEFICIT.
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 4, 2013 | John
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
As a nine year old boy, I can recall the end of World War II. It was a joyous celebration and people were running into the streets shouting, “PEACE!” The terrible ordeal was over and no longer would we have we live in fear.
That peace did not last very long. For Israel, whose people had been so violently oppressed by the Nazi’s, the oppression continued. They were hung out to dry by Great Britain and the hungry wolves surrounding them were poised to devour them. It was only by the divine intervention of the Almighty God that they were able to declare their independence and become a nation. PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM!
True peace comes with a price. That price is faith in God and turning our weakness over to His almighty power. There is a photo I have seen of a lighthouse with a huge wave hitting it. While the wave strikes one side, the lighthouse keeper stands in the doorway on the other side, safe from the torrent.
There may be a mighty storm in your life at this very moment. It may be a storm that only you and the Lord know about. I assure you that as you hide in Him, He will be your shelter in the storm and give you a sweet peace. He never promises to take us out of the storms of life, but He is always with us in these storms.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 3, 2013 | Romans
Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
Mark Twain wrote a short story called The Million Pound Bank Note. The gist of the story was a moneyless American who was stranded in London. Two brothers made a wager that if he was given a One Million Pound Note, he could live for 30 days without spending any of it.
In the story he was seen by people as one who should be admired simply because he possessed such a large sum of money. He had done nothing to merit the vast sum of money, yet he was offered credit, given gifts, and shown respect. It was distressing to see human nature paraded in such a shallow view.
Taking our eyes off of this story, we only need to look around us to observe many similar instances. People may have achieved their position by chance, not by anything they did to merit it. Suddenly they are given respect and told how great they are. This leads to pride in thinking that they really are something special.
Do you perhaps see yourself in this picture? One of the greatest threats to true discipleship is the sin of pride. The Lord is the only one who is to occupy the throne of our life. The very moment that we place self on the throne, we move the Lord off and sin has won the victory. We need to empty our lives of SELF and fill them with CHRIST!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 2, 2013 | Matthew
Matthew 6:31-33
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
When I read of saints who have laid everything they possess on the line for Christ, I hunger for such commitment. It seems like I have given so little compared to those who have given their all.
There is something about total dependency on the Lord that inspires faith. Not knowing where the next meal is coming from, or how we will be able to clothe ourselves, draws us closer to God.
It is easy to be critical of modern religious figures that live in luxurious mansions, drive magnificent automobiles, and many other excesses. I certainly can never condone such extravagant living, but that is not the end of it.
It is not necessary for us to live in the lap of luxury to be greedy for the things of this world. Anything, and I mean any-thing that becomes more important than our walk with the Lord is wrong. We can rid ourselves of greedy living by recognizing that everything we own belongs to Him and constantly seek His leadership on how to invest the things He has entrusted to our care. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
