by Pastor Cecil | Oct 10, 2013 | 2 Peter
2 Peter 3:17-18
Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
As a former city police officer and Air Force Combat Missile Commander, I know what it is to be on guard. I have spent many wakeful nights to insure others are safe in their beds. The threat of enemies is deterred by those who are constantly on guard.
It is an awesome responsibility to be placed in a position of trust. As a police officer I was able to break-up family disputes and save a business owner from losing a delivery truck that was about to be stolen. In the Air Force I stood ready to defend our nation in the event an enemy launched missiles toward our shores.
Spiritually I feel the need to defend the inerrant Word of God against the relentless attacks of liberal theologians that feel a committee is able to set aside the absolutes of Scripture. This is a responsibility each of us should assume.
The best way to be on guard at all times is to follow what this passage in Second Peter advises; “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” The more we study God’s Word and commune with Him in prayer the more we will be able to stand guard.
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 9, 2013 | 1 John
1 John 3:18-19
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence.
As part of my Master’s Degree in Sociology, I studied a book about the difference in the way we want others to see us versus the way we are when we think we are not being observed by the people we want to impress. One example that I recall was the way waiters in an upscale dining room acted while serving guests compared to their behavior in the kitchen area with other staff members.
I once officiated at a military committal service for a decorated Navy veteran at a National Cemetery a little over an hour from our home. I asked my dear wife to ride with me and keep me company. It was a lovely day, and when we arrived at the shelter where the ceremony was to take place, I was directed to park at just the right location for Joyce to observe the service from the car.
The military contingent marched forward carrying the folded flag. The rifle detail fired three salvos; the flag was unfurled and as the military members saluted, a bugler played out the somber notes of the taps. It was inspiring to have four military personnel standing at parade rest while I recited Scripture and made spiritual application about the reality of eternity. The military detail concluded its portion of the service by presenting the flag to the widow, and then marched out of sight behind a wall.
As Joyce and I drove away, she reflected on what she had seen from her vantage point. The military detail had been so polished and regimented during the ceremony, but after they disappeared behind the wall, a change took place. She watched as stiff formality dissolved into casual laughter and gestures of relief.
Before we say anything critical of these young, brave service personnel, let us stop and consider our spiritual behavior. How many times have we put on a false facade of piousness? If we face ourselves in God’s mirror of truth—the Bible—what will we see?
If ever there were a time for authentic Christianity, it is now! We need men and women who will stop putting on a spiritual show and start living as authentic believers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are people looking at the way we live—not just when we are in church, but every single day of the week. There are no “time outs” when it comes to serving Jesus. We should be the same “behind the wall” as we are when we’re called upon to minister. On stage or off stage—we need to be real soldiers of the cross! AT ALL TIMES!
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 8, 2013 | Ephesians
Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
There are gifts and then there are gifts! I am looking at a gift right now that is very precious to me. It is a counted cross stitch picture showing an eagle in flight and the words of Isaiah 40:31 “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
The value of this picture is not in the cost of materials, but in the love that went into producing it. It was a gift from our daughter, Brenda on my birthday in March 1991, before her death in July of that year. She had been working on it for months and wanted to live long enough to complete it. I WILL CHERISH THAT GIFT ALL MY LIFE! I cannot imagine being offered that gift and refusing it. It cost Brenda so much!
Jesus lived His life with the purpose of offering us the most precious gift of all time—eternal life. It is offered freely to us, but at the cost of His own life. As amazing as it may seem, most people reject this most precious of all gifts. If you have never received it yourself, I urge you to open your heart right now and invite Him in. If you need help . . . see PastorCecil.com.
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 7, 2013 | Philippians
Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Today I had a wonderful conversation with a couple who had been members of a church I once pastored in Burns, Oregon. I inquired about a former member, Margaret, who had moved to Boulder, Colorado. In view of the recent terrible floods, I was concerned about her.
The news was both good and bad. Margaret had passed away a couple of years ago, which in itself was both good news and bad news. Bad that she is no longer with us, but wonderful in that she is now with the Lord and all of those who had gone on before. Other good news was that Margaret had celebrated her 100th birthday not long before she died. Not too many are able to achieve that milestone.
As we reminisced about her life, we recalled that Margaret was a wealthy woman who lived a very frugal life . . . always ready to put others ahead of herself. One of the things that my former members remembered was the way she willingly cleaned the bathrooms . . . never thinking of herself as too good to do the menial tasks. She had a sweet servant spirit!
I am not sure how I will be remembered when I have gone to be with the Lord, but I know what I would like for it to be. I fervently pray that I will be remembered as a simple servant who wasn’t too good to do the grungy tasks.
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 4, 2013 | Hebrews
Hebrews 4:12
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
From time to time there are health scares that cause people to fear for their lives. They rush to receive inoculations or use face masks. There are precautions taken in washing our hands and covering our mouths when we cough or sneeze. As a boy I can still remember when families were quarantined because someone in the house was diagnosed with a contagious disease.
In the early years of the 20th Century there was an outbreak of diphtheria in the US that claimed many lives. In 1903 Cleland McAfee was chaplain and choir director at Park College in Parkville, Missouri. As the epidemic swept the area, two of his nieces died from the dread disease and the others in the house were quarantined. In his hour of grief he wrote the hymn NEAR TO THE HEART OF GOD and had the college choir sing outside the house.
Near to the Heart of God
There is a place of quiet rest,
Near to the heart of God.
A place where sin cannot molest,
Near to the heart of God.
Refrain: O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God.
Hold us who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God.
There is a place of comfort sweet,
Near to the heart of God.
A place where we our Savior meet,
Near to the heart of God.
Refrain: O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God.
Hold us who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God.
There is a place of full release,
Near to the heart of God
A place where all is joy and peace,
Near to the heart of God.
Refrain: O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God.
Hold us who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God.
To access Near to the Heart of God, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Christian Music Hymns & Songs, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/neartotheheartofgod 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
