by Pastor Cecil | Oct 3, 2013 | Isaiah
Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.
I once heard an illustration that still sends shivers up and down my spine. Picture a man praying to seek the blessing of the Lord on what he is about to do. The Holy Spirit speaks in a loud voice that the man is not to do that thing. After waiting for a time, he prays again . . . and again the voice of the Lord says, “No.” But this time it’s not as loud. Each time the man asks the Lord about the thing he wants to do, the voice of the Lord becomes softer and softer until he can hear nothing when he asks. Joyfully, the man goes ahead with his plan declaring that it must be okay with God . . . because when he asked he heard nothing.
That is such a sad illustration. But stop and ask yourself how many times you (or I) do much the same thing. Rather than spending the time to sincerely seek out the Lord’s will in a matter, we rush ahead with our plans and then try to get God to bless our actions. It is like putting the cart ahead of the horse!
God delights in having His children spend time with Him and follow His direction rather than doing their own thing. Spoiled and self-willed children are never easy to be around. Spoiled and self-willed believers are no easier to deal with.
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 2, 2013 | Mark
Mark 9:50
Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.
I once heard a preacher use a wonderful illustration. He said something like this: “While it is true that you can lead a horse to water, you can’t make him drink. But, you can salt his oats.” Some of us in Christian ministry wear ourselves out trying to force people to drink when they show no inclination and, in fact, refuse to drink. We heap on guilt or glitter, but there are still no slurping sounds. What is the answer? SALT THE OATS! Right! How do we do that? It is a good question and deserves careful consideration.
Salt is very valuable and, through the centuries, has served many purposes. It was used to preserve food, to season foods, and even for its medicinal qualities. In Roman times, the soldiers were paid in salt. That is where the word “salary” came from. When you hear the expression “He’s not worth his salt,” it refers to the payment in salt that was received.
With this bit of information in mind, in what way can we become salty Christians? Have you ever been in a room full of people and acted like you were yawning? Do you know what happens? Others start yawning themselves. Perhaps you could say that you “salted” the yawn reflex. We need to salt the oats spiritually!
There is no way we can live indifferent Christian lives and be salt and light to those around us. If we do that, we have lost our saltiness and no longer possess the appeal that will draw others to walk close to Christ. Are you salting the oats?
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 1, 2013 | Romans
Romans 12:9-13
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Last Friday after my wife, Joyce had been dismissed from the hospital, I had to go by the pharmacy and pick up her prescriptions. There was a large crowd waiting to be served and my number was well down the list. A teenager and his mother were sitting near me. She asked the boy if they needed to pick up his sister.
The young man mumbled a snarly reply and continued playing a game on his cell phone. The mother asked him a second time and received an even more rude and disrespectful reply. I wondered how the mother would respond to such a rude and inappropriate reply. Rather than showing concern, she became wrapped up in her own cell phone game.
It is sad that we have not been taught the importance of politeness. One generation after another is wrapped up in their own little world of cell phones, laptops, and hand held devices that isolates them from reality.
Spiritually we can become so preoccupied with the minute details of our life that we are rude to others, but far more critical, we are rude to God. Rather than paying attention and listening to His voice, we snarl and become rude. Forgive us Lord!
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
