by Pastor Cecil | Dec 10, 2013 | John
John 14:6-7
Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.’
When I was in high school, I worked part-time for a local dairy. My dad and brother both worked there, so it was a family affair. Since I was just working when the need arose, I never knew where they would assign me.
That was back in the days when milk was delivered to the door. That was long before Global Positioning Systems (GPS). We had a route book that gave each household where we were to deliver milk and cream and in what quantities, but I wondered how I would be able to find my way through the various neighborhoods.
The driver who was training me had me read the strange numbers and letters before each address: x2-tr-x3-tl 2nd on left. The address was then given. The x marks indicated the number of streets to cross, tr meant to turn right and of course tl meant turn left. Those silly symbols insured that you would be able to find your way to the desired goal.
Jesus is our road map to our eternal home. If we get our eyes focused on the wrong things such as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes or the pride of life, we will find ourselves on a dead end street. He is the way the truth and the life!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 6, 2013 | Luke
Luke 2:15
“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'”
The beloved Christmas carol O Come, All Ye Faithful was originally written in Latin (Adeste Fideles). The words were written by an Englishman, John Wade, who had intended it as a hymn.
The music to O Come, All Ye Faithful was composed by fellow Englishman John Reading in the early 1700s. In 1841, Rev. Frederick Oakley revised the lyrics of “Adeste Fideles.”
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
Oh come ye, Oh come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Oh Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God’s holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
All Hail Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Oh Jesus for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
To access O Come, All Ye Faithful, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes™ Inspirational Music Videos, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/ocomeallyefaithful/ 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 | Dec 5, 2013 | Job
Job 1:20-22
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’ In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
This week we’ve been discussing some of the perils we face in life. In Tuesday’s E-votional I wrote about the peril of popularity; yesterday we considered the peril of pain; and today we’ll look at the peril of presumption. They do not necessarily follow in that order, nor is this an exhaustive list of perils. It is certain that each of us will be confronted with perils of one sort or another—and more than one!
I once owned and operated a Christian Counseling Center. From time to time pastors would refer their members to come to me to help resolve their problems from a biblical perspective. One time a local pastor referred a couple to me and informed me that their problem was finances—they did not know how to manage them!
When I met with this couple, I almost fell into the trap of presuming that I knew what their problem was. At the prompting of the Holy Spirit, however, I asked them to tell me why they were having problems. Surprisingly, it was something entirely different than finances, and when we dealt with that issue, the financial problem resolved itself.
In the spiritual realm, we often presume to know what God’s plans are for us. That is His business, and we must learn to watch and wait. It is a hard thing to do, but it is necessary. It means that we rest in His direction for our life and trust Him completely. NO PRESUMING ALLOWED ON THE PREMISES!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 4, 2013 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
I do not know of anyone who stands in line to accept pain or discomfort. Even so, we can rest assured that it will be delivered to us sooner or later. Pain is just as inevitable as the sun that rises each morning.
The question is not whether we will receive pain or not, but how we will respond to it when it strikes. I have known many people who live on the threshold of excruciating pain and yet have a glorious smile and glowing testimony. Others get a sliver and act like they are going to die. Not that slivers do not cause pain, but compared to catastrophic injuries or illnesses there is no comparison.
The Apostle Paul was no stranger to pain. According to 2 Corinthians eleven; five times he received 39 stripes, three times he was beaten with rods, and once he was stoned. He knew hunger, thirst and rejection. In the face of his pain he could confidently state in Philippians 4:13; “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
How do we deal with our own pain? Do we curl up and feel sorry for ourselves or do we rise above our threshold of pain and confidently march out to do battle with the enemy of our souls. I want to join God’s army!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 3, 2013 | Acts
Acts 14:12, 19
Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. . . Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.
I would like to let you in on a little secret. You probably are well aware of this truth, but I want to share it anyway—popularity is fleeting and fickle. Popularity polls can reverse in such a moment of time that it takes your breath away.
Some of the most tragic counseling sessions I have ever experienced were with people who had placed their confidence in what others thought of them. When the fickle finger of fame turned away from them, they were devastated.
Paul repeatedly received the accolades from crowds who even elevated him to the position of a god. Even when he protested their adoration, they proclaimed their faith in him and the God he preached. That lasted until trouble makers arrived and, suddenly, he was stoned and left for dead. There has never been a time in my life when I experienced anything of this sort, but I have had those who professed to be faithful friends turn against me.
In prayer and contemplation I have found comfort in the life that Paul lived. He never sought applause or popularity from the people. He only wanted to be faithful to his Lord so that one day he would hear the words that really count: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” That is the way I want to live.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
