by Pastor Cecil | Mar 24, 2014 | Isaiah
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
It is a miracle that many of the kids in my old neighborhood survived to adulthood. The reason was that we attempted many death-defying stunts at the instigation of the other kids who called us a “fraidy cat” if we didn’t accept their challenge. Peer pressure is an extremely strong motivator. Unfortunately, it is most often used in a negative way rather than to encourage spiritual excellence.
Today’s Scripture is one of the first verses I ever memorized. It has been with me throughout many ordeals in my life. One thing that this verse has taught me is that I need not fear the things that lay in wait for me. Many situations that I have faced have been unpleasant and trying, and my first choice would have been to evade them . . . but there was no way around. I had to endure and persevere.
I want to testify to the faithfulness of my precious Lord and His infallible Word. Someone has written: “God said it—I believe it—that’s good enough for me!” I have found that to be true over and over again.
I encourage you to take to heart the promise in this verse. You need not fear since God has promised to be with you and never forsake you. Do not allow yourself to become depressed –He will give you His strength and hold you up with His powerful right hand. Man! That is good enough for me!!!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 21, 2014 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
There have been times in my life when I felt isolated and alone. It seemed that I was alone and could not sense the nearness of God in my life. When I experienced these times of spiritual drought, I was prone to wonder if Jesus really cared, even though I am usually happy and optimistic. It has been in these times that I have felt the enemy of my soul attack. I rush to God’s Word for comfort.
Frank E. Graeff was known as the “sunshine minister.” He had a cheery disposition, a winsome personality, spiritual optimist, and was a great friend of children. He was known to have a child-like faith. That being said, he did pass through times of deep trials. It was then that he turned to the Scriptures as his guide in the darkness.
As I read the words of this hymn that he wrote, I can see the change from gloom and despair to hope and victory. That is what I want in my life.
Does Jesus Care?
Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long?
Refrain: Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?
Refrain: Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?
Refrain: Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks,
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?
Refrain: Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
To view the GloryScapes inspirational video Does Jesus Care? please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/doesjesuscare/ 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 | Mar 20, 2014 | Philippians
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When I think of being nervous my mind goes to the character that Don Knotts played on the old Andy Griffith show. He was the ever nervous and always anxious deputy, Barney Fife.
It was humorous watching as Barney’s anxiety over insignificant situations caused even more problems. I always wanted to put a hand on his shoulder and help him calm down and assure him that everything would be okay (But he was just playing a part).
What about our own life? What are the things that cause us to tremble, shake, and lose sleep? Do you think the Lord is pleased with us when we allow our anxious thoughts to control our lives?
There are several thoughts I see in today’s Scripture that must be a part of our thinking in order to counteract anxiety: REJOICE (always), GENTLENESS THAT IS EVIDENT TO ALL, REMEMBER THAT THE LORD IS NEAR, GET RID OF ANXIOUS THOUGHTS, ALWAYS PRAY WITH THANKSGIVING. The Lord is in control–relax and enjoy Him!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 19, 2014 | 1 John
1 John 1:5-7
This is the message we have heard from Him and declare unto you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
I have a great fear that we have given people the wrong message concerning salvation. We have propounded the idea that you are able to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and go on living a godless lifestyle. That is totally wrong. I find none of that thinking in Scripture. In fact it is just the opposite. This passage is just one of many that indicate our walk must match our talk.
Jesus consistently told those who had been set free from sin and disease to turn away from it and begin to walk a different walk. Now if Jesus said that to people in His day, it still applies today. It seems that somewhere along the line, we have adopted the notion that we can live like the devil and still be a child of the King. BEEP! WRONG!!
It is inventory time. We need to answer a set of questions that may well determine our eternal destiny. That means we cannot take them lightly. Ready?
1. Can you recall when you prayed to ask the Lord to forgive your sins and come into your life?
2. Were you sincere in praying that prayer?
3. Do you have the assurance that Christ is your Savior and Lord at this very moment?
4. In what manner has your way of life changed since you received Christ into your life? Have you turned away from the sins of your past?
5. Are you disciplining yourself daily to read God’s Word?
6. Do you have a meaningful prayer time each day? (Not just before meals or “Now I lay me down to sleep”)
7. Do other people know you are a Christian by your spiritual walk with the Lord?
8. When you sin, does your conscience convict you and lead you to confess the sin?
9. If you were to appear before God right now, would He be pleased with the way you are living?
These are just a few questions that will hopefully reveal what your walk is like. It may be a wakeup call to reestablish your relationship with God. It is so easy to get caught up with the things of the world and ignore the Lord who has promised us eternal life. We never know when something very sudden and unexpected could end our life on this earth. The few questions above will be nothing compared to the questions we will give about every deed done in the flesh. Are you ready? I urge you to do it now while there is still time.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 18, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 32:5
Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And You forgave the guilt of my sin.
How many times have you heard someone condemn other people for the very thing they are guilty of themselves? I recall meeting with a recently-deceased woman’s sons to prepare for her funeral service. They laughed remembering how their mother would sometimes use profanity to tell them not to use profanity.
Have you ever ridden with a driver who was irate at other drivers who were driving in the very same way that they were driving? Speeders rage at other speeders. Some drivers blow a fuse when another driver cuts into their lane of traffic when they had only a short time earlier done the same thing.
Pastors become frustrated with members who fail to read their Bible to prepare for a sermon series he is preaching. I once heard of a pastor who asked the members in his church to read Hezekiah 3:10 before the next service. At the beginning of the next service he asked how many had read the passage. Several hands went up. They were very embarrassed when he revealed to them that there was no book of Hezekiah in the Bible.
We need to set a symbolic mirror in front of ourselves. Before we become critical of others, we need to ask the Lord to show us those areas of our life that are not in accordance with His will. It is me, O Lord, that I bring before you!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
