by Pastor Cecil | May 22, 2014 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 6:3-4
We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses.
As I write this I am listening to a gospel song that proclaims “I’m getting ready to leave this world.” Are we? I mean, are we truly looking forward to the day when we will say goodbye to the things of this world and enter our eternal home?
In studying the biographies of some of the greatest saints across the ages, I learn that they faced troubles. Many faced far greater troubles than I have ever faced. Not only that, they dealt with these troubles with confidence in Jesus.
Frequently I have heard ministers preach and teach a feel-good gospel. They seem to say that if you have enough faith you will never have to deal with sickness, pain, or catastrophic events. When I hear their teachings I want to shout out for them to read about the life of Paul. He endured more persecution than I can imagine, yet he was in the center of God’s will.
The discovery I’ve made is that we can have victory in the middle of the storms of life. I recall a song we used to sing when I was a teenager — “Troubles may come and troubles will go; we’ll trust in Jesus come weal or woe.” Now that is my aim in life. I know that there will be troubles, but my Jesus is in control.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 22, 2014 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 1:9-10
He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
One of the saddest things in the world is to feel useless. At a very early age, kids will try to help adults with whatever task they may be doing. More often than not, the young child’s inexperience slows the adult’s progress rather than being of benefit.
As we get older, the desire to assist tends to taper off. This waning of desire even crosses over into the spiritual realm. After receiving the Lord into our hearts, we have a sense of peace and fulfillment…but too often the joy of our salvation wears off and we just go through the motions of living a Christian life.
Let me be quick to point out that according to Ephesians 2:8-9, we are saved by grace through faith and not by our own works of righteousness. We cannot be good enough to merit eternal life. It is God’s gift at Christ’s expense. In the same manner we are kept safe and secure by His grace and our faith.
Having said all of this, what is the purpose God has for us? As I said at the beginning, some Christians feel useless. They have little or no awareness that God has a purpose for each of us. If God loves us so much that He sent His dear Son to give His life for us, what is our purpose? The Westminster Shorter Catechism says that man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever. That is real purpose, dear heart. Are you fulfillingHis purpose for your life?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 21, 2014 | Luke
Luke 16:22-23
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
Jesus was and is a wonderful Lord and Savior, but He was a marvelous story teller as well. His stories had a spiritual meaning and were known as parables. When asked why He taught in parables, Jesus explained that it was for the believers to understand, but that unbelievers would simply perceive it to be just a story.
Many of us will recall the parable of the rich man and a beggar covered with sores that relied on the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table to sustain himself. We read that the rich man seemed to have everything and the beggar had nothing. There was another huge difference between the two of them: The beggar was a believer but the rich man was not.
They both died, as all mankind is destined to do. I am awestruck as I read what happens at the moment of their deaths. The beggar who was a believer was carried by angels into Paradise. Stop and think of what a sensation of ecstasy that would be. No more begging, suffering or pain. An eternity of bliss awaited him.
The rich man also died AND WAS BURIED. How empty and final that sounds. What a contrast with the beggar who ate the scraps from his table. He must have been aware of the man during his life since, when he is in torment, he asks for Lazarus to come and touch his tongue with a drop of water to ease the agony that would last for eternity. We must have our name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life to insure the angels will transport us to be with the Lord. Be prepared!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 20, 2014 | Isaiah
Isaiah 52:11
Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house.
Have you ever wondered why modern-day Christians are so weak and anemic? They may have the desire to live a victorious life, but regardless of the good intentions, there is an evil influence that seems to pervade.
I was just reading about a family that began experiencing traumatic changes in their family. The husband’s business began to go from bad to worse. Then the husband and wife experienced marital conflicts that were new and unexpected.
As they prayed and sought counsel, they were asked if there was something new in their home? They could only remember a small troll type doll they had purchased while on vacation. They immediately removed the doll and destroyed it. The unclean thing was put out of their life and Christ was on the throne. There was a dramatic change for the better in their family and business.
We have allowed many unclean things to encroach upon our homes and personal lives. It may be a type of music, pornography, fetishes, or any number of things. If you are feeling the blast of evil in your home or personal life, I urge you to spend time with the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to show you the unclean thing that needs to be removed.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 19, 2014 | 2 Corinthians
2 Thessalonians 3:7-9
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.
“OUGHTAWANTA!” You can check your dictionaries or thesauruses and I can almost assure you that you will not find this word. I have thought of this word for quite a little while now and becomes more evident all of the time.
Once I served on the staff of a large church. The senior pastor had a telephone number that ended with the digits 0202. One of the staff members commented during a staff meeting that he always felt A guilt complex when he called that number. He said all he could think about was: OUGHT TO! – OUGHT TO!
I still remember that chorus we used to sing in Sunday School: “Everybody ought to go to Sunday School, to Sunday School, to Sunday School. The men and the women and the boys and the girls, everybody ought to go to Sunday School.”
In today’s Scripture, Paul is putting himself out as an example to follow. It is not just putting people on a guilt trip, but living a life that is Christlike and righteous. He emphasizes the wanta rather than the oughta. The question I ask myself as well as passing it on to you is are we sharing guilt or desire? I hope it will be the desire to be more like Jesus because they see Him living in us.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
