by Pastor Cecil | May 16, 2014 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:10-11
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Back during my high school days, I worked weekends and summers for a concrete contractor. Believe me when I tell you that things were different back then. There was very little pre-mixed concrete that was delivered by large rotating carriers. We were the mixers! We had a pile of sand, another of gravel and sacks of concrete that we had to combine shovel by shovel and bag by bag, water was then added.
In order to get the sloppy concrete into the foundation, we had to deliver it by manual labor. We had large wheelbarrows that we filled then pushed to the point of delivery. In the building process a solid foundation was essential. A weakened foundation could lead to the building falling.
As we travel through this life we often see people that have not laid a foundation that will withstand the storms of life. Sadly when storms strike, their foundations fail. It is during the storms that we need the solid foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep us safe. John Rippon published this hymn in 1787.
How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
To access How Firm a Foundation, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes Hymn Music Videos, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/howfirmafoundation/ 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 | May 15, 2014 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:31
Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.
Last week I was blessed to officiate at the wedding of a beautiful young woman who had been a member of the congregation I once pastored. It was a joy to watch as she and her tall fiancé posed for photographs before the ceremony. I could almost visualize when I had dedicated her to the Lord in front of the congregation many years earlier.
As I stood there watching while the photos were being taken, the bride’s younger sister took my hand and shared how much she liked me. Then she uttered the gut honest words that can only come from an eight-year-old. “We have a picture of you in the house. You sure look a lot older now than you did then.”
She did not say these words to show any sort of disrespect, but with a simple awareness of the fact that YES, I DO LOOK OLDER NOW THAN I DID THEN. The reason is that these bodies of ours reflect the years we have lived.
I shudder at the lengths people will go in the attempt to disguise their age. I can still recall when I had a haircut and was shocked at all of the grey hair on the cape the barber had placed around my shoulders. It is nothing to be ashamed about. Oh, how I wish that more appreciation were placed on advanced age in our society. As we read the words of today’s Scripture, we note that these can be the most productive years of our life. Senior citizens, serve the Lord with distinction!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 14, 2014 | Daily-E-Votionals
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Storms are frightening things. We have lived in areas where storm clouds were a frequent occurrence, especially in the spring or early summer. In Northern Newfoundland, Canada, we experienced winds that exceeded 120 miles per hour. Now that is a storm!
Making our way in a small boat across the Straits of Juan de Fuca in Washington State one day, we encountered gale force winds and waves that towered above the boat — we could certainly relate to the disciples on the Sea of Galilee certain they were all going to drown. Only Jesus could still that storm! Peace, be still!
There are still other storms that can be even more terrifying: The doctor’s office calls and asks you to return as there is an abnormality in some of the tests. Further analysis confirms that it is a terminal illness.
Some storms can be spiritual: We are convinced that God has given a vision for a particular work, but without warning our vision crashes and is dead. We reel under the impact and question our next move.
Can I tell you the next move to make in any storm of life? Call upon Jesus! He is the One who can and will bring life out of death and purpose out of chaos. HE IS OUR PEACE IN THE STORM!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 13, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 14:1-2
The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
A few years ago I had a meeting in a popular coffee shop. We were near a table where three men were cynically discussing religion. I think their comments were intended for my ears since I had witnessed to them about the Lord. Professing to be wise, they were systematically tearing down churches, Christians, the Bible, repentance and justification by faith. These so-called wise men rested their eternal destiny on their good deeds or imagined intellect.
What if they are right? What if the Bible is wrong and the necessity of repentance is wrong? I have never known a cynical person who is a happy or contented person. As a matter of fact they are the most miserable people I have ever met. They search for something to satisfy their inner longing but never are able to find it.
As I consider my own life and the life of other Christians, I see a vivid contrast. There is joy and contentment that the cynics can never experience. Even if there is no heaven to gain we have a joy that the world can never know. When faced with tragedy or pain we have the comfort that only God can give.
But what if these cynics are wrong? (I am convinced they are!) The tragic reality is that there is much more than the temporal feelings of this world at stake. There is eternity stretching out before us. The cynics will come face to face with the Judge of the universe who will pass eternal judgment against their failure to accept His wonderful offer of salvation.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 12, 2014 | 2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 7:13-14
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
When I was a boy we would typically have a revival service in our church twice a year. A traveling evangelist would come and conduct the meetings every night for two weeks. Now in the day of labor saving devices we just do not seem to have the time and energy for extra meetings. Could it be our misplaced priorities?
Churches have encountered problems and families have been fractured because of the sin of pride. It often seems that there is a gigantic contest between churches to see which one is the best.
People hop from one congregation to another on a whim. Instead of searching the Scriptures to discover the will of God for their lives in Christ Jesus, they seek some new pew to park themselves while trying to feel satiated.
God’s plan for revival is for His people who are called by His name (myself included) to get on our faces and humbly confess our need for a refreshing encounter with the God who created everything. Lord we need You now more than ever before. Come and bring refreshing renewal!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
