by Pastor Cecil | Jun 9, 2014 | Philippians
Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
I have worn glasses all of my life because of astigmatism in my left eye. I once worked for a Probate Judge who was near-sighted — he could see things close up, but was extremely impaired in seeing things at a distance. At some point Ed decided to have an eye examination.
The optometrist was shocked at the Judge’s inability to see at a distance and immediately prescribed glasses to correct the problem. It was hilarious hearing Ed exclaim delightedly over all of the things he could now see that were not seen before. He was astounded that it was possible to even read house numbers from the street!
As believers, we often suffer from limited vision in the spiritual realm. We are so focused on the things of this world that we fail to have our spiritual vision checked in order to be able to see things as God desires.
I want to have my own spiritual vision clear enough that I will be able to see the hand of God at work so that I can become a part of His Master Plan. The way to do this is to dive into the Word of God and constantly seek to discover the things God wants me to see. OPEN MY EYES, LORD!
God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 6, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Sometimes we just seem to find ourselves wandering down the wrong path, or at least getting out of touch with the Lord. When we ask ourselves why God is not closer to us, the answer is that He has not left us, we have moved away from Him. Can I let you in on a little secret? God is more interested in staying close to us than we are in allowing Him to remain near us.
In our Scripture for today, David gives us assurance that even when we pass through the valley of the shadow of death we need not be paralyzed with fear because the Lord is near us.
The words of Just A Closer Walk With Thee, should be our prayer request for the Lord to forgive us when we fail and allow us to be nearer to Him than ever before. It is my fervent desire to draw nearer and nearer to the Lord with each passing day.
Just a Closer Walk With Thee
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long, as I walk,
let me walk close to Thee.
Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee,
grant it Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world of toil and snares,
if I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee,
grant it Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
When my feeble life is o’er,
time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er,
to Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee,
grant it Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
To access Just a Closer Walk With Thee, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Christian Music Hymns & Songs, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/justacloserwalkwiththee/ 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 | Jun 5, 2014 | Ephesians
Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’
“SHOW ME SOME RESPECT!” How frequently do we hear that harsh demand? Even some criminals who have just committed a horrible crime and are being taken into custody snarl out those words. They seem to think that their tough behavior earns them the right to be worthy of respect.
I see in our modern society a tragic breakdown in respect. It begins in the early years of a child’s life. They are not taught the importance of giving honor and respect to their parents. As a result of this lack of instruction, they do not feel the need to show respect to anyone.
It is significant that the pattern for respect begins back in the home. If children do not see an example of respect demonstrated by their parents, it is hard for them to learn to show respect. This negative pattern can be broken by coming before the Lord in humility and making a covenant to show respect to everyone around us.
Some may argue that if a person is not worthy of respect, we do not need to show them respect. I disagree with this line of thinking. The more we show a servant spirit in respecting people, the more the spirit of Jesus will be seen in us. I challenge you to put this teaching into practice.
God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 4, 2014 | 1 John
1 John 1:8-10
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us.
Yesterday I wrote about David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah. The consequences of that sin (or any sin for that matter) is the norm. If you bang your thumb with a hammer, the consequences are obvious. If we ignore our sin or try to cover it up, the consequences multiply.
As we examine the activities of our life, we do not need a prophet like Nathan who came to confront David. We now have the precious Holy Spirit who will show us the things in our life that are sinful.
Once we are confronted with our sin, we need to immediately confess it to the Lord. The next thing is to determine if there are individuals we must go to and ask them to forgive us for what we have done.
The problem comes when we sweep our sin under the rug and refuse to acknowledge it. If you want victory in your life, confess your sin and allow the blood of Jesus Christ to cover it. What freedom is waiting for us as we sincerely seek the forgiveness that comes only after our confession. God in His graciousness adds the beautiful cleansing that makes us free.
God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 3, 2014 | 2 Samuel
2 Samuel 12:4-7a
‘Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.’ David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man!’
Back in the 1970’s I was working for the State of Idaho and also teaching a Bible class at the Idaho State Penitentiary. One of the men had been convicted of murder and was serving a life sentence. During one of our Bible study classes, he shared with the group the story of what had happened. His unlawful act was accomplished in the heat of emotion. The consequences of an evening that began in a festive atmosphere ended with him behind bars for life.
The result of our actions will always result in consequences. The result of doing things God’s was will result in honor and blessing. Refusal to obey God and His commands will carry shame and dire consequences.
David was God’s selection to be the mighty King of Israel. David had served the Lord faithfully for many years and God had showered him with honor and blessings. As the King he was to lead his troops into battle. However in II Samuel 11:1, we find that when the kings go off to war, David didn’t! KINGS are supposed to lead—THEY DO NOT SEND!
You no doubt recall the sad story of David’s sin. He STAYED—He STARED—He STOLE—He SLEW! He was guilty of not going into battle with his men; BUT of committing adultery and of killing Bathsheba’s faithful husband.
David’s conscience may have bothered him, but it is possible that he may have thought he had escaped the consequences. But God knew! Not only did God know, but God sent a prophet named Nathan to confront David about his sin.
As we read today’s Scripture, David is enraged by a wealthy and powerful neighbor who would steal his poor neighbor’s one ewe lamb. He fumed out his vengeance on such a vile man but was stopped in his tracks by Nathan’s words of judgment: “You are the man!”
David repented of his sin, but there were serious consequences. Like my friend at the Penitentiary, a consequence was required. In David’s case it was the death of his baby and chaos between his sons.
Repentance also had its consequences. My friend became a born again Christian and led many other inmates to Jesus. David felt the touch of the Lord and wrote many Psalms with a broken heart. He became known as a man after God’s own heart. Where are you right now? I urge you to repent and reap the consequences of God’s love and forgiveness.
God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
