by Pastor Cecil | Jul 17, 2014 | 2 Peter
2 Peter 1:2-4
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
Pride takes many forms. One of these is self-confidence. We often seem to know what is right without taking the time to spend time with God to seek His will and purpose for our actions.
From the Garden of Eden, humans have listen to the whispers of Satan that they were able to make their own decisions without listening to God. The human mind is remarkable, but when it comes to knowing the right choices, we are at a loss.
We might agree that salvation is obtained by grace through faith. We follow that step by trying to live a virtuous life. Peter writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says that following that we are to seek knowledge. That is what Solomon asked for when he became king of Israel following the death of his father, David.
All through his reign, as well as the reign of the other leaders, before and after, when they asked God for wisdom, God answered. When they acted in their own instincts, they failed.
The great question confronting each of us is whether we will accept God’s knowledge as revealed in the Bible, or rely on our own abilities. I choose to trust in the Lord and find godly knowledge.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 16, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 23:1-4
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, 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.
Shadows are scary and deceptive things. They are always larger than the object that casts the shadow. During my days as a police officer I had my wits scared out of me several times by shadows that appeared to be a serious threat . . . but upon investigation turned out to be a small cat or dog with a light behind them.
Death is a certainty for each of us. Someone has said that the death rate for humans is 100 per cent. That is true and across the ages of time there has been a fearful dread of our final farewell to life on this earth.
For those who have not experienced the new birth, and thus not having their name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, there is reason to fear death. What about those of us who have received that new birth? Our eternal life with Christ has begun.
Satan has done an excellent job of causing believers to live in fear of death. There is a fantastic passage in Psalm 116:15 that we should memorize to assure ourselves and others with: “Precious in the sight of The Lord is the death of His saints.” For that reason we can face death with the assurance and confidence that one step into glory will erase all of the cares of this world!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 15, 2014 | James
James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
I recall receiving an e-mail requesting prayer for a “prayer worrier.” I am sure the writer meant “prayer warrior,” but this person did what I have done so many times—misspelled a word and thus changed the meaning.
I have been thinking about the difference between the two. I went to the dictionary and found this definition for warrior: “One who is engaged in or experienced in battle. One who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict.” That sounds like someone you would like on your side, right?
On the other hand, here is the definition for worrier: “One who thinks about unfortunate things that might happen.” Whoops! That is certainly not the person I would feel confident to have in my corner as a prayer partner.
The Amplified Bible gives a clear picture of what we may call a prayer worrier instead of a prayer warrior “[For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].” May that never be a description of our prayer life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 14, 2014 | Matthew
Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Perhaps rudeness has been around for thousands of years, but it certainly seems to have peaked in our generation. People seem to be so self-absorbed that they become churlish or at best withdrawn around others.
Recently I was able to watch a man sitting at a table in a fine restaurant with his wife and her parents. I was close enough to hear the comment that the young couple was celebrating their wedding anniversary. The husband had his cell phone out and was more absorbed in texting than he was in celebrating. It was like a slap in the face of his wife and her parents. He was JUST PLAIN RUDE!
The next day I was driving on the freeway when a car swerved into my lane of traffic at the last moment to make the exit ramp. I was thinking about his rude action when another car from two lanes away swerved in front of him to exit. The action of these two drivers demonstrated to me that they were JUST PLAIN RUDE!
The Lord tenderly calls us to stay near to Him and search His Holy Word. All too often we tend to ignore His call and do our own thing. It’s JUST PLAIN RUDE!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 11, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 42:1-2
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
Hunger is a need that may be suppressed for many days without harm. Fasting in fact has been shown to have positive aspects and is thought to be beneficial to the body. Thirst, on the other hand is something which cannot be ignored. The dehydration of the body can quickly lead to death, as we have seen the tragic reality of in recent years with the deaths of athletes who exerted themselves in hot temperatures.
David confesses that he longs for a closer fellowship with the Lord. He likens his desire to being in a desert and almost dying for spiritual water. How did he get this way? Let’s try to imagine what that looks like, and to see if you may be suffering from the ailment. Here in Psalm 42.
One of the symptoms of spiritual dehydration is prolonged absence from assembling in the house of the Lord. Another symptom of spiritual dehydration is not spending time with God in personal communion. It leads to isolation and vulnerability to the temptations of the flesh. What about the spiritual dehydration of believers? Is that a choking sound I hear? How long has it been since you and God met for a visit? Reflect as you enjoy our hymn for the week.
Ho! Everyone Who Is Thirsty
Ho! Everyone that is thirsty in spirit,
Ho! Everyone that is weary and sad;
Come to the fountain, there’s fullness in Jesus,
All that you’re longing for; come and be glad!
Refrain: I will pour water on him that is thirsty,
I will pour floods upon the dry ground;
Open your hearts for the gifts I am bringing;
While you are seeking Me, I will be found.
Child of the world, are you tired of your bondage?
Weary of earth’s joys, so false, so untrue?
Thirsting for God and His fullness of blessing?
List’ to the promise, a message for you!
Refrain: I will pour water on him that is thirsty,
I will pour floods upon the dry ground;
Open your hearts for the gifts I am bringing;
While you are seeking Me, I will be found.
Child of the kingdom, be filled with the Spirit!
Nothing but “fullness” thy longing can meet;
‘Tis the enduement for life and for service;
Thine is the promise, so certain, so sweet.
Refrain: I will pour water on him that is thirsty,
I will pour floods upon the dry ground;
Open your hearts for the gifts I am bringing;
While you are seeking Me, I will be found.
To access Ho! Everyone Who Is Thirsty, this week’s inspirational video, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/hoeveryonewhoisthirsty/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
