by Pastor Cecil | Oct 31, 2014 | Isaiah
Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
It was the final service of our annual Camp Meeting. The old tabernacle was crowded on a warm summer evening. The evangelist had been delivered a message outlining clearly the plan of salvation and the penalty that faced anyone who failed to accept the Lord Jesus as personal Savior.
I was sitting with my cousin and across the aisle from us was his dad. We knew that Uncle Harold had rejected the Lord, but were hopeful that this would be the time he would open his heart. The congregation was led in the old invitation hymn, Softly and Tenderly.
Wayne and I could see his dad weeping with conviction. We went over to him and pleaded with him to go forward and invite Jesus into his heart. Even though tears were flowing, he shook his head and refused to be moved. As far as we know he never made that choice. How sad that God’s free gift of eternal life was rejected. How about you? Have you honestly and sincerely invited Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life? He is calling, O sinner, come home. All you have to do is open your heart and invite Him to come in.
Softly and Tenderly
Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.
Refrain: Come home, come home.
You who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home.
Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading;
pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies;
mercies for you and for me?
Refrain: Come home, come home.
You who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home.
Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
passing from you and for me.
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
coming for you and for me.
Refrain: Come home, come home.
You who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home.
O, for the wonderful love He has promised,
promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
pardon for you and for me.
Refrain: Come home, come home.
You who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home.
To access Softly and Tenderly, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes™ Christian Music Hymns & Songs, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/softlyandtenderly/ 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 | Oct 30, 2014 | Luke
Luke 12:16-18
And He told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.’
A close friend of ours was an insurance agent. Among other types of insurance, he represented a company that insured against storm damage. He once shared with a group of us that one man who had the insurance called him in the middle of a hailstorm to say that his metal patio cover was about to collapse and he should get right over and shovel it off. RIGHT!
Well sure enough the hail was heavy enough that the cover finally came down. The man called the insurance agent and said he was not going to pay his deductible part of the policy because he had notified him and he did not come over to remove the hail.
How very much like that we are like that homeowner. It seems as if we treat the Lord in much the same manner. God has given us His great and precious promises that will ultimately be fulfilled in heaven.
Instead of trusting in the Lord (our divine insurance policy), we pester the Lord to do it for us. It just does not work that way. Let Proverbs 3:5-6 be our watch word and song: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 29, 2014 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Have you ever made a mistake? I have no idea why, but I recently remembered a blunder I made over 50 years ago. I considered going to work for a bakery that would entail delivery of baked products. I was riding along with the manager and he had me hold a special-order pie so it would not be damaged in transit. It was the last delivery before we were to deliver the pie. I opened the door and as I sat down, I felt the horrifying squish of the specially prepared pie. No delivery and no job!
I have realized many times that it is not my strength that counts, but only my willingness to be used. Several years ago I was having trouble with my Internet connection. When I called my Internet provider about the problem, the first technician did not have the answer and referred me to his manager. After explaining what I was doing, the manager asked me to send him one of my Daily-E-Votionals. After he read it and realized what I was doing, he helped correct the problem and then asked to be included on my list of subscribers.
Does God work? Yes! I have no idea who that man was or what he was going through. I do know, however, that he received a copy of that message. The Lord is the One who does the real work in individual hearts.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 28, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 37:5-6
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
I heard an illustration years ago about a young boy that really reminded me of me. My problem as a little boy was that I could not stop talking. My mom said I sometimes drove her crazy. (I find that hard to believe since I am so quiet now. RIGHT!!) Anyway, back to the illustration.
This young boy was running around and creating such havoc that his mother grabbed him to make him sit on a footstool for five minutes. He immediately got up and she pushed him down again. This routine was repeated until she threatened to paddle him if he got up one more time. He finally got the message and sat down with his arms folded. He looked up at her and said, “I may be sitting down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside!”
It is easy for us to be so active that we fail to take the time to listen to the Lord. It is far better to wait for Him than to run headlong with our own agenda. It is amazing the things you hear when you are quiet.
If you find yourself running through your days and weeks like a small tornado, I urge you to sit on God’s footstool and listen to His voice. It will most often come through a prayerful reading of His Word. JESUS LOVES ME THIS I KNOW, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 27, 2014 | John
John 9:4-5
As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Friday morning just before 11:00, a tragedy took place in Marysville, Washington. It was in a high school cafeteria when most students were relaxed and enjoying their lunch period.
Suddenly one of the students stood, drew a handgun, and fired at two of his cousins as well as several others before taking his own life. The world was dramatically changed not only for the families of the victims, but for the other students as well.
It was heartbreaking to watch the students as they ran away from the school to gather at a nearby church before being reunited with their families. Fear etched the faces of parents who wondered if their child might be one of the victims. When parents and children were finally united, the love began to flow. Parents and their kids embraced each other without embarrassment.
If only we would take the time to embrace those we love while we have the time. None of us know when our time on this earth will end. It is a reminder to insure that we have received Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. It is also a reminder to share our love with one another with words and also with actions. Hugs are important.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
