by Pastor Cecil | Feb 20, 2015 | Titus
Titus 3:4-5
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
One night, 1886, in group of Christians were singing in a down-and-out part of a large city. A distraught young woman questioned if it would be possible for a sinner like her to be saved. Listening to her heart-cry for salvation, she was taken back to the mission and left with the ladies in charge. The young, wayward woman was brought to Christ that night.
A situation was secured for her in a minister’s family. Sometime later she became ill and had to be taken to a hospital. She rapidly failed and it became evident that she would not be long on earth. One of the gentlemen, whom she had met on that night on the street, was visiting her in the ward. After quoting a few suitable verses of Scripture, he repeated her favorite hymn, “All to Christ I owe.” Two hours afterward she passed away.
Of course the greatest payment in our behalf is the gift of eternal life. It cost the horrible death of our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He paid what we could not pay. He went to the cross voluntarily because He knew we would never be able to pay the cost.
Jesus Paid It All
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small!
Child of weakness watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I,
whereby Thy grace to claim
I will wash my garments white,
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow.
And when before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down,
All down at Jesus’ feet.
Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow.
To access Jesus Paid It All, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/jesuspaiditall/ 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 | Feb 19, 2015 | 1 John
1 John 5:16-17
“If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.”
Yesterday I wrote about the thrill of victory. It is foolish to say that defeat is better than victory. A sports team or a nation’s military force never enter combat with the hope of being defeated.
I received a call of condolence from dear friends who were the pastor and wife of a church in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, Canada, when I was stationed there. They mentioned that they had made a trip back to St. Anthony last year. Their hearts were broken as they observed the lack of spiritual life that had once been so alive when they were there in the 1960’s.
It reminded me of the individuals I have known and ministered to across the years. At one time they had a fervent spirit of service to the Lord . . . but, little by little, the cares of the world crowded in and the flame of spiritual commitment grew smaller and smaller. It is heart wrenching!
All through the Bible we read of the same thing happening. David allowed sensuality to blind his eyes to his calling. Solomon was granted great wisdom, but he foolishly allowed foreign wives to bring their god’s into his life, and his life became filled with vanities of vanities. Only by keeping our eyes on the Lord and obeying His Word will we maintain the thrill of victory — not the agony of defeat!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 18, 2015 | 1 John
1 John 5:2-4
“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”
When I was in high school I played football. For those of you in parts of the world where soccer is called football, that is not what I played. It is the American game of football. We were a very small Christian School and we could not field an eleven man team, so we played eight man football. I think there were seven or eight teams in our league.
It was a wonderful feeling to be victorious in one of our games. It was even a better feeling to have a winning season. The ultimate was achieved in my last year of high school when we were undefeated. VICTORY was ours!
The reason for our victory had started much earlier than that final game. In early fall we began practice that seemed so harsh we wondered if we would survive. We did and by the time of our first game we were in shape and were able to play with stamina and determination, but we still had to practice day after day before the next game. In order to win we had to pay the price of practicing day by day.
In our spirit life we find a parallel. In order to be effective in our ministry for the Lord we must exercise our spiritual muscles until we become competent to serve the Lord as He commands. Are you preparing for the work of God?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 17, 2015 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
On Sunday I challenged our congregation with 1 Corinthians 13. It has often been called the “Love Chapter” in the Bible, and rightfully so. Paul gives his readers a clear description of what Christian love should be. How do you rate?
- Are you patient — even when you are forced to wait?
- Have you developed a spirit of kindness by looking for ways to help people?
- Are you afflicted with the green-eyed monster of jealousy and envy?
- Do you like to remind others of your accomplishments?
- Do you delight in feeling that you are better than others?
- Are you negligent in caring about the needs and feelings of other people?
- Are you the center of your universe?
- Do you have a “short fuse” and blow up when things do not go right?
- Do you remember the wrongs other people have done to you?
- Do you delight in evil by your actions or in your thought life?
- Do you sincerely rejoice when the truth is revealed?
- Are you a protector of the things of God?
- Do you place your absolute trust in God’s Word?
After prayerfully completing this questionnaire, what changes do you feel God wants you to make in your life?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 16, 2015 | Matthew
Matthew 5:46-47
“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”
Every time I think about self-centeredness, I recall Dan, a young man who asked me for advice on how to deal with his work situation. He felt like he was the low man on the totem pole and his efforts were not appreciated by his superiors. It was just a seasonal job processing potatoes, but he still believed that he deserved better.
I asked him, “What is the worst job in the processing plant?” Without hesitating he said, “Cleaning up the spoiled potatoes at the end of the processing belt. They rot and smell terrible. They are a disgusting mess to clean up.”
With a smile I told Dan that I would like for him to volunteer for that job. Not only that, I suggested that he find joy in the task. It would give him an opportunity to memorize Scripture and talk with God since no one wanted to be near the smell of rotting potatoes.
Dan found great joy in that position and, as a result, he was noticed by the managers. He had shown that he was not looking for the easier jobs, but was willing to do the task that everyone else avoided. I could see Dan grow spiritually in a dramatic way, showing humility in serving rather than being served. I pray that each of us will strive to have a servant spirit.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
