by Pastor Cecil | Apr 23, 2015 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Think of a time in your life when you were all alone. It may be when as a youngster you were away at camp and surrounded by people you did not know. It was not that you were all by yourself, but you were separated from the familiar family and friends you relied upon for comfort and support.
Two times I experienced “alone time” — once in 1953 when I was in basic training, and again in 1962 when I was in Officer’s Training School. I was surrounded by other men I did not know who were just as miserable as I was. I guess you could say that we all felt like we were alone.
Experiencing the death of a cherished mate also makes us feel all alone. I am walking through that dark valley right now. No matter how many people surround me with love and support, it is not the same as being with the one who had been part of my flesh for over 60 years. I have felt a loneliness that makes me ache.
So what are we to do during these times of being alone. God’s Word gives us the answer. In today’s Scripture the Lord promises that He goes with us and will never leave us nor forsake us. That is His promise to us. Our part is to be strong, of good courage, and not be afraid. We are never alone for the Lord is with us! In the most lonely situation and darkest night we are never alone. HE IS WITH US!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 22, 2015 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 3:15-16
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”
Do you remember playing Hide ‘n Seek when you were a kid? The person who was “it” hid his face and counted to a predetermined number, usually 100. When “it” finished counting he would call out, “Ready or not, here I come!” Then he had to find where the other players were hiding and try to tag them before they reached the safety of “base.”
We never know when God calls us. Several years ago I was conducting a funeral service in a neighboring town. The church was packed and some people even had to stand in the foyer. Before the service I had asked everyone to silence their cell phones.
All was going as expected during the service. The songs had been sung and the message delivered. I was making a challenge to the congregation to stress the point that we never know when the Lord might call. It was just at that moment that the cell phone of the son-in-law of the deceased rang . . . full volume. As people tried to control their laughter I commented, “That might be the Lord calling now.”
Are you ready for the Lord to call? If the heart in your chest stopped beating in the next few minutes, would you be prepared to meet the Lord Jesus who gave His life that we might have life? We need to live with this idea in our mind: READY OR NOT, GOD IS COMING!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 21, 2015 | Psalm
Psalm 23:4
“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.”
When I conduct funeral services I frequently use an illustration that I gained years ago when I read a book by Phillip Keller called A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm. He refers to a young sheep that has a tendency to wander away from the flock. Do you know some family members like that?
A good shepherd knows that if the wandering sheep continues this habit, he will end up as some wild animal’s supper. As a last and extreme resort, the shepherd takes his “rod” and breaks the sheep’s front leg. That may seem a cruel act to those who do not know the reason, but it’s actually done to save the lamb’s life.
After breaking the leg, the shepherd carefully places a splint on it and, during the healing process, carries the small animal everywhere it needs to go — the green pastures, the quiet waters, and the safe place to rest. Over that period of time the sheep falls in love with and bonds to the shepherd. Once the bone has healed and the splint has been removed, the sheep remains close by his shepherd and never wanders again.
I observed this scene in action many years ago. In a local garden shop a young sheep had its leg in a splint and followed close behind a clerk. I asked her about it and she said it had stepped into a hole and, in trying to free the leg, it had broken. Now the little sheep thought of the clerk as its momma and would not let her out of sight.
Sometimes the broken times of our life force us to re-evaluate our choices. Even though it hurts, we have the Great Shepherd who carries us in His arms through the pain, giving us the opportunity to fall in love with Him and never let Him out of our sight.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 20, 2015 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 9:10
“Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.”
It seems as if I have always been fascinated by farming. As a boy we had a very small house on the edge of town and in a small field next to the house we had a milk cow. The labor of caring for this sweet natured animal was rewarded by the rich milk that she produced. I will always remember old Blossom.
One summer when I was a teenager I traveled to the Oklahoma panhandle to work for my uncle. My job was to drive a tractor pulling a plow. It was my first experience pulling a plow and thought it would be a snap.
I had not been plowing very long when my uncle met me at the end of the field with a scowl on his face. He wanted to know why I couldn’t plow a straight row. He said my furrow was as crooked as snake. I told him I was trying to plow straight and I was very careful about watching my front wheel to keep it in the furrow.
It was then that I learned that you do not plow a straight line by looking down at the furrow but looking down to a point on the far side of the field and heading directly for it. The field was about a half mile long, so it was hard to pick out a spot in the distance, but as I did the plow lines became straight and true. In like manner we need to keep our eyes on the hope of our eternal home. Quit looking at the furrow and focus on the glory that awaits on the other side!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 17, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 4:4-7
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“
William Walford did not allow the fact that he was blind limit his service for his Lord. He was frequently called upon to preach in a small country church. He composed the sermons in his head and also was able to quote large portions of Scripture from memory. Some people thought he had memorized the entire Bible. He also composed verses as the Lord laid the words upon his heart. Above all—he was a man of prayer.
In the mid 1800’s, Thomas Salmon was visiting in England and became acquainted with Pastor Walford. As they were visiting one day the blind pastor quoted a few pieces he had composed. Since he had no one to write them down he had kept them treasured in the storehouse of his mind.
One of the verses he related to Mr. Salmon was, Sweet Hour of Prayer. Mr. Salmon eagerly scribbled the words down on a scrap of paper. When he returned to New York he sent the verses to the Observer and asked if they thought them worth preserving. The Observer did think them worthy and published them on September 13, 1845. The music was added by William Bradbury in 1861.
Sweet Hour of Prayer
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
‘Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!’
To access Sweet Hour of Prayer please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/sweethourofprayer 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
