by Pastor Cecil | Jun 30, 2015 | Psalm
Psalm 43:5
“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.”
Almost every week I notice a long line at the local super market. The people in the line are not waiting to pay for groceries . . . oh no, they waiting to purchase lottery tickets for that week’s drawing. The chances of them holding a winning number is millions to one, but they still have HOPE!
Last week a man was struck by lightning in his front yard. The likelihood of this happening would be many millions to one. The irony is that this same man was struck by lightning once before. His name is Rod, so now his friends call him . . . “LIGHTNING ROD!”
Frequently I receive something in the mail informing me that I have a chance of being selected to receive a huge check from a large publishing firm. I know that there are winners, and I can hope that someone will show up at my door with balloons and a large check, but I am not losing any sleep waiting for it.
Those examples are far removed from the meaning of the word hope that we find in today’s Scripture. It comes from the Hebrew word yachal. It has the meaning of expectantly anticipating. God has given us His precious promises and they will all come to pass. There is a home in glory waiting for us and that is a certain HOPE!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 29, 2015 | Psalm
Psalm 73:22-24
“I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”
Having spent many years in police work, I am always fascinated by the law enforcement reality programs on television. My daughter Lori shares my fascination with these programs. Over and over we watch as the guilty proclaim their innocence . . . even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Many times we have heard the arrested suspects make statements like, “I swear on my mother’s grave that I did not do that!” It seems like each and every time an offender makes such a claim, they are ultimately proven guilty. When confronted with the evidence, many times they will confess.
It is so difficult to confess when we are wrong. We always want to be right even when we have done something that is wrong. I think of David and his terrible sin of infidelity with Bathsheba. He was guilty of adultery and compounded it with the premeditated murder of her husband by placing him near the enemy and then retreating, setting him up to be killed in battle.
It may be that David was recalling this horrible time in his life when he penned the words of the 73rd Psalm. Even though we do wrong, God always does what is right. His desire is for us to draw near to Him and confess our sin. It is only then that He is able to forgive us. Our part is confessing. His part is forgiving and cleansing. Thank the Lord that we are not saved by what we do, but by what He has done for us.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 26, 2015 | Isaiah
Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
Years ago I recall listening to a sermon tape by Donald Grey Barnhouse, a prominent pastor and teacher. He had just completed an evangelistic meeting several hundred miles from his home in Philadelphia, when he was given a telegram. It informed him that his son had been in a serious accident and was near death.
His only way back to Philadelphia was by rail. As Dr. Barnhouse entered his sleeper, his spirit was greatly disturbed. He knew that it would be hours before his train arrived back home and that there was nothing he could do but leave his son in God’s hands.
As he prayed, he recalled a phrase from Isaiah 65:25, “- – – but dust will be the serpent’s food.” Using that passage he asked the Lord to feed the serpent dust, but to please grant him a good night’s rest. He fell fast asleep and the next thing he knew the porter was touching his shoulder to tell him that they were nearing Philadelphia.
The Lord had answered his prayer. His son lived and during his time of recuperation he committed his life to full time Christian service. If you have been having trouble getting to sleep at night, ask the Lord to give you His blessed rest and feed the serpent dust.
To You Before the Close of Day
To you before the close of day,
Creator of the world we pray!
Your grace and peace to us allow,
And be our guard and keeper now.
From evil dreams defend our sight,
From all the terrors of the night.
From all deluding thoughts that creep,
On heedless minds disarmed by sleep.
O Father, this we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, Your only Son.
Who with the Holy Spirit and with You,
Shall live and reign all ages through. Amen.
To access To You Before the Close of Day, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Christian Music Hymns & Songs, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/toyoubeforethecloseofday in your browser or click on the image below.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 25, 2015 | Matthew
Matthew 24:32-35
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
Some things never seem to change while at the same time some things seem to be in a constant state of change. One of the things that always changes is the weather. We can complain about how cold it is or how hot it is, but all we have to do is wait for a while and it will change.
Sometimes we attend some function such as a wedding or a family reunion and see a young person that looks strangely familiar and yet we cannot place them. Hesitantly we ask who they are. The answer is that they were once a tiny child we knew, but now they have grown up.
We can become far more introspective if we will look at a picture of ourselves when we were younger and then look in the mirror. Yikes! I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be so personal about that, but it illustrates my point. We go through the seasons of life from youth, to young adult, to adult, and to be kind we call it, “mature adult.”
In today’s Scripture, Jesus is giving a prophetic look at the future. His reference to the fig tree has largely been interpreted as referring to the birth of nation Israel. That being the case He says that the generation that sees the birth of this new nation will signal His soon return. The seasons of His coming are close! Be ready!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 24, 2015 | Acts
Acts 5:25-26
“Then someone came and said, ‘Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.’ At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.”
Holidays are very special in so many ways. They give us an opportunity to honor either individuals or occasions. We just celebrated Father’s Day, but what about the day after? Do we continue to honor dear old Dad in the days that follow Father’s Day? How about Mother’s Day, or someone’s birthday, for example?
I fear that we frequently live our lives in spurts. We will pay attention only on “special occasions” — then it is back to normal. Many of us who have lost our parents recall the wonderful joyous times we had together. We would like to be able to honor them, but they have already departed and words of appreciation are too late.
This applies to virtually everyone. We might be thinking about a certain person and all they have done and desire to recognize them, but we put it off for one reason or another. Spiritually we do the same thing; we want to thank God for his blessings in our life, but we put off getting around to spending time with Him.
The disciples were consistent in serving the Lord. It was not just when things were going good, but at all times. The disciples in today’s Scripture had been treated harshly, yet the following day they could be found serving Jesus. My prayer is that regardless of the situations we might find ourselves in today, we will still be found serving Jesus tomorrow.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
