by Pastor Cecil | Jul 17, 2015 | Psalm
Psalm 145:9-12
“The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. All You have made will praise You, O LORD; Your saints will extol You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might, so that all men may know of Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.”
The older I get (and I am getting up there), the more disturbed I am about senseless killing. This is true of attacks on other people, but also on killing animals just for the sport of it. In my hunting days I did shoot game, but it was for food not for sport. Now there are many that hunt for bragging rights, not for food. God meant for us to be keepers and protectors, not killers.
In 1225, when he was feeling ill and losing his sight, Francis of Assisi wrote about what was always on his heart: the praise of God. In All Creatures of Our God and King, Francis’ love for God and the world He made comes out very strongly.
Probably because he lived such a simple life, he “noticed” things that we, in our busy-ness, overlook. Francis believed that all earth’s creatures get their life from God and that we all depend on Him for our continual existence.
All Creatures of Our God and King
1. All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
O, praise Him, Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
2. Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heav’n along,
O, praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
3. Let all things their creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness
O, praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
4. And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O, praise Him! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
To access All Creatures of Our God and King, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Inspirational Music Videos, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/allcreaturesofourgodandking/ 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 | Jul 16, 2015 | Galatians
Galatians 6:1-3
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.”
All too frequently we are confronted by people who have fallen into deep sin. Immediately it seems that tongues begin to wag, fingers began to point, and lives are turned upside down. Sin is a tragic thing. It contaminates and destroys not only the one who has committed the sin but often those who are innocent victims.
Paul was certainly no stranger to people who said one thing and did another. Many of those who treated him with bitter hatred claimed to do so with spiritual intent. We still see that same vindictive attitude today. Instead of restoring the fallen we often parade there sinful activity in order to make ourselves appear righteous. We might call it a self-righteous attitude.
People who condemned quite often picture themselves as defenders of the faith. Unfortunately many times there is sin in their own life that has never been dealt with. Paul says that we are to restore the sinful person.
How do we restore someone who has sinned? It certainly is not by sharing their sin with other people. Our Scripture for today says that we are to restore them gently and help bear each other’s burdens. We need more burden bearers than tale tellers. Which are you?!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 15, 2015 | Psalm
Psalm 85:8-9
“I will listen to what God the Lord says; He promises peace to His people, His faithful servants—but let them not turn to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land.”
You may have heard the story of a young man that was writing a love letter to his precious sweetheart. He was trying to express to her the depth of his commitment and his undying love for her. He wrote something like this: “My Dearest Darling, I love you with all of my heart and my being. I would climb the highest mountain for you or swim the deepest ocean. I would work my fingers to the bone to demonstrate my love to you! P.S. I will see you tomorrow if it doesn’t rain.”
Wow! I think that expresses some of the failures we see in romantic relationships. We can be very committed just as long as it doesn’t interfere with our own agenda. It is difficult for me to recall all of the weddings that I have officiated across the years. Through the premarital counseling sessions and standing at the altar of the church to promise and make a covenant with one another, it would appear that the marriage would last throughout the lifetime of the couple. Sadly that is often not the case.
We can make all types of promises to other individuals or to God. But the promise means nothing if we fail to follow through on that promise. It is heartbreaking to have people make promises to us and then have our confidence shattered because they failed to fulfill their promise. One thing we can be certain of is that God’s promises never fail! While God’s promises are sure and certain, they must be claimed. It is almost like receiving a gift from a precious friend but never opening it. Just think of all of the blessings that God has offered but have never been received! Let’s claim God’s promises!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 14, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 4:12
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
Let me ask you a question. What is the level of your contentment? Are you satisfied with your present situation? Are there situations that you feel would make you more content? If you could change anything in your life, would it make you more contented?
One of the Ten Commandments is to not covet. The word “covet” is the Hebrew word châmad. Strong’s Concordance defines it as: to delight, desire, goodly, lust after. Let me ask you once again: Are there things that you find delightful, desirable, goodly, or things that you lust after and do not possess? If you answer yes, you need to find contentment.
Perhaps it has always been like this since the creation of Adam and Eve, but it certainly is true in our day — there is a general lack of contentment. All too often people think that if they had something else, or someone else, they would be contented. Homes are fractured; lives are destroyed — all because there is no contentment.
Paul says in Philippians, chapter four, that he has learned the secret of being content. He goes on to say that he has learned it by having need and suffering without. How in the world can you find contentment when you’re suffering? I think the answer lies in where we are looking. Are we looking at those things that we think will make us feel better or are we looking to the Lord who is able to use those trying situations to bring glory to His name. Join me and choose to glorify God!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 13, 2015 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
Back when I was in graduate school at Central Missouri State University, I took a class in archeology. One of the assignments was to work on a mound that had been constructed hundreds of years ago. Finds at the site sometimes revealed a few broken shards of pottery. The next step was to search for any fragments from what had been stored inside. A few bone fragments would lead to the conclusion that the jar had been used to store meat.
Underwater archeology has discovered clay pots used to transport oil, wine, or other food substances from as far back as the time of Christ or even before. Clay pots were never thought to be more valuable than what was inside.
This is especially true in the spiritual sense. Our human bodies may be likened to clay pots. Some of our pots are larger than others and we may even be said to have a “pot” belly . . . but that is a different matter altogether.
When we are filled with the Spirit of Christ, it does not matter what our vessel may look like. It is the treasure inside that counts. We need to constantly be aware that we are carrying a precious treasure within us. We need to live aware of it!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
