by Pastor Cecil | Dec 31, 2015 | Luke
Luke 24:31-32
“Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’”
It is that time of year when I rely on my trusty little wood stove to supply heat to the house. It has a glass front so I am able to observe the combustion process. From time to time I put a large chunk of wood in and almost always marvel at how resistant it is to burn.
I have learned you never can put large chunks of wood in when a fire is first starting. It requires a hot bed of coals in order to begin the process of combustion. After lying on the bed of coals for a little while things began to happen. Slowly flames began to come up alongside the log and before long it begins to glow.
Not only does the log glow but soon it becomes coals that serve to ignite other chunks of wood that I place in the fire. This process repeats itself over and over as the day progresses. The entire house is warmed!
In the spiritual realm we must be aware that as we come in contact with burning coals of spirituality, we stopped for being a chunk of earthly wood. As we spend time next to spiritual coals, we will begin to glow and provide coals for others!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 30, 2015 | James
James 4:14
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
You might notice that I am using the same Scripture reference that I used yesterday. This is the Eve of New Years Eve. The day before a special holiday is often as packed with meaning as the day itself.
The eve of an event holds the anticipation that something special is going to happen. In many cases it even precedes the big day by many days . . . even a week ahead of the actual day. Getting prepared is part of celebration.
I don’t know about you, but I am on tip toes with anticipation, waiting for that grand and glorious day of the Lord’s return. Just to be able to see Jesus face to face will be the greatest glory I can imagine. Then to have that great reunion with all of my loved ones who have gone on before.
I never want to become indifferent concern the Lord’s return. Many things will be missing: There will be no more pain. There will be no more sorrow. There will be no more separation. Well, you get the point. All the negatives will be missing and just the positives multiplied thousands of times! THE EVE OF THE EVE OF ETERNITY!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 29, 2015 | James
James 4:14
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
I survived Christmas Day with only a few pangs. I kept thinking of how much my dear wife would have loved being with our family on this very special day. Christmas was always a special celebration for us. In sixty-six years we spent every Christmas together except one in 1966 when I was on a remote assignment in St. Anthony, Newfoundland.
While there I was broken up by one song lyric that went “I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.” This year was my first Christmas without Joyce, but her first Christmas with Jesus. SHE HAD A BETTER TIME THAN I DID!
It was a year ago that Joyce was in a hospital bed in our living room. She had just been placed on Hospice Care. With her dementia I was not sure if she understood about her condition. I sat by her bed and held her hand and asked if she understood that Hospice was END OF LIFE CARE? She nodded. Little did we know that she would only live three more weeks.
But I was wrong! It was not end of life . . . it was her entry into everlasting life. No more confusion or pain for my sweetheart. She received the reward of eternal life — not end of life! IT IS LIFE BEYOND OUR IMAGINATION. I can hardly wait!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 28, 2015 | Matthew
Matthew 8:9
“For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
Back in the 50’s when I worked for the Nampa, Idaho Police Department, there was no such thing as an emergency call center. You had to dial a number for the fire, police, ambulance, or just dial 0 and the operator would connect you with the service appropriate for the call (fights, drunkenness, domestic disturbances, etc. etc, etc!)
For the most part I was the dispatcher on the graveyard shift (11 pm to 7 am). Any calls that I received I would respond by dispatching one of our patrol officers. Through my own frequent work as a patrol officer I knew what information they needed to receive from the dispatcher.
At certain times of the year we experienced some confusion on the graveyard shift when we would get “skips” in the atmosphere. Radio communications from the Lakeland, Florida Police Department sounded as clear and strong as our calls. Not only that, their cars had the same call signs. If you received a call to remove an alligator from someone’s back yard, you knew it was not from Nampa, Idaho!
The Holy Spirit is our “Dispatcher!” We need to keep our spiritual ears tuned in so we will be able to hear where we are needed. This requires having our spiritual antenna tuned in to station BIBLE! When He calls we need to respond immediately!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 25, 2015 | Luke
Luke 2:11-14
“‘Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.’”
Most of us have grown up singing the carols of Christmas. One of the most loved of all the carols is The First Noel. While the origin of the melody we sing today is uncertain, the lyrics date back to the 17th century. It is thought to originate in France as far back as the fifteenth century. We do know that the word Noel is a French word originating from Latin meaning “birthday.”
Think what it must have been like for those shepherds who were guarding their sheep on a quiet night when suddenly their lives were changed forever. Of all the people on the earth that could have received the announcement of the birth of the Messiah, it was to them! They reacted with awe, went to see the Baby, and then spread the wonderful word of His birth.
The First Noel
The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay tending their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.Refrain: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
They lookèd up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far;
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
Refrain: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
And by the light of that same star
Three Wise Men came from country far;
To seek for a King was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Refrain: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
Then entered in those Wise Men three,
Full reverently upon the knee,
And offered there, in His presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Refrain: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
That hath made Heaven and earth of naught,
And with His blood mankind hath bought.
Refrain: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
WISE MEN (AND WOMEN, AND BOYS, AND GIRLS) STILL SEEK HIM!
To access The First Noel, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/thefirstnoel2/ 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
