by Pastor Cecil | Jan 22, 2016 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:10-11
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Back during my high school days, I worked weekends and summers for a concrete contractor. Believe me when I tell you that things were different back then. There was very little pre-mixed concrete that was delivered by large rotating carriers. We were the mixers! We had a pile of sand, another of gravel and sacks of concrete that we had to combine shovel by shovel and bag by bag, water was then added.
In order to get the sloppy concrete into the foundation, we had to deliver it by manual labor. We had large wheelbarrows that we filled then pushed to the point of delivery. In the building process a solid foundation was essential. A weakened foundation could lead to the building falling.
As we travel through this life we often see people that have not laid a foundation that will withstand the storms of life. Sadly when storms strike, their foundations fail. It is during the storms that we need the solid foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep us safe. John Rippon published this hymn in 1787.
How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
To access How Firm a Foundation, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes Hymn Music Videos, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/howfirmafoundation/ 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 | Jan 21, 2016 | Revelation
Revelation 21:27
“But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
In my many years of pastoral ministry there has been one thing that always requires updating — The Church Roster. Whether it’s called the Church Mailing List or the Church Membership List, that list always requires updating. Just when you think you have everything in order, here come more additions or deletions.
I certainly do not want to downplay the importance of these rosters. They provide names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, birthdays, anniversaries, and other pertinent information necessary for a pastor to minister to the members of the congregation
God also has a list. It is called the Lamb’s Book of Life. It is the most important book in the entire universe. If our names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life, we are assured of an eternity in heaven. If our names are not there, I do not even want to think of the terrible consequences. Hell awaits those whose names are missing.
Hollywood is trying to paint a picture that our good works will determine if we are admitted into heaven or not. That is not what God’s Word says. God says if our name is not in that book we will be denied admittance. Receive Jesus Christ by personal invitation and know where you’re heading!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 20, 2016 | Hebrews
Hebrews 5:12
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”
I just saw a picture of my youngest great granddaughter tasting her first solid food. It brought back many memories of when our three children tasted their first solid food. As I recall, it was always mashed potatoes and gravy and it was usually me that did the sneaky deed. Joyce or my mom would chastise me, but it was fun anyway!
It may be humorous to talk about our babies needing their solid food, but all too often many churches have huge congregations of believers who still exist on predigested spiritual food from the pulpit instead of sinking their teeth into something solid by studying their own Bible.
As you honestly evaluate your spiritual life, where do you see yourself? Are you able to dig into the solid meat of God’s Word or is it necessary for you to have someone else feed you? It is time for us to grow up!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 19, 2016 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 4:7-8
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Satisfaction! There are many things that bring feelings of satisfaction. I can recall one incident when I was a teenager that brought great satisfaction. I had been hired to dig a ditch for a couple. It was 50 feet long and about 3 feet deep.
As I started the task I realized that the soil was mostly topsoil which made for easy digging. In very little time I was down to the 3 feet depth and the width that was required. I then tried to see how fast I could dig. I was amazed at in a very short period of time I had completed the task.
When I knocked on the door and told the owners that I was completed they could not believe it. They are paying me by the hour and felt that I earned more than they had agreed upon and paid me a special bonus. I left with a sigh of satisfaction!
What type of satisfaction do we gain doing the things that God calls us to do? At the end of the day can we go to sleep knowing that we have served the Lord to the best of our abilities? Can we slip into slumber with a sigh of satisfaction?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 18, 2016 | James
James 3:10-12
“Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.”
“Is that milk fresh?” How many times have we heard that question asked (and usually followed by someone taking a sip of the milk in question). The response provides the answer: “Yuck!” means it is sour and not fresh.
I often wonder about the “freshness” of our lives. When people spend time around us are they prone to utter that same expression? Yuck! I hope there’s a smile on their face such as follows a satisfying swig of sweet fresh milk!
We are told that when we are born again we become new creatures. The problem all too often is that people do not live like new creatures. They continue with habits and associations of the past. Like James says in today’s Scripture: “… these things ought not to be so.”
It is time to evaluate our spiritual life and determine whether it is fresh or sour.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
