by Pastor Cecil | May 24, 2016 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 2:15
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
I wish there was some way I could go back in time and start the first grade again. For some reason I never was able to grasp the basic concepts of study until very late in my life. Study always had a negative connotation for me because I associated it with my failure in school.
So with that background, why should I write about studying the Bible, the Word of God? It is because it is essential to our spiritual growth. There are many out there who have the same problem when it comes to effectively studying the Bible. I hope I can help you.
Years ago I was in a seminar that shared principles to effectively handle the Word of God. I will never forget a simple rule that we were taught. After reading a portion of the Bible, ask three questions: WHAT DOES IT SAY? WHAT DOES IT MEAN? HOW DO I APPLY IT TO MY OWN LIFE?
I hope those three questions will mean as much to you as they have meant to me. Give it a try. Now is the time to STUDY!!!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 23, 2016 | Psalm
Psalm 1:1-2
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”
Godless meditation scares the wits out of me. Modern-day gurus say clear the mind of everything and find that inner peace. Yikes! That certainly gives unguarded entry to demonic forces of every sort. STAY AWAY FROM IT!
God does want us to meditate, but there is a difference. In today’s Scripture the Psalmist begins the book of Psalms by introducing us to God’s type of meditation. It is not the mind clearing sort of stuff, but the God-indwelling type.
It begins with the way we are to behave. The psalmist says we are to stay away from the godless sinners around us. The first step to godly meditation is a true walk with God. If we are not walking with God, we cannot have communion with Him.
If we walk in harmony with the Lord, we are called to meditate on His Word day and night. There is the key — it is not a blank mind, but rather a mind that is full of the Word of God and applying it to our life. Are you meditating correctly?
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 20, 2016 | 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. Years earlier 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 this free inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/toyoubeforethecloseofday/
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 19, 2016 | James
James 3:13
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.”
In the eyes of the world he may not have seemed wise, but to my mind and according to today’s Scripture, Ben was a wise man. Ben was an immigrant to this country from a European bloc nation. He spoke with a gravelly voice in an accent that was thick with his native tongue. But above everything else he loved the Lord.
Not only did Ben love the Lord, but he expressed it by the way he served Jesus. He did not teach a Bible class, but he lived his life according to the Word of God. I can still recall watching him mow the lawn around the church on a hot summer day.
One day when I saw Ben mowing, I stopped to talk with him. I thought the church paid him for doing outside maintenance, but he did it because he saw a need. In my conversation with Ben I discovered that he also mowed lawns for several widows in the church who were unable to do it themselves and could not afford lawn care.
Ben was a wise man! His works for the Lord were done with meekness and love. I wish he was still alive today. I would enjoy a long visit with him. It will have to wait for eternity, but he is one WISE MAN I want to see again.
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 18, 2016 | John
John 8:12
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”
I frequently receive solicitations through my e-mail offering the brightest flashlight on the face of the planet. Well, it may not be specifically described in that manner, but they make it sound as if I cannot live without it.
Now I want you to know that I am not adverse to light. As a teen, I learned to quietly slip into the house a few minutes after curfew because I did not want my parents to know I was late. A few times, however, I found myself stumbling over a chair or table. My mom had a habit of rearranging the furniture. Hmm! I wonder if she did that as a ploy to hear when I came home?
It is sad to realize that many people have not received The Light (Jesus) that came into the world to free us from the inky blackness of sin. We are born into sin and the only way for the light to shine is to receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. It is not by infant baptism or doing good works, but only by confessing our sins and asking the Lord to take control of our life.
Do you have His Light in your life? If not, I urge you to take that vital step right now. I assure you that this Light is definitely the brightest light in the universe!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
