by Pastor Cecil | Jun 16, 2016 | James
James 1:19-20
“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
Many years ago I was attending a Christian Counselors Conference. One of the speakers related a counseling session he had with a man who was angry at his wife. He ranted and raved about how sloppy she was and how she neglected her duties of keeping the house clean and orderly.
As the counselor listened to the man tear his wife apart, he was silently praying for words with which to respond to the man. It suddenly became very quiet in the room and the counselor realized that the man was finished. Now it was the counselor’s turn to respond.
The counselor surprised the husband by agreeing with him, saying that he was married to the worst wife he had ever heard of. Immediately the husband rose to his wife’s defense. He began to praise her for having a loving nature and spending time loving her family instead of cleaning; he demanded to know how the counselor could think she was such a terrible wife. The husband left in a snit — but with a new view of his wife.
Are you looking for the good in others or are you so focused on their faults that you forget their strong qualities? Go for the gold and look for the best!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 15, 2016 | 1 Kings
1 Kings 8:61
“Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”
I recently read about a dog that was owned by a veterinarian. This dog was a vet dog. That meant he spent most of his hours in the Veterinary Clinic and was known to greet all of the dogs that came for whatever treatment was needed.
The Vet described him as being loyal to a fault. Not only did he greet each of the dogs that came to the clinic, but he was also a blood donor. Animals do not have the luxury of blood banks, so when an emergency arises, a tube goes from a donor dog to the dog who might die without this blood transfusion.
There are many people who are much like that. They greet others in a friendly accepting manner without hesitation. They give so freely of themselves that others feel they have received a transfusion of love when they are with them.
Today’s Scripture calls each believer to be loyal to the Lord. When we are loyal to Him it means that we are always ready to give a transfusion of love to the one God brings across our path. Are you loyal?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 14, 2016 | Romans
Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
In the U.S., as in most other nations, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This has produced a mentality that demands that we be proven guilty before we actually are adjudged guilty. As kids we may be accused of some minor indiscretion and cry out, “Prove it!”
When we look into God’s Word we discover that we have all been born into sin and are sinners by nature. That means we are not the innocent little creatures that some picture infants to be until they are contaminated by a sinful world.
The fact that we are guilty from the beginning, as a result of Adam’s sin, reveals that we need to be redeemed. Redemption must be provided by a totally sinless human. The only sinless human was and is Jesus Christ.
We are guilty until our sins are confessed and we invite Jesus to come into our heart and become our Savior. He was both God and man and He was not guilty from the beginning, but He became sin that we might have redemption. We are guilty until His blood is applied to our life. Praise the Lord!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 13, 2016 | Isaiah
Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Sometimes we find ourselves in frightening situations. This is especially terrifying when we are required to rely on someone else for our safety. It is especially in those times when we must let go and trust God to be with us.
That being the case, what about the times when we are the one who controls what comes next? What about the decisions that we make that determines our welfare as well as the destiny of those around us?
I can recall times when I have travelled on icy roads that I should not have been travelling on. It put my life in danger, but it also placed my family in jeopardy. They should not have had to face that danger.
Spiritually we are always in danger of the enemy of our souls who seeks to cause harm to our reputation. It is in those times when today’s Scripture should be on our mind. We need not fear when God is near. We need to simply trust and obey! He has died in order that we can be free of the terror that faces us. What confidence to know that when we breathe our last breath here, the next breath will be celestial!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 10, 2016 | 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
