by Pastor Cecil | Jul 14, 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.”
Yesterday I received a call from my brother-in-law, Harold. He asked if I was familiar with Ellsworth Air Force Base. I said I sure did since I was once stationed there. That was when I was a jet mechanic. He laughed and said he knew.
Harold had called to tell me that a Delta A380 passenger airliner had landed at Ellsworth instead at the Rapid City Regional Airport. Oops! I can only imagine the difficulty the pilot of that aircraft is now facing.
There are many people flying through life thinking they know their proper destination. The problem is that they may end up at the “wrong airport.” What a tragic realization will face people when they open their eyes in death to find they face an eternity in hell when they could have landed in heaven!
God has provided us with a “flight plan” that will insure that we are on the right course to arrive safely and securely at our eternal home in glory. That flight plan is the BIBLE. We must follow it closely to insure a safe landing.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 13, 2016 | Romans
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Over the years I have officiated at hundreds of funeral services, some of them for members of my own family, others for members of my congregation. There are others where I officiated at the request of the funeral home. The small church that I pastor even holds services at a local funeral home.
Several weeks ago I was entering the funeral home through the employee’s door and happened to glance up to the alcove above the door. I could see a bird’s nest and the head of a small swallow. It was a mother hatching her clutch of eggs. The following week there were several tiny heads visible in the nest. Her eggs had hatched! In a few days they were all gone.
Last Sunday I was entering through that door again and looked up to the nest. There was the mother swallow’s head again. Another clutch of eggs were soon to be hatched to enter the world of soaring high and catching insects.
The swallows have made me aware that in this funeral home that has witnessed many tears at the passing of loved ones, there is also new birth and life. For those of us who have been born again, a funeral home is not just a place of death, but a time to celebrate the entry into a life that will never end. Life among death!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 12, 2016 | Philippians
Philippians 4:19
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in Amarillo, Texas. I was a low-ranking airman attending jet mechanic school. I say that to explain why we had run out of money before we ran out of month. We were broke!
Entering our apartment that Sunday afternoon, we were well aware that there was very little in the house to eat — a can of green beans, part of a loaf of bread, and a little milk. We decided to make a gravy to put on the bread. It was then that we discovered the milk had “turned’ and was not fit to use. We ate beans and bread and thanked the Lord for it!
That evening after church we were thrilled to be invited out to a lovely couple’s home for a snack. I fear we were quite aggressive in devouring the food. When we told them the story of our noon meal they laughed and laughed. What we did not know was that they owned a small grocery store. We were graciously invited to come to the store and open a charge account until payday. Yeah!
The Lord has invited us to come to Him and that He will supply all of our needs. We may go through times of spiritual leanness because we fail to draw upon His bountiful supply. We dine on spiritual “beans and bread” when we could be dining at His table loaded with love, grace, and truth. Dig In!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 11, 2016 | Ephesians
Ephesians 5:20
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Sometimes people listen and act when you are least expecting it. One Sunday morning I preached a sermon on the attitude of gratitude. I tried to stress the need to be thankful for everything. I am not sure where I came up with the illustration, but I suggested that it would really show how thankful we were if we were thankful for a gift of zucchini squash.
That evening when I arrived for the evening service there were bags surrounding the pulpit area. You guessed it ― the phone had been busy and all of our amateur gardeners unloaded their excess zucchinis on the pastor.
I had to say “thank you” and really mean it, but it was a strain to graciously share the wealth with others. It seems that when nothing else will grow, zucchinis will.
It taught me a valuable lesson — all too often we choose what to be thankful for and what not to. We searched out new recipes and sought out friends who could use a bag full.
What has God given you that you feel is more trouble than it is worth? Please do not try to take it into your own hands to determine what is good and what is not good. Even calamity can be used of the Lord when we thank Him for it and seek to see how He can use it for His good and our blessing.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 8, 2016 | Psalm
“He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven” (Psalm 107:29-30).
It seems that each of us is called upon to face storms in our life. It may be physical infirmity, financial reversals or the loss of a loved one. It is not the storm that matters, but how we react to the storm.
Back in 1873, Horatio Spafford and his family were scheduled to sail on the French steamer ‘Ville de Havre’ from New York to England where he was to assist the great evangelist, D.L. Moody. Because of a last minute business crisis Mr. Spafford sent his family on ahead and he would follow on a later ship.
Unfortunately the ship his family was on collided with another ship and sank. There was a terrible loss of life. Spafford and his wife lost their four daughters. Nine days later Horatio Spafford received a cable from his wife that simply said, “Saved alone.” What poignant words.
Later, as he was sailing to meet his wife, he asked the captain to let him know when they were near where the accident had occurred. It was there that he penned the words of this week’s hymn, “It Is Well with My Soul.”
It Is Well With My Soul
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
To access Liebestraum & It Is Well With My Soul, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/liebestraum/ 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
