by Pastor Cecil | Oct 10, 2016 | Joshua
Joshua 24:15b
“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Throughout the course of time, countless fathers have bowed in humble submission to their Heavenly Father and dedicated their family to serve Him. I have known many ministers of the Gospel who have prayerfully given their families over to serve the Lord.
The heartbreak is that some of the children who were dedicated to serve the Lord have chosen to turn away from the Faith. It is heart rending for these precious servants of the Lord to feel helpless as their children reject everything they have been taught.
There is no easy answer to the question of why this happens. In some cases there may be something the children see in their father that fails to ring true. But in other instances, it is pure rebellion on the child’s part.
God has established the role of the father to provide an umbrella of spiritual protection for his wife and children. As long as they remain under that umbrella, they experience the blessing of the Lord. As free moral agents, however, it is their choice to step from under that spiritual covering. The only thing that a father can do is stay close to the Lord and be prepared to welcome the prodigal child if and when he or she returns.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 7, 2016 | Psalm
Psalm 29:2
“Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”
There have been times in my life when I have worked in dirt and grime. By the time I had finished my work it seemed that I had been coated with the filth. I could hardly wait to take a shower and clean myself up. In this sin sick world we often need to come near God’s cleansing shower and experience His holiness.
Reginald Heber was born at Malpas, Cheshire, England, April 21, 1783 to a heritage of wealth and culture. By the age of five, he had read the Bible so thoroughly that he could give chapter and verse for chance quotations.
He composed many hymns, but served his entire life without seeing them published. It was only after his death that as many as 57 of his hymns were recognized. It was to the Lord that he dedicated his works. Such is the case with this week’s hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy!
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! tho’ the darkness hide Thee
Tho’ the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
To access Holy, Holy, Holy, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/holyholyholy/ 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
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 6, 2016 | Proverbs
Proverbs 18:15
“The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
My mom used to tell me that I was a handful when I was little. That is so hard to believe since I am such a meek and mild adult. Choke! Choke! Let me be quick to clarify that I was not evil, but just full of life and always on the move. Sometimes she would make me sit on a stool in the living room without making a sound.
Mom said that within only a few minutes on that stool I was ready to explode. I was like the little boy who, enduring the same punishment, finally told his mother that he was sitting down on the outside, but he was standing up on the inside!
Can you relate to that? There is another passage of Scripture that I memorized many years ago. It is Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” The answer is that God knows our heart inside and outside.
When we have the spiritual ears to “hear” what God says in His Word and apply it to our life, our inner heart is ready to do His will, His way, and in His time. That is like having ears to our spiritual hearts to respond when He calls us.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 5, 2016 | Psalm
Psalm 90:10
“The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”
The inevitable has happened. My brother-in-law Dale has passed away. Our wives were sisters and both had gone to be with the Lord. Over the past several years Dale and I have had more than a few phone conversations. It was common for him to speak about how the days seemed to drag by even while the years passed in a flash.
I recently read or heard an observation that seemed to highlight our conversations: The days crawled by at a snail’s pace while the years flew by. The older I get the more I come to realize this. It confirms the comment of a little lady in Shreveport, Louisiana: Life is so daily!
There is no question about how quickly time marches on. We look forward to seeing old friends with very young children only to discover that time passed far faster than we realized — those little ones are now in their teens.
Charles Studd who lived from 1860 to 1931 is credited with writing the poem that has lived in my heart for many years. He gave his life and fortune to the work of the Lord. Consider his words: Only one life, t’will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last. I want that to be my testimony. Please join me!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 4, 2016 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 9:24
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”
There are many types of races: Car races, horse races, foot races, just to name a few. It is interesting that in many races one competitor may lead throughout the race and victory is almost assured … but then comes the finish line!
Years ago I used to take our kids to watch automobile races in Meridian, Idaho. It was not uncommon for one driver to lead almost every lap of the quarter mile track only to experience the heartbreak of a wreck on the final lap and lose the race. The one who leads for most of the race is not declared the winner, but the one who crosses the finish line first.
I have been thrilled to watch races where the competitors have Down syndrome. These precious jewels run with such joy and excitement. Many times they are just as excited about someone else winning as themselves.
When they cross the finish line each one is awarded a prize. I somehow think that is what Paul wants us to understand. Every person in the world is entered in the race, but only those who have Christ in their heart will receive the prize. At the end of our race, the Lord will meet us and reward us for running for Him.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
