by Pastor Cecil | Mar 31, 2017 | Luke
Luke 24:29
“But they constrained Him, saying, ‘Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.’ And He went in to tarry with them”
If you knew that you were very near the end of your life, what would you write? The author of this week’s hymn, Henry F. Lyle, was preaching his final sermon to the small congregation he had served for over 20 years. He was so weak that he had to be helped to the pulpit.
He encouraged his parishioners to rely on the Savior who loved them enough to die for them. His prayer, reflected in this hymn, is a prayer that each of us can breathe when we approach the valley of death.
Abide With Me
Abide with me—fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens—Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me!
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy word before my closing eyes,
Shine thru the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com. To access Abide With Me, this free inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/abidewithme/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 30, 2017 | Romans
Romans 15:5-6
“Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I hate to admit it, but sometimes when I am talking on the phone with a representative from some business, I voice my displeasure in a short-tempered manner. I know they are doing their job, but sometimes I let my attitude show … and it is not pretty. In other words, my attitude is showing.
Before the call is over I find myself asking the representative to forgive me — and also asking the Lord to forgive my short and unchristian responses.
It is not just in church or with other believers that our attitude needs sanctifying. If you are like me, a good part of your prayer life tends to be asking God’s forgiveness for something we have done, attitudes we have shown, and thoughts we have allowed to permeate our mind.
Our outward expression of snippy responses or unkind words reveal that we need to walk closer to the Lord and respond as He would respond. I desire to be more like Jesus with each and every passing day. I want His attitude, not mine, to shine forth.
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 29, 2017 | Psalm
Psalm 16:11
“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
In the deep shadows of my memory I recall as a young boy laughing at a lady in our church that frequently spoke of the joy in serving Jesus. The problem was that she had the sourest disposition imaginable.
It is good to be sincere in our worship of the Lord, but He repeatedly calls us to find the joy of our salvation. The Hebrew word for joy is simchâh, which is defined as mirth, gladness, joy, gaiety, pleasure, blithesomeness or glee. Do you have that in your walk with the Lord?
All too often we observe believers who mirror few, if any, of those qualities. That should not be. We should have a glow that radiates the love of Jesus in our hearts and lives. That comes by spending time with Him in happy fellowship.
The next time you find your spirits start to fade, read this passage of Scripture once again. Get happy in knowing that we have a home in glory that has our name engraved on the entrance. How about some blithesomeness?!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 28, 2017 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 4:39
“Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.”
I recall hearing the humorous story of a man who visited his physician and was given a terrible prognosis. He hung his head in dismay at the report and finally told the doctor he wanted a second opinion. The doctor did not hesitate for one second before he replied, “Ok. You’re ugly, too!”
Our human tendency is to always seek something else to fulfill our life. This discontentment can lead to straying from God’s perfect will. How sad it is that even mature believers may add to the infallible word of God. That should not be!
In today’s Scripture we read those last four words: “. . . there is no other.” We need to rest in the contentment of knowing that God is God alone! There is no other and there will never be another! He is our all sufficiency.
The next time you start searching and seeking to add the things of this world to your life, remind yourself that there is no other. It is like the young boy who was trying to recite Psalm 23. He got only as far as “The Lord is my shepherd” when his mind went blank. In a panic he added his own thought: “That’s all I need to know!”
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 27, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
I can recall way back when I was a small boy singing a sweet little song called “This Little Light of Mine.” As we sang the lyrics we would hold up one finger like it was a candle, protecting it to make sure that Satan could not blow it out and extinguish our light.
Our own children sang that same song, but I’m not sure if children today still sing it. If not, they should. Not only do the children need to sing it, but we adults need to sing that song as well. The darker the night of sin around us, the more important it is that we have the light of Jesus to penetrate the darkness.
Sometimes we feel like the sin surrounding us is so dark that our single light will not make a difference, which reminds me of a tour my family once took at Carlsbad Caverns. Once inside the cavern, our guide extinguished all the lights and we were suddenly enveloped by impenetrable darkness. As I recall, he turned on a single flashlight and it seemed as though the entire cavern was filled with light. Just one little flashlight transformed that thick darkness into light.
Each of us has the opportunity of bringing light to the dark world in which we live. It is a choice that we make whether we will allow our light to shine or whether we will be overcome by the darkness. We need to choose to live our life in such a way that our light will shine brightly. It may be small … but it can change the world!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
