by Pastor Cecil | Mar 23, 2018 | Luke
Luke 15:19-20
“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
One of my most pleasurable jobs as a pastor is helping families restore broken relationships. I once was called upon to officiate at a funeral service. The son of the deceased told me that he had not spoken to his sister for years and wanted me to reconcile them before the service. Right! Just like that!
Less than an hour before the service I met with the two and their families. Each of them had children, spouses and others on their side. This son and his family were on one side of the aisle and his sister and her family on the other side. I had prayed for just the right words. I just started reading a Scripture. To this day cannot recall what I used. I had just finished reading when the brother stood and walked across the aisle and hugged his sister. The two families merged with great joy.
Fanny J. Crosby lived from 1820 to 1915. This remarkable lady never let problems keep her away from the Lord. Her blindness as an infant meant that she spent her entire life without physical sight, but was blessed with a keen spiritual sight.
When she was only eight years old she wrote the following poem: Oh, what a happy child I am, although I cannot see! I am resolved that in this world contented I will be! How many blessings I enjoy that other people do not! So weep or sigh because I am blind, I cannot – nor I will not. The hymn, Draw Me Nearer expresses her desire to draw nearer to her blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Draw Me Nearer
I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
To access Draw Me Nearer, go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/drawmenearer/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 22, 2018 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 4:8
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
I once stopped to assist a friend who was having car trouble. What I did not realize was that he also had dog trouble. His car was in the yard of the owners of a very angry dog. I failed to realize his predicament until I exited my car and the dog came around and pinned me against my car.
My friend, the coward, jumped into the passenger side and even had the audacity to roll down the window and tell me to be careful because the dog was vicious. I am not sure how I managed to get the door open and back inside the safety of the car without being eaten alive, but I finally made it!
That incident reminds me that we can easily fall into the trap of the enemy of our souls. Satan knows how to put various kinds of lures along our pathway to heaven. We may have the best of intentions, and one little detour shouldn’t hurt—but it does!
The Apostle Peter knew what it was like to be ensnared by words and actions that resulted in his failing his Master, Jesus Christ. He describes the devil prowling around looking for prey. We must always be on our guard by remaining close to the Lord who will protect us.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 21, 2018 | John
John 15:16
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”
We often are able to come up with the most feeble excuses as to why we are not able to serve the Lord. We are too young, too old, too uneducated, too shy, too busy, too this, too that. You get the picture. We have excuses!
The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember: Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, and Gideon was afraid.
Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, and Jonah ran from God.
Naomi was a widow, Job went bankrupt, John the Baptist ate bugs, Peter denied Christ, the disciples fell asleep while praying, Martha worried about everything, the Samaritan woman was divorced (more than once), Zaccheus was too small, Paul was too religious, Timothy had an ulcer AND Lazarus was dead! No more excuses now – God can use anyone … even you!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 20, 2018 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 30:19
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”
I think that sometimes people forget the reality that to make no choice is in fact making a choice. Somehow they deceive themselves into thinking that if they do not personally reject God, they can have a clear conscience. WRONG!
I repeat: Not making a choice is making a choice. We all know that when we exceed the speed limit we are guilty of speeding and may receive a traffic ticket. If we travel too slow or park our vehicle in traffic we may be guilty of impeding traffic and receive a citation.
God calls upon us to actively take the initiative to choose to follow His call for our life. In today’s Scripture we read that God sets before us choices: life – death – blessing – cursing. While it seems hard to believe that people would choose death and cursing over life and blessing … they do!
What have you chosen in your own life? Have you determined to go with God and experience the peace that passes all understanding? If you have not made that choice, I urge you to open your heart and invite Jesus to be your Lord and Savior.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 19, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 148:13
“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.”
During my U.S. Air Force service I was required to spend a one-year assignment apart from my family. There were many wonderful experiences during that year, but I always knew that I was only there temporarily — it was not home. I was homesick for my home and longed to return to my wife and three precious children.
Several years later I went to a hospital in Bend, Oregon, to visit a returned missionary who was a member of our congregation. The reports that we had received indicated that she was in very serious condition. I went intending to read a few passages of Scripture to her in order to cheer her up.
When I entered the missionary’s hospital room it was like an entryway into heaven. This precious saint was so excited about being with her Lord in a few short days that she could hardly contain herself. In the time I spent at her bedside she showered me with praise and hope. I had gone to lift her spirits, but I walked out of that hospital with such a feeling of joy that I almost wished it was me standing on the doorstep of eternity.
I want to encourage each of us to take time and think about being ushered into the presence of our loved ones who have gone on before us; imagine listening to them tell us about our new home that will last eternally. I am homesick for heaven!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
