by Pastor Cecil | Jun 29, 2018 | Hebrews
Hebrews 10:22
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Those of us who have said farewell to beloved family and friends experience the pangs of separation. The pain of separation is eased with the assurance that there is a bright tomorrow waiting for us when we will be united with those who have died in the Lord.
Fanny J. Crosby was visiting the home of a friend, Phoebe Knapp. Phoebe was playing a new melody she had just composed and mentioned to Fanny that she called it Assurance. Fanny responded, “Blessed Assurance.”
Fanny returned home and quickly penned the words to the hymn that has become such a favorite since it was published way back in 1873. It is just as much a blessed assurance today as it was back then.
Blessed Assurance
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God.
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain: This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angles descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Refrain: This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
Refrain: This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Enjoy this free inspirational video of, “Blessed Assurance” by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/blessedassurance/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 28, 2018 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 2:24-25
“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth.”
I once conducted a funeral service for a 92-year-old man. Prior to the service I met with his widow and two daughters. They shared with me the qualities which made him special in their eyes. His sweet little widow looked directly at me and said, “He was a gentleman.” (I want to stress that he was a gentle man.)
Her statement has been churning in my mind ever since. It is so important for us as Christians to be known by our gentle manner, exhibiting a spirit that is broken before the Lord so that the Christ within us oozes out to minister to those around us.
As I read Paul’s words to Timothy, I am impressed by his instruction to teach with gentleness the ones who are opposed to us. Those are the very ones we are to be gentle with and never to be resentful, impatient, or short when interacting with them.
This type of Christ-like living does not occur by reading books or attending self-improvement sessions. It comes about with a constant and consistent walk with the Lord. It demands a love of His Word and time spent communing with Him in prayer. The more time we spend with Him, the more we will become like Him, and that is the pure source of gentleness.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 26, 2018 | Matthew
Matthew 12:50
“For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
My great fear is that there are many who consider themselves to be a part of the family of God who are not. Jesus’ own brothers were not a part of His spiritual family until they accepted Him as their personal Savior.
There are people today who think of themselves as being a member of God’s family because their parents had them baptized as infants. In my Bible there is no such thing as salvation imparted to infants! Salvation is by God’s grace and our faith — rational, understanding acceptance by one who has reached the age of accountability. It is the act of turning from our natural sinful nature and receiving Jesus Christ.
Are you a member of God’s family? If you have never invited Him to come into your heart, you are still on the outside. You are not one of His family. Come on in! You will love our family!
“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 25, 2018 | Philippians
Philippians 1:9-10
“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.”
One of my favorite stories of simple, child-like prayer, is the story that was told about the prayer of a small boy who knelt beside his bed. He had evidently heard the adults praying for all of the missionaries in the foreign fields. That word, “foreign” was a little – – – foreign to him. Here was his honest prayer: “Lord, please bless and protect all of the missionaries in the corn fields.”
Someone commented that his prayer was sharper than the adults. If there happened to be some missionaries walking through a corn field at that moment, they had been prayed for!
So, what are we to do with prayer? The disciples of Jesus were confused, and asked Him to give them instruction on how to pray. He gave them what has come to be known as, “The Lord’s Prayer,” but should more accurately be termed, “The Disciple’s Prayer.”
Paul is sharing at the beginning of his letter to the church at Philippi, the manner in which he was praying for them. I find this very interesting as well as instructive. We would do well to examine his pattern to effective prayers.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 22, 2018 | Ruth
Ruth 2:8
“Then Boaz said to Ruth, ‘You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women.'”
It is hard to make a list of beloved hymns without encountering Fanny J. Crosby. This blind little lady composed well over 8,000 hymns and poems in her life. It is sad that many churches never sing these songs anymore. They are the losers!
As I think about the life of Fanny J. Crosby I am humbled. With her physical limitations she expressed her longing to be more and more like the Master she served. This hymn seems to highlight her aim to draw closer to Him.
In today’s Scripture, Boaz instructed Ruth to stay near the women who worked for him. He was her kinsman redeemer even though she did not know it. Christ is our Kinsman Redeemer and we know it because the Bible tells us so. Are we like Fanny J. Crosby having a desire to be closer to Him?
Close to Thee
Thou my everlasting portion,
More than friend or life to me,
All along my pilgrim journey,
Savior, let me walk with Thee.
Refrain:
Close to Thee, close to Thee,
Close to Thee, close to Thee;
All along my pilgrim journey,
Savior, let me walk with Thee.
Not for ease or worldly pleasure,
Nor for fame my prayer shall be;
Gladly will I toil and suffer,
Only let me walk with Thee.
Refrain:
Close to Thee, close to Thee,
Close to Thee, close to Thee,
Gladly will I toil and suffer,
Only let me walk with Thee.
Lead me through the vale of shadows,
Bear me o’er life’s fitful sea;
Then the gate of life eternal
May I enter, Lord, with Thee.
Refrain:
Close to Thee, close to Thee,
Close to Thee, close to Thee,
Then the gate of life eternal
May I enter, Lord, with Thee.
Enjoy this free inspirational video of, “Close to Thee” by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/closetothee/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
