by Pastor Cecil | Jun 14, 2018 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 29:13
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
I have many fond memories of playing the childhood game of “hide and seek” with the other kids in our neighborhood. I may be getting old, but I can still recall some of the pleasures of childhood (without the spankings, of course)!
We can never accuse God of hiding from us. It is the other way around. From the earliest days in the Garden of Eden, mankind has hidden from God — He is the One who comes seeking us.
As you honestly evaluate your life at this moment, are you seeking to find God with all your heart … or do you find yourself hiding from Him? Remember, He is the One who loved you enough to come into the world to seek and find those who were lost.
Now is not the time for kid’s games. We are dealing with eternity here. We need to insure that we have accepted Him into our heart as our personal Savior and are preparing ourselves to spend eternity with Him in glory. Don’t play hide and seek with God!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 13, 2018 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 29:11
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
I hope you are as thrilled as I am at the realization that God has “special plans” for each one of us, and at the same time a “promise” that is available to all who call upon His name. The efforts we exert to achieve our goals always involve “doing it ourselves,” rather than “resting in God and allowing Him to do His work in us.”
All of our human attempts at self-improvement leave us with an empty feeling as we begin a new search for the next thing to make us feel completed. This only leads to further frustration and walking out of His will.
We were created with a “God-shaped” emptiness inside of us. Those who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior know that only Hecan fill that particular void. Old things have passed away and all things have become new. Eternity is in our hearts and we have passed from death into life. Ah! The sweet peace it brings!
By resting in the Lord, we are able to simply be led by His Spirit to accomplish His purposes. That is so much better than getting caught up in the flurry of doing “in the flesh” what God desires to accomplish in us through His Spirit. It takes PRIOR PLANNING!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 12, 2018 | 2 Kings
2 Kings 6:17
“And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
The beginning and ending of vision rests with God! That is essential to keep in mind at all times. In fact, God is always with us, even as we experience the death of our original vision. Why is it necessary to experience the death of a vision? So that we may observe that it is the power of God working in and through us, and not what we ourselves are accomplishing.
Elisha saw what his servant could not see. His vision was spiritual and inspired faith. The servant saw only the enemy that spelled defeat and death. Elisha saw that God was in and over all, and that spelled victory and life! What is your vision? Are you looking at the situation or to God who controls all situations?
It is so easy to get focused on a vision or a promise, and get our eyes off of the God who is the giver of visions and promises. It is then that the Lord puts His children to the test, not necessarily to punish, but rather to prove one’s commitment. It is well to recall the insight of Proverbs 3:11-12: “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” The God who brings each of us a vision which is eternal is the eternal God. The vision He gives will last through all eternity. That is a vision we all can receive!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 11, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Do you need a quiet place, a place far away from the stress and turmoil of life? This quiet place is more of a spiritual state of mind than a physical location. We can experience that quietness and peace even in the battles of life. We know what our battlegrounds are; what we need is peace!
I may be a pessimist, but the people with the signs and bumper stickers will never accomplish the peace they proclaim. Only the Prince of Peace will be the source of world peace. But what about our life right now? The Lord desires for us to enter into a blessed quietness with Him. It may require a commitment on our part to find the time and place where we can experience Him in serenity.
We can hear the Lord call to us from today’s passage of Scripture: “Be still, and know that I am God.” If we fail to take the time to be alone with God, we will never experience the knowledge of His Lordship in our life. It will lead to our own weak efforts to work out our solutions.
As you come to the quiet place, spend more time listening than speaking. You may read a verse or two, but then stop and meditate on what you have read. Wait in silence to hear the quiet voice of the Lord whispering peace and blessing in your inner being. Ahhhhh! How sweet the quiet!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 8, 2018 | 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 from GloryScapes.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
