by Pastor Cecil | Dec 24, 2018 | Luke
Luke 2:13-14
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’”
It is difficult to live in peace when our world is in chaos and strife on every hand. Even within the church of Jesus Christ there are factions that war against each other. If you have ever been involved in a conflict with other Christians, you know that it seems like a no-win situation.
Many times we encounter disruptive people in our churches that become the source of continuous conflicts. We pray for the Lord to sweeten them up, but at times I feel that God leaves them there so we can learn to rely more on Him than on the reactions of those around us.
It is worth our time to look in the mirror of God’s Word to determine if we are a blessing or a burden to others. Would Jesus be pleased at the way we interact with our fellowman? As we anticipate the remembrance and celebration of His birth, are we living in the joy of the anticipation of the coming King of kings and Lord of lords?
One of the best ways to welcome Christmas day tomorrow is to kneel before Him right now and invite Him to take control of every area of your life without reservation. There was no room for Him at the inn, but you can welcome Him into your heart!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 21, 2018 | Luke
Luke 2:8-10
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.’”
Several years ago our church had finished a wonderful Christmas Eve service. Earlier there had been candles placed inside white lunch bags that lined the driveway leading to the church.
My wife Joyce and I had volunteered to extinguish the candles after everyone had left. It had snowed a few days earlier and there were still a few inches on the ground. The temperature was below freezing when we crunched through the snow to the far end of the driveway. It was so quiet and beautiful that we were moved in our spirit with the beauty of God’s creation and the carol Silent Night.
The words of this well loved carol were written in 1818 by Josef Mohr after he had seen a play about the birth of Jesus. He was in a reflective mood and walked to a hill overlooking his village in the Austrian Alps. The view of the snow covered village reminded him of a poem he had written a few years earlier. The poem was about the night the angel announced the birth of Jesus.
The next day he took the words of his poem to Franz Gruber, who had just composed a melody. He re-worked the melody to match the words to the poem Mohr written. Our beloved carol, “Silent Night” was born.
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video, “Silent Night” from Gloryscapes.com by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/silentnight/
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 20, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 103:1-2
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
I seem to remember a commercial from many years ago for Maxwell House coffee: “Good to the last drop—it satisfies!” Does that ring a bell for some of you? Many products or programs claim to bring lasting satisfaction. Usually the satisfaction they claim can only be achieved by investing in what they are selling. Big happy smiles emblazoned on labels, billboards, fliers, or on television must prove that this or that will satisfy — right?
Perhaps there are things that will bring immediate satisfaction, but will it last? When your throat is parched after working for hours in the sun, a drink of cool water will satisfy you, but for how long? How long will it be before you are headed for the water faucet once more?
I love Psalm 103:1-5. These verses are very introspective and direct our soul to praise the Lord. There are many more things to praise the Lord for, but these verses get us started.
I live on Bald Eagle Lane. It is appropriate that in today’s Scripture we are encouraged by the fact that our youth will be renewed like the eagles. To me that means He gives us strength for doing what He calls us to do.
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 19, 2018 | Matthew
Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
When I was a boy there was a man in our church who attracted all of us kids to him. As I recall, his name was Vanoy Croswell. He was a happy and radiant Christian who loved people and especially kids. But that was not what appealed to us. HE WAS THE SEN-SEN MAN! He shared his Sen-Sen and Jesus.
Sen-Sen was (and still is) a breath freshener — tiny squares of hard licorice in a little cardboard box with a small hole from which the tiny Sen-Sen squares drop when the box is shaken. That is what I remember about Mister Croswell. I can still hear the rattle of the small box as he would shake out a tiny square and then proceed to tell us about Jesus.
It really did not take very much to attract the kids to him, and it gave him an opportunity to tell us about Jesus. We discovered that his generous spirit went far beyond the tiny pieces of sweets that he doled out to us. That was just his way of giving himself an opportunity to share.
In today’s Scripture, Jesus says that we are to let our light shine in such a way that as others see the good that we do they will be drawn to glorify our Father in heaven. In what way are you drawing people to you in order to tell them about Jesus?
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 17, 2018 | Nehemiah
Nehemiah 4:6
“So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”
As we read these words it is important to understand that Ezra had returned at an earlier time and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem. Only a remnant returned with Ezra, but even so his group had rebuilt the temple. They faced oppression and conflict with the people living in that area.
Word came to Nehemiah that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and the people were disheartened. He Prayed to the Lord and appealed to the king for permission to return and build the walls for stability and protection from the enemies of Israel. God heard his prayer and the king allowed Nehemiah to return and build the walls.
There was considerable opposition from their enemies, but God was in control and gave the people strength to restore the walls. It was not just building that was required, but the people had to be armed and ready to defend themselves from the enemy that threatened them.
Question time! What walls need rebuilding in your life? Walls that give stability and meaning to your life. Who are the enemies who oppose you? What are your weapons against these foes? We need to begin living as more than conquerors!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
