by Pastor Cecil | Jan 24, 2019 | Psalm
Psalm 118:24
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Being alone is a sad and dismal position. We really do need each other and a friend is one of the greatest possessions we can have. Thinking back across the years of my life, I have been blessed with a wealth of friends. Some of those friends have gone on to be with the Lord, but some are still alive.
I once received a precious gift from a dear friend. Here is what it says: “A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you’ve been, accepts who you’ve become, and still gently invites you to grow. Cecil, Thanks for being that friend. Chris.”
As close as our dearest friend or friends may be, we have a friend who is still closer. Of course I am speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who is with us at all times. We are never really alone when others have departed, for He stays with us during the dark hours of the night.
When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is there beside us. When we receive devastating news, He is there to provide the comfort and solace to ease the pain. When we receive news that calls for rejoicing, He makes it even better for we have One who rejoices with us. At all times, and in every circumstance, our Dearest Friend makes our life worth living.
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 23, 2019 | Psalm
Psalm 118:24
“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
There is something about a new day which gives us a hope of a bright new future. There is a day coming in which there will be no night! There is a day when all our tears and sorrows will be a thing of the past. It will be such a day that we will not even be able to recall any vestige of pain or longing! It will be a day that will be unlike any day before — a day that will never end!
That is what we have to look forward to. It is our hope and expectation as believers. Isn’t it great?! It is what gives us the drive to keep on keeping on. It is a day unlike all other days. But we must recognize that we are still living in our present day and age, which may be thought of as “this day.”
If we fail to live “this day” in accordance with God’s will, we will not be prepared for “that day” which is our eternal hope. It is in the decisions we make in “this day” that qualify us for “that day!” Some wag has come up with a cliché about people who are “so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly use!” God forbid that we ever fall into that category.
Jesus is coming again. He has come the first time to give us a day to be remembered. He has promised that He is coming again to take us to be with Him. We must share the good news of His gospel to those who are lost. We also need to lift those who need a word of encouragement or a helping hand. We have no end to the various ministries which are there for us to perform. A willing heart and a commitment to the Word of God will work miracles. What a day it will be!
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 22, 2019 | Psalm
Psalm 25:4-5
“Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.”
Much has changed in schools since I was a boy; and no, it was not before the flood when I attended school! Back in the olden days we used to have “show and tell.” Kids would bring some “treasure” and explain why it was a treasure and not simply junk.
The Psalmist is praying to the Lord in today’s Scripture and asking for at least three things. In the passage I have underlined these three words: Show, teach, and lead. Let’s look at them.
To show implies vision. It is seeing with our eyes or our senses. I enjoy being around blind people. They do not have optical vision, so they see with their sense of touch, hearing, or smell. Can they see? You better believe they do; often with greater acuity than sighted persons.
As we read God’s Word we should ask Him to show us those things that He desires for us to see. This prayer is a willingness to receive the things that are shown. It may be described as an eagerness to receive what the Lord shows.
The second word, teach, goes beyond merely being shown. We need to be taught whatever will be for our good and God’s glory. Many years ago I recall being in a Sunday School class that was taught by a gifted teacher. One of the members of that class was a small man who always wore a smile. One day, commenting to me in broken English, he said: “It like she open the top of my head and pour the learning inside!”
We need to consider ourselves as students being taught by the Lord. Sitting in a class can be very tedious and hard. The results are what count — not simply to receive a passing grade, but that it has meaning and purpose from that day forward.
There is another element that is important — the material. The Psalmist asks that he be taught the Lord’s paths. It is a request for direction, a map. I know that comes as a shock to you ladies who think that men never stop and ask for directions. In the spiritual realm we need to have instruction on the path of the Lord. Without knowing His paths we will certainly become lost.
The last word, but of vital importance, is the word guide. It means that there is One who knows the way and will go before us to be our Guide. We might pray for insight to see our need, we might have head knowledge about God’s paths, but when we actually hit the trail, we need a guide to be there in the lead.
All this seems so simple you may think I have reverted to those grade school days. If so, just humor me. This one was for me. I always need to be a child at heart and totally dependent upon my Lord. My prayer is that I, like David, want to be led by the Lord.
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 21, 2019 | 2 Peter
2 Peter 3:14
“Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.”
Peter has been speaking of the day of the Lord when the heaven and earth would be destroyed with fervent heat and a new heaven and a new earth would appear. In light of this prophecy of the destruction of things as we know them, he asks this question in verse 11; “What kind of people ought you to be?”
That is a good question and one we need to ask in our world of conflict, pain and destruction. The future looks increasingly bleak. In light of this, what kind of people should we be?
As I think about this question the word harmony comes to mind. As I consider the word harmony the word peace comes to mind. In a world where there is bickering, arguing, conflict, fights and war, we need peace and harmony. It is vital that in the midst of the stormy seas of life we can know peace and live in harmony with those around us. Even those people who sow turmoil and strife! They need to see the peace that passes all understanding of Jesus living in us.
God has never promised us that He was going to change our world and give us pleasant, darling people to live with. Don’t expect that to happen! We are stuck with the ones we have.
Jesus prayed to His Father before His crucifixion. He prayed about you and me. His prayer was very significant. He prayed that we not be taken out of the world, but that the Lord would be with us in the world. Listen to His words in John 17:15-17;“My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.”
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 18, 2019 | John
John 4:13-14
“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’”
Not only is Olympia, Washington, the State Capitol, but there is also another significant claim to fame. In the 400 block of 4th Avenue is an artesian well. People are able to fill containers of this pure cool water. It is a fountain flowing freely.
The composer of this week’s hymn is William Cowper. He was born in England in the year 1731. He suffered many personal losses during his early years that caused him much mental anguish. Loss after loss of those that were close brought him to the brink of despair.
Through all of his ordeals the Lord kept drawing him. He finally received Jesus as his personal Savior and began writing hymns and poetry. It is fascinating that he lived in a small house just behind the home of his pastor, John Newton, who wrote the wonderful hymn, Amazing Grace. Thank the Lord for the fountain of redeeming blood that cleanses us from all of our sin.
There Is A Fountain
There is a fountain filled with blood
drawn from Immanuel’s veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he
Wash all my sins away
Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God
Are saved, to sin no more
For since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply
Redeeming love has been my theme
and shall be till I die
When this poor lisping,
stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave
Then in a nobler, sweeter song
I’ll sing thy power to save
Enjoy this week’s free inspiration video, “There Is A Fountain” from Gloryscapes.com by going to: http://gloryscapes.com/thereisafountain/
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
