by Pastor Cecil | Feb 7, 2019 | Matthew
Matthew 8:34
“Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.”
Rejection is one of the hardest things in life to deal with. In one way or another, it is an uninvited guest that will appear at the door of our life one time or another. You alone know what rejection or rejections you have encountered or are encountering at this moment.
Jesus and His disciples had just crossed the Sea of Galilee and met two demon possessed men who lived in the tombs. The demons cried out in recognition of Him and begged Him to be allowed to go into a herd of swine. Jesus allowed them to possess the beasts. The result of this action was that the swine rushed into the water and were drowned. It is interesting that two men, even though they were driven mad, tolerated the demons, but the pigs perished.
The town people had two choices. They could rejoice over the two demoniacs who had been set free, or they get ticked off about the pigs that were now floating on the water. They preferred the pigs! It does not make sense, but sin never does. They asked Jesus to leave their region. This is the Son of God! This is the Messiah who could heal and deliver and restore, but they had lost their pigs, and that was what was important to them.
Jesus left their region, but from that time on the people must have been reminded that they had chosen pigs over the Savior. What is your choice?
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 6, 2019 | 1 John
1 John 1:9-10
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
Sin has been – is now – and will continue to be a problem until Jesus comes. Sin is not a subject that we generally choose up sides and talk about. It is more commonly committed and dealt with in an improper way by ignoring it or calling it something other than sin.
All too often we use flawed logic by try to convince our self that: SIN IS WHAT YOU DO! BUT ERROR IN JUDGMENT IS WHAT I DO! That my precious friend is the maggot’s nest of a judgmental attitude, a denial of personal sin, and a sure way to appear to the world as a first class hypocrite!
In John chapter eight, John relates the incident of the woman caught in the act of adultery. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought the woman to Jesus to see how Jesus would respond to this obvious violation of the law and the consequence or penalty for such a sinful act.
As you recall this incident, Jesus simply bent down and wrote on the sand and finally said; “If any of you are without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” They all left and it was only Jesus and the woman left standing there. She was guilty. There is no question about that. She was a sinner and in violation of God’s law. She deserved death, as we all do. Jesus’ final words to her were; “Then neither do I condemn you, go now and leave your life of sin.” ONE CROSS, PLUS THREE NAILS, EQUALS 4-GIVEN!
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 5, 2019 | Philippians
Philippians 3:12
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”
Sometimes spiritual leaders give the impression that they are so holy, that they dine with the angels. The truth of the matter is that the closest we get to becoming angelic is that we just enjoy angel food cake.
We need times of humiliation to remind us that we are still under construction. I think it is safe to say that we will always be under construction. The danger is when we feel like the job is completed and stop the building process. A building that is not under construction is a building that is starting to decay.
I heard an evangelist years ago, tell of a woman after a service who spoke very kindly to him and tell him he was so mature. He rushed home and looked up the word mature so he would be better able to enjoy all of its meaning. To his dismay, the definition said; “ripe and getting rotten.” That is what happens when we stop the building process.
Never stop the construction process. We should never know the meaning of retirement when it comes to doing the work of the Lord. We may be free from the job that we have held throughout our life, but, when it comes to doing the work of the Lord it is “always UNDER CONSTRUCTION. GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH US YET!”
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 4, 2019 | Matthew
Matthew 14:29
“So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.”
Before we get too critical of Peter, remember that he is the only one that actually walked on the water at all. Yes, he got his eyes off of the Lord and began to sink, but he actually walked on the water for a few steps.
The fourth watch of the night is the darkest, but also the watch that is just before dawn. For those of us who have worked the “graveyard shift,” it is the most boring, but also the most delightful, when you see the first streaks of dawn, the rim of gold on the eastern horizon, and the burst of light when the sun begins to rise.
Many of you have written to share with me the fears and uncertainties you have been facing. Others of you may be going through these same dark hours of the night watch of your life, but have not felt led to write to me about them. Today’s Daily-E-Votional is for all who are now — have been — or will be going through the darkest watch of the night in your life!
When you are laboring in the darkest watch of your personal night, you may feel stark terror. You may see things in the dark that terrify you. But here is the exciting reality of it all: It is Jesus who is there in the darkness, ready to keep you from sinking. Your only problem, I repeat, your only problem, is looking at the water instead of the Master who is walking on the water. When we focus our attention on Him, He will keep us from falling!
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 1, 2019 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 4:12-13
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”
Fanny J. Crosby was a remarkable woman. There are so many accomplishments in her life that it is hard to comprehend them all. She lost her eyesight because of the treatment of a careless doctor. In spite of her loss she memorized huge portions of Scripture just by listening to her grandmother read them to her. She is credited with writing over 10,000 hymns during her life.
Fanny began writing poetry at an early age, but another amazing fact is that she did not accept Jesus as her personal Savior until she was 31. She was attending a service on November 20, 1850. The congregation was singing a hymn by Isaac Watts; At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light. She knew she needed the Lord and that very night He became her Savior and Lord. Her desire was to always stay close to Jesus who had paid the ultimate price for her salvation. Her desire was to remain near her Lord. She immediately wrote the words to the hymn for this week.
Near the Cross
Jesus, keep me near the cross;
there a precious fountain,
free to all, a healing stream,
flows from Calvary’s mountain.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
love and mercy found me;
there the bright and morning star
sheds its beams around me.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
bring its scenes before me;
help me walk from day to day
with its shadow o’er me.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Near the cross I’ll watch and wait,
hoping, trusting ever,
till I reach the golden strand
just beyond the river.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
To access Near the Cross, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://gloryscapes.com/nearthecross/ 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
