by Pastor Cecil | Apr 30, 2019 | Daniel
Daniel 6:13
“So they answered and said before the king, ‘That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.’”
I am not sure how many times I have read and studied the book of Daniel, but it is many times. Each time I read it I am struck dumb by this passage that I have chosen for today’s Scripture. There were over 100 administrators who were so jealous of Daniel that they poked and pried into every area of his life. They were trying to find some fault so the king would not appoint him to head the whole kingdom.
How do you imagine you and I would survive such an intense examination? It makes us squirm a little doesn’t it? I once read of a man in a position of spiritual leadership who spoke with great conviction from the pulpit, but with his family he was bitter and critical. The man’s hypocritical behavior was witnessed by his son’s friend who rejected the gospel because of it.
Daniel was a man who lived his faith at all times. He was willing to die rather than turn his back on his Heavenly Father. The night he spent at the Lion’s Inn was easier for him than it was for the king.
As we examine our own lives we need to see a constancy that is not wishy-washy, but true and faithful at all times. Our actions must always match our words!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 29, 2019 | Isaiah
Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Did you know that fear paralyzes? Perhaps most of us have heard the expression, “He froze like a deer in the headlights.” Think of the most frightful experiences of your life and you may be able to relate to that poor animal. Satan uses fear to keep believers from doing the things that the Lord has called us and empowered us to accomplish. Satan causes us to imagine that we will be laughed at or tormented if we obey the Lord, so we tend to stare into His headlights and do nothing.
In the midst of our fear we are given this powerful verse in Isaiah 41:10. It was one of the first verses I memorized over 60 years ago. There are two things that we are instructed to do: Don’t fear and don’t be dismayed.
The Lord promises what He will do for us if we do not fear or become depressed: He will strengthen us and help us anduphold us with His righteous right hand. The right hand is the symbol of ultimate divine power.
I challenge you to let the Lord fight your battles with the enemy. Trust Him completely and know that He never leaves you or forsakes you but will always be with you.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 26, 2019 | Philippians
Philippians 3:10-11
“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
All too often there are those who venerate religious objects that relate to the Lord Jesus. I have heard that if all of the supposed fragments of the cross upon which Jesus was crucified were assembled they could build a large building.
God sternly warns that we are never to worship such objects but to worship only the Lord. That old rugged cross can certainly remind us of the price Jesus paid, but His suffering was not just the pain of crucifixion, but that He was totally sinless became sin for us and paid the price for our redemption.
Back in 1913, Salvation Army Officer, George Bennard passed through a trying experience. This experience caused him to reflect seriously about the significance of the cross and, in particular, what the apostle Paul meant when he spoke of by entering into the fellowship of Christ’s suffering. While contemplating on these truths, Bennard was convinced that the cross was not just a religious symbol, but rather the very heart of the gospel. He penned the words of this beloved hymn.
The Old Rugged Cross
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
In that old rugged cross,
stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
To access The Old Rugged Cross, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/theoldruggedcross/ in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 25, 2019 | John
John 12:24
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”
I have the privilege of living in the Pacific Northwest where salmon go through their life cycle. Many species of salmon spend several years at sea before returning to spawn, after which they die.
Think of that! They go through extreme ordeals to return to the place where they were hatched. That is where the female will lay hundreds of eggs. After the male fertilizes the eggs, both parents die. Through death there comes new life.
In today’s Scripture, Jesus is teaching a positive lesson about death to selfish ambitions. He was about to lay down His own life in order that others may inherit eternal life. He died that others may live.
It is possible to hold too tightly to one’s life rather than giving ourselves for others. We have family and friends who are observing our actions as well as hearing our words. Sadly they often see us living more for ourselves than for others. What does it mean to spiritually die for others?
- Always put Christ first in your life.
- Live outside of your comfort zone.
- Be willing to give until it hurts.
- Repeatedly affirm,“Not my will, but Christ’s be done!”— Then live it!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 24, 2019 | Colossians
Colossians 1:9
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”
I am ashamed to admit that I have often promised to pray for someone—even had the best intentions to do so—but became busy and forgot my promise. Because of this I have made a separate file for visits and prayer requests. That being said, what kind of prayers should we offer up?
Paul had heard of the faith of the church in Colossae and sent this letter as an encouragement to their faith in the face of persecution. In today’s Scripture Paul says he is praying for God to fill them with the knowledge of His will through all wisdom and understanding.
In the next few verses Paul becomes very specific in what he anticipates as the result of his prayer. Let me list four of them for you:
- Bear fruit in every good work.
- Grow in the knowledge of God.
- Be strengthened with God’s power for endurance and patience.
- Joyfully give thanks to the Lord.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
