by Pastor Cecil | Oct 24, 2019 | James
James 3:6
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.”
Monday evening I watched the latest episode of Live Rescue. Almost the entire program focused on a wildfire in San Bernardino, Calif. At the beginning the primary focus was on evacuating residents and pets that were in danger. Then the focus was in saving the homes. At all times the firefighters were committed to stop the spread of the flames. Several homes were damaged or lost, but there were no lives or pets lost in the flames.
Fire can be either a blessing or a curse. It can provide warmth in the cold and cook food for a hungry crowd. It can also destroy when not kept under close control at all times. Most homes have fire alarms that need to be checked periodically to insure protection.
Spiritually we need to catch a spark that will ignite our zeal for the Lord and allow it to become a flame that will cause a cold heart to draw near to hear the message of hope in the cold darkness of sin. Will you ignite that spark?!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 23, 2019 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 6:10
“To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear? – – Behold, the word of the Lord is a reproach to them; they have no delight in it.”
Over the years I have had many heart-to-heart talks with individuals and couples. As I poured my heart out to them I was sure they had received the message. Often, however, it would be only a short time before it was evident that they had not been listening — or had possibly simply rejected my counsel.
Perhaps you have encountered similar situations. You may want to share your wise counsel with someone in the hopes that they would benefit by it. You may have hoped to prevent them from continuing actions that could be detrimental to them, their families, or others.
Working as a Juvenile Probation Officer, I sometimes gave my heart-to-heart talk with a delinquent who I felt was heading for disaster. I can still recall their look of feigned interest. A short time later they would be arrested for another offense, and I realized that my heart-to-heart had fallen on deaf ears.
Hold on just a minute. Before we become discouraged about the responses of others, take hope. There have been many instances where the little open-hearted discussions I have had with people (that seemingly fell on deaf ears) have suddenly produced fruit. More than once I have had people express thanks for something I had said months or years before. God is in control! His timing is perfect.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 22, 2019 | Daniel
Daniel 3:17
“- – our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.”
How do we respond when faced with the “fiery furnaces“ of life? Seldom do we find ourselves standing before a blast furnace being ordered to worship a false god or be burned to a human potato chip. We do, however, face our own kind of furnaces and must choose whether to bow to the demands of the godless or trust in the Lord.
I know very little about the process of generating steel, but I do know that raw ore must be heated beyond the melting point in order for it to be molded and hardened into a usable form. If the ore could speak it might beg to be left alone because the heat of the fire would cause pain and agony.
As we face the furnaces that appear before us, we also must make a choice of trusting in the Lord to be with us or yield to the peer pressure around us. I am here to tell you that yielding never produces strength. It only leads to further yielding and becoming a useless pile of dirt.
When we choose to become steadfast in our faith we will certainly face the heat like never before. The fact is that we will also encounter the strength and presence of the Lord beside us in the furnace. I choose to remain steadfast in the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 21, 2019 | Acts
Acts 9:27
“But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”
In Acts 4 we read that Barnabas sold some property and gave the proceeds to the Apostles. In the intervening chapters a significant number of events are mentioned. Stephen died a Martyr’s death, Saul was struck blind, became a believer, and had his sight restored by a faithful servant named Ananias who swallowed his fear and placed his hands on him as the Lord had commanded.
When Saul returned to Jerusalem the Apostles were afraid of him. Into this scene of fear and suspicion steps Barnabas. He did not simply tell the disciples about Saul, it says he “took” him to the disciples. His close proximity to this former enemy of the believers shows that he was willing to place himself in jeopardy to speak in support of Saul. Barnabas took Saul with him and gave a complete account of Saul’s conversion and how he had been preaching Jesus fearlessly in Damascus. When I read this, I wonder why the other disciples had not been looking for the good report?
If there is ever a time that we need to get off our collective do-nothings, and be involved, it is in our day and age. We need more who will step forward and by our actions say, I do not care what the others say or do or think, I am going to step forward and put my life on the line!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 18, 2019 | Psalm
Psalm 91:4
“He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.”
I once read about a forest service worker who was walking through an area that had just been ravaged by a forest fire. He saw a strange mound and stopped to check it out. To his astonishment, it was a mother bird that had been killed by the fire. As he knelt to examine the bird, he heard a peep from under the pile of ashes. When he turned the bird over he found several chicks.
Instead of flying to save herself, the mother had sacrificed herself in order to protect her brood from the fire that was sweeping toward them. That is what Jesus has done for us. He wants to shelter us under His wings from the firestorm of life.
In 1896, William Cushing wrote the words and Ira Sankey composed the music to the hymn, Under His Wings. Enjoy this featured hymn from GloryScapes.
Under His Wings
- Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings, who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide, safely abide forever.
- Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings, who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide, safely abide forever.
- Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are over;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I am safe evermore.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings, who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide, safely abide forever.
Enjoy this free inspirational video. To access Under His Wings, please go to: https://youtu.be/Bgb3d6hiTpU
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
