by Pastor Cecil | Nov 15, 2019 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:10-11
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Back during my high school days, I worked weekends and summers for a concrete contractor. Believe me when I tell you that things were different back then. There was very little pre-mixed concrete that was delivered by large rotating carriers. We were the mixers! We had a pile of sand, another of gravel and sacks of concrete that we had to combine shovel by shovel and bag by bag, water was then added.
In order to get the sloppy concrete into the foundation, we had to deliver it by manual labor. We had large wheelbarrows that we filled then pushed to the point of delivery. In the building process a solid foundation was essential. A weakened foundation could lead to the building falling.
As we travel through this life we often see people that have not laid a foundation that will withstand the storms of life. Sadly when storms strike, their foundations fail. It is during the storms that we need the solid foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep us safe. John Rippon published this hymn in 1787.
How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
Enjoy this free inspirational video of, “How Firm A Foundation” by going to: https://gloryscapes.com/howfirmafoundation/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 14, 2019 | 1 Chronicles
I Chronicles 4:10
“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.”
Working for the Lord has never been easy, nor will it ever be. When God enlarges our territory of service we need more and more of His strength. Those who enter the Christian ministry thinking it is an easy endeavor are in for a rude awakening. It is impossible to really do His work without His empowerment.
In his prayer, Jabez asked the Lord to enlarge his territory. The territory was right at his front door. His prayer was not to be sent to some other territory, but that his sphere of influence would be multiplied. The Lord heard that sincere prayer and so will He hear our honest prayer.
It is not what we do for the Lord that makes the difference, but what the Lord does in and through us. John the Baptist was a powerful preacher of truth who called sinners to repent, but his real mission was to announce the arrival of Messiah!
Two thoughts I would like to share from my experiences:
- Never look at another person as being insignificant. You may block their ministry for the Lord. Be their supporter and cheerleader to let them know they are not alone.
- Realize that nothing is insignificant to Him. Charge into the task He has given you and allow Him to slay the giants that stand in the way of the work of the Lord.
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 13, 2019 | John
John 1:29
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”
Years ago I heard of a missionary who was ministering in Eskimo villages along the Bering Sea. On one occasion he was sharing the Gospel using the Scripture I have chosen for today. The response from the people was blank and empty. He knew something was missing, so he decided to pray more earnestly about it.
The next day he spoke with one of the elders and asked him why the people acted so confused about this scripture passage. The elder scratched his head and replied, “We do not understand what the word ‘Lamb’ means. Please explain to us.”
The next time the people gathered to hear the Word of God, the missionary read John 1:29, but with a difference: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Baby Seal of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” He knew he had found his answer. He explained to the group that Jesus was as innocent as a baby seal. Jesus never used His divine power, but allowed Himself to die so men, women, boys and girls could have their sins taken away and be prepared for heaven.
That missionary’s creative application of God’s Word reached into a culture of ice and snow to reveal that Jesus died for them. Many of the people repented of their sins and accepted Jesus into their hearts as their Savior. Praise the Lord for His tender mercy!
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 12, 2019 | Romans
Romans 8:18
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Do we really understand what it means to suffer for our faith? Someone smirks at us when we bow our heads to thank God for our food and we feel we are being persecuted. We may even brag at our Bible study group about our courage in the face of these “vicious” attacks. (Oh, give me a break!)
I am in the process of reading a book on the lives of the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Perhaps you are already aware that all of the disciples of Jesus, except John, died as martyrs. John was tortured by being dipped in hot oil, but survived. What kind of persecution have you endured lately?
Archaeologists have unearthed death chambers under St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The most hideous was the place where Peter was reported to have been held chained to a post for nine months.
So what happened during those nine months of darkness and suffering? God’s glorious light shone through in the most magnificent way. History tells us the amazing fact that in spite of all the torture, Peter led his jailers, keepers, and forty-seven others to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Lord, may I demonstrate that same courage!
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 11, 2019 | John
John 16:33
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
World War I, sometimes called the “Great War,” was a huge waste of human life. It has been calculated that some fifteen million people lost their life in this terrible conflict that ended on this date, November 11, 1918. It was thought back then that peace would prevail and no more such wars would be fought — but it was barely 20 years before the even more devastating World War II broke out.
As we honor this day of peace it is important to get a picture of what peace means. It is the Hebrew word, “Shalowm” (shalom) and means completeness, soundness, welfare and tranquility. The word peace is found 429 times in Scripture and is a concept that is important to understand. [The Hebraic concept of shalom is ‘nothing missing-nothing broken’ but figuratively it points to completeness.]
Over the centuries there have been many attempts to secure peace between individuals, families, communities or nations. These human attempts have always failed because it is only the Lord who gives peace.
The wonderful thing is that the Lord gives us peace in the midst of the storms of life. His peace comes from the inside out rather than from the outside in. His peace passes all human understanding. May He grant you His “shalom”!
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
