by Pastor Cecil | Nov 8, 2019 | Psalm
Psalm 29:2
“Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”
There have been times in my life when I have worked in dirt and grime. By the time I had finished my work it seemed that I had been coated with the filth. I could hardly wait to take a shower and clean myself up. In this sin sick world we often need to come near God’s cleansing shower and experience His holiness.
Reginald Heber was born at Malpas, Cheshire, England, April 21, 1783 to a heritage of wealth and culture. By the age of five, he had read the Bible so thoroughly that he could give chapter and verse for chance quotations.
He composed many hymns, but served his entire life without seeing them published. It was only after his death that as many as 57 of his hymns were recognized. It was to the Lord that he dedicated his works. Such is the case with this week’s hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy!
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! tho’ the darkness hide Thee
Tho’ the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Enjoy this free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com. To access Holy, Holy, Holy! Please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/holyholyholy/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 7, 2019 | Philippians
Philippians 4:4
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”
Philippians 4:4 should be read and re-read over and over again because we are so prone to moan and complain instead of rejoicing. Remember, the world is watching the way we live more than listening to what we say. This is not an option for us, but rather an imperative. We are to be a people who rejoice! That means to get a smile on our face. You might have the joy of Jesus down in your heart, but you had better let your face know about it. That is what others will see.
If I say I have complete trust in Jesus Christ to see me through every struggle, and then tremble in fear under my covers, which is dominant in my life? What will the unbelievers that I have been witnessing to say about my walk? Will they respond to my words or read my actions?
It is also this joyful attitude that leads us to the place of prayer. We come with rejoicing in our hearts to share our needs with our precious Savior — not with sad countenance as if we are at the end of our ropes, but with praise and rejoicing, in great expectation of God meeting us at our point of greatest need.
Many saints of God across the ages have had the joy and rejoicing in their hearts, even during times of deep distress. They rejoiced even as the flames consumed them. “It is joy unspeakable and full of glory, and the half has never yet been told!”
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 6, 2019 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 10:31
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
I am not sure if you are familiar with the expression; HIGH BALL IT! It has been used time after time to have the driver go faster and faster. All too often the driver has driven beyond his or her ability and accidents have resulted.
I have attributed the expression to the game of baseball, but if that were the case, the high ball would result in the pitcher missing the strike zone. So I had to eliminate that derivative of the phrase.
I have finally had the answer from old time railroad signals. When a train was approaching an area that required caution, the engineer would watch for a pole with two signal balls. If they were low on the pole he had to proceed slowly, but if the balls were high on the pole he could go full throttle!
I like to think that the way we live our life for Christ could use more, high balling rather than, low balling. We need to get rid of those things that prevent us from going all out for Christ and make a difference for Him. HIGH BALL IT!
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 5, 2019 | 2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 7:14
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
I once knew a lady who spent a great deal of effort trying to get unbelievers to act like believers. The result of her efforts was exhaustion for her and created such animosity among the unsaved that they rejected the gospel.
In reading today’s Scripture, I immediately notice something in the first few words: “If My people, who are called by My name…” That identifies the people who are being addressed. It is His people.
Why is this important? It is because the saved are the ones who need to be re-vived. The unsaved need to be vived. I know there is no such word, but I hope you understand my meaning. They first need to experience salvation and a new life.
When we pray for the Lord to heal our land, there must be a revival of the people of God. We believers need to fall in humility on our face and cry out to the Lord to forgive us for losing our first love—the love of Christ. We need to confess that we have strayed from God’s way and have gone our own willful way by loose living and indifference to the things of God. May God hear our prayers and bring life through faith in Jesus Christ to those who are spiritually dead.
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 4, 2019 | 1 Kings
1 Kings 15:11
“Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father David.”
Al was restoring a vintage automobile with skill and devotion right down to the smallest detail. He enjoyed each and every moment that was spent in bringing the dilapidated old relic back to life.
After months of loving labor, the old car began to gleam with the beauty that had been hidden by dents, rust, and decay. Al was pleased with his project … and so was a certain collector of restored cars. When he began hinting that he was interested in purchasing the car, even throwing out an unbelievable price, Al swallowed, was tempted, but rejected the offer.
It was several weeks later when a visiting missionary spoke of the great need for help to supply bibles and study materials for schools in the area he served. As he spoke, Al felt an urge from the Lord to do something, but he knew that his bank account was barely able to meet his needs, much less give extra.
After the service he drove into his driveway and the lights of his car illuminated his prized vintage car. It was as if the Lord was showing him that he had something precious that he could give to reach the lost. In a few hours he had contacted the collector who had made the generous offer for the car. The sale was made and Al knew he had done the right thing. What we give for the Lord is nothing compared to what He has given to us!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
