by Pastor Cecil | Jan 8, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 19:14
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”
How many times have we said something that caused us embarrassment? We immediately had the urge to yank the words back into our mouth, but it was too late and the damage was done.
Insulting words leave lasting impressions on others who hear them. Words spoken in anger or resentment will last for a long time in the minds of those who are the recipients of our thoughtless outburst. Are you feeling a little uncomfortable right now? It does little good to say we are sorry after we have used words in a way that causes pain to another.
During WWII there was a slogan that was prominently displayed everywhere: LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS! The meaning was that spies might be listening for information that might be passed on to the enemy and used to cause harm and even loss of life.
In like manner we need to make Psalm 19:14 a regular part of our prayer life. The words we speak will be a reflection of the time we spend with the Lord in prayer and meditation upon His Word.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 5, 2018 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
When we graduated from high school in 1952 our class voted this hymn to be our class hymn to take with us. My dear wife Joyce always would brighten up when she heard the hymn and remind me it was our class hymn.
I did not know the story behind the hymn until I did a little investigation for this week’s hymn. The words were composed by Civilia Martin and the music by her husband W. Stillman Martin. One Sunday afternoon Civilia was ill and her husband was on a preaching assignment. She composed the words and when her husband returned he immediately sat at his organ and wrote the music.
This song is credited for transforming the life of James Cash Penney, founder of the American department store chain J. C. Penney. He heard it one morning in the chapel of the Kellogg Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan, where he had been hospitalized with a severe case of shingles, as well as exhaustion and depression.
“GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU!”
- Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you.
Refrain: God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
- Through days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you.
Refrain: God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
- All you may need He will provide, God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you.
Refrain: God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
- No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you.
Refrain: God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
There is no video for this week. For other videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 4, 2018 | Matthew
Matthew 6:14
“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Forgiveness is something that is much easier to talk about than to put into practice. Each of us is perfect, and it is so hard to forgive those who take advantage of our perfection. (RIGHT! Give me a break!) We are not perfect and much of the time we have done something that created the situation that caused the other person to hurt us … or take advantage of us … or not meet our needs — well, you get the idea.
Think about our own lives and the many ways we have failed the Lord, and yet He forgives us fully when we come to Him and confess our sins. 1 John 1:9 reads: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
It is interesting to compare Matthew 6:14 and 1 John 1:9. Jesus says that we are to forgive all who sin against us. All means all. It is not optional — it is a command that carries a dire penalty if we fail to forgive; we ourselves will not have our sins forgiven. It is a terrible thing to not be forgiven.
TRUE FORGIVENESS IS ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN THE PERSON BEING FORGIVEN DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE FORGIVEN!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 3, 2018 | James
James 5:7-8
“You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Have you noticed how impatient people are these days? Drivers become speed demons trying to get in front of other drivers. They accelerate at traffic lights to get through the amber light that has strangely turned red … “I’m sorry, Officer, it was green when I started into the intersection” … you get the point.
We are living in an instant-everything age. We have instant cash machines, instant check-out counters in grocery stores, instant income tax refunds, even instant foods and coffee. So many things in our modern world are designed to give instant results and yet we still do not have time for God.
The answer lies in the Word of God. Many Bible heroes such as Job, Joseph, David, just to mention a few, did not have instant answers. In many cases it was years before God’s plan was revealed.
We need to learn the discipline of patience. With our hectic, fast-paced schedule we are so busy making things happen that we leave no room for that all important “quiet time” of waiting to see what God wants to teach us or how He wants to use us. Patience is relaxing in the Lord and letting Him direct our paths! It is time to get rid of instant spirituality and operate on God’s timing. Try it!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 2, 2018 | Isaiah
Isaiah 40:31
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
This past week we had torrential rains here in Washington. (So what else is new?) This heavy rain takes me back to a time over 70 years ago when I was a young boy sitting in the back seat of our family car.
We were returning home from church and my dad noticed a car stopped ahead of us. The driver was gesturing out his window so he would not have to get out and be drenched with the rain.
Dad eased up to his bumper and began to push him so his engine would start. Back when we had stick shift drives you could do that. Almost immediately the man began to wave more frantically. He got out into the rain and came up to explain that he was out of gas and was trying to roll back into town so he could get to a filling station. Ooops! Dad had good intentions, but wrong assistance.
Isaiah 40:31 is one of the first verses I ever memorized. It has always been a reminder to me that it is necessary to wait on the Lord. I often like to run ahead of the Lord and that leads to frustration and exhaustion. When the Lord calls me He also gives me the strength for the task.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
