by Pastor Cecil | Nov 3, 2017 | Psalm
Psalm 23:4
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
Someone has observed that shadows are often larger than the real object. When I was a police officer there were a few times when I was scared out of my wits by a huge shadow…only to discover it was a small cat walking in front of the headlights of a car and creating a larger than life shadow.
Death often casts a huge shadow, but it should hold no fear for the child of God. In II Corinthians 5:8 the Apostle Paul reminds us that “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” Death is our doorway into eternity. How fantastic!
As we consider the words of this song we should make it our prayer request. It should be our desire to walk closer to the Lord than ever before. It should not be just one time, but it should be our fervent desire to walk closer to Him with each passing day.
Just a Closer Walk With Thee
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long, as I walk,
let me walk close to Thee.
Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee,
grant it Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world of toil and snares,
if I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee,
grant it Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
When my feeble life is o’er,
time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er,
to Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee,
grant it Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
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May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 2, 2017 | 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.”
Over the years I have counseled my own children, as well as other counselees, to not be afraid and to not be depressed. Fear and depression are two maladies that seem to be very common in our society.
The fact of the matter is that even when I have counseled my children or others to avoid these two negative conditions, it has been hard for them to heed my counsel. Just to say we should avoid certain behaviors does not mean we will do so.
In today’s Scripture we are given God’s reasons for not being fearful or depressed. We need not be fearful for God promises to be with us. Isn’t that great! The God of the universe is always with us. He is more powerful than any force in the universe and He is with us at all times.
The prophet Isaiah also assures us that we need not be depressed for this powerful God is our God. He promises to strengthen us, help us, and uphold us with His righteous right hand. The right hand is indicative of power and strength. The reasons we have the assurance to face the future is that we belong to God when we receive Jesus as our personal Savior. If you have never received Him, do so right now!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 1, 2017 | Proverbs
Proverbs 29:18
“Where there is no revelation (vision), the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law.”
I am told that many assembly line workers become lethargic and even ineffective since they are required to perform the same menial task over and over again. To remedy this situation, some companies have assembly line workers go through the entire production process. They show them the completed product and the vital part each worker plays in getting the product to its successful completion.
Our “eyes” can frequently become clouded and distorted. We see with such limited vision that we fail to see the final completion. God sees the end from the beginning and that is why it is imperative for us to search our Bible to see God’s plans.
There is a portion of the Bible that is frequently neglected — the concordance. It should become a regular practice to go to a concordance (even the one at the rear of our Bible) and find references to key words.
We will discover a fresh vision from God when we become actively involved in searching to find meaning to this life that we are living. Stop focusing on the minute details of your life to the neglect of God’s ultimate plan. Ask the Lord to show you His FRESH VISION for you.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 31, 2017 | Isaiah
Isaiah 61:3
“To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
A grave site is not the usual place for a happy reunion, but it was just that last Friday. As I approached the graveside a young woman greeted me and introduced herself. It turned out that I had officiated at her wedding over seventeen years ago.
From that first introduction I was soon surrounded by others I had known before. The somber occasion quickly became a rather joyous time of meeting and greeting several young women who had been children or even not yet born way back then.
As we took the time to honor the memory of the woman who was being laid to rest, it struck us all that life does pass by quickly — and because this life will soon pass, it is important to live our life for Christ.
Since we have been blessed with a new life in Christ, in our times of sadness there can and should be a joy in the ashes. We truly do not grieve as do those who have no hope. Our hope and joy is in the Lord!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 30, 2017 | Galatians
Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
I love fruit harvest time. The blossoms of spring have given way to small buds that began to be shaped into the fruit of that particular fruit tree. During the warm months of summer the fruit grows and gradually begins to ripen until it is ready to pick and enjoy.
I once taught a large sociology class at Boise State University. With over 120 students in the class I wondered how to go about getting to know them. The first assignment for the class was to name the three things they felt most important to them. It was surprising to discover that the vast majority listed LOVE, JOY, and PEACE — and in that order.
In the next class session after this assignment I commented that I was shocked by their responses and shared Galatians 5:22-23 with them. (Since I simply commented on the responses they had given, I did not get into trouble with the administration.)
It is comforting to me that the Lord has placed within the heart of mankind to seek the fruit of the Spirit. It is this fruit that will never spoil and will only become sweeter as the years go by.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
