by Pastor Cecil | Feb 10, 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 my patrol car.
Death often casts a huge shadow, but it should hold no fear for the child of God. In 2 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 | Feb 9, 2017 | Luke
Luke 15:30
“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.’”
I love the parables of Jesus. They have taught me so much. Jesus did not spend His earthly ministry teaching the spiritually elite, although He amazed them when he was in the Temple at twelve years of age. His ministry was to share the good news of hope with the common people.
It seems to be very evident that His parable of the Prodigal Son was given to encourage those who had lost their way that there was a Father waiting to welcome them home with rejoicing.
I know that the Lord is waiting with open arms to receive the discouraged and down-hearted prodigal. It makes me want to shout; What a mighty God we serve! I mean that with all my heart and soul.
It is my desire to always strive to be used by our Heavenly Father to cheerfully welcome home those who wake up and realize that they would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 8, 2017 | Luke
Luke 15:30
“But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.”
I once encountered a brother and sister that had been hostile toward each other for years. Even their children held deep hostility toward their cousins because of their parent’s anger toward each other. Prior to the funeral of the feuding siblings’s mother I met with the families and, with God’s help and Scripture, we restored their relationship.
In our parable of the prodigal it is interesting to note that when the younger brother received his inheritance, his older brother received his as well. In that culture the first-born child received a double portion of the inheritance. In this case the oldest would have received two-thirds and the youngest one-third. While the younger brother departed for a far land, it appears the elder brother departed for a far field of envy and resentment. He had no idea what his younger brother was doing, but he accused him of spending his money on harlots.
Sometimes our false accusations reveal what our own temptations are. This older brother had also received his inheritance but evidently did not enjoy it. He seethed with anger and jealousy that his younger brother was welcomed home with a joyous celebration.
His refusal to join the feast reveals the condition of his heart. While his wayward brother had been willing to become a servant, this older brother rejected his father’s plea to come home. Which sibling describes you?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 7, 2017 | Luke
Luke 15:23-24
“And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”
When was the last time you hosted a celebration of pure joy — not because it was expected or a duty, but simply to rejoice for an unexpected blessing? It seems that there are far too many sad sacks around and not enough cheerful Charleys.
In our parable the father welcomed his prodigal son home and threw a celebration of pure joy. I am certain that the lost son was in a state of shock at the joy that surrounded him. He had left rich and full of pride, but returned poor and full of remorse. He had returned in a state of depression and defeat.
Can you imagine the sheer joy of this grieving father that every day had anxiously watched the dusty road leading to the family home? He was expectant that his prodigal would return someday and he wanted to make sure that his son realized how welcome he was.
We are told earlier in this fifteenth chapter of Luke that there is rejoicing in heaven over a returned sinner. Isn’t that great? If the halls of heaven echo shouts of praise for a repentant sinner, we need to show joy here on earth.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 6, 2017 | Luke
Luke 15:22-24
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”
When one of our children has strayed from the fold, it is a tremendous feeling when they return and express a repentant attitude. I fear, however, that our human reaction is to hold them in probation for awhile to insure their repentance is true.
In this wonderful parable that we’ve been exploring over the past few days, we discover that the restoration has nothing to do with the son’s willingness to be considered a servant. The wayward son had his speech all prepared, but his father interrupted his words with the order to restore him.
The son did not have the power to do that. His older brother did not have the power to do that. Only his father had the authority and power to either reject the wayward son or to restore him. He chose to restore him.
In like manner, our Heavenly Father has completed the work to restore us to a right relationship and standing with Him. It is not by works of righteousness, but by His grace alone that we are made to be partakers of His bounty. Thank you, Abba Father!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
