by Pastor Cecil | Nov 2, 2016 | Acts
Acts 4:12
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
It makes me cringe when I hear someone state that they have always been a Christian. Beeep!! That is so far from scripturally sound that it makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
The sad thing is that many people fail to truly become believers because they have been taught that they have always believed in God. If someone has “always been a Christian,” then the Bible is false. God’s Word repeatedly tells us that we must experience a new birth in order to obtain salvation.
Nicodemus was a devout and knowledgeable teacher of the Jews. He knew all of the man-made requirements that seemingly would make a person right with God. Jesus shook his thinking when He told Nicodemus he had to be born again (John 3:16).
The question you need to pose for yourself is this: “Have I experienced the new birth?” If not, you need to open your heart, confess that you are a sinner, and ask Jesus to come in and make you His child. Have you done that?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 1, 2016 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
If you have ever been lost you can relate to the helpless feeling of not knowing which way to turn to find deliverance. Usually I have very little trouble finding my way, but there was one time when a hunting trip turned into an ordeal.
My hunting partner and I had spent many hours watching pronghorn antelope. We were not hunting them, but rather enjoying observing these amazing animals. In our preoccupation with observing them we got turned around.
Hoping to locate our car, we separated and each went in a slightly different direction. After over an hour of walking over volcanic rock, I located a group of hunters. They knew where we had left our car and drove me there, which was actually several miles away. Without their help I would have been in deep trouble. My friend also found his way back to the car.
There are many souls in our world that discover they are lost. The problem is that without counsel they often head in the wrong direction. God’s way is the only way to heaven. Never listen to other lost people who try to give you directions.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 31, 2016 | Acts
Acts 7:55
“But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.”
In the King James Version of the Bible the word heaven is mentioned 582 times in 550 verses. That makes it a well documented location in Scripture. The problem is in knowing how to get there. This week I will be dealing with the issue of insuring we know for certain we are heaven bound.
It is tragic that so many people who have little or no concern about spiritual matters are sure they will be going to heaven. They convince themselves that just because they want to go there, that is where they will go.
Hollywood and fiction writers have performed a horrible disservice by depicting that entry into heaven is gained by doing more good deeds than bad ones. It has even been expressed as a book showing which outweighs the other. More good you go to heaven; more bad you go to hell.
I want to take the time this week to show what the Bible says about what is necessary to gain entrance into God’s glorious heaven. I urge you to invite your friends and family to travel with us to show God’s requirement for entry.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 28, 2016 | Ruth
Ruth 2:8
“Then Boaz said to Ruth, ‘You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women.'”
It is hard to make a list of beloved hymns without encountering Fanny J. Crosby. This blind little lady composed well over 8,000 hymns and poems in her life. It is sad that many churches never sing these songs anymore. They are the losers!
As I think about the life of Fanny J. Crosby I am humbled. With her physical limitations she expressed her longing to be more and more like the Master she served. This hymn seems to highlight her aim to draw closer to Him.
In today’s Scripture, Boaz instructed Ruth to stay near the women who worked for him. He was her kinsman redeemer even though she did not know it. Christ is our Kinsman Redeemer and we know it because the Bible tells us so. Are we like Fanny J. Crosby having a desire to be closer to Him?
Close to Thee
Thou my everlasting portion,
More than friend or life to me,
All along my pilgrim journey,
Savior, let me walk with Thee.
Refrain:
Close to Thee, close to Thee,
Close to Thee, close to Thee;
All along my pilgrim journey,
Savior, let me walk with Thee.
Not for ease or worldly pleasure,
Nor for fame my prayer shall be;
Gladly will I toil and suffer,
Only let me walk with Thee.
Refrain:
Close to Thee, close to Thee,
Close to Thee, close to Thee,
Gladly will I toil and suffer,
Only let me walk with Thee.
Lead me through the vale of shadows,
Bear me o’er life’s fitful sea;
Then the gate of life eternal
May I enter, Lord, with Thee.
Refrain:
Close to Thee, close to Thee,
Close to Thee, close to Thee,
Then the gate of life eternal
May I enter, Lord, with Thee.
Enjoy this free inspirational video of, “Close to Thee” by going to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/closetothee/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 27, 2016 | Philippians
Philippians 1:29
“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”
If there happened to be a check-out line to purchase spiritual gifts, I am sure that suffering would not one of the most popular items in our cart. Be that as it may, in today’s Scripture suffering is presented as a gift.
As I read the words that Paul penned to the church at Philippi I am always reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 5. It was part of His Sermon On the Mount; in fact it was part of what we call the Beatitudes: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Is it possible that we have our eyes so focused on receiving only good things that we ignore the importance of laying our lives down for Christ? We may not be called upon to experience physical pain or death, but it is possible to suffer ridicule or humiliation at the hands of those who reject Christ.
Whether it is physical or emotional death, we need to accept the way we are treated as our special gift from God. There will come a time when the struggles of this life will end and the ages of eternal bliss will erase every tear from our eyes. Until that day comes when Jesus calls us home, let us receive the gift to suffer for Him.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
