by Pastor Cecil | Jul 4, 2016 | Romans
Romans 12:18
“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”
Those of us who have raised children, and even those of us who have ever been around children, have no doubt heard the words, “I do it myself!” It does not matter that the little one may be completely incompetent, he or she wants to do it by themselves.
When my precious wife began to demonstrate signs of dementia, we had to make many decisions for her welfare. I still remember her declaring, “I know my own body!” The problem was that she didn’t. In many ways it was like dealing with a young child all over again.
Spiritually speaking, we are very much the same way. We think we know more than God when it comes to running our own lives. Let’s get serious! There is no way we can even come close to understanding what lies ahead for us. God knows!
On this date we celebrate Independence Day here in the United States. Many nations celebrate a certain day when their country became independent. I want to celebrate this day as a day when I proclaim my utter Dependence on the Lord. I can’t. He can! That’s all I need to know! LET’S GO!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 1, 2016 | Matthew
Matthew 6:27
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
True Christian character is certainly seen in our biblical heroes, but it may often be seen in those of more recent times. Hope is a character quality that looks beyond our immediate circumstances and shows what we as believers have waiting for us.
In the Sweet By and By is one of the most enduring songs written after the Civil War. It was composed by Sanford Bennett who was the owner of a drugstore in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. He had just returned from the war. A friend, Joseph Webster, a gifted musician trained formally in composition, came to the store each day to talk and play chess. Often Webster would be depressed and down.
When asked what was wrong, Webster would often reply; “It will be alright by and by.” That idea hit Bennett like a flash of sunlight! As Bennett later described the incident, he took out a pen and it was all over in thirty minutes. A new hymn was born. In short order he was singing the words along with Webster and two other friends. That hymn was perfect for the post-Civil War era because it conveyed pathos with a mixture of comforting warmth. It came to typify the virtues of spiritual hope.
Sweet By and By
There’s a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way,
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
We shall sing on that beautiful shore,
The melodious songs of the blest;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise,
For the glorious gift of His love,
And the blessings that hallow our days.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To access Sweet By and By, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/sweetbyandby in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 30, 2016 | Joshua
Joshua 24:15
“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.“
I want to tell you right up front that I am 82. I know that some people think I still act like a kid, but I am a genuinely certified senior citizen, whatever that means. Many others often refer to the fact that I am retired.
Let me see: I pastor a small congregation, write the Daily-E-Votional five days a week, record audio versions of the Daily-E-Votional, as well as audio recordings that take us through the Bible in one year, have published seven books and am just finishing the eighth. Yep! Stop to think of it, I guess I am retired.
In my humble opinion, retirement is one of the saddest occupations a person can have. It will make you old! I do not want to get old, I want to occupy until Jesus comes or until He chooses to take me home. I want to die with my spiritual boots on!
Worldly fame and applause soon fades away. Money and the stuff of this world will soon tarnish and fade away. What we do for the Lord on this earth is the only lasting accomplishment that we will ever achieve.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 29, 2016 | Psalm
Psalm 118:24
“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.“
Today’s scripture is familiar to many people. It calls us to rejoice instead of gripe or complain. I know you never do anything of that sort, but there are people who do. Cough! Cough!
You may look around you and only see strife, contention, and failure. You may have a debilitating physical condition that prevents you from doing things that other people do with no difficulty. You may be the victim of any number of things that you feel prevent you from rejoicing.
So … do you have a reason to rejoice? Absolutely! First of all, we are to rejoice because God’s Word tells us to rejoice. But there is something that we may be prone to overlook. It is the reason to rejoice. It is found in the two verses that precede today’s scripture passage: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.”
That Chief Cornerstone is none other than our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. We are always to rejoice because this world is not our home and we have a mansion that is being prepared for us in glory. Now that is something to rejoice about!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 28, 2016 | Philippians
Philippians 1:6
“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.“
I want to tell you right up front that I am 82. I know that some people think I still act like a kid, but I am a genuinely certified senior citizen, whatever that means. Many others often refer to the fact that I am retired.
Let me see: I pastor a small congregation, write the Daily-E-Votional five days a week, record audio versions of the Daily-E-Votional, as well as audio recordings that take us through the Bible in one year, have published seven books and am just finishing the eighth. Yep! Stop to think of it, I guess I am retired.
In my humble opinion, retirement is one of the saddest occupations a person can have. It will make you old! I do not want to get old, I want to occupy until Jesus comes or until He chooses to take me home. I want to die with my spiritual boots on!
Worldly fame and applause soon fades away. Money and the stuff of this world will soon tarnish and fade away. What we do for the Lord on this earth is the only lasting accomplishment that we will ever achieve.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
