by Pastor Cecil | May 23, 2016 | Psalm
Psalm 1:1-2
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”
Godless meditation scares the wits out of me. Modern-day gurus say clear the mind of everything and find that inner peace. Yikes! That certainly gives unguarded entry to demonic forces of every sort. STAY AWAY FROM IT!
God does want us to meditate, but there is a difference. In today’s Scripture the Psalmist begins the book of Psalms by introducing us to God’s type of meditation. It is not the mind clearing sort of stuff, but the God-indwelling type.
It begins with the way we are to behave. The psalmist says we are to stay away from the godless sinners around us. The first step to godly meditation is a true walk with God. If we are not walking with God, we cannot have communion with Him.
If we walk in harmony with the Lord, we are called to meditate on His Word day and night. There is the key — it is not a blank mind, but rather a mind that is full of the Word of God and applying it to our life. Are you meditating correctly?
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 20, 2016 | Isaiah
Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
Years ago I recall listening to a sermon tape by Donald Grey Barnhouse, a prominent pastor and teacher. Years earlier he had just completed an evangelistic meeting several hundred miles from his home in Philadelphia, when he was given a telegram. It informed him that his son had been in a serious accident and was near death.
His only way back to Philadelphia was by rail. As Dr. Barnhouse entered his sleeper, his spirit was greatly disturbed. He knew that it would be hours before his train arrived back home and that there was nothing he could do but leave his son in God’s hands.
As he prayed, he recalled a phrase from Isaiah 65:25, “- – – but dust will be the serpent’s food.” Using that passage he asked the Lord to feed the serpent dust, but to please grant him a good night’s rest. He fell fast asleep and the next thing he knew the porter was touching his shoulder to tell him that they were nearing Philadelphia.
The Lord had answered his prayer. His son lived and during his time of recuperation he committed his life to full time Christian service. If you have been having trouble getting to sleep at night, ask the Lord to give you His blessed rest and feed the serpent dust.
TO YOU BEFORE THE CLOSE OF DAY
To you before the close of day,
Creator of the world we pray!
Your grace and peace to us allow,
And be our guard and keeper now.
From evil dreams defend our sight,
From all the terrors of the night.
From all deluding thoughts that creep,
On heedless minds disarmed by sleep.
O Father, this we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, Your only Son.
Who with the Holy Spirit and with You,
Shall live and reign all ages through. Amen
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Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 19, 2016 | James
James 3:13
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.”
In the eyes of the world he may not have seemed wise, but to my mind and according to today’s Scripture, Ben was a wise man. Ben was an immigrant to this country from a European bloc nation. He spoke with a gravelly voice in an accent that was thick with his native tongue. But above everything else he loved the Lord.
Not only did Ben love the Lord, but he expressed it by the way he served Jesus. He did not teach a Bible class, but he lived his life according to the Word of God. I can still recall watching him mow the lawn around the church on a hot summer day.
One day when I saw Ben mowing, I stopped to talk with him. I thought the church paid him for doing outside maintenance, but he did it because he saw a need. In my conversation with Ben I discovered that he also mowed lawns for several widows in the church who were unable to do it themselves and could not afford lawn care.
Ben was a wise man! His works for the Lord were done with meekness and love. I wish he was still alive today. I would enjoy a long visit with him. It will have to wait for eternity, but he is one WISE MAN I want to see again.
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 18, 2016 | John
John 8:12
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”
I frequently receive solicitations through my e-mail offering the brightest flashlight on the face of the planet. Well, it may not be specifically described in that manner, but they make it sound as if I cannot live without it.
Now I want you to know that I am not adverse to light. As a teen, I learned to quietly slip into the house a few minutes after curfew because I did not want my parents to know I was late. A few times, however, I found myself stumbling over a chair or table. My mom had a habit of rearranging the furniture. Hmm! I wonder if she did that as a ploy to hear when I came home?
It is sad to realize that many people have not received The Light (Jesus) that came into the world to free us from the inky blackness of sin. We are born into sin and the only way for the light to shine is to receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. It is not by infant baptism or doing good works, but only by confessing our sins and asking the Lord to take control of our life.
Do you have His Light in your life? If not, I urge you to take that vital step right now. I assure you that this Light is definitely the brightest light in the universe!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 17, 2016 | 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 15:22
“So Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.’”
During our 62 years of marriage, I found great joy in doing things that would delight my sweet wife. Joyce enjoyed the typical gifts such as flowers or candy, but that was not what brought her true delight. What brought her the greatest delight was when I would straighten up around my area.
Yep! You guessed it … I have a tendency to create messes! It seems like I always have the notion that I may need something someday, so I just add it to the ever-growing pile of things on my desk or near my chair. Later, as I gaze at a particular item, I wonder why in the world I ever saved it. Joyce was right!
In those times when I bit the bullet and cleaned up my work area, it delighted her. I only wish she were still here so I could try to delight her once again!
In today’s Scripture we read about what delights the Lord. It is not in what we try to give Him of our worldly possessions, but His delight is in our obedience to His word. When God says it we need to believe it and continue obeying. I want to please Him!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
