by Pastor Cecil | Jan 27, 2016 | Psalm
Sometimes the Word itself is so powerful that to add comment is to detract. Please read and re-read this powerful chapter from the Psalmist David.
Psalm 19:1-14
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.’
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 26, 2016 | Psalm
Psalm 37:23
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.”
Have you ever noticed that God’s timing is different than ours? There are times when we roar through life at a frantic pace and wonder why God is not keeping up with us. He promised to direct our steps, so where is He?
The better question would be: “Where are we?” God is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The same cannot be said about us. We are prone to vacillate back and forth, both in our physical life and in our spiritual life.
One of the problems, as I see it, is the reality that God places “stops” in our life just as frequently as He orders our steps. We seem to believe He will be pleased if we stay busy, but if God is not in it, He will not be pleased if we step when He wants us to stop.
My experience has shown me that those “stops” of the Lord provide the greatest times of spiritual growth as well as the times when He brings about the most fruitful ministry. The next time you feel God telling you to stop … STOP!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 25, 2016 | Isaiah
Isaiah 40:31
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
It just happened again! I encountered two drivers that were in such a hurry that they ignored traffic laws, as well as the laws of common sense. (There are such things you know!)
A car ran a red light and almost hit my car. At the last minute he stopped and avoided a collision. In a separate incident a car was behind me at a stop light and began honking his horn. The problem was that the light was red and it was impossible to proceed. As soon as it turned green I proceeded and the impatient driver tore past me in a rage. Go figure!
I recall Pastor John Hagee tell about being stopped behind a car at an intersection. When the light turned green the car remained stopped. After two sequences of green, he honked his horn and rolled his window down and shouted out; “Either move it or milk it!” As he turned to his left he saw a car with several members of his congregation. They just smiled and asked if he was having a bad day.
It is so easy to get our schedule to the top of our priority list that we impose upon those we come in contact with. Our Scripture for today tells us to wait upon the Lord. That means that we allow the Lord to control our life.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 22, 2016 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:10-11
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Back during my high school days, I worked weekends and summers for a concrete contractor. Believe me when I tell you that things were different back then. There was very little pre-mixed concrete that was delivered by large rotating carriers. We were the mixers! We had a pile of sand, another of gravel and sacks of concrete that we had to combine shovel by shovel and bag by bag, water was then added.
In order to get the sloppy concrete into the foundation, we had to deliver it by manual labor. We had large wheelbarrows that we filled then pushed to the point of delivery. In the building process a solid foundation was essential. A weakened foundation could lead to the building falling.
As we travel through this life we often see people that have not laid a foundation that will withstand the storms of life. Sadly when storms strike, their foundations fail. It is during the storms that we need the solid foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep us safe. John Rippon published this hymn in 1787.
How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
To access How Firm a Foundation, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes Hymn Music Videos, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/howfirmafoundation/ 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 | Jan 21, 2016 | Revelation
Revelation 21:27
“But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
In my many years of pastoral ministry there has been one thing that always requires updating — The Church Roster. Whether it’s called the Church Mailing List or the Church Membership List, that list always requires updating. Just when you think you have everything in order, here come more additions or deletions.
I certainly do not want to downplay the importance of these rosters. They provide names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, birthdays, anniversaries, and other pertinent information necessary for a pastor to minister to the members of the congregation
God also has a list. It is called the Lamb’s Book of Life. It is the most important book in the entire universe. If our names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life, we are assured of an eternity in heaven. If our names are not there, I do not even want to think of the terrible consequences. Hell awaits those whose names are missing.
Hollywood is trying to paint a picture that our good works will determine if we are admitted into heaven or not. That is not what God’s Word says. God says if our name is not in that book we will be denied admittance. Receive Jesus Christ by personal invitation and know where you’re heading!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
