by Pastor Cecil | Apr 17, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 4:4-7
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“
William Walford did not allow the fact that he was blind limit his service for his Lord. He was frequently called upon to preach in a small country church. He composed the sermons in his head and also was able to quote large portions of Scripture from memory. Some people thought he had memorized the entire Bible. He also composed verses as the Lord laid the words upon his heart. Above all—he was a man of prayer.
In the mid 1800’s, Thomas Salmon was visiting in England and became acquainted with Pastor Walford. As they were visiting one day the blind pastor quoted a few pieces he had composed. Since he had no one to write them down he had kept them treasured in the storehouse of his mind.
One of the verses he related to Mr. Salmon was, Sweet Hour of Prayer. Mr. Salmon eagerly scribbled the words down on a scrap of paper. When he returned to New York he sent the verses to the Observer and asked if they thought them worth preserving. The Observer did think them worthy and published them on September 13, 1845. The music was added by William Bradbury in 1861.
Sweet Hour of Prayer
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
‘Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!’
To access Sweet Hour of Prayer please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/sweethourofprayer 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 | Apr 16, 2015 | Micah
Micah 6:8
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
My thoughts wander back to the time when I was a small boy—(believe me . . . trying to remember that far back at my age is a task!). I can still hear the echoes of my mother telling me to be good. But no matter how hard I tried, I just seemed to get in more and more trouble.
Back then, corporal punishment was not the rank of a military member. It was the rod of correction applied to the seat of learning! This was very evident in our old church building. There was a wood furnace in the basement with a stack of kindling always next to it. It was years before I learned that the kindling was used to start a fire. I was convinced it was there for my mother to use in spanking me.
One Sunday evening stands out clearly in my memory. I had tried my mother’s patience to the breaking point and, with a swoop, I was in her arms and we were heading for the basement and the familiar kindling pile. As I looked over her shoulder at the smiling congregation I cried out, “PRAY FOR ME!” I received extra licks for that outburst!
So what does the Lord require of each and every one of us? It is really quite simple: “ . . . to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” As we examine our life and walk with the Lord, it is essential that we keep that focus in mind. It is not what we can get away with, but what pleases the Lord that matters. Are you meeting God’s requirement?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 15, 2015 | Ezekiel
Ezekiel 24:17
“Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead; bind your turban on your head, and put your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips, and do not eat man’s bread of sorrow.”
Have you ever been around someone who sighs all the time? I have known family members who seemed to feel it was their duty to let people know how hard their lot in life was by constantly sighing. (To tell you the truth, the sigh-ers made me sigh.)
I decided to look up the Hebrew word translated “sigh.” It is damam. As strange as it sounds, it means to be silent, be still, wait, be dumb, grow dumb. That is what we read here in Ezekiel 24.
Back in 1991, when our daughter was very near death, we were comforted by the words “for every sigh there is a Psalm.” What our words can never comfort, the words of the Psalmist can. In Brenda’s last minutes here on earth I sat beside her bed and read Psalm after Psalm. I can still hear her soft words of praise as I would finish a Psalm. She would say, “I loved that one, Dad, read another.”
I read our daughter into eternity. There is no doubt about where she is right now. In my mind’s eye I can visualize her welcoming her mother, Joyce, into that wonderful place of peace and rest. What a time of rejoicing they must be having right now.
The next time you are carrying a heavy load of the burdens of life, rest quietly in the Lord and read from the book of Psalms. You, too, will discover that for every sigh there is indeed a Psalm.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 14, 2015 | Romans
Romans 13:11-12
“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”
When our oldest daughter, Brenda, was six years old, she became very nauseated and vomited everything she ate or drank for over two days. We took her to our family doctor who prescribed medication. There were four doses of the medication, but we were only able to get the last one to remain in her body. (Thank the Lord!)
We learned that the pharmacist had mis-filled the prescription — instead of the prescribed 2.5 mg., he had filled 25 mg. It was a huge difference for a small child. Within an hour Brenda was in a coma. We had no emergency room and the doctor came and sat beside her for several hours. The prognosis was very bleak.
After thirty-six hours at about 3:30 a.m., Brenda woke up. It was a time of rejoicing for us. The first thing she said was, “I’m hungry!” We asked her what she wanted and her request was for a hamburger. The only place open that hour of the morning was a grungy tavern/café that always stayed open to serve the railroad workers. I made a beeline for the place and returned with a burger and fries. She kept the food down and the long ordeal was over.
Sometimes I feel that many believers are like Brenda. They are in a spiritual coma and while they are not dead, they are lifeless. Do you find yourself in that condition right now? “ . . . let us put on the armor of light.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 13, 2015 | 2 Timothy
2 TIMOTHY 2:1-2
“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
As I typed the title of today’s E-Votional I was struck by another thought. It is not just simply that we might be replaced, we will be replaced! Early or late, we all will pass from this life to that wonderful home that the Lord has prepared for us in heaven.
At times I have held positions that necessitated terminating an employee. One incident concerned a man who had the highest credentials in the field of law enforcement. He came from a large department in California and, after interviewing him, we were certain that he was the right man to assist the police and sheriff departments in Idaho.
We were wrong! The man exhibited a superior attitude when meeting with our local law enforcement authorities. He was soon replaced and was not able to pass on any words of wisdom to his replacement.
What are we doing to insure that when we are gone the work we have done for the Lord will remain? If we were called to be with the Lord in the next hour, would we leave a heritage of service that another could assume? Where is your Timothy?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
