by Pastor Cecil | Apr 3, 2015 | Luke
Luke 24:2-6
“They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!”
Alfred Ackley was a Baptist pastor who had two dramatic incidents in his life that led him to write our hymn for this week. He had been conducting an evangelistic service back in 1932 when a young Jewish man threw this question at him; “Why should I worship a dead Jew?”
Then early on Resurrection Sunday morning as he was preparing for the day he listened to the radio. A famous liberal preacher made this statement; “Good morning—it’s Easter! You know folks, it really doesn’t make any difference to me if Christ be risen or not. As far as I am concerned, His body could be dust in some Palestinian tomb. The main truth is, His truth goes marching on!”
Alfred screamed out at the radio, “It’s a lie!” His wife was startled and wanted to know why he was so upset. Following the service that morning his wife prompted him to write a hymn and express his thoughts. He wrote this wonderful hymn.
HE LIVES!
I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
Refrain: He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho’ my heart grows weary I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thro’ all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.
Refrain: He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.
Refrain: He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
Aren’t you glad we serve a risen Savior? Our God is not dead, HE LIVES!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 2, 2015 | John
John 3:16-19
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”
A few days ago I met with the fiancé of a man in his early forties. I asked her about his spiritual condition and then her own relationship with Christ. What she shared with me grieved my heart.
She said that her grandfather was a minister of the gospel and had talked with her about becoming a believer. This seemed to be an on-going conversation over several years. She finally told him that she agreed in some deity out there somewhere.
What she said next sent chills up and down my spine. This minister/grandfather supposedly said, “Well that is good enough!” I quickly informed her that it is not enough to be sincere, but you had to read what God says in His Word. That is that we must have a new birth, a spiritual birth.
She nodded, but it was evident that her heart was not prepared to make the step of faith and confess her sin and need of a Savior who would forgive her sins and write her name in the Lamb’s Book of Life. We are not okay just because we are sincere. Share this truth with others!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 1, 2015 | Romans
Romans 8:28-30
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
It is fantastic the way the Lord is able to work in ways that we cannot explain to touch a life that may not be open to traditional methods. Such was the case many years ago in Nampa, Idaho. At the time I was on the staff of a large church. The captain of our prayer chain was Blanche McBee. My wife, Joyce worked at an attorney firm in the city.
One of the young women who worked in the same office with Joyce was cynical to anything spiritual. There seemed to be no way of breaking through her barrier to the claims of the gospel. That is until God stepped in.
One morning this young woman returned from a trip to the post office. She had a thick notebook and started reading in it every chance she had. The next day she asked Joyce if she knew a woman named Blanche McBee, who attended our church. Joyce immediately said she did and that Blanche was the captain of our prayer chain. “That explains it!” she said. You see Blanche had listed the specific prayer requests and then documented when the prayer was answered.
It turned things around for the cynical young lady. She was now open to the things of God. On the other end, Blanche was ecstatic that her lost notebook had been found. Never feel that things are out of control. God is in control!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 31, 2015 | Psalm
Psalm 19:12-14
“But who can know their own mistakes? Forgive my hidden faults. Also keep me from the sins I want to commit. May they not be my master then I will be without blame. I will not be guilty of any great sin against Your law. Lord, may these words of my mouth please You and may these thoughts of my heart please You also. You are my Rock and my Redeemer.”
For many years we have had our daily devotions by reading through the Bible in one year. While Joyce was still alive we would have our breakfast and then at 8:00, we would call our daughter Lori. I would read the day’s passages that were designed to take us through the bible in one year. We actually repeat Psalms twice.
Following the reading I open my heart to the Lord and pray over my family. I allow the Holy Spirit to lay those things on my heart to pray for. Many times the words of Psalm 19:14 would come to mind. That is the second part of today’s Scripture.
It was just today that I grasped something that had escaped my attention. It was in the New International Readers Version. The key words that jumped out at me were “THESE WORDS” …which led me to consider what these words referred to.
The Psalmist is confessing his mistakes, hidden faults, and even sins he wants to commit. It is the honest prayer of one who desires to be led by the Lord in thought, word, and deed. I am sad to report that most of us commit sins and then ask the Lord to forgive us. That is well and good, but this goes a step beyond and asks the Lord to give strength to live above our sinful nature. That is my prayer!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 30, 2015 | Psalm
Psalm 65:5-7
“You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by Your power, having armed Yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.”
Sometimes we are so caught up in the storms of life, that it seems as if all of our reference points are lost. Our modern culture has become so polluted with sin and lack of moral absolutes, that we are given mis-direction as well as no-direction.
So how do we find a reliable source to navigate through the storms of life? Again we fall back upon the Word of God. I think it is essential that we call upon the Lord as early as possible. We need the Great Navigator of all creation to have control of our life as well as the storms we will encounter. The longer we wait the more off course we become.
It also speaks of God bringing us His Word. I am sure that almost everyone has heard that old cliché; “A day without God’s Word, makes one weak!” We need Him not just daily, but each moment throughout the day to give direction and meaning to our life.
I once read about a man who was lined up to apply for a visa. A part of the process required him to show a picture of his mother. As he laid out the picture, the woman behind him yelled out, “That’s not your mother, that’s my mother!” Then in just a few minutes the two rejoiced they had found a sibling they did not know about. From a frustrating situation came rejoicing. GOD NAVIGATES WELL!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
