by Pastor Cecil | Jul 15, 2019 | Hebrews
Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Faith! What is it? How can you put into words a concept like faith? The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews is often described as the faith chapter in the Bible. When you read the passage given above, it almost defies logic. It is as though it doubles back on itself and leaves us grasping for true understanding.
As I study and meditate about the meaning of faith, it strikes me that the way to understand it is by way of word pictures. We have to visualize what we have faith in as already coming into being.
Suddenly it becomes a lot of fun to think in a graphic manner. Imagine that it is 100 degrees outside and we are going to our favorite ice cream shop to get a double-dip ice cream cone. When do we begin to enjoy it? On the way there we experience the joy of anticipation. THAT IS FAITH!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 12, 2019 | Luke
Luke 24:29
“But they constrained Him, saying, ‘Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.’ And He went in to tarry with them”
If you knew that you were very near the end of your life, what would you write? The author of this week’s hymn, Henry F. Lyle, was preaching his final sermon to the small congregation he had served for over 20 years. He was so weak that he had to be helped to the pulpit.
He encouraged his parishioners to rely on the Savior who loved them enough to die for them. His prayer, reflected in this hymn, is a prayer that each of us can breathe when we approach the valley of death.
Abide With Me
Abide with me—fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens—Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me!
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy word before my closing eyes,
Shine thru the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com. To access Abide With Me, this free inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/abidewithme/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 11, 2019 | 2 Peter
2 Peter 2:15
“They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.”
A certain young man had a fervent desire to serve the Lord. For a time he was completely committed to obeying God’s Word without compromise. Then one day he was tempted to participate in a questionable activity. He knew it was not the right thing to do, but decided to pray about it. As he prayed he sensed that God was saying NO!
The young man waited several days and asked the Lord again and heard the Holy Spirit speak: No! He waited a few more days and again prayed. This time he heard the Holy Spirit whisper: No! Asking the same question a few days later he heard nothing, so he joyfully engaged in an activity that led him away from the Lord and into great heartache.
Mark this down: God does not change! If He says that something is contrary to His Word, will, and way—it will forever remain contrary to His Word, will, and way. It does not matter that some church council will approve sinful activity—if it is not in accordance with God’s Word, it is sin and will always be sin.
Our “do-as-you-feel-like-doing” society has torpedoed far too many believers. We must never allow the appeal of this world’s values to draw us away from God’s best for our life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 10, 2019 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
When our oldest daughter Brenda was eight, she suddenly developed an extremely high temperature of 104-105. I rushed her to the emergency room where they put her in a large stainless steel tub filled with water and buckets of ice.
It broke my heart to stand beside her shivering little body as she cried and pleaded with me to make the pain go away. Oh, how I wished I could trade places with her and free her of the agony she was enduring. I couldn’t! She had to endure the agony in order to get well!
Frequently I am contacted by people who are hurting and feel stuck in intolerable situations. As I pray and respond as best as I know how, I am struck by how many times I have had people pour out their hearts to me and beg for relief from their pain. I have found that most of the time (actually, all of the time) I do not have the answers.
So what can I do? How can I give hope to those of you who are passing through the valley of the shadow of death? The only answer is to trust in the Lord with all of your heart and leave the results up to Him.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 9, 2019 | Romans
Romans 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
A retired pastor and his wife were traveling on a remote highway in Nevada. Without warning their car sputtered and they came to a stop on a gravel pullout. Immediately the pastor took his wife’s hand and prayed that they would be alert to how God might want to use this incident for His purposes. Just as he ended his prayer there was the sound of crunching gravel. A car had stopped behind them. Here again it could easily have been a prolonged wait for assistance.
The “good Samaritan” took them into the only town for many miles. He introduced them to the owner of the only garage/service station in town. The man said he would tow the car in and see if he could locate the problem.
The garage owner’s wife entertained the pastor’s wife while the repair work was being done and, in the process, gave her heart to the Lord. The pastor led the owner to the Lord and learned that the couple was having such marital conflicts that they were ready to seek a divorce. They tearfully renewed their vows and promised to bring the Lord into their marriage.
One broken car! One fractured marriage! Two sinners who needed a Savior! In one day God used the broken car and a yielded couple to minister in a mighty way for God’s kingdom here on earth. Wow! How can God use you? Are you making yourself available at all times and looking for His breakdowns to lead you to minister to others?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
