by Pastor Cecil | Dec 3, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 37:1-7
“Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
It seems like a lifetime ago that I was in Officer’s Training School and marching across the parade ground. One of the first things we learned was that our eyes were always to be focused directly ahead. The only exception was when we passed the review stand and the order was shouted –“Eyes, Right!” After passing the stand the order would be “Ready, front!”
Our spiritual life is not the parade ground, but we can gain some valuable insights from marching in formation. The Psalmist David warns us about letting our eyes focus on the wrong things. It is very easy to fret and envy the wicked when we see them living a life of luxury while we struggle to get by.
David jars us to attention by reminding us that this world is not our home nor is it their home. There will come a day when the ungodly will stand before God Himself and what a sad day it will be. They will fade like fragile flowers in the sun, but we will shine as the noonday sun. Joy comes in the morning, but until then we need to keep our eyes in the right direction.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 2, 2014 | Matthew
Matthew 11:28, 19:14 & John 7:37
“Come unto Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
“- – Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these“ (Matthew 19:14).
“- – If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37).
What do each of these verses have in common? The answer is pretty obvious (since I have underlined the answer in each verse). It is the invitation of Jesus to come unto Him. While there may be many other groups that Jesus invites to come to Him, there are three in these verses.
Those who are “Weary and burdened.” Do you fall into that category? Do you carry heavy loads that the Lord never asks you to bear? Do you do things in your own strength trying to please Him? When we come to Him, He promises rest!
Then Jesus says, “Let the little children come to Me.” It is not necessary to be adult and educated before we can come to Him. He wants us to approach Him with a child-like faith. He says it, I believe it, that’s good enough for me!
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. I once heard someone’s response to the adage “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” His wise answer was “NO, BUT YOU CAN SALT HIS OATS!” It is my desire to present the truth of God’s Word in such a way that it will be like salted oats that will lead people to drink deeply from the life-giving stream.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 1, 2014 | 2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 1:11-12
“God said to Solomon, ‘Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern My people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.’”
When I first entered school, I seemed to be somewhat behind the learning curve. The year was 1940, and I am not sure if there was any consideration given to delaying the start of a child’s schooling. Things might have been different if I had started one year later, but that was not the plan the Lord had for me.
Having that knowledge gap meant that I was required to answer “I don’t know” many times. I became used to brighter students laughing when I did not know the answer and had to use my usual response — “I don’t know.” It was not until my senior year in high school that I finally caught up, eventually graduating from college and earning a master’s degree. How? I DON’T KNOW?!!! (Just kidding.)
Looking back, I am so glad that I went through that experience. It taught me to rely on the Lord. Even today there are so many spiritual questions that I do not have answers to, but I have learned that God’s Word is my source and I can search it for the answers.
I love what Paul wrote in the first few verses of I Corinthians 2: “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” That is my sincere desire.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 28, 2014 | Luke
Luke 2:11-14
“‘Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.’”
Most of us have grown up singing the carols of Christmas. One of the most loved of all the carols is The First Noel. While the origin of the melody we sing today is uncertain, the lyrics date back to the 17th century. It is thought to originate in France as far back as the fifteenth century. We do know that the word Noel is a French word originating from Latin meaning “birthday.”
Think what it must have been like for those shepherds who were guarding their sheep on a quiet night when suddenly their lives were changed forever. Of all the people on the earth that could have received the announcement of the birth of the Messiah, it was to them! They reacted with awe, went to see the Baby, and then spread the wonderful word of His birth.
The First Noel
The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay tending their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.Refrain: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
They lookèd up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far;
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
Refrain: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
And by the light of that same star
Three Wise Men came from country far;
To seek for a King was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Refrain: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
Then entered in those Wise Men three,
Full reverently upon the knee,
And offered there, in His presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Refrain: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
That hath made Heaven and earth of naught,
And with His blood mankind hath bought.
Refrain: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
WISE MEN (AND WOMEN, AND BOYS, AND GIRLS) STILL SEEK HIM!
To access The First Noel, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/thefirstnoel2/ in your browser or click on the image below.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 27, 2014 | 2 Corinthians, Psalm
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
For as long as I can remember I have been a positive person. Depression has never been an enemy that I had to encounter. When I tell people that I am doing great, they doubt it and seem to feel that I am not being honest with them. This has been the case with caring for a wife with dementia. We have had wonderful support from family and friends, but often it is just me and Joyce. These have been precious times that I cherish.
There have been several who want to protect me and have suggested that it is too much for us and that we need to consider placement in a care facility or bring in outside help to take some of the load.
This evening I was cleaning up in the kitchen and today’s Scripture came to me. When the Lord told Paul that His grace was sufficient for the thorn that Paul experienced, how did he respond? He did not call in the cavalry troops to help—he went right on doing what he was called to do in faith that God’s grace was sufficient.
I thank God that He has given me strength and guidance to keep on keeping on. I intend to do just that very thing and like Paul I do it with delight!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
