by Pastor Cecil | Nov 26, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 136:1-4
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. To Him who alone does great wonders: His love endures forever.
Here in the United States we are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving Day tomorrow. It is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. When I was stationed with the US Air Force in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, Canada, I discovered that the Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October. That year I celebrated with my Canadian friends on their Thanksgiving Day and in turn they celebrated with us.
As I allow my mind to wander through the years of my life I find that there is so much to be thankful for that I scarce know where to begin. I certainly rejoice in the 62 plus years that I have been married to the sweet girl I met back in 1947. Wow! I am so very thankful that we have always been there for each other.
These last few months have been more difficult as Joyce slips a little deeper into her dementia. Through it all we have been able to express such a sincere love with each other that words cannot express it. We are thankful for a love that has seen us through many adversities and will be with us to the end.
That love comes from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. We have committed our personal lives to Him and also our marriage. He has been the center of our home across these years and will be with us to the end. Our thanks to Jesus for giving His life that we may have eternal life will echo through the ages of time.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 25, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 103:1-2
“Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! Bless (affectionately praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits” (Amplified Bible).
The concept of blessing has come to hold more meaning to me than ever before. We can either bless or curse with our spoken words. In recent articles I have written a lot about actions and how they speak louder than words, but that does not mean we are to be silent — rather we are to speak blessing into situations and then act in the manner that is consistent with our words.
In the wedding ceremonies that I perform, I present a challenge to first the groom and then the bride: “Will you listen to (her/his) inmost thoughts and be considerate and tender in your care of (her/him)?” That is very good as a challenge to a couple embarking on their life as husband and wife — it is also a good challenge for each of us. Listen to one’s inmost thoughts! Be considerate! (That means doing to others as you would have them do unto you — the Golden Rule). Be tender! Care for each other! Just think of the difference it would make if we all put those concepts into practice.
Many of us are familiar with the Sermon on the Mount. (Actually it was Teaching on the Slopes.) In Matthew 5-7, Jesus began His public ministry by teaching the basic principles of a godly lifestyle. The teaching begins in chapter five with the Beatitudes. Each of the Beatitudes begins with the phrase “Blessed are you….” The phrase sounds good, but do we really have an understanding of its meaning?
Where do you fit into the concept of blessing? I challenge you to begin blessing people in a meaningful manner. As for me, I will continue to sign my letters and correspondence with a blessing. My deepest desire is that you now will know what I mean when I bless you!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 24, 2014 | Matthew
Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Where is your treasure? Some might say it’s the amount of money they have in the bank. Others might feel it is their real estate holdings. Still others may place their trust in their investments. Again I ask you: Where is your treasure?
The phone rang and I was notified that an extremely wealthy and prominent man in our community had died unexpectedly. He had lived in this area since the early days and was considered a founding father of the county.
As I sat and prayed for the members of his family, a smile crept across my face. This man’s family had been praying for his salvation for years. The older he got the less likely it seemed that he would accept Jesus as his Lord.
Less than two weeks before I received the phone call notifying me of his death, the man had asked to meet with me at the church. We talked about the reality of eternity and the necessity of being born again. He prayed that day and opened his heart to Jesus. He gave testimony to the fact and even shared an intimate Lord’s Supper with his wife in her room at a local nursing home. He had traded the treasures of this world for a home in glory. May I ask you one more time: WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 21, 2014 | Matthew
Matthew 6:27
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
True Christian character is certainly seen in our biblical heroes, but it may often be seen in those of more recent times. Hope is a character quality that looks beyond our immediate circumstances and shows what we as believers have waiting for us.
In the Sweet By and By is one of the most enduring songs written after the Civil War. It was composed by Sanford Bennett who was the owner of a drugstore in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. He had just returned from the war. A friend, Joseph Webster, a gifted musician trained formally in composition, came to the store each day to talk and play chess. Often Webster would be depressed and down.
When asked what was wrong, Webster would often reply; “It will be alright by and by.” That idea hit Bennett like a flash of sunlight! As Bennett later described the incident, he took out a pen and it was all over in thirty minutes. A new hymn was born. In short order he was singing the words along with Webster and two other friends. That hymn was perfect for the post-Civil War era because it conveyed pathos with a mixture of comforting warmth. It came to typify the virtues of spiritual hope.
Sweet By And By
There’s a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way,
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
We shall sing on that beautiful shore,
The melodious songs of the blest;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise,
For the glorious gift of His love,
And the blessings that hallow our days.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To access Sweet By And By, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/sweetbyandby 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 | Nov 20, 2014 | James
James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
Years ago I received an e-mail requesting prayer for a “prayer worrier.” I am sure the writer meant “prayer warrior,” but as I have done so many times, they misspelled the word and thus changed the meaning.
Stop for a few minutes and consider the difference between the two. I went to the dictionary and found this definition for warrior: One who is engaged in or experienced in battle. One who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict. I am not sure about you, but that sounds like someone I would like to have on my side!
To get a clear difference we need to look at the definition for worrier: One who thinks about unfortunate things that may or may not happen. Whoops! That is certainly not the person I would feel confident to have in my corner as a prayer partner.
Let me leave you with this translation from the Amplified Bible: “[For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].”
In all honesty, are you a prayer WARRIOR or a feeble worrier?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
