by Pastor Cecil | Jul 29, 2014 | Habakkuk
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Why in the world would I choose a title like the one I have chosen for today? Isn’t it natural that everyone would choose joy? Nope! You see, we usually associate joy with the favorable things that we encounter. I think it is appropriate to recall a poem I composed some time ago:
When all the world is bright and gay,
When skies are blue, instead of gray,
When health and wealth are close at hand,
It does not take a lot of sand
To sing and shout to beat the band.
BUT- – –
When all around you turns to gray,
When family and friends seem to slip away,
This is now the time to take your stand!
In faith reach out to God and take His hand!
Even in the midst of the unfavorable things we encounter, we need to choose to find our joy in the Lord. Things of this world will constantly change between good and bad, but when we choose joy in every circumstance, it opens the door to bless us as well as those around us. Choose Joy!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 28, 2014 | Judges
Judges 16:19-20
Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. Then she called, ‘Samson, the Philistines are upon you!’ He awoke from his sleep and thought, ‘I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the LORD had left him.
As I sit here typing this message the frogs are singing a loud serenade at the end of our street. I am told that a group of researchers were experimenting on the reactions of frogs when exposed to hot water. They sat a shallow dish over heat and brought the temperature up to just under boiling. A frog placed in this hot water would immediately leap out of the dish onto the table.
They placed the same frog in cool water and observed as it swam around with no concern. As they gradually raised the temperature of the water the frog showed no concern and in fact remained in the water until it died in boiling water.
Here is where the lesson comes in. In today’s Scripture. God had given Samson a gift of power and might. There was a condition: He had to live as a Nazarite and never cut his hair. He must have known that Delilah was deceitful and was trying to discover the secret of his strength in order to tell her Philistine buddies, but he seemed to have lost touch with reality until it was too late.
We can sit in judgment over Samson and his foolishness, but before we do we need to stop and consider our own actions. In what way are we violating the things that God’s Word once convicted us about? How many times have we compromised God’s standards for our own desires? Something to think about isn’t it?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 25, 2014 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit.
In recent years piracy on the high seas has increased dramatically. Huge oil tankers or cargo carriers have been boarded and the ship and crew have been held hostage until the price for their release has been met. THEY HAVE TO BE REDEEMED IN ORDER TO BE SET FREE!
The fact that Fanny J. Crosby wrote thousands of poems, many of which became favorite hymns is amazing. The fact that she was totally blind is even more remarkable. Our hymn this week is Redeemed.
Notice verse four. It strikes me that Fanny Crosby was eagerly looking forward to that day when her Redeemer would appear and her blinded eyes would be opened and she would behold the most beautiful sight she could ever imagine—Jesus!
Redeemed
(1) Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am.
REFRAIN: Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child and forever I am.
(2) Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence,
With me doth continually dwell.
REFRAIN:
(3) I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.
REFRAIN:
(4) I know I shall see in His beauty,
The King in whose law I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.
REFRAIN:
(5) I know there’s a crown that is waiting,
In yonder bright mansion for me,
And soon, with the spirits made perfect,
At home with the Lord I shall be.
REFRAIN:
To access Redeemed, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/redeemed/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 | Jul 24, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 19:3-4
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
Perhaps you have heard the saying “there is nothing sure but death and taxes!” That is a cynical expression, and it is far from the truth. There are many certainties in God’s Word that are sure and never changing.
It is sad to observe some church bodies that have the audacity to legislate actions or activities that are in violation of Scripture. Let me tell you something — these votes have absolutely no standing with God. He certainly does not check with church policies to determine what is proper or improper. His Word stands!
In Luke 21:33, Jesus assures us with these words of eternal confidence: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” Those words, spoken by our Savior, are as true and sure as anything can ever be.
If there is ever a time in your life when you struggle for a solid rock to stand upon, it is God’s unchanging Word. Any time a conflict arises we should ask ourselves the question, “What does God’s Word say about it?”
Digging into Scripture to discover answers is hard work. It will require reading, searching concordances, Bible dictionaries, etc., but the result will be well worth the effort. We will find that His Word is SURE!
Blessings, dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 23, 2014 | Matthew
Matthew 5:17-18
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
I recently received a card from my dentist reminding me of an appointment. The card was in the form of a comic strip favorite of our, Pickles by Brian Crane. The elderly couple were sitting on a porch swing and the husband complimented his wife by observing, “In the moonlight your teeth look like pearls.”
The wife replied, “Who is Pearl and what were you doing in the moonlight with her?” The difference was a small punctuation mark – an apostrophe (’) to indicate that the noun pearls became Pearl’s. Wow!
Back when I was a teenager there was a popular misquote of Scripture that was intended to be humorous and justified suicide. It went something like this; “Judas went out and hanged himself. Go thou and do likewise. And whatsoever thou doest, do quickly.”
There have been many attempts to change the meaning of Scripture to fit a particular lifestyle. Many have ignored the importance of the Old Testament and for that matter, they have denied the power of God’s Word to direct the affairs of mankind. How tragically sad! May God keep our minds ever alert to deception!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
