by Pastor Cecil | Jul 15, 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.
I recall receiving an e-mail requesting prayer for a “prayer worrier.” I am sure the writer meant “prayer warrior,” but this person did what I have done so many times—misspelled a word and thus changed the meaning.
I have been thinking about 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.” That sounds like someone you would like on your side, right?
On the other hand, here is the definition for worrier: “One who thinks about unfortunate things that might happen.” Whoops! That is certainly not the person I would feel confident to have in my corner as a prayer partner.
The Amplified Bible gives a clear picture of what we may call a prayer worrier instead of a prayer warrior “[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].” May that never be a description of our prayer life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 14, 2014 | Matthew
Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Perhaps rudeness has been around for thousands of years, but it certainly seems to have peaked in our generation. People seem to be so self-absorbed that they become churlish or at best withdrawn around others.
Recently I was able to watch a man sitting at a table in a fine restaurant with his wife and her parents. I was close enough to hear the comment that the young couple was celebrating their wedding anniversary. The husband had his cell phone out and was more absorbed in texting than he was in celebrating. It was like a slap in the face of his wife and her parents. He was JUST PLAIN RUDE!
The next day I was driving on the freeway when a car swerved into my lane of traffic at the last moment to make the exit ramp. I was thinking about his rude action when another car from two lanes away swerved in front of him to exit. The action of these two drivers demonstrated to me that they were JUST PLAIN RUDE!
The Lord tenderly calls us to stay near to Him and search His Holy Word. All too often we tend to ignore His call and do our own thing. It’s JUST PLAIN RUDE!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 11, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 42:1-2
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
Hunger is a need that may be suppressed for many days without harm. Fasting in fact has been shown to have positive aspects and is thought to be beneficial to the body. Thirst, on the other hand is something which cannot be ignored. The dehydration of the body can quickly lead to death, as we have seen the tragic reality of in recent years with the deaths of athletes who exerted themselves in hot temperatures.
David confesses that he longs for a closer fellowship with the Lord. He likens his desire to being in a desert and almost dying for spiritual water. How did he get this way? Let’s try to imagine what that looks like, and to see if you may be suffering from the ailment. Here in Psalm 42.
One of the symptoms of spiritual dehydration is prolonged absence from assembling in the house of the Lord. Another symptom of spiritual dehydration is not spending time with God in personal communion. It leads to isolation and vulnerability to the temptations of the flesh. What about the spiritual dehydration of believers? Is that a choking sound I hear? How long has it been since you and God met for a visit? Reflect as you enjoy our hymn for the week.
Ho! Everyone Who Is Thirsty
Ho! Everyone that is thirsty in spirit,
Ho! Everyone that is weary and sad;
Come to the fountain, there’s fullness in Jesus,
All that you’re longing for; come and be glad!
Refrain: I will pour water on him that is thirsty,
I will pour floods upon the dry ground;
Open your hearts for the gifts I am bringing;
While you are seeking Me, I will be found.
Child of the world, are you tired of your bondage?
Weary of earth’s joys, so false, so untrue?
Thirsting for God and His fullness of blessing?
List’ to the promise, a message for you!
Refrain: I will pour water on him that is thirsty,
I will pour floods upon the dry ground;
Open your hearts for the gifts I am bringing;
While you are seeking Me, I will be found.
Child of the kingdom, be filled with the Spirit!
Nothing but “fullness” thy longing can meet;
‘Tis the enduement for life and for service;
Thine is the promise, so certain, so sweet.
Refrain: I will pour water on him that is thirsty,
I will pour floods upon the dry ground;
Open your hearts for the gifts I am bringing;
While you are seeking Me, I will be found.
To access Ho! Everyone Who Is Thirsty, this week’s inspirational video, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/hoeveryonewhoisthirsty/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 10, 2014 | Matthew
Matthew 19:4-6
‘Haven’t you read,’ He replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’
It was 62 years ago, July 10, 1952 to be exact, that Joyce and I became one flesh. It was a blazing hot day in Nampa, Idaho, and there was no such thing as air conditioning in the church. As a matter of fact there was not even a fan.
Joyce and I were both eighteen. We had first met when we were fourteen and had been sweethearts all through high school. People had a tendency to smirk and say we were too young. In fact there was a song back in the 50’s, They Tried to Tell Us We’re Too Young. People thought they knew best, but they did not know how level of devotion to each other.
While we were indeed quite young, we were totally committed to Jesus first and then to each other. Without apology we were both virgins and our decision to wait made our wedding day special.
When we recited our vows in the presence of our family and friends, we were uniting our very being. We could actually feel that we had become one flesh. Across these 62 years we have grown old together. Becoming one flesh is a blessing we would pray for each married husband and wife.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 9, 2014 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
I enjoy listening to people talk about what they do. I recall a job I had in my teens mixing concrete. Back then we had sand, gravel, and bags of powdered cement delivered to the job site. My job was to shovel a set quantity of sand, gravel, and cement into a large mixer along with the right amount of water. It was one of the hardest jobs I ever had.
After everything had been properly mixed, it was poured into wheelbarrows and transported to the prepared forms. Ah, yes, the forms. Without the forms the cement would just flow out on the ground and be of no use. The forms had been prepared ahead of time so that they would hold the concrete and, when it hardened, would be like a rock.
There is a startling similarity between the life of a Christian and the process of preparing concrete. Without the proper ingredients added in the proper ratio at the proper time, it will result in an unstable and formless foundation.
Spending time with God in prayer and reading His Word will prepare our foundational “forms” for building that heavenly home that will never pass away. Which home are you spending your time and effort to build?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
