by Pastor Cecil | May 27, 2014 | 1 John
1 John 1:5-7
This is the message we have heard from Him and declare unto you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
I have a great fear that we have given people the wrong message concerning salvation. We have propounded the idea that you are able to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and go on living a godless lifestyle. That is totally wrong. I find none of that thinking in Scripture. In fact it is just the opposite. This passage is just one of many that indicate our walk must match our talk.
Jesus consistently told those who had been set free from sin and disease to turn away from it and begin to walk a different walk. Now if Jesus said that to people in His day, it still applies today. It seems that somewhere along the line, we have adopted the notion that we can live like the devil and still be a child of the King. BEEP! WRONG!!
It is inventory time. We need to answer a set of questions that may well determine our eternal destiny. That means we cannot take them lightly. Ready?
- Can you recall when you prayed to ask the Lord to forgive your sins and come into your life?
- Were you sincere in praying that prayer?
- Do you have the assurance that Christ is your Savior and Lord at this very moment?
- In what manner has your way of life changed since you received Christ into your life? Have you turned away from the sins of your past?
- Are you disciplining yourself daily to read God’s Word?
- Do you have a meaningful prayer time each day? (Not just before meals or “Now I lay me down to sleep”)
- Do other people know you are a Christian by your spiritual walk with the Lord?
- When you sin, does your conscience convict you and lead you to confess the sin?
- If you were to appear before God right now, would He be pleased with the way you are living?
These are just a few questions that will hopefully reveal what your walk is like. It may be a wakeup call to re-establish your relationship with God. It is so easy to get caught up with the things of the world and ignore the Lord who has promised us eternal life. We never know when something very sudden and unexpected could end our life on this earth. The few questions above will be nothing compared to the questions we will give about every deed done in the flesh. Are you ready? I urge you to do it now while there is still time.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 23, 2014 | Luke
Luke 18:35-38
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ He called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’
One of our favorite movies is Return To Me. We do not like some of the language, but we are fascinated by the new life that donors provide. Transplant patients often wait for long periods of time hoping and praying that they will be chosen to receive a vital organ.
Our oldest daughter, Brenda, was gravely ill and her best hope for living was both a heart and lung transplant. She did not receive her required transplants, but she received something even better—a peace that passes all understanding as she enterered the Paradise God had prepared for her. Our youngest daughter, Lori, received both a kidney and pancreas transplant. Ironically the donor for the kidney transplant was Brenda’s daughter, Jenna!
Like it or not, these bodies of ours are destined to the grave. The spirit of man within us will live forever, either in heaven with the Lord or in hell with Satan. That it is why is so important to cry out for the Lord to not pass us by. Enjoy that old hymn, Pass Me Not.
Pass Me Not
Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief,
Kneeling there in deep contrition;
Help my unbelief.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in Heav’n but Thee?
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
To access Pass Me Not, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/passmenot/ 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 | May 22, 2014 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 6:3-4
We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses.
As I write this I am listening to a gospel song that proclaims “I’m getting ready to leave this world.” Are we? I mean, are we truly looking forward to the day when we will say goodbye to the things of this world and enter our eternal home?
In studying the biographies of some of the greatest saints across the ages, I learn that they faced troubles. Many faced far greater troubles than I have ever faced. Not only that, they dealt with these troubles with confidence in Jesus.
Frequently I have heard ministers preach and teach a feel-good gospel. They seem to say that if you have enough faith you will never have to deal with sickness, pain, or catastrophic events. When I hear their teachings I want to shout out for them to read about the life of Paul. He endured more persecution than I can imagine, yet he was in the center of God’s will.
The discovery I’ve made is that we can have victory in the middle of the storms of life. I recall a song we used to sing when I was a teenager — “Troubles may come and troubles will go; we’ll trust in Jesus come weal or woe.” Now that is my aim in life. I know that there will be troubles, but my Jesus is in control.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 22, 2014 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 1:9-10
He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
One of the saddest things in the world is to feel useless. At a very early age, kids will try to help adults with whatever task they may be doing. More often than not, the young child’s inexperience slows the adult’s progress rather than being of benefit.
As we get older, the desire to assist tends to taper off. This waning of desire even crosses over into the spiritual realm. After receiving the Lord into our hearts, we have a sense of peace and fulfillment…but too often the joy of our salvation wears off and we just go through the motions of living a Christian life.
Let me be quick to point out that according to Ephesians 2:8-9, we are saved by grace through faith and not by our own works of righteousness. We cannot be good enough to merit eternal life. It is God’s gift at Christ’s expense. In the same manner we are kept safe and secure by His grace and our faith.
Having said all of this, what is the purpose God has for us? As I said at the beginning, some Christians feel useless. They have little or no awareness that God has a purpose for each of us. If God loves us so much that He sent His dear Son to give His life for us, what is our purpose? The Westminster Shorter Catechism says that man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever. That is real purpose, dear heart. Are you fulfillingHis purpose for your life?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 21, 2014 | Luke
Luke 16:22-23
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
Jesus was and is a wonderful Lord and Savior, but He was a marvelous story teller as well. His stories had a spiritual meaning and were known as parables. When asked why He taught in parables, Jesus explained that it was for the believers to understand, but that unbelievers would simply perceive it to be just a story.
Many of us will recall the parable of the rich man and a beggar covered with sores that relied on the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table to sustain himself. We read that the rich man seemed to have everything and the beggar had nothing. There was another huge difference between the two of them: The beggar was a believer but the rich man was not.
They both died, as all mankind is destined to do. I am awestruck as I read what happens at the moment of their deaths. The beggar who was a believer was carried by angels into Paradise. Stop and think of what a sensation of ecstasy that would be. No more begging, suffering or pain. An eternity of bliss awaited him.
The rich man also died AND WAS BURIED. How empty and final that sounds. What a contrast with the beggar who ate the scraps from his table. He must have been aware of the man during his life since, when he is in torment, he asks for Lazarus to come and touch his tongue with a drop of water to ease the agony that would last for eternity. We must have our name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life to insure the angels will transport us to be with the Lord. Be prepared!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
