by Pastor Cecil | May 6, 2014 | Judges
Judges 16:20
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.
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.
As a frog would be placed in this hot water, it would immediately leap out of the dish onto the table. Time after time each frog tested in this manner jumped to safety and no harm was done.
They placed a frog in cool water and observed as it swam around with no concern. They very 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 | May 5, 2014 | John
John 17:15-19
My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
It literally sends chills up and down my spine to understand that Jesus actually prayed for each and every believer! As we read the words of this beautiful prayer of our Lord, it is awesome to remember that He has each of us written in the palm of His hand. Accept this mighty prayer in your behalf.
Jesus could have easily taken all of His disciples with Him when He ascended into heaven. He didn’t! Jesus had a plan and purpose for the disciples of His day as well as the believers of all ages.
Read today’s Scripture once more and where I have underlined the words they or them, place your name instead. You see, Jesus had a plan and purpose for each believer. Some have been called to endure suffering and sacrifice, and others to a life of plenty in which to give to the work of ministry.
Things change rapidly, and we never know from moment to moment whether we will live or die for the Lord. But there is one thing we can know for certain — He has prayed this prayer for you knowing every moment of your life. What are you doing for Him?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 2, 2014 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 4:12-13
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Fanny J. Crosby was a remarkable woman. There are so many accomplishments in her life that it is hard to comprehend them all. She lost her eyesight because of the treatment of a careless doctor. In spite of her loss she memorized huge portions of Scripture just by listening to her grandmother read them to her. She is credited with writing over 10,000 hymns during her life.
Fanny began writing poetry at an early age, but another amazing fact is that she did not accept Jesus as her personal Savior until she was 31. She was attending a service on November 20, 1850. The congregation was singing a hymn by Isaac Watts; “At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light.” She knew she needed the Lord and that very night He became her Savior and Lord.
Her desire was to always stay close to Jesus who had paid the ultimate price for her salvation. Her desire was to remain near her Lord. She immediately wrote the words to this week’s hymn, Near the Cross.
Near the Cross
Jesus, keep me near the cross;
there a precious fountain,
free to all, a healing stream,
flows from Calvary’s mountain.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
love and mercy found me;
there the bright and morning star
sheds its beams around me.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
bring its scenes before me;
help me walk from day to day
with its shadow o’er me.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Near the cross I’ll watch and wait,
hoping, trusting ever,
till I reach the golden strand
just beyond the river.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
To access Near the Cross, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/nearthecross/ 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 1, 2014 | Hebrews
Hebrews 10:11-14
Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
May first is celebrated in different ways. As a boy it was a sweet way to welcome the first warmth of summer. May baskets were left on the doorsteps of people’s houses as a way of showing friendship.
Over the years it has become a rallying cry for environmental causes and quite often it is accompanied by civil disobedience. It always confuses me how these protesters demand to be allowed to misbehave, but deny the majority the right to stop them from their unlawful actions.
Well, with that being said, I will get back to my subject. It seems that many people feel a sense of pride in announcing that they are not religious. It is as if they were the ones in the know-how, and believers are somehow naïve.
Prior to conducting funerals I have at times been informed that the family is not religious. As I have met with them I have tried to be as friendly as possible. Almost without fail when I say a prayer at the end of our meeting, there are tears in their eyes. At the funeral I use God’s Word as a source of hope and they comment that it was just what they wanted. So much for I’M NOT RELIGIOUS!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 30, 2014 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 12:21-24a
The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment.
When I was a boy my mother would sometimes comment; “You can’t go out looking like that. You have to look presentable!” I wonder what she would say if she could see the way some people look today when they go out into public?
A great deal of emphasis is placed upon the latest fashions, regardless of how silly they may be. I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the fad of wearing jeans with holes in the knees. In my day that would indicate you were too poor to wear decent pants.
While I am on the subject I would like to comment on the way people dress when they attend worship services. Often they look like a rag tag conglomerate of sloppy dressers that just wander in off the street because it was a place to get warm (or cool if it is summer).
I happen to think that we come together to meet with the King of the universe. I would certainly dress appropriately if I had an audience with the Queen of England. How much more should I be presentable to meet the King of kings and Lord of lords. What about our hearts? Are they presentable?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
