by Pastor Cecil | Dec 11, 2019 | Psalm
Psalm 103:2
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
Suppose someone blessed you with a cash gift of $10,000. Can you imagine what your reaction would be?What would your attitude be toward the one who gave you $10,000? Would you have a feeling of elation? How long do you suppose that gift would last?
In the very next verse (Ps 103:3) we are told that the Lord forgives all our sins and heals all of our diseases. We may not be able to visualize our complete healing, but through the eyes of faith we can know that God has healed us from the inside out!
Anytime I consider the concept of God’s forgiveness I immediately think of I John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Without an acknowledgement of our sins and confessing them before the Lord, there can be no forgiveness. We also need to forgive others and praise the Lord in the process. If we desire God to heal us from the inside out, there is no way other than doing what His Word commands. Are you praising the Lord for His forgiveness and giving you the grace to forgive others?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 10, 2019 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 5:6
“So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.”
Back in 1966 I was away from family and home as I served an unaccompanied tour with the US Air Force in St. Anthony, Newfoundland. Even though it wasn’t home, I did make many wonderful friends and had a comfortably warm and secure room.
One Sunday evening a few days before Christmas, I was invited to the home of the administrator of the mission hospital in St. Anthony. The other guests that night included doctors and nurses from all over the world. We spent the evening sharing testimonies and singing Christmas carols.
When we sang “Silent Night” someone suggested that those from other nations sing it in their own language. As they sang in their native tongue, tears would flow freely down their cheeks. There was joy in the room, but something vital was missing—we were all far from home.
People may have the most luxurious house, but that does not make a home. It is not the location of a house or even its luxury that brings joy—it is what is on the inside. The same can be said of the true believer. As the words of the old gospel song say, “This world is not my home, I’m just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heavens open door and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 9, 2019 | Romans
Romans 8:38-39
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I once read of a young man who wrote a deeply passionate love letter to his sweetheart proclaiming that he would climb the highest mountain for her—would swim the widest river for her—would even lay down his life for her. At the end he added a thoughtful P.S.: “I’ll stop by to see you this weekend if it doesn’t rain.”
BEEP!
Many people dread the time when we are all destined to appear before the Lord. That is why it is so very critical that our sins are covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Without such great love and His precious blood applied to the doorposts of our hearts, there is no salvation. We can do countless good works, but that will not save us or make us fit for heaven. It is only by confessing our sins and receiving Him into our hearts that His blood covers us and protects us.
One of the most precious hymns ever written was one by F.M. Lehman in 1917 titled The Love of God. “O LOVE OF GOD, HOW RICH AND PURE! HOW MEASURELESS AND STRONG! IT SHALL FOR EVERMORE ENDURE, THE SAINTS’ AND ANGELS’ SONG.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 6, 2019 | Luke
Luke 2:15
“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'”
The beloved Carol “O Come, All Ye Faithful” was originally written in Latin (Adeste Fideles). The words were written by an Englishman, John Wade who had originally intended it as a hymn.
The music to “O Come, All Ye Faithful” was composed by fellow Englishman John Reading in the early 1700s. In 1841, Rev. Frederick Oakley revised the lyrics of “Adeste Fideles.”
While it would be an appropriate hymn at any time of the year, it has become a cherished Christmas Carol. Let us all come and adore, Christ the Lord.
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
Oh come ye, Oh come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Oh Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God’s holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
All Hail Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Oh Jesus for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” from Gloryscapes.com by going to: https://gloryscapes.com/ocomeallyefaithful/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 5, 2019 | 1 John
1 John 3:18
“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”
I once conducted a Committal Service for a decorated navy veteran. My wife Joyce accompanied me on the trip and I parked the car where she could observe the service. She was also able to view behind the decorated retaining wall.
It was inspiring to have four military personnel standing at parade rest while I recited Scripture and made spiritual application about the reality of eternity. The military concluded their portion of the service by presenting the flag to the widow, and then marched in unison behind a wall.
As Joyce and I drove away, she reflected on what she had seen from her vantage point. The military detail had been so polished and regimented during the ceremony, but after they went behind the wall, a change took place. She watched as the stiff formality dissolved into casual laughter and gestures of relief.
Before we say anything about these brave, young service personnel, let us stop and consider our spiritual behavior. How many times have we put on a facade of piousness that was not exactly true? If we face ourselves in God’s mirror of truth—the Bible—what would we see? There are always people watching the way we live!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
