by Pastor Cecil | Dec 26, 2018 | 1 John
1 John 5:13
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”
There is always a danger of forgetting the vital truths from the Word of God. John, who liked to think of himself as the beloved disciple, wants us to always remember the truth of his teaching. He was an eye witness to the ministry of Jesus and shared the gospel message with passion and power. Recall John 3:16
Prior to the celebration of Christmas there were messages and pageants that portrayed the birth of our Lord. We must never forget the truth of His birth to an humble maid servant and the announcement to lowly shepherds.
But … there is more!
We must always keep in mind that Jesus came to die in order that anyone who trusts in Him can inherit eternal life. That is the greatest news we can share with a sick and dying world while there is still time.
Christmas day 2018 may be gone, but the reality of the gospel message must never be forgotten. We need to make it a priority to share the good news of salvation as often as the Holy Spirit opens the door for us. Keep your eyes open!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 25, 2018 | John
John 1:1-14
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
This is my personal message for each and every one of you! Merry Christmas!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 24, 2018 | Luke
Luke 2:13-14
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’”
It is difficult to live in peace when our world is in chaos and strife on every hand. Even within the church of Jesus Christ there are factions that war against each other. If you have ever been involved in a conflict with other Christians, you know that it seems like a no-win situation.
Many times we encounter disruptive people in our churches that become the source of continuous conflicts. We pray for the Lord to sweeten them up, but at times I feel that God leaves them there so we can learn to rely more on Him than on the reactions of those around us.
It is worth our time to look in the mirror of God’s Word to determine if we are a blessing or a burden to others. Would Jesus be pleased at the way we interact with our fellowman? As we anticipate the remembrance and celebration of His birth, are we living in the joy of the anticipation of the coming King of kings and Lord of lords?
One of the best ways to welcome Christmas day tomorrow is to kneel before Him right now and invite Him to take control of every area of your life without reservation. There was no room for Him at the inn, but you can welcome Him into your heart!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 21, 2018 | Luke
Luke 2:8-10
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.’”
Several years ago our church had finished a wonderful Christmas Eve service. Earlier there had been candles placed inside white lunch bags that lined the driveway leading to the church.
My wife Joyce and I had volunteered to extinguish the candles after everyone had left. It had snowed a few days earlier and there were still a few inches on the ground. The temperature was below freezing when we crunched through the snow to the far end of the driveway. It was so quiet and beautiful that we were moved in our spirit with the beauty of God’s creation and the carol Silent Night.
The words of this well loved carol were written in 1818 by Josef Mohr after he had seen a play about the birth of Jesus. He was in a reflective mood and walked to a hill overlooking his village in the Austrian Alps. The view of the snow covered village reminded him of a poem he had written a few years earlier. The poem was about the night the angel announced the birth of Jesus.
The next day he took the words of his poem to Franz Gruber, who had just composed a melody. He re-worked the melody to match the words to the poem Mohr written. Our beloved carol, “Silent Night” was born.
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video, “Silent Night” from Gloryscapes.com by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/silentnight/
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 20, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 103:1-2
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
I seem to remember a commercial from many years ago for Maxwell House coffee: “Good to the last drop—it satisfies!” Does that ring a bell for some of you? Many products or programs claim to bring lasting satisfaction. Usually the satisfaction they claim can only be achieved by investing in what they are selling. Big happy smiles emblazoned on labels, billboards, fliers, or on television must prove that this or that will satisfy — right?
Perhaps there are things that will bring immediate satisfaction, but will it last? When your throat is parched after working for hours in the sun, a drink of cool water will satisfy you, but for how long? How long will it be before you are headed for the water faucet once more?
I love Psalm 103:1-5. These verses are very introspective and direct our soul to praise the Lord. There are many more things to praise the Lord for, but these verses get us started.
I live on Bald Eagle Lane. It is appropriate that in today’s Scripture we are encouraged by the fact that our youth will be renewed like the eagles. To me that means He gives us strength for doing what He calls us to do.
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
