by Pastor Cecil | Dec 19, 2018 | Matthew
Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
When I was a boy there was a man in our church who attracted all of us kids to him. As I recall, his name was Vanoy Croswell. He was a happy and radiant Christian who loved people and especially kids. But that was not what appealed to us. HE WAS THE SEN-SEN MAN! He shared his Sen-Sen and Jesus.
Sen-Sen was (and still is) a breath freshener — tiny squares of hard licorice in a little cardboard box with a small hole from which the tiny Sen-Sen squares drop when the box is shaken. That is what I remember about Mister Croswell. I can still hear the rattle of the small box as he would shake out a tiny square and then proceed to tell us about Jesus.
It really did not take very much to attract the kids to him, and it gave him an opportunity to tell us about Jesus. We discovered that his generous spirit went far beyond the tiny pieces of sweets that he doled out to us. That was just his way of giving himself an opportunity to share.
In today’s Scripture, Jesus says that we are to let our light shine in such a way that as others see the good that we do they will be drawn to glorify our Father in heaven. In what way are you drawing people to you in order to tell them about Jesus?
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 17, 2018 | Nehemiah
Nehemiah 4:6
“So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”
As we read these words it is important to understand that Ezra had returned at an earlier time and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem. Only a remnant returned with Ezra, but even so his group had rebuilt the temple. They faced oppression and conflict with the people living in that area.
Word came to Nehemiah that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and the people were disheartened. He Prayed to the Lord and appealed to the king for permission to return and build the walls for stability and protection from the enemies of Israel. God heard his prayer and the king allowed Nehemiah to return and build the walls.
There was considerable opposition from their enemies, but God was in control and gave the people strength to restore the walls. It was not just building that was required, but the people had to be armed and ready to defend themselves from the enemy that threatened them.
Question time! What walls need rebuilding in your life? Walls that give stability and meaning to your life. Who are the enemies who oppose you? What are your weapons against these foes? We need to begin living as more than conquerors!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 14, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 98:4
“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.”
Throughout scripture we are called upon to make a joyful noise before the Lord. In Psalm 98, all of creation is called upon to make a joyful noise before God. All around us we see the hand of a loving God who cared enough about us to send His own dear Son into the world to provide us with salvation.
This beautiful hymn was written by Isaac Watts. As we read and listen to the words of this moving Christmas hymn, we need to stop and ask ourselves if we are making a joyful noise before the Lord or just noise.
Joy to the World
Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart Prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing;
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and heaven and angels sing
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns;
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods; rocks, hills and plains,
Repeat the sounding joy;
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, Repeat, the sounding joy
No more will sins and sorrows grow;
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow;
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace;
And makes the nations prove,
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love;
And wonders of His love;
And wonders, wonders of His love.
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video, “Joy To the World” from GloryScapes.com by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/joytotheworld/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 13, 2018 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Have you ever been lost? I have. Not just once, but several times. I have been lost on a hunting trip, making the wrong turn on a highway, and a few other times I will not go into detail to explain.
Most of our problems arise when we fail to read the directions or do our own thing when we get God’s instructions wrong or out of order. STOP! Be honest and admit how many times you have failed to consult God and His Word before you acted?
When you became lost and undone did you blame God for the mess you found yourself in? (It’s getting uncomfortable now isn’t it?) Just remember that this is directed at me just as much, possibly more, than you.
So what are we expected to do? Just read and re-read today’s Scripture. There are several key steps that instruct us:
- We are to “TRUST God with all of our heart.”
- We are not to “lean on our own UNDERSTANDING;”
- We are to “ACKNOWLEDGE Him” in all our ways!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 12, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 103:1
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!”
When my wife Joyce and I were high school seniors, Joyce was crowned Homecoming Queen. I can still picture her sitting in the gymnasium on a makeshift throne along with her court. The crown on her head signified that she had been voted Queen of our student body.
The position carried no monetary rewards and on the following Monday the other students did not bow to her. She was just the same Joyce Harper as she had been before the coronation.
Our present-day society suffers from a short supply of love and mercy (compassion). It seems more and more that we live in a dog-eat-dog world. Even Christians seem to be caught up in the struggle to get ahead regardless of the needs of others.
My sweet “Homecoming Queen” might have surrendered her crown after that night so long ago, but she has received a far greater crown from the Lord. She had the qualities of love and mercy as a gift from God and went to be with Him almost four years ago. She now has a crown that will last for eternity!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
