by Pastor Cecil | Nov 27, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 42:1
“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.”
Thirst is something that cannot be ignored. The dehydration of the body can quickly lead to death, as we have seen with the tragic deaths of athletes who over exerted themselves in hot temperatures.
What about spiritual dehydration in believers? Let’s try to imagine what that looks like to see if you may be suffering from the ailment.
One of the symptoms of spiritual dehydration is prolonged absence from assembling in the house of the Lord. It leads to isolation and vulnerability to the temptations of the flesh.
Another symptom of spiritual dehydration is not spending time with God in personal communion, praying in the power of the Holy Spirit and reading His Word to hear Him speak to us.
Is that a choking sound I hear? How long has it been since you and God met for a visit?
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 26, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Do you need a quiet place, a place far away from the stress and turmoil of life? Such a quiet place is more of a spiritual state of mind than a physical location. We can experience quietness and peace even in the battles of life.
We can hear the Lord call to us from today’s passage of Scripture: “Be still, and know that I am God.” If we fail to take the time to be still in the presence of the Lord we will never experience the knowledge of His Lordship in our life. Failure to be still before Him will lead to our own efforts to work out our own solutions.
The quiet, healing, intimate presence of God is to be found only as we consciously make an effort to be alone with Him. Ask the Lord to show you a time that you may be able to devote time alone with Him: Early mornings before the rest of the family rises; at noon when you may be alone in your office; when the kids are down for a nap; after everyone has retired for the night; parked in your car beside a lake … I think you get the picture.
As you come to the quiet place, spend more time listening than speaking. You may read a verse or two, but then stop and meditate on what you have read. Wait in silence to hear the quiet voice of the Lord whispering peace and blessing within your inner being. Ahhhhh! How sweet the quiet!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 22, 2018 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Being thankful is not (or at least it should not be) a once-a-year thing. As members of God’s family we are to be thankful at all times. It is not our prerogative to choose when and what we will be thankful for.
In today’s Scripture, Paul admonishes the church at Thessalonica (as well as all of us) that we are to: Rejoice always. Do you frequently look as though you have been baptized in vinegar? That, my dear friend, is not being continually joyful.
Paul’s second admonition is that we are to: Pray without ceasing. Here is another embarrassing question: How is your prayer life? Are you continually speaking to the Lord in prayer? It is a discipline that we need to pursue.
The last admonition is in line with today’s topic. Here is what the Lord expects of us: In everything give thanks. Chew on that while you are munching on your sumptuous dinner. What if you had little or nothing to eat? Would you still give thanks? That is exactly the Lord’s will in any and every circumstance.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 21, 2018 | Matthew
Matthew 3:8
“Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.”
I was saved when I was nine or ten years old ― so long ago that I can’t remember my exact age. It is not essential to know my age; I just knew that I was not a Christian and the only way to become one was to confess my sins and invite Jesus into my heart.
There were about ten or fifteen other kids kneeling at the altar that night. The Pastor instructed us to stand when we knew that Jesus had become our Savior and Lord. After pouring out words of repentance to the Lord and praying for Him to come in, I knew that something had happened. I had been born again! When I stood and saw that all of the other kids were also on their feet, I felt confused. But I knew what had just happened within me was real. I was now a born-again Christian!
Did that mean that I could live any way I wanted? NO! Did it mean that I had to start the process of spiritual growth? Absolutely! Spiritual growth can never precede spiritual birth. Just as I had a lot of physical maturing ahead of me, so too I had a lot of spiritual maturing to do.
We cannot be justified by our good deeds or righteous actions. Spiritual birth must precede spiritual growth. It is only then that we understand and practice what it means to be a faithful born-again Believer in Jesus our Savior.
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions! – – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 20, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 118:24
“Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
One cold winter morning I stepped outside for a moment and noticed a mist near the full moon. As I stood silently watching, it quickly vanished away. When I returned to my warm living room, I reflected on the way the mist had so quickly vanished. It reminded me of just how quickly life vanishes away.
Almost every day I read of the rich and famous, as well as the poor and unknown, who have come to the end of their lives on this earth and entered eternity. It is a reality that the death rate for humans is 100%, unless we are destined to depart in the rapture.
Along with this vaporous existence that we know as our life comes a vivid reality: How do we invest the days we have been allotted? Are they lived for the Lord in a way that will count for eternity, or do we waste our time on the here and now that will vanish away like the mist near a full moon?
I want my life to count for the Lord! I want my actions to draw people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. On Christ the solid rock I stand and lift His holy name as that which will never vanish like the vapor.
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
