by Pastor Cecil | May 28, 2018 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 4:5
“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.”
In today’s Scripture, Paul is speaking about how we often use our conscience as a guide to determine our actions. He is quick to point out that our conscience is not the guide we need; our conscience can be seared or warped so it is not always a reliable guide.
I am here to tell you that if you say “no” to the promptings of the Holy Spirit long enough, you will become hardened to His voice and will allow things in your life that at one time you would never do. We even have counselors who try to tell us that the most important thing is for us to think about ourselves and do what will make us feel good. BEEEP! Wrong answer.
As we again look at the Scripture from I Corinthians 4:5, we see that there will be a day of judgment. We will not answer to earthly counselors or earthly judges, but we will appear before the Lord Himself. Down here we can often fool those who observe our actions, but with God that is impossible. “The Lord knows!”
So how can we determine what is right and what is wrong with our actions? You’ve got it — by looking into God’s Word. If you feel guilty about your actions it is probably the Holy Spirit convicting you. Remember – God knows!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 25, 2018 | Philippians
Philippians 4:4-6
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
William Walford did not allow the fact that he was blind limit his service for his Lord. He was frequently called upon to preach in a small country church. He composed the sermons in his head and also was able to quote large portions of Scripture from memory. Some people thought he had memorized the entire Bible. He also composed verses as the Lord laid the words upon his heart. Above all—he was a man of prayer.
In the mid 1800’s, Thomas Salmon was visiting in England and became acquainted with Pastor Walford. As they were visiting one day the blind pastor quoted a few pieces he had composed. Since he had no one to write them down he had kept them treasured in the storehouse of his mind.
One of the verses he related to Mr. Salmon was, Sweet Hour of Prayer. Mr. Salmon eagerly scribbled the words down on a scrap of paper. When he returned to New York he sent the verses to the Observer and asked if they thought them worth preserving. The Observer did think them worthy and published them on September 13, 1845. The music was added by William Bradbury in 1861.
Sweet Hour of Prayer
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
‘Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!’
To access Sweet Hour of Prayer please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/sweethourofprayer in your browser or click on the image below.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 24, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 139:17-18
“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;when I awake, I am still with You.”
If my daughter Brenda was still alive this would be her 62nd birthday. I know that makes me feel ancient, but there are many more reminders that I am in my golden-oldie years! At least I am still here and God has enriched me with a meaningful ministry.
Many of you will recall the story I have shared of the final days of my daughter’s life back in 1991 when she was just 35. In the hospital one afternoon she shared with me that she felt cheated out of half of her expected life span. Wow! I was taken aback by Brenda’s statement and on the way home prayed for discernment to bring her comfort.
As I was driving into the garage I noticed the tires had left fine sand on the floor … and inspiration struck me. Taking a white sheet of paper, I swept up some of the sand. Then I laboriously counted out 75 grains and put them in an empty perfume bottle. The next day I placed it on her bed and told her it represented the 75 years her grandpa had lived — one grain for each year. If eternity could be measured (it can’t), it shows that our years are nothing when we anticipate the glory of heaven waiting for us.
I have no idea how many more grains of sand the Lord will count out for me here on this earth, but I want to continue to be faithful and fruitful in serving him before I am given my eternal reward.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 23, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 84:5-6
“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools.”
One of my childhood memories is trips we made from the Pacific Northwest to the Oklahoma panhandle to visit my mom’s family. It was a long and hot journey in a car with no air conditioning. We stayed at motor camps at night that were not much more than four walls, perhaps a sink, and hopefully located close to the public restrooms.
The “Valley of Baca,” means the valley of tears. The Psalmist wants to challenge us to leave springs in the hot and desolate valleys we pass through so that others may be refreshed as they pass along this same path.
We leave springs in the valley by living a life that is committed to God and available for His use. He takes that dedicated life and produces a flow of clean, pure spiritual water to nourish those who come behind us.
Please be encouraged as you struggle through the hot and desolate trials of life. Make it your aim to leave wells of blessing behind. Make sure that you invest good memories in the hearts of those who will follow you. Just love God and keep doing what His Word says, and leave the rest up to Him. I think I see a spring starting to flow right now!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 22, 2018 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 12:7
“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.”
In our humanity we often rush to the aid of those of our loved ones and friends who are experiencing some type of pain in their life. The problem is that we sometimes fail to seek God’s purpose in the matter. God may be allowing individuals to endure hardship in order to bring about His glory in the midst of their pain. I know that flies in the face of some of those who want every discomfort and pain removed immediately.
In our Scripture for today, Paul shares that he was given a thorn in the flesh. Some who have tried to guess what that thorn was. If it was important, Paul would have told us. By his not naming the thorn, we are better able to relate to the thorn that we may have in our life. I guess you might say that, “Any old thorn will do!”
Once Paul learned the secret of the thorn, he could see that the Lord’s strength and power was made perfect in weakness. We may strive to be perfect and have it all put together, but remember the secret of the thorn. It is in our weakness that the Lord’s strength is demonstrated. Paul was so excited about this discovery that he began to delight in his weaknesses, insults, and hardships. Why? Because it was then that Christ could be seen more clearly. It is presenting of our body to the Lord as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
