by Pastor Cecil | May 7, 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 have a quiet place — a place far away from the stress and turmoil of life? This quiet place should be more than a physical location, it should be a spiritual oasis. We can experience quietness and peace even in the midst of the battles of life. We know what our battlegrounds are; what we need is peace!
From time to time I observe groups frenziedly waving placards promoting peace. More often than not these are the very people who cause conflicts and dissention. As far as I know they never establish peace.
But what about our life right now? The Lord desires for us to enter into a blessed quietness with Him. It may require a commitment on our part to find the time and place where we can experience Him in serenity.
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 alone with God, we will never experience the knowledge of His Lordship in our life. Wait in silence to hear the quiet voice of the Lord whispering peace and blessing within your inner being. Ahhhhh! How sweet the quiet!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 4, 2018 | Ephesians
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
I suppose many of us have heard humorous stories about someone approaching the gates of heaven and being required to prove that their actions on earth merited entry into God’s heavenly kingdom. Beep! Wrong answer!
A person may do amazingly good works here on earth and still miss heaven. It is not what we do for God that determines where we will spend eternity—it is what He has done for us. When we repent of our sins and accept Him as Savior and Lord then—and only then—is our name is written down in glory.
The writer of this week’s hymn, Charlotte Elliot, was offended when someone asked her if she was a Christian. She told him to mind his own business. Later as she was contemplating his question, she began to wonder what it took to become a Christian. She called him and he explained to her the plan of salvation which she accepted. It was then that she wrote this hymn, “Just As I Am.”
Just As I Am
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Enjoy this week’s free inspiration video, “Just As I Am” from Gloryscapes.com by going to: http://gloryscapes.com/justasiam/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 3, 2018 | Isaiah
Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Sometimes, when life is hectic and demanding, I feel like I would like some “alone” time. Have you ever felt that way? For several years Public Television has chronicled the story of Dick Proenneke, a man who lived alone in the wilderness for over thirty years.
I have to confess that I love watching this program over and over again. It is not that I would like to be alone like Dick, but I am intrigued by the creative ways he used the resources around him to survive.
In addition to being impressed by Dick’s resourcefulness, I also became aware of something else—he was not totally isolated. There was a bush pilot who made trips into Dick’s remote location to deliver supplies and mail. I can only imagine the joy he must have felt in receiving mail from his family in California.
We do not have to be isolated in a wilderness like Dick Proenneke to feel alone. We can feel alone even when we are surrounded by a multitude of people. Regardless of where we might be or who might be around us, according to our Scripture for today we are never alone. Not only is the Lord with us at all times, He has promised to give us strength and to uphold us. Praise the Lord!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 2, 2018 | Romans
Romans 12:9
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”
I am scared silly by what I observe in the modern church world. Fundamentals are being sacrificed for the sake of fads. The gospel is being replaced by gadgets. Spirituality is being traded for superficiality. Discipleship is being bartered for dependency.
This new wave of Christianity calls for little or no commitment except sending money with the selfish motive of receiving good things in return. Entire groups of churches have adopted the premise that their own decisions hold priority over the infallible Word of God.
I am here to say that if the Bible says something is a sin—it is a sin. No amount of ecclesiastical mumbo jumbo can replace what God has spoken. Now we are being subjected to efforts to form a one-world church. The book of Revelation will open your eyes to the pitfall such an organization presents.
So what are we to do—individually as well as collectively? PRAY! Not in pride but in humility. II Chronicles 7:14 should be constantly before us: “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Let’s obey God.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 1, 2018 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 12:10
“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.“
Back in the 1970’s I seemed to have it made. I was Deputy Director of the Idaho Law Enforcement Planning Commission. The position paid well and I was offered a similar position with a Federal agency. But God had other plans for me.
I felt God’s call and took a part-time position with my home church. The pay was less and the hours longer, but it was God’s call and I could only obey. Since that time I have felt weak and inadequate, but it is in those times that I have most felt the power of God. It was not what I did but what God did through me.
There was a time in my life when I felt that retirement was something to look forward to. But I passed “retirement age” many years ago and now my ministry is more fruitful than when I was young and strong.
Why is that? I think the answer is that it is not my strength or ability, but God flowing through me. The less I am able to do, the more He is able to do through me. “Do you feel me?”
If you feel too weak or too inadequate to do work for the Lord, just start praising the Him. That is when His power and glory can be displayed. It is when we are weak that His strength is revealed! Thank God for the difficulties and watch Him work!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
