by Pastor Cecil | Feb 19, 2018 | Hebrews
Hebrews 4:16
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
There are at least two ways we may approach God’s throne of grace — barely or boldly. Barely means we slink our way toward His throne expecting to be thrown out at any second. Boldly means we accept God’s open invitation to come into His presence as His own dear child.
When our oldest grandson, Zane, was quite small, he used to follow my dad around like a shadow. Zane and his great grandfather had a close relationship. From time to time, being a normal boy, something that he was playing with would break. Zane would never be upset. He would confidently exclaim, “Papa fitz it!” For those of you who have a hard time with kid talk, that means “Grandpa will fix it!” That should be our attitude toward the Lord.
How then should we pray? With praise and assurance that God will use all situations to bring about His goodness and grace. We pray with anticipation, looking for the answers, paying attention to what is happening, and eager to give God the glory. Three things to remember when we go to the Lord in prayer: ATTITUDE! ATTITUDE! ATTITUDE!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 16, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 145:9-12
“The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. All You have made will praise You, O LORD; Your saints will extol You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might, so that all men may know of Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.”
The older I get (and I am getting up there), the more disturbed I am about senseless killing. This is true of attacks on other people, but also on killing animals just for the sport of it. In my hunting days I did shoot game, but it was for food not for sport. Now there are many that hunt for bragging rights, not for food. God meant for us to be keepers and protectors, not killers.
In 1225, when he was feeling ill and losing his sight, Francis of Assisi wrote about what was always on his heart: the praise of God. In All Creatures of Our God and King, Francis’ love for God and the world He made comes out very strongly.
Probably because he lived such a simple life, he “noticed” things that we, in our busy-ness, overlook. Francis believed that all earth’s creatures get their life from God and that we all depend on Him for our continual existence.
All Creatures of Our God and King
1. All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
O, praise Him, Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
2. Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heav’n along,
O, praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
3. Let all things their creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness
O, praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
4. And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O, praise Him! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Enjoy this free inspirational video, from Gloryscapes.com by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/allcreaturesofourgodand king/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 15, 2018 | 2 Peter
2 Peter 3:14
“Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.”
In a world where there is bickering, arguing, conflict, fights, and war, we need peace and harmony. It is vital that in the midst of the stormy seas of life we can know peace and live in harmony with those around us. Even the knot-heads? Especially the knot-heads!
The word harmony may be defined as having agreement, accord, or living in peaceful relations. A quick glance at the latest news will quickly reveal that we are not living in a world filled with harmony.
God has never promised us that He was going to change our world and give us pleasant, darling people to live with. Don’t expect that to happen! We are stuck with the ones we have. Jesus prayed to His Father before His crucifixion as we find recorded in John 17:17; “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
To find harmony that is authentic and everlasting we must trust in and rely on the everlasting Word of God. It is not to be found in the so-called wisdom of man, but the unchanging Word that God has inspired to lead us into His HARMONY!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 14, 2018 | 1 John
1 John 4:7
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”
Today, February 14th, is Valentine’s Day. If you have not yet purchased that card, a romantic gift, or whatever, you had better get busy! There is very little time left to get that special something which will demonstrate in a meaningful way the feelings of love for that special someone in your life.
Unfortunately, there is phony (or fictitious) love present in our world that is often the result of selfish and greedy emotions. People often want things for themselves and use love as a tool to obtain what they think will satisfy their demands.
If my precious wife, Joyce, was still alive we would be celebrating 66 years of marriage this July. I can honestly say that my love for her is far deeper even though she has gone to be with our Lord. There is an important reason for our successful life of love and growth together — we kept the Lord at the center of our marriage.
Perhaps the greatest gift you can give your loved one this Valentine’s Day is to share together the precious love of God; commit yourself to allow His love to be expressed through you in your actions as well as in your words.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 13, 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.”
Think of how many times you have walked into a room to get something only to suddenly realize you can’t recall what it was you came in for. (Don’t laugh at us older folks — you yung’uns have had the same experience!) Someone has mentioned that even atheists believe in God because they often ask, “What am I here after?”
I once heard the story about an older gentleman who always called his wife affectionate names like “Honey,” “Sweetie,” “Dearie,” “Love.” When a friend complimented him on the sweet names he called his wife, the old gentleman replied, “I have to, I haven’t been able to remember her name for ten years.”
Peggy Lee, a popular vocalist back in the 50’s, had a hit song titled “Is That All There Is?” It was a depressing song to me. It is an accurate question for many people who try to fill their lives with all of the worldly comforts only to come near the end and find that the things of this life will never satisfy.
God has given His promise to us that He is always there beside us. In the Old Testament He was the hope of all who would trust Him. He gave His word of promise through His prophets; and those who trusted in Him looked down the ages of time, and through the eyes of faith, saw the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
