by Pastor Cecil | Aug 10, 2015 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:10, 12-13
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.”
Have you ever prayed that God would bless the work of your hands? Your desire is to please God, but you’re not sure if you are being effective in the work. As much is you labor you fail to see the result of that work.
Many years ago I was pastoring a church in central Oregon and received a tape of a sermon from a former pastor in Boise, Idaho. The title of his sermon was the “Footprints of a Godly Man.” He described going about his activities and having the same man mentioned over and over for something he had done. After a few times it was like he was finding the footprints of this godly man.
I was enjoying his sermon and all the while wondering why he was sending it to me. After describing his experience he mentioned my name. I was astonished to say the least. The footprints that he had described were my footprints. I was humbled!
At the time that I had been going about my activities I felt so often that I was accomplishing next to nothing. Others seem to be far more fruitful in their ministry and I had been. While they impacted larger groups I was only working with a few. I had no idea that my few were rising two positions of spiritual leadership. I came to realize we all leave footprints in a different fashion. When we walk with the Lord’s and keep our eyes focused upon Him He will test the results of our labor. Keep walking for Him!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 19, 2015 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit. “
In 1979 the U.S. Embassy in Iran was overpowered and the Americans inside were held hostage for 444 days. One of those was the son of the former pastor of our church in Nampa, Idaho. I can recall our fervent prayer for Gary Lee as well as all of the other hostages.
They were finally redeemed and allowed to go free. That incident has returned to my mind just recently as I read that these hostages have battled to receive compensation for the time that they were held hostage. It is difficult to know what would be fair compensation, but in this case they have been asking for something like $3 million each.
Forgetting that particular incident and thinking of our redemption from sin, what is the worth of the human soul? The Lord Jesus paid the price for our redemption, and I am so grateful that we have been set free from the penalty of sin!
The writer of this hymn, Fanny Crosby, was eagerly looking forward to that day when her Redeemer would appear and her blinded eyes would be opened and she would behold the most beautiful sight she could ever imagine—Jesus!
Redeemed
(1) Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am.
REFRAIN: Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child and forever I am.
(2) Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence,
With me doth continually dwell.
REFRAIN:
(3) I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.
REFRAIN:
(4) I know I shall see in His beauty,
The King in whose law I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.
REFRAIN:
(5) I know there’s a crown that is waiting,
In yonder bright mansion for me,
And soon, with the spirits made perfect,
At home with the Lord I shall be.
REFRAIN:
To access Redeemed, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/redeemed/ in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 13, 2015 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 11:3-4
“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!”
For the past several weeks I have had increasing problems with my computer. I had programs designed to prevent my computer being corrupted, but I had not taken an active part in making sure that my computer inner workings were kept safe.
I have a beautiful computer, but when things began to go wrong I did not find it so pretty. As a matter of fact I was ready to put it on a rocket and send it to the moon. I realize that is not a spiritual thought, but honesty dictates that I tell it like it is. I was more than a little frustrated with it.
Then came my saving grace. After fussing and fighting with my problem I called in the cavalry. Actually not the cavalry, but a trained technician who was able to do what I was unable to do. I sat transfixed watching the screen as he skillfully plowed through the inner workings of my machine and suddenly all was made new . . . so to speak!
I fear that many times we find ourselves corrupted with the things of the world. They may seem to be harmless and even beneficial, but the more time we spend on the things of the world instead of the things of God, the more corruption slips into our heart. It is time for a clean-up and the Lord promises to make us like new!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 1, 2015 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:10-11
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Back during my high school days, I worked weekends and summers for a concrete contractor. Believe me when I tell you that things were different back then. There was very little pre-mixed concrete that was delivered by large rotating carriers. We were the mixers! We had a pile of sand, another of gravel and sacks of concrete that we had to combine shovel by shovel and bag by bag, water was then added.
In order to get the sloppy concrete into the foundation, we had to deliver it by manual labor. We had large wheelbarrows that we filled then pushed to the point of delivery. In the building process a solid foundation was essential. A weakened foundation could lead to the building falling.
As we travel through this life we often see people that have not laid a foundation that will withstand the storms of life. Sadly when storms strike, their foundations fail. It is during the storms that we need the solid foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep us safe. John Rippon published this hymn in 1787.
How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
To access How Firm a Foundation, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes Hymn Music Videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/howfirmafoundation/ in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 29, 2015 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
The story is told (I hope it is only fiction) of a couple who had come to a marriage counselor about problems they were having. The wife was distraught and felt her husband did not love her. She longed for a sign that he loved her but he never uttered the words she longed to hear.
The counselor listened to the complaints of the wife and after she had tearfully told her sad story of feeling unloved he turned to the husband for an explanation. The husband crossed his arms across his chest and said; “I have been married to that woman for 37 years. I told her the day we were married that I loved her. I have not taken that back and it is still in effect!”
It is tragic that we fail to share our love with the others. The early church was known for the love they had for each other. In our self-centered world we focus so much on what we want and need that we fail to give of ourselves for others.
Jesus came into this world to demonstrate His great love for us. As His arms were outstretched on that cruel cross He demonstrated that love is truly demonstrated as we die to ourselves and live for Him. There is a world out there that needs to know the meaning of true love. Are we demonstrating love to them?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 20, 2015 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 9:10
“Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.”
It seems as if I have always been fascinated by farming. As a boy we had a very small house on the edge of town and in a small field next to the house we had a milk cow. The labor of caring for this sweet natured animal was rewarded by the rich milk that she produced. I will always remember old Blossom.
One summer when I was a teenager I traveled to the Oklahoma panhandle to work for my uncle. My job was to drive a tractor pulling a plow. It was my first experience pulling a plow and thought it would be a snap.
I had not been plowing very long when my uncle met me at the end of the field with a scowl on his face. He wanted to know why I couldn’t plow a straight row. He said my furrow was as crooked as snake. I told him I was trying to plow straight and I was very careful about watching my front wheel to keep it in the furrow.
It was then that I learned that you do not plow a straight line by looking down at the furrow but looking down to a point on the far side of the field and heading directly for it. The field was about a half mile long, so it was hard to pick out a spot in the distance, but as I did the plow lines became straight and true. In like manner we need to keep our eyes on the hope of our eternal home. Quit looking at the furrow and focus on the glory that awaits on the other side!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
