by Pastor Cecil | Jan 6, 2016 | 1 John
1 John 5:4-5
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
What happens when your team twins? If you are like the majority of people, you “whoop and holler like you found a new found dollar!” That is often the case in the post-season football bowl games.
I just read a report that this past Saturday night the University of Oregon was leading Texas Christian University 31 to 0 at halftime. It was a blowout and I am sure all of the Oregon fans were rejoicing and the TCU fans were weeping. But there is always a second half, isn’t there? That was the case and in an astonishing fashion, TCU won the game in triple overtime. Now who is weeping and who is rejoicing?!
In this old sin-sick world we may feel like we are on the losing side, but we need to remember that there is a second half. In Psalm 30:5 we read these wonderful words of encouragement: “… weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Never feel that things are hopeless or that we are helpless. No matter how bad things may seem, God gives us the final result: JESUS WINS! Stay on His side!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 11, 2015 | 1 John
1 John 3:16
“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
November 11th is celebrated as Veterans Day. In some countries it is celebrated as Armistice Day. Originally, it was to remember the end of World War I in 1918.
This day has been set aside to honor those who served to defend their country. They are worthy of honor. In our modern world we observe more dishonor than honor. Parents and the elderly are treated with disrespect and scorn.
On this day that we set aside to pay tribute to those who have placed their lives on the line, it is appropriate to honor our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus came into the world and gave His life in order that we can have eternal life.
I want to set aside a significant block of time this day to honor my Savior and Lord for who He is, and what He has done for me. This could be a new awakening of the honor that we need to show our Lord.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 22, 2015 | 1 John
1 John 2:5-6
“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
On a lonely stretch of road on the northern peninsula of Newfoundland, Canada, there is the small community of Flowers Cove. The Newfoundland Department of Transportation has installed a traffic camera facing north. All you can see is a long stretch of deserted road. For a number of years at mid-morning there would be an image of a man walking north.
Having been stationed with the Air Force not too far from that location I could picture the topography. I tried to wonder where this man was walking at the same time each morning. I guess I will never know. I do know that when I was stationed in Newfoundland it was very common to see people walking instead of using a car.
Spiritual walking should be the common mode of transportation for a true believer. We do this by keeping God’s Word and showing our love for God by the way we love others.
We are told to walk just as Jesus walked. How did Jesus walk? He walked in constant communion with His Father. We walk in communion with the Lord by reading His Word and talking with him in prayer. Have you walked with God today?!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 19, 2015 | 1 John
1 John 5:16-17
“If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.”
Yesterday I wrote about the thrill of victory. It is foolish to say that defeat is better than victory. A sports team or a nation’s military force never enter combat with the hope of being defeated.
I received a call of condolence from dear friends who were the pastor and wife of a church in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, Canada, when I was stationed there. They mentioned that they had made a trip back to St. Anthony last year. Their hearts were broken as they observed the lack of spiritual life that had once been so alive when they were there in the 1960’s.
It reminded me of the individuals I have known and ministered to across the years. At one time they had a fervent spirit of service to the Lord . . . but, little by little, the cares of the world crowded in and the flame of spiritual commitment grew smaller and smaller. It is heart wrenching!
All through the Bible we read of the same thing happening. David allowed sensuality to blind his eyes to his calling. Solomon was granted great wisdom, but he foolishly allowed foreign wives to bring their god’s into his life, and his life became filled with vanities of vanities. Only by keeping our eyes on the Lord and obeying His Word will we maintain the thrill of victory — not the agony of defeat!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 18, 2015 | 1 John
1 John 5:2-4
“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”
When I was in high school I played football. For those of you in parts of the world where soccer is called football, that is not what I played. It is the American game of football. We were a very small Christian School and we could not field an eleven man team, so we played eight man football. I think there were seven or eight teams in our league.
It was a wonderful feeling to be victorious in one of our games. It was even a better feeling to have a winning season. The ultimate was achieved in my last year of high school when we were undefeated. VICTORY was ours!
The reason for our victory had started much earlier than that final game. In early fall we began practice that seemed so harsh we wondered if we would survive. We did and by the time of our first game we were in shape and were able to play with stamina and determination, but we still had to practice day after day before the next game. In order to win we had to pay the price of practicing day by day.
In our spirit life we find a parallel. In order to be effective in our ministry for the Lord we must exercise our spiritual muscles until we become competent to serve the Lord as He commands. Are you preparing for the work of God?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 4, 2014 | 1 John
1 John 1:8-10
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us.
Yesterday I wrote about David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah. The consequences of that sin (or any sin for that matter) is the norm. If you bang your thumb with a hammer, the consequences are obvious. If we ignore our sin or try to cover it up, the consequences multiply.
As we examine the activities of our life, we do not need a prophet like Nathan who came to confront David. We now have the precious Holy Spirit who will show us the things in our life that are sinful.
Once we are confronted with our sin, we need to immediately confess it to the Lord. The next thing is to determine if there are individuals we must go to and ask them to forgive us for what we have done.
The problem comes when we sweep our sin under the rug and refuse to acknowledge it. If you want victory in your life, confess your sin and allow the blood of Jesus Christ to cover it. What freedom is waiting for us as we sincerely seek the forgiveness that comes only after our confession. God in His graciousness adds the beautiful cleansing that makes us free.
God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
