by Pastor Cecil | Nov 26, 2009 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Being thankful is not, or at least it should not be a once a year thing. As members of God’s family we are to be thankful at all times. It is not our prerogative to choose what we will be thankful for.
In today’s Scripture, Paul admonishes the church at Thessalonica (as well as all of us) that we are to: “Be joyful always.” Do you frequently look as though you have been baptized in vinegar? That, my dear friend, is not being continually joyful.
Paul’s second admonition is that we are to: “Pray continually.” Here is another embarrassing question: How is your prayer life? Are you continually speaking to the Lord in prayer? It is a discipline that we need to pursue.
The last admonition is in line with today’s topic. Here is what the Lord expects of us: “Give thanks in all circumstances.” Chew on that while you are munching on your sumptuous dinner. What if you had little or nothing to eat? Would you still give thanks? That is exactly the Lord’s will in any and every circumstance. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 12, 2009 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 3:6
“Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.”
Back in the 70’s I worked in Law Enforcement Planning for the State of Idaho. We would allocate funds to upgrade police, courts and corrections. Often these funds would be used to hire additional personnel. One of the requirements to receive these funds was to write an evaluation on what was done with the money.
One small department had not submitted a report and our agency kept requesting that the Chief of Police respond. After numerous letters and telephone calls we finally received his one sentence report: “Hired one man, he done good!” We all agreed that his short report was better than many wordy responses we received.
Why I remember this after so many years is beyond me, other than to consider the importance of a good report—whether we give it or receive it. There is far too much bad-mouthing in our modern world. We seem to delight in that which is evil rather than searching for that which is good.
Timothy had just returned from Thessalonica. The Christians there had been enduring persecution and Paul was anxious to hear how they were doing in the midst of these trials. If I could sum up Timothy’s report in the same manner that the Chief of Police responded it might sound like this: “They received Christ and they done good!”
What kind of report would someone give about your walk with the Lord? I pray that it might be: “They received Christ and they done good!”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 8, 2009 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (Amplified)
“But test and prove all things [until you can recognize] what is good; [to that] hold fast. Abstain from evil [shrink from it and keep aloof from it] in whatever form or whatever kind it may be.”
I recall the story that was told of a wealthy man who had worked with a home builder for many years. The rich man asked the builder to assist him in constructing a new home. He said that the builder should design it as if it were to be his own home.
The builder began to hold resentment against the wealthy man for asking him to work on his own time to design the home. As the construction started, he showed his resentment by using substandard materials any time it could not be seen.
After many months, the home was completed and he drove to the owner’s home to deliver the keys. The wealthy man smiled and returned the keys to the builder. “The home is yours! It is my gift to you for the many years of dedicated service.”
All of the substandard work and materials made him realize that he had intended to cheat this wealthy man, but he had only cheated himself. It is much the same way with our life.
We try to cut corners spiritually instead of giving the Lord the first fruits of our life. We settle for the substandard rather than God’s best. Let’s go for the gold!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 24, 2009 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”
How many times have you had this happen to you? Someone you know comes up to you and thanks you for praying for them. It is only then that you remember that you promised to pray for them for a situation they were going through. In my conversations with different people across the years, I have heard this sad story repeated many times. It is a vivid reminder that we need to devote ourselves to be faithful in our prayers.
Paul gave these final instructions in his first letter to the church at Thessalonica. I find it of deep interest that he says to “pray continually” but tucks it neatly between being “joyful always” and “giving thanks in every circumstance.”
Prayer is not just a shopping list of all of the things that we demand the Lord to do for us. Ooops! Did I say demand? Well that is what some would lead us to believe. I think it is shallow to only go to the Lord when we have emergencies. The prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray, which we have come to call The Lord’s Prayer, is literally filled with praise and confession. It is a beautiful pattern for us to use. Try reading Matthew 5:9-15. (No, it is not the “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer).
In the Old Testament book of Daniel we have a wonderful example of a man who prayed daily. I will not be able to properly cover all of the fantastic things that occurred in the life of this remarkable servant of God. Daniel was used of God and elevated to positions of authority under various pagan rulers. In chapter eleven we are introduced to a new ruler named Darius. Over the governors he assigned three administrators. One was Daniel. Daniel was an old man at this time, but he was still being used mightily of God. Daniel distinguished himself in such a significant way that the other officials were jealous and wanted to get him out of the way.
Without intending to do so, the conspirators testified to Daniel’s faithfulness. They said the only way they could find a fault with his conduct was if it had something to do with the law of his God. They slipped a decree past Darius saying that anyone who prays to any god or man for thirty days, other than to king Darius, is to be thrown into the lion’s den. They knew that Daniel prayed to His God three times a day. This was not simply returning thanks for the food! He prayed in earnest and worshipped his God in prayer.
Sure enough, Daniel prayed three times a day just as he always did—with his windows open toward Jerusalem. It resulted in his one night stand in the lion’s den. He and the big kitty cats had a nice sleep. His God protected him and delivered him. King Darius was a little ticked-off by the trick the others had played on him. After Daniel was pulled up, unharmed, the accusers of Daniel and their families were sent in as replacements. It says that they never even made it to the floor before they were killed. PRAYER—DAILY PRAYER—WORKS MIGHTY MIRACLES!
One way we can pray is by praising God for everything in our life. If you find an inspirational passage of Scripture in your daily Bible reading, pray that Scripture back to the Lord. There is no law that says you must keep your eyes closed when you pray. Read your study notes to the Lord. These can include your plans, hurts, anxieties, joys, sorrows, ups and downs. Be real! The Lord is your closest friend and He loves for you to spend time talking intimately with Him.
When was the last time you really prayed? I urge you to make prayer a vital part of each and every day. If you are busy to the nth degree, you might try praying in the shower (Clean in body and spirit!). Keep your prayer line open to the Lord. Spend time with God in prayer!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 22, 2008 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
When I was growing up, many of my experiences revolved around the church. It was twice on Sunday, Wednesday night plus special services thrown in for good measure. Most of the people were a great example, but then there was the woman on the other side of the church that looked like she had been baptized in vinegar!
I can almost hear some of you yell out that you had the same woman in your congregation. Sadly, there always seems to be at least one in every crowd. They frown and complain about everything.
Just about all of we kids imitated the way she carried on and the horrible faces she would make. There may have been joy in her soul, but she did a good job of hiding it from her face and with her words!
What should the true Christian look and act like? According to this passage in 1 Thessalonians, our face should express joy at all times. Wait a minute! Did I just say that? Well it wasn’t me, it was what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.
“Be joyful always.” That does not say sometimes or when we feel like it, but we are to be joyful always. Even in when we have just received devastating news we should be joyful. Not because we are like spiritual robots, but because we have the Lord in our hearts to comfort and guide us.
If I stopped here it would be like leaving you in outer space. There is more we are also told, “Pray continually.” What are we going to do about working, sleeping and the other normal activities of life?
Praying continually means that we are to maintain a close relationship with the Lord. Let me give you a practical example. In our modern day world, texting has become an art form.
I struggle looking at the three letters on each button on the keypad. Young people are able to make the keys fly. They are able to text each other even when they are in the same room—much to the distress of their teachers.
What are they doing? They are communicating. That is the close relationship the Lord desires for us to have with Him. It is a constant sharing of our heart with His great heart, knowing He cares for us and delights in our conversation.
There is a third step in today’s Scripture—we are to, “Give thanks in all circumstances.” This is similar to the first directive for us to always be joyful. It is our acknowledgment that we agree with what God is doing with our life.
Think about Bible heroes whom God used in a mighty way after they had endured trials of many kinds: Joseph, Moses, Daniel, just to name three. God knew what He was doing even when it was hidden from them at the beginning.
I have no way of knowing what you are going through right now, but read over these three steps once more: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.” Do you know why? “For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” That is good enough reason for me!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
