by Pastor Cecil | Nov 5, 2019 | 2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 7:14
“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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
I once knew a lady who spent a great deal of effort trying to get unbelievers to act like believers. The result of her efforts was exhaustion for her and created such animosity among the unsaved that they rejected the gospel.
In reading today’s Scripture, I immediately notice something in the first few words: “If My people, who are called by My name…” That identifies the people who are being addressed. It is His people.
Why is this important? It is because the saved are the ones who need to be re-vived. The unsaved need to be vived. I know there is no such word, but I hope you understand my meaning. They first need to experience salvation and a new life.
When we pray for the Lord to heal our land, there must be a revival of the people of God. We believers need to fall in humility on our face and cry out to the Lord to forgive us for losing our first love—the love of Christ. We need to confess that we have strayed from God’s way and have gone our own willful way by loose living and indifference to the things of God. May God hear our prayers and bring life through faith in Jesus Christ to those who are spiritually dead.
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 10, 2019 | 2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 7:14
“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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
More and more frequently we are seeing the senseless slaughter of innocent lives while they are merely going about their own business. Even though it is possible that the reason for these rampages will never be known this side of eternity, there is one thing certain — sin has been allowed to rule our nation in just about every venue.
Decision makers have made the choice to shut God out of our schools and other public institutions. Somehow they have deluded themselves into thinking that this is an educated policy and that we should see the wisdom of their actions.
Sad to say, this dangerous action has laid the groundwork for more violence than we have ever experienced. The tragedy is that we will no doubt continue to see more and more of the same sort of violence. It is impossible to reject God’s authority without suffering many of these devastating consequences.
As believers we are charged to take action. The action is not to protest or rant and rave about those “rotten sinners.” According to the Scripture I have quoted above, we need to fall on our faces and deal with our own sin. As God revives us, we will be the catalysts to bring about a real revival in our land. Please join me to pray that we may repent and see a renewal in our lives.
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 11, 2019 | 2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 26:16
“But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.”
You may have noticed that many characters in the Bible started out as God’s heroes, but they ended up as zeroes because of their pride. Unfortunately, Uzziah was also a part of that group.
As long as he sought the Lord, Uzziah was able to subdue his enemies and be God’s man in leading Judah to subdue her enemies. Somewhere along the line he began to think that it was his own ability that brought victory. That is always the beginning of the end for anyone.
Uzziah did not become full of pride until he had become powerful. His success caused him to take his eyes off the Lord and credit himself. Sadly, we will never know all that Uzziah could have accomplished if he had remained dependent upon the Lord. He blew it!
So what was Uzziah’s sin? He presumed on God’s holiness. What does that mean? It means that he felt that he was above God’s Word and that he was exempt from what it demanded. Doing things his way, not God’s way, doomed him to a life of humiliation and separation—FROM PRIDE TO PITY.
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 2, 2019 | 2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 7:14
“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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
I am greatly disturbed by what I observe in our modern 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 immorality appears to have little impact on some main line churches. They seem to have little concern just so long as their supporters keep sending money to their ministries. Entire groups of churches have the notion that their decisions hold priority over the infallible Word of God.
I am here to say that if the Bible says something is a sin—it’s 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. We need to pray and come to the Lord in humility as we confess our individual and collective sins. Let’s obey God and follow Him!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 23, 2018 | 2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 26:3a, 5
“Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. – – He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.”
Think back to the time you were sixteen. For some of us that is a real strain on the memory cells! How about looking around and observing the sixteen year olds near you. Uzziah was only sixteen when he became king of Judah. How many sixteen year olds would have the ability to serve his nation as king? The only way Uzziah was able to do it was with the help of his God.
He called upon the Lord, sought His guidance, and the Lord blessed Uzziah’s reign to such an extent that he became inventive. The Lord blessed him with wisdom and the ability to create methods to defend the city. Uzziah’s fame began to spread far and wide.
When we allow the Lord to occupy the throne of our life, He gives us wisdom, understanding, and blessing beyond our natural abilities. The determining factor is getting ourselves out of the way and inquiring of Him.
A study of the catastrophic defeats for the nation of Israel will show that the leader or leaders at the time failed to inquire of the Lord before they acted. It is the same with us. If we seek the will of the Lord before we act, it will save us a world of grief. He is our source of victory!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 19, 2016 | 2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 7:14
“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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Over the years I have sat before several interview boards that were in the process of interviewing me for a particular position or promotion. They were the ones who were placing before me the conditions that were to be expected. I was the one who would be expected to comply.
Many times we read about those individuals who have a “foxhole commitment.” They try to place conditions on the Lord, promising to follow Him IF He will get them out of their current predicament. (That “commitment” is not always restricted to wartime battle conditions. We are prone to pray that type of prayer in all sorts of situations.)
In an election year we are frequently promised that things will be perfect IF we elect certain candidates. I am sorry to break the sad news, but that is not what we read in the pages of Scripture.
We see that today’s Scripture is addressed to believers. Oh, and might I add that it has a conditional clause attached to it. We are God’s people and we are the ones who must humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways. I pray we will respond to God’s CONDITIONAL CLAUSE!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
