by Pastor Cecil | Oct 7, 2014 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 12:8-9
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
A story is told of a very poor man who had only one horse and one son. lived in ancient times. As he grew older, his son used the horse to plow the fields, to haul the produce to market and ride from place to place on various errands. People showed no pity and often made disparaging remarks about his poverty.
Things went from bad to worse when his son was thrown to the ground and his leg broken. The people clucked their tongues and wondered what evil thing this poor man had done to have such bad fortune to befall him. He would just smile and reply, “The Lord knows what I need. I will still trust Him.”
Soon after the son’s accident, the king sent messengers to each village and demanded that every able-bodied young man report for battle immediately. The only one in this age group who was not conscripted was the poor man’s son. Later the sad news reached the village of a terrible defeat. Now the man who had once been pitied was considered to be the one who was blessed.
Romans 8:28 is true in any and every circumstance: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.””
As a child of God He may delay the answer to our prayer, or He may deny it as He did with Paul. Whatever the Lord determines for our lives, His grace is sufficient.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 1, 2014 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 12:20
For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
During World War II there was a slogan that was broadcast on radio, displayed on billboards, and published in newspapers: “LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS!” What did that mean? It meant that there may be spies close by and if you carelessly revealed information about the war effort, it could result in peril to our fighting forces.
As a young boy living in a small town fairly close to the Pacific coast, I felt the concern of the adults around me. Many families had sons or daughters serving in the military and others worked in the defense industry. They knew that silence was not only the best policy, it was the only policy.
How do we relate that slogan to a spiritual concept? The mouth is often used as a WMD — a weapon of mass destruction. Cruel and harsh things are spoken which wound and maim those within earshot. HOW WOULD JESUS SAY IT?
All too often I hear Christians saying things that would be better left unsaid, or to be said in a gentler and quieter way. God is not pleased with Christians who scream out in rage. He wants us to speak words of encouragement and hope.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 2, 2014 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
I enjoy hearing people talk about what they do. I recall listening to fighter pilots talk about the terror of combat and how close they came to death. I have also been enthralled as deep sea fishermen in Newfoundland related their close calls with death.
The apostle Paul was a tent-maker by trade. I can almost visualize his calloused fingers and hands. I am sure that there were some tents that bore marks from years of stretching and stitching the fabric to repair the tents. He knew when a tent could be repaired or when it was time to throw the tattered remains of the old tent away and go about making a new one.
In today’s Scripture, Paul uses his profession as a tent-maker to illustrate a spiritual truth: This human body of ours is not going to survive. There are those who try to reverse the aging process in various ways, but nothing is going to keep us from coming to the end of our life and entering eternity.
It is sad that most of us spend far too much time and effort on things that will pass away. By spending so much time on earthly things, we neglect the things that really count—those things that have eternal value.
Spending time with God in prayer and reading His Word will prepare us for that heavenly home that will never pass away. Which home are you spending your time and effort to build?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 9, 2014 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
I enjoy listening to people talk about what they do. I recall a job I had in my teens mixing concrete. Back then we had sand, gravel, and bags of powdered cement delivered to the job site. My job was to shovel a set quantity of sand, gravel, and cement into a large mixer along with the right amount of water. It was one of the hardest jobs I ever had.
After everything had been properly mixed, it was poured into wheelbarrows and transported to the prepared forms. Ah, yes, the forms. Without the forms the cement would just flow out on the ground and be of no use. The forms had been prepared ahead of time so that they would hold the concrete and, when it hardened, would be like a rock.
There is a startling similarity between the life of a Christian and the process of preparing concrete. Without the proper ingredients added in the proper ratio at the proper time, it will result in an unstable and formless foundation.
Spending time with God in prayer and reading His Word will prepare our foundational “forms” for building that heavenly home that will never pass away. Which home are you spending your time and effort to build?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 7, 2014 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 12:8-9
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
A story is told of a very poor man who lived in ancient times. It was a time when powerful kings dominated all who lived in their kingdoms and who held the power of life and death. It was a time when many sons and many horses were a sign of wealth and prosperity.
This poor man had only one horse and one son. One day his son was using the horse to plow the fields when an accident occurred and his leg was badly broken. He was no longer able plow or to haul the produce to market and ride from place to place on various errands. People pitied the poor man and often ridiculed him for his poverty and misfortune.
Not long after the son’s accident, the king sent messengers to each village and demanded that every able-bodied young man report for battle immediately. The only one in this age group who was not conscripted was the poor man’s injured son. In a short time the sad news was relayed to the village that all of the men from that village had died in battle. Now the man who had once been pitied was considered to be the one who was blessed.
When we trust in God, it makes no difference what people think or say — Romans 8:28 is true in any and every circumstance: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 24, 2014 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 6:16-17
What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.’ Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’
When we hear the word compromise we need to stop-look-listen! By the way, that word was used at railroad crossings at one time and possibly still is. There is a good reason for exercising caution and it goes back to the meaning of the word.
We often use words without searching out their meaning. A dictionary definition of the word compromise is a way of coming to some sort of agreement by which one side gives up something that was wanted in order to end an argument or dispute.
If we are dealing with property ownership, boundary lines, or some other legal matter that may be a justification for compromise. In the spiritual realm we are in grave danger when we presume to compromise with what God’s Word says. All too many church groups feel they have the authority to over-ride or compromise what the Bible says in order to appease certain groups.
As I see it, God established the church to change the world. Sadly, Satan has crept in and used the world to use compromise to change the church. There will never be revival as long as we go the way of the world. Now is the time to search the Bible for God’s plan and purpose for us all. Let me put it very clearly: NO COMPROMISE!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
