by Pastor Cecil | Mar 13, 2014 | Acts
Acts 5:1-2
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Every time I read this account of Ananias and Sapphira, I always have to consider what had preceded it. In the previous chapter we are told that Barnabas had sold a field he owned and brought the money from the field and laid it at the apostle’s feet.
I can only conjecture that Ananias and Sapphira saw what Barnabas had done and wanted to copy his actions . . . only without giving their all. It may have been noble to give a gift to the work of the early church, but they were guilty of deception.
Peter told Ananias that he had not lied to man, but to God and the Holy Ghost. Their actions resulted in their deaths. It is not safe to try to deceive the Holy Spirit. Not only does He know our actions, He knows our heart as well.
As you examine your walk with the Lord, are you being totally honest? This is not restricted to financial giving, but can also include our time and our talents. Do we give more to ourselves or the world than we offer to God? May God reveal our motives that drive our actions!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 12, 2014 | Acts
Acts 9:17-18
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.
We never know when or how the Lord will choose to use us. We can be going about our regular business when out of the blue a situation will arise that places us in a position to be used by the Lord. It may be an action or a word, but somehow we will know it was a divine encounter.
I remember such a situation many years ago. I was shopping in a warehouse store and observed a woman with a son and daughter. I was grieved at the way the mother spoke harshly to her daughter. The girl was trying her best to help and all she received was belittling comments from her mother.
I felt the best thing I could do was smile at the little girl. Aisle after aisle we would pass one another and each time I would smile at her. At the checkout stand each customer had to bag their own groceries. The little girl was bagging for her family while her older brother just lounged around. Suddenly the girl came over to my area and began to bag my groceries. I began to brag on her and told her I could just imagine how proud her mother must be to have such a helpful daughter. I can still recall her waving to me as they left the store.
How will God use you today? As far as we know, Ananias was used only one time in his life. That one time was significant. Be alert and ready to touch a life today! D. James Kennedy says, “The only ability a Christian needs is availability.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 6, 2014 | Acts
Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Recently I was re-reading the book, Terrorist To Evangelist, by G. Brent Riggs. It is the story of Kenny McClinton and the supernatural power of God unto salvation. Kenny has become a dear friend through the Daily-E-Votional, and I have have been blessed to speak to him several times on the telephone.
Late one night, as I was reading through the story of his life, I was struck by a statement he made about suffering for a righteous cause: “A whole lot of guys (people) wanted to be martyrs, but few were willing to die.”
As I pondered Kenny’s statement, I realized that we need to ask ourselves about our own commitment. What are the things in our life that we consider to be righteous causes? Are we willing to die for them? If we honestly cannot discover any righteous causes, then we are to be pitied.
I do not mean to imply that believers are to live with a persecution complex. I feel that our call is to be sold out to the Lord Jesus Christ and to put our lives where our testimonies are.
I once heard a humorous song that (sadly) expressed the commitment of some people. One line went, “I will go any where you want me to go, dear Lord, as long as it is on the beaches of Waikiki!” HOW SAD!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 3, 2013 | Acts
Acts 14:12, 19
Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. . . Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.
I would like to let you in on a little secret. You probably are well aware of this truth, but I want to share it anyway—popularity is fleeting and fickle. Popularity polls can reverse in such a moment of time that it takes your breath away.
Some of the most tragic counseling sessions I have ever experienced were with people who had placed their confidence in what others thought of them. When the fickle finger of fame turned away from them, they were devastated.
Paul repeatedly received the accolades from crowds who even elevated him to the position of a god. Even when he protested their adoration, they proclaimed their faith in him and the God he preached. That lasted until trouble makers arrived and, suddenly, he was stoned and left for dead. There has never been a time in my life when I experienced anything of this sort, but I have had those who professed to be faithful friends turn against me.
In prayer and contemplation I have found comfort in the life that Paul lived. He never sought applause or popularity from the people. He only wanted to be faithful to his Lord so that one day he would hear the words that really count: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” That is the way I want to live.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 8, 2012 | Acts
Acts 2:25b-26
I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
I hope! I hope! I hope! How many times have we heard people (or ourselves) use that phrase concerning something we want very badly. As a young boy I used to say that under my breath when sides were being chosen for some type of game. I really knew that I would be at the bottom of the list, so my hope was not based upon an expectation of being selected.
I remember when I was a freshman in high school, my best friend Jerry and I made the football team. We were arguably the worse players on the team, but at least we were on the team and could travel with the rest of the team.
There was one game that has been burned vividly in my memory. Our team was playing a team from a town that was a logging town. Their players were bigger and better than our team. One by one our players were injured and had to leave the game. Jerry and I were sitting at the end of the bench saying; “I hope! I hope! I hope that we are not called by the coach to enter the game. We will be killed!” Our prayers were answered and the game ended before we were called upon.
Listen carefully! The hope that we have in Christ is a certain hope. In the Greek is the word elpis. In the spiritual sense it means to have joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation. Now I like that! It is not an empty hungering for something that is unlikely to occur. It is the confidence that we can rejoice knowing that what is coming is going to be beyond our wildest expectation
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 3, 2012 | Acts
Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Sturgis, South Dakota is a town that is known for its motorcycle rally each summer. It can get hot in the summer, but that is not the way I remember Sturgis. When I was in the Air Force, we lived there. When we first moved to Sturgis it was freezing cold and we would not be getting the power and heat turned on for at least 24 hours. We pulled out every blanket we could find and shivered through the night and most of the next day until the power was turned on.
There have been a few other times since then that we experienced the loss of power, but that one incident remains vividly frozen into our minds (I hope you catch that little pun). The fact is, we are dependent on power. It provides heat, lights and energy to operate our devices such as the cell phone or computer that you are using right now.
Spiritually, we need the power that the Lord gives us to function as worthy servants of the Most High. There are altogether too many weak and powerless Christians shivering through life instead of marching in God’s army of the redeemed.
I don’t know about you, but I want to be powered up and on fire for the Lord. I want to serve Him to the best of my ability with all the power available for as long as He gives me breath. I pray that you will plug into the power that the Holy Spirit offers and run and be worthy of His call.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
