by Pastor Cecil | Jul 6, 2017 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 31:8
“And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
When the turmoils of life hit full force we sometimes feel that we are all alone and there is no one who knows what we are going through. It is during the lows of life that Satan tries to convince us that all is lost and there is not a God who cares about us.
Just because we are not able to see God does not equate to His not being there. We are given promises that He goes before us in order to prepare the way ahead of us. Where God calls us to go, He has already been.
There will be times in life when we may be surrounded by a huge throng of people and yet feel totally alone. I am told that this is often a common feeling experienced by those living in large cities. Alone in a sea of humanity! But in that crowd we will always find the One who is closer than a brother.
It is possible to find ourselves far from civilization and all alone. It is in these quiet and alone times that we can hear the still, small voice of the Lord speaking and giving us the assurance that we are never alone. Praise the Lord!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 28, 2017 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 4:39
“Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.”
I recall hearing the humorous story of a man who visited his physician and was given a terrible prognosis. He hung his head in dismay at the report and finally told the doctor he wanted a second opinion. The doctor did not hesitate for one second before he replied, “Ok. You’re ugly, too!”
Our human tendency is to always seek something else to fulfill our life. This discontentment can lead to straying from God’s perfect will. How sad it is that even mature believers may add to the infallible word of God. That should not be!
In today’s Scripture we read those last four words: “. . . there is no other.” We need to rest in the contentment of knowing that God is God alone! There is no other and there will never be another! He is our all sufficiency.
The next time you start searching and seeking to add the things of this world to your life, remind yourself that there is no other. It is like the young boy who was trying to recite Psalm 23. He got only as far as “The Lord is my shepherd” when his mind went blank. In a panic he added his own thought: “That’s all I need to know!”
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 27, 2016 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 11:7
“But your eyes have seen every great act of the Lord which He did.”
There is no question in my mind that I am better at forgetting than I am at remembering. The older I get, the more efficient I am at forgetting things that once were easy to recall and bring to mind.
I am coming to realize that it is not so much the things that I recall that matter the most, but what I do with the things that come to mind. The question is, do I take action when I see the “light” that the Holy Spirit reveals to me?
Moses is bringing to remembrance the mighty acts that God has performed for the Israelites in delivering them from bondage in Egypt. He challenges the people to recall what God has done and take positive action as a result.
We have seen the way God has acted on our behalf. As a result, it is time for us to take action. The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We can trust Him to open the doors of opportunity to serve Him in the days that He allots to us! Are we taking action?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 15, 2016 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 23:24
“When you come into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes at your pleasure, but you shall not put any in your container.”
When my boyhood friend and I invaded our neighbor’s vineyard we had no idea we were acting according to Scripture. All we knew was that there were Concord grapes that were begging for us to eat them. The problem was that we often picked them before they were ripe and the green grapes made us sick.
Many times in our life we run ahead of God and try to pick the “grapes” before they are ripe. God’s timing is always so much better than ours. He knows the heart of the individual.
Last Sunday I spoke with a widow who was sobbing pitifully. She shared with me that someone had stolen flowers from her husband’s grave and had also taken the grave marker. All I could do was listen to her and pray for her.
God knows when the timing is right. We can watch carefully as the season progresses and the fruit is ripe. Then we need to be ready to glean in the Lord’s vineyard. He will bring the increase.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 31, 2016 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 10:12
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Back in my college days (I can hardly remember that far back) there would be a class that I wanted to take. The problem was that in order to register for that class it was required to have taken another class.
There were other classes that were required in order to graduate. We had advisors that were assigned to insure that our class schedules included all of the required classes that would qualify us for graduation.
In the spiritual realm we often are faced with the question of what does God require of us? We know that we are not saved by any works that we do, but what does He require of us once we are saved? The answer is found in today’s Scripture. We are given four requirements:
1. We are to reverentially fear the Lord our God.
2. We are to walk in ALL His ways.
3. We are to love Him.
4. We are to serve Him with all our heart and all our soul.
How are you complying with God’s requirements?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 29, 2016 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 30:19
“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”
Through the years I have sat across the table from grieving individuals who have just experienced the loss of a loved one. In a few instances I have even had to deliver the news of that loved one’s death to their family.
Sometimes I have heard statements to the effect a friend had mentioned that God needed another angel — and the deceased person was that angel. I am always compelled to debunk the false notion that we become angels when we die.
It always delights me to learn that the deceased person had received Jesus as their personal Savior. All too often, however, there is no indication that the deceased had ever received Christ as their personal Savior. Some have tried to paint a picture of salvation where there is no basis for that false hope.
In contrast to this false comfort are those who have made the choice to go God’s way. When believers close their eyes in death, they awaken to life everlasting. That is real comfort that is based upon the certainty of God’s Word.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
