by Pastor Cecil | Mar 28, 2019 | Exodus
Exodus 20:17
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
You will notice that the tenth commandment is the one that deals with wanting something that belongs to someone else. It does not matter if it is cash, computer, or car – – some people see it, covet it, and try to get their hands on it.
In Joshua chapter 7 we read the tragic saga of a man named Achan, who kept plunder from Jericho in direct violation of what God had commanded. When his sin was revealed he finally confessed that he had seen these wonderful items (a garment, silver, and gold) and had desired them, took them, then buried them. He and his family paid the ultimate price.
Years later we read how King David peered over the walls of his palatial home, saw Bathsheba bathing, lusted for her, took her into his bed, then tried to hide his sin by arranging for her husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle.
How are we to deal with this tendency to covet and thus violate the tenth commandment? Paul gives us the answer in Philippians 4:12-13; “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
ALWAYS OBEY THE LORD!
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 15, 2018 | Exodus
Exodus 3:11
“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’”
That question Moses asks is of vital concern for each of us: WHO AM I? The answer is that we are the ones the Lord has chosen to do His work. It is not the workers who matter. It is the Lord who sends the workers! It is the Lord who is in us that matters! Do we really believe that? Do we say we believe it and then behave as if we do not believe it?
I know that many of you are facing challenges that seem impossible to deal with. Some are even facing life and death situations. Believers around the world have been and are being targeted for execution. Others of you have shared medical problems which are very serious. Many have problems with family members — husbands, wives, parents, children, etc., all of which bring about a sense of helplessness.
If we have not been confronted with extreme problems, we will be. We need to be used of God to be able to bring God’s solution to man’s problems. Do we have mustard seeds of faith to turn our problems into the opportunities for God to bring about His deliverance? Are we committed to trust in His strength and wisdom rather than trying to do things ourselves? By faith we can say … I AM READY. USE ME, LORD!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 13, 2017 | Exodus
Exodus 3:11
“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’”
I recall listening to a sermon tape of Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse in which he related an incident following a message he had preached on the subject of humility. A lady approached him after the message and requested that he would pray for her to be “nothing” in the Lord’s sight. With holy boldness he replied, “Madam, take it by faith … you are nothing!”
It is not so much who we are that matters, but who the God we serve is. In today’s culture we tend to exalt ourselves over the majestic God we serve (2 Timothy 3:2-3). But He alone is the power of salvation unto a lost world.
In a world where there is increasing emphasis on thinking that we are something special, we need to temper that with the ultimate truth that the One who created the world is our Savior and Lord. He and He alone knows us and has offered us eternal life because of what He has done, not what we do to deserve it.
In response to the question WHO AM I?, we need to respond that we are His children. That being the case we need to do everything we can to please Him!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 30, 2014 | Exodus
Exodus 4:1-3
Moses answered, ‘What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied. The Lord said, ‘Throw it on the ground.’ Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.
One of the excuses that people quite often give for not serving the Lord is that they do not have the training, intelligence, or ability to be of service. When we study the life of Moses we discover that he used this same argument with the Lord.
Can you believe that? The God of creation calls Moses to a monumental task and he tries to tell the Lord that he does not have what it takes. Here he was a fugitive from Egyptian justice and for forty years had been dealing with foolish sheep. Now the Lord calls him to go back to Egypt and lead God’s people to the land of promise.
The Lord responded to his excuse by asking Moses what he had in his hand. It was nothing more than a shepherd’s staff. That was enough. When Moses obeyed God and threw the staff on the ground, it became a snake. It was not Moses’ power that God was looking for — it was his obedience.
In like manner, God wants us to present what we have to Him for His use. It may be so small that we do not consider it of value, but when it is given to the Lord, He will take it and use it as He sees fit. WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND?!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 21, 2013 | Exodus
Exodus 3:4-5
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called from within the bush, (Moses, Moses!) And Moses said, (Here I am.) (Do not come any closer,) God said. (Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.)
There is little concern in our day and age for the sacred things of God. Sloppiness, indifference, and a casual approach to the Word of God is of great concern. It almost seems as if many have created a God of their own making which allows or permits people to come into the presence of the King of kings and have no regard for His holiness.
I am not necessarily speaking of worship services, but that would certainly apply. What I am picturing is the contact we have with the Lord. I fear that much of the time we are so preoccupied with what is going on around us that we fail to see and experience the awesome holiness of God. Have we encountered the burning bush in our life?
After the encounter with the Burning Bush, Moses was empowered to become an instrument of God in leading the children of Israel from the bondage of slavery. Following this encounter, Joshua led the Israelites to supernatural victory over Jericho and the other cities in Canaan. Are you experiencing victories in your spiritual life? Have you had a burning bush experience?
In our personal burning bush we make our altar before the Lord. We are to fall on our face before the Spirit of God. In this holy place we must recognize that we are in the presence of the God who knows our every thought. It is not a place for us to boast or brag about what we have done, but a place where we acknowledge that without Him we are nothing. He must be our all in all!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 17, 2013 | Exodus
Exodus 20:17
You shall not covet your neighbor(s) house; you shall not covet your neighbor(s) wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor(s).
You will notice that the tenth commandment is the one that deals with covetousness. It is a condition that afflicts many hearts. When I was a Juvenile Probation Officer I experienced a repetitive behavior. It did not matter if it was cash, computer, or car— the offender would see it, covet it, steal it and most often hide it.
It is no coincidence that we see the same pattern in Scripture. In Joshua 7 we read the tragic saga of a man named Achan, who kept plunder from Jericho in direct violation of what God had commanded. When the lot fell upon him he finally confessed that he had seen these wonderful items (a garment, silver, and gold) and had desired them, took them, then buried them. He and his family paid the ultimate price.
Years later we read how King David peered over the walls of his palatial home, saw Bathsheba bathing, lusted for her, took her into his bed, then tried to hide his sin by arranging for her husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle.
How are we to deal with this tendency to covet and thus violate the tenth commandment? Paul gives us the answer in Philippians 4:12-13, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” ALWAYS OBEY THE LORD!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
