by Pastor Cecil | Jul 1, 2009 | Genesis
Genesis 4:6-7
“Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it.’ “
Contrary to popular principle and practice, anger is not a right, and not an acceptable way to deal with the stresses of life. I have heard the comment that it is good to explode in anger and not let it eat at you from the inside. Just remember, it was shortly after this Godly counsel given in today’s Scripture that Cain in anger slew his brother Abel, and thus was guilty of the first murder in the history of mankind.
God speaks His wisdom concerning anger and resentment in His counsel to Cain. “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” The implied answer is “yes.” That is exactly what it takes — doing what is right in God’s eyes.
I can almost hear screams of protest about all of the pressures and circumstances of your life, which cause you to explode in anger. That is mere justification! God is not interested in your justification of the circumstances that cause explosive outbursts. He simply instructs us to do right.
As I think about the things in my own life that generate anger, I see it is most often times when people mistreat me or the ones I care about. I think that all of us are fragile creatures. We ministers are no exception.
People say cruel things that are not true or perhaps taken out of context. We are hurt and must deal with the anger and resentment. A pastor’s anger is no more justified than anyone else’s anger. What was it that God said to Cain? “Do what is right!” It applies to each and every one of us.
James gives a very clear word of instruction concerning this topic in James 1:19-22 “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
That hits home! We are to get the Word of God into our life and the filth of the world out of our life. When James uses the phrase “which can save you,” he is not talking of personal salvation, but rather the saving of us from our anger.
James is speaking to the “brothers” who know the Lord, yet allow the garbage of the world to cause a worldly reaction. This should not be! He challenges us to rely more on the Word of God and less moral filth and worldly evil. That equals a life that is under the control of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, and be a blessing.
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 17, 2008 | Genesis
Genesis 3:1-3
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
Do you recall hearing the story of a pastor who was assigned to a new church? He had only been there a few weeks when he decided to move the piano from one side of the church to the other.
The following Sunday as people gathered, they were in shock! “Why was the piano moved—by whom—and by what authority?” The pastor explained that he was the guilty party and had done so to improve access to the platform. The incident created such a stir that the pastor was asked to resign.
About a year later this pastor was traveling through the area and stopped by to visit with the new pastor who was a friend of his. He was shocked to notice that the piano had been moved to the exact location he had moved it that started the fuss.
In utter amazement he asked his replacement how he had been able to carry off the coup. The wise, older pastor just smiled and stroked his chin and replied with a sly grin; “A few inches a week!”
There are harmless things such as this that may be laughed at, but the tragedy is that all too often we are confronted with situations that should never be compromised. God’s Word is the same yesterday, today and forever.
There is no justification for individuals, church assemblies or political groups to compromise with the absolutes of the Word of God. God does not change and His Word is our sure foundation.
Compromise is a dangerous concept when we are dealing with spiritual truths. Consider two aspects of the definition of the word: (1) To expose or make liable to danger, suspicion, or disrepute. (2) Settlement of a disagreement in which each side agrees to give up part of its demands.
Read those two definitions once again. Can you even imagine that God would ever be pleased for us to violate His inerrant Word and thus expose ourselves to liable, suspicion or disrepute? Nor do I!
What happened in the Garden of Eden? Satan incited Adam and Eve to make a compromise with God’s command. He convinced them that God was not to be trusted and that they could make their own decisions about what was right and wrong.
Satan wanted to be like God and his strategy has always been to put within the heart of fallen mankind the same desire. The next time you are tempted to make a compromise with God’s absolutes, you can rest assured that it is the enemy’s work.
1 Corinthians 15:58; “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 16, 2008 | Genesis
Genesis 43:32
“They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians”
The pronoun “him” appears twice in this verse. I have taken the liberty of underlining it to allow it to stand out better. In the past year or so, I have been committed to identify who the pronouns in Scripture apply to. In this case, it is Joseph. In our time together today I would like for us to focus our attention on “Standing Alone!”
The concept of solitary confinement is especially harsh and punitive. The threat of being alone for extended periods of time has been one of the tools used by prisons to assure good behavior. Prisoners of war have reported that they were held in solitary confinement for years. They recall this as being one of the harshest forms of punishment, even worse than the beatings they sometimes received.
Now, think about Joseph. As I contemplate the life of Joseph, I see a man that stood alone for most of his life, certainly for the years from childhood to middle age at least. As a boy he was the favored son of his father, Jacob, and was held at a distance by his brothers. Their jealousy was so great that they considered killing him, but decided instead to sell him into slavery so they would not have his blood on their hands.
In Egypt, I am certain that Joseph spent many years alone as he matured and learned the Egyptian language. He had been purchased by Potiphar, who was the Captain of the Guard in the service of Pharaoh. There were other slaves and servants, but since he was known to be a Hebrew, he would have been treated with contempt. Look again at the last phrase of today’s Scripture; “- – – Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians.”
It would have been easy for Joseph to become bitter. Instead he became better. The object of his attention was not the circumstances that surrounded him, but the God he served. His devotion to God was his aim and goal. Achieving status in Potiphar’s house was not his goal – pleasing the Lord was his goal!
Let me ask you a very personal question. When was the last time you stood alone because of your faith in Jesus Christ? Is the cross of Christ so dear to you that you will stand alone when the Holy Spirit places convictions upon your heart? Are you willing to spend years, if necessary, to be the only believer in a sea of unbelief?
It must have crushed Joseph’s heart that his brothers could even think he would cause them harm. His heart was pure before God. I think that this was to a large degree because of his time “standing alone.”
His words to his brothers are to be found in Genesis 50:19: “But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.'” I pray that we will be willing to stand alone and allow the Lord to use us as He sees fit.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
