by Pastor Cecil | Oct 29, 2018 | Hebrews
Hebrews 13:5
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
What is really important in your life? There are people who live in massive and opulent homes that cost millions of dollars. It would be easy to think that they have reached the pinnacle of satisfaction, but that is usually not the case. These people are most likely to be miserable.
On the other extreme are those who live in humble dwellings that are in low income neighborhoods. Some who reside there spend considerable time and effort day dreaming about living in the homes of the rich and powerful.
Lack of contentment can be expressed in numerous ways. Some people are never satisfied with their employment, their marriage partner, their appearance, their abilities, or any number of factors that are common to the human existence. Let’s face it—we covet the things or qualities that others possess. Even some pastors covet larger churches or larger ministries.
God calls us to find our true value in Him. He leads us and directs us in the path He has chosen for us. The path may be steep or rocky, but it is the wonderful way God has chosen to allow us to shine brightly in a world of sin. Rest in the contentment that God knows what He is doing, and by finding joy in your present situation, you may be a true minister of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 18, 2018 | Hebrews
Hebrews 9:27-28a
“ And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.”
The reality of death is something which many people like to suppress, but it remains a reality and an inevitable one at that. It is a time of celebration when the person who has died knows the Lord. On the other hand, it is a sad and bitter thing when survivors do not know about their loved one’s relationship with the Lord.
Those that know the Lord can have peace about the home going of God’s saints, but what about children? The question arises about how to tell young children that a loved one has died. I guess the answer would depend upon each child.
A four-year-old boy sat with his parents as the family dog, who suffered from cancer, was put to sleep. The adults were pleased that the boy was not overly distressed by the death of their beloved pet.
The boy just smiled and said: “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right? Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 6, 2018 | Hebrews
Hebrews 12:1-2
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
This week’s hymn was written over 300 years ago by Isaac Watts. It would be impossible to fully know the number of lives it has touched since he wrote it. One of those lives was the blind hymn writer, Fanny J. Crosby. In the autumn of 1850 revival meetings were being held in the Thirtieth Street Methodist Church in New York City.
Fanny and some of her friends attended each night and she craved for spiritual joy, but could not find it. On the evening of November 20, 1850, it seemed to her that the light must indeed come then or never. After a prayer was offered, they began to sing this hymn. When they sang “Here Lord, I give myself away,” her soul was flooded with a celestial light. She realized what her problem had been. She realized that she had been trying to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other.
At the Cross
1. Alas! and did my Savior bleed, And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head, For sinners such as I?
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
2. Was it for crimes that I had done, He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
3. Well might the sun in darkness hide, And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin.
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
4. But drops of grief can ne’er repay, The debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give myself away, ’Tis all that I can do.
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
Are you like Fanny Crosby—looking for joy to fill your soul? Her answer is our answer— Here, Lord, I give myself away, ’Tis all that I can do.
To access this week’s free inspirational video from GloryScapes.com. please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/atthecross/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 29, 2018 | Hebrews
Hebrews 10:22
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Those of us who have said farewell to beloved family and friends experience the pangs of separation. The pain of separation is eased with the assurance that there is a bright tomorrow waiting for us when we will be united with those who have died in the Lord.
Fanny J. Crosby was visiting the home of a friend, Phoebe Knapp. Phoebe was playing a new melody she had just composed and mentioned to Fanny that she called it Assurance. Fanny responded, “Blessed Assurance.”
Fanny returned home and quickly penned the words to the hymn that has become such a favorite since it was published way back in 1873. It is just as much a blessed assurance today as it was back then.
Blessed Assurance
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God.
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain: This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angles descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Refrain: This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
Refrain: This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Enjoy this free inspirational video of, “Blessed Assurance” by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/blessedassurance/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 6, 2018 | Hebrews
Hebrews 4:16
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
I have heard some people making prayer requests in a manner that sounded as though God was at their beck and call. They were so demanding that I shuddered at the effrontery or brashness of their approach. I react to them in much the same manner as weak-willed prayers.
How are we to approach this matter of confident praying? I truly believe that confidence is the appropriate word. We are to come to the Lord with a sense of expectation. Try visualizing a father who has told his dearly loved child to try a particular task. The father assures his child that he will stand nearby to help when needed.
Sometimes the father has his hands directly over the child’s hands. Sometimes he observes and does nothing. There are still other times he only gives specific instructions about what to do and observes his child. The important thing is that the child always has the confidence that his father is there. Confidence!
When our oldest grandson, Zane, was quite small, he used to follow my dad around like a shadow. He and his great grandfather had a close relationship. If something was broken, Zane would confidently say, “Papa fitz it!” THAT’S CONFIDENCE!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 10, 2018 | Hebrews
Hebrews 11-1-3
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
Joyce and I once lived in a gated community that required using a remote control device to open the gate. It was designed to prevent unauthorized persons from entering. We could open the gate only with the box that had been provided to us.
Faith may be defined as the gate that leads from our poverty to God’s power. As we read chapter 11 in Hebrews, it is almost like walking through God’s hall of fame of the faithful men and women who trusted Him with their all. These heroes of the faith saw something that was more important than life.
Down through the ages of history—even to our present day—there are men and women who have placed their reliance on things which are seen only through faith in God. In many cases believers have endured pain, torture, even death, knowing that eternal bliss waited just beyond their final breath.
Songwriter Oscar Eliason wrote, “God specializes in things thought impossible, and He can do what no other power can do.” No matter how difficult the circumstances, we can trust God to open the gates in His time and for His purposes. When He does, we can go forward by faith.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
