by Pastor Cecil | Apr 18, 2014 | Isaiah
Isaiah 53:12
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
Sometime ago I received an e-mail from one of our subscribers who passed on some information that I found interesting and inspirational. It has to do with the town of Reed City, Michigan. I visited Reed City’s website to check what Ed had shared with me. They have a museum there called the “Old Rugged Cross Museum.”
Back in 1913 a Salvation Armyofficer, George Bennard, passed through a trying experience which caused him to reflect seriously about the significance of the cross and, in particular, what the apostle Paul meant when he spoke of entering into the fellowship of Christ’s suffering. While contemplating on these truths, Bennard was convinced that the cross was not just a religious symbol, but rather the very heart of the gospel. He penned the words of this beloved hymn.
Bennard spent the last years of his life by the side of the road, a few miles north of Reed City, Michigan. At the age of 85, on October 9, 1968, he passed away. Near this home there still stands a twelve foot high cross with the words The Old Rugged Cross – Home of George Bennard, composer of this beloved hymn.
The Old Rugged Cross
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
In that old rugged cross,
stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
To access The Old Rugged Cross, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/theoldruggedcross/ in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 28, 2014 | Isaiah
Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
It was the final service of our annual Camp Meeting. The old tabernacle was crowded on a warm summer evening. The evangelist had been delivered a message outlining clearly the plan of salvation and the penalty that faced anyone who failed to accept the Lord Jesus as personal Savior.
I was sitting with my cousin and across the aisle from us was his dad. We knew that Uncle Harold had rejected the Lord, but were hopeful that this would be the time he would open his heart. The congregation was led in the old invitation hymn, Softly and Tenderly.
Wayne and I could see his dad weeping with conviction. We went over to him and pleaded with him to go forward and invite Jesus into his heart. Even though tears were flowing, he shook his head and refused to be moved. As far as we know he never made that choice. How sad that God’s free gift of eternal life was rejected. How about you? Have you honestly and sincerely invited Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life? He is calling, O sinner, come home. All you have to do is open your heart and invite Him to come in.
Softly and Tenderly
Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.
Refrain: Come home, come home.
You who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home.
Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading;
pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies;
mercies for you and for me?
Refrain: Come home, come home.
You who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home.
Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
passing from you and for me.
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
coming for you and for me.
Refrain: Come home, come home.
You who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home.
O, for the wonderful love He has promised,
promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
pardon for you and for me.
Refrain: Come home, come home.
You who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home.
To access Softly and Tenderly, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Christian Music Hymns & Songs, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/softlyandtenderly/ in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 24, 2014 | Isaiah
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
It is a miracle that many of the kids in my old neighborhood survived to adulthood. The reason was that we attempted many death-defying stunts at the instigation of the other kids who called us a “fraidy cat” if we didn’t accept their challenge. Peer pressure is an extremely strong motivator. Unfortunately, it is most often used in a negative way rather than to encourage spiritual excellence.
Today’s Scripture is one of the first verses I ever memorized. It has been with me throughout many ordeals in my life. One thing that this verse has taught me is that I need not fear the things that lay in wait for me. Many situations that I have faced have been unpleasant and trying, and my first choice would have been to evade them . . . but there was no way around. I had to endure and persevere.
I want to testify to the faithfulness of my precious Lord and His infallible Word. Someone has written: “God said it—I believe it—that’s good enough for me!” I have found that to be true over and over again.
I encourage you to take to heart the promise in this verse. You need not fear since God has promised to be with you and never forsake you. Do not allow yourself to become depressed –He will give you His strength and hold you up with His powerful right hand. Man! That is good enough for me!!!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 10, 2014 | Isaiah
Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
A man was not feeling up to par, so he made an appointment and went to see his doctor. When the doctor entered the examining room, it was not his regular doctor, but an intern. The intern told him that his doctor had been called out of town on an emergency and that he was filling in. After a short examination he was told he was in very bad condition. It was like a slap in the face and he demanded a second opinion! Without flinching, the intern said: “You’re ugly too!” That is a terrible joke to begin the week, but I hope you will stay with me as we explore the importance of attitude in the life of the believer.
I never want to belittle the ordeals that people encounter. Perhaps the worst thing we can say to someone who is going through a valley of the shadow of death experience is to say: “I know what you are going through.” We don’t! It is impossible for us to know what is causing the pain within a person. But the Lord knows!
Some people experience sickness and incapacitation of one sort or another. In those times it is well to consider the way God’s people have suffered across the centuries of time. Some of the greatest songs or poems of praise were penned at times of suffering.
Each of us is given a choice in dealing with the pain and agony of this life. We can sigh and moan about how hard our situation is, or we can soar above the circumstances and praise the Lord from whom all blessings come! I, for one, choose to soar! Come and soar with me!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 4, 2014 | Isaiah
Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.
Recently I was reading Encouragement For Life, a book by Chuck Swindoll. I was impressed by one paragraph that I would like to share with you. There are times in life when you are brought face to face with spiritual reality, and that is what I felt when I read this statement:
“When you think biblically you focus first on God. Regardless of what you want, regardless of the circumstances you are under, regardless of what others say or think, regardless of how you feel. God and God alone is working out His great plan and in the final tally it will be fabulous.”
As a young boy, one of the first verses of scripture that I memorized was Isaiah 41:10. I am not sure which Sunday School teacher gave that as an assignment, but I praise her for doing so. It has been a beacon in my life in the darkest days I have had to face. I know it will continue to be so the rest of my days as well.
What is the beacon in your life? Are you interested in only what will please you? Are you waiting for the right circumstances? Are you influenced by the opinions of others? I urge you to make Isaiah 41:10 the beacon in your life!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 9, 2014 | Isaiah
Isaiah 55:6
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
Over my many years of ministry I have urged individuals, couples and congregations to call on the name of the Lord at the earliest sign of difficulty. In fact I have gone so far as to beg them to keep in such close contact with the Lord that they talk with Him all through the day.
I wish I could report that my recommended counsel has been followed. That is just not the case. Many times I have had people come and weep bitter tears because they had met with chaos in their life and things were falling apart.
What do you do when your life has come unraveled and hopes have been crushed? The answer is always the same. Call on the name of the Lord. There is no way I have the power to restore and put the broken pieces of their life back together, but I know that when a life is totally surrendered to God, He gives hope for the hopeless.
You may be at a critical juncture of your life at this very moment. Your marriage or your job or your health or your children or your . . . do I need to go on? You get the idea. Regardless of what you face right now, I urge you to memorize Isaiah 55:6 and then do what it says!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
